Verizon 2520 and using Straight Talk 4GTLE (Sim card)

[webkrawler]

So, I decided to pick up a SIM card for my Verizon Nokia 2520.

I am a Sprint guy and I have very little experience with SIM cards but wanted to use my tablet in places that I would not have a Wi-Fi option available.

I purchased a Verizon BYOP SIM card kit from Straight Talk and inserted it into my tablet. I had, from a friend, a T-mobile SIM card that I had put in the tablet prior to see if I could get it to recognize the card. From the VZW Manager it kept saying "No Sim Card Inserted".
There were no other options anywhere so I wasn't sure if would recognize the Straight Talk CDMA SIM card or not.

It did indeed recognize the SIM card and THEN I had new options to switch it to GSM if I liked but I decided to keep it on the CDMA Verizon option and go ahead and attempt to active the SIM card. If you want to use a GSM SIM card and can't change the settings, put a CDMA SIM card in first and THEN it should allow you to change those settings.

So, I called the number to Straight Talk that came in my kit and all they could keep asking me for was the phone number. I told them several times I had no phone number and I was trying to activate my Verizon tablet. Finally they told me they don't support Verizon tablets and hung up.

I called back and this time I told them I was trying to activate my Verizon Nokia Lumia phone. They wanted the serial number from the phone (my 2520) and from the SIM card which both appeared in the settings for the VZW Manager. She verified my device was supported and I paid nearly $50.00 (including taxes and surcharges) for 1 month of unlimited talk/text/internet access. The first 3GB was at 4G speeds then it throttles down to 1XRTT speeds for the remaining part of the month. Not sure how that compares to their GSM $40.00 for 4GB plan but for now I have 1 month of service. I don't think it throttles it after the month is over. Seems to be $40.00 for 4GB for 60days and when you use up all your data you have to refill.

Since Verizon has more service in more places (if you can believe their commercials).
I think I might stick with the CDMA Straight Talk plan.

I installed an App from the Windows Store, "DataUsage" by smart_Apps to help manage
the account.


So far this has worked out quite good. For the most part I won't be streaming or using a whole lot of data but today I did use Youtube a few times for a few minutes.

We'll see how the rest of the month goes.

I do have a phone number assigned to the account. I wonder if
there is ay way to text or anything from the 2520 using that assigned number.
Hmmm.

 

[webkrawler]

I decided I can get a better plan on T-mobile. Though I had a great month on the Straight Talk I did not realize i was violating their TOS. I am not supposed to use a tablet with the talk/text/web plan.
But, the service was fast and reliable, which is more than I can say for the service I get (or don't get) on my Sprint Android phone.

I got a micro-SIM from T-mobile and called them up. They needed to "convert" the SIM from a talk/text/web SIM to a "data only" SIM. Be sure and stress it's a tablet. They will ask for the IMEI number. You might want to stay in the Verizon menu to copy the number because when you switch the APN for T-mobile, the IMEI number vanishes.

They activated the SIM and I have a tablet data plan $30/month for 3GB. PLUS, they offer FREE 250MB of data per month if you decide that is all the data you need.

 

[mbhq]

Is this unlocked?

 

[webkrawler]

Yes, they are unlocked from the factory. BUT, here's the catch. You have to (or at least I had to) insert some kind of CDMA SIM and have the tablet recognize it before it will allow you into the settings to switch it to GSM (Global) mode.
I don't think the CDMA SIM has to be activated or anything.
That was for my tablet which is the red Verizon one.