Which SIM Card to buy for StraightTalk on Unlocked Lumia... ATT or GSM?

[ballanda]

Which one do I buy? My phone is unlocked, but I cannot get data for the life of me with the AT&T compatible SIM card from Straight Talk (and I have tried it all). Should I have purchased the generic GSM SIM card instead? What else could be keeping me from gettin data?

 

[inteller]

you probably don't have the APn configured with the network setup app correctly. My 900 works fine on ST.

 

[ballanda]

I have tried every permutation/combination of every APN setting on every build of WP (which I flashed). I have hard rest my phone over 10 times in between... just to make sure. I've been at this for 6 days now.

Settings I've tried...

IN "SETTINGS -> CELLULAR"
- APN = att.mvno
- APN = <blank>
- Also tried with and without the ST-provided proxy (which I know you shouldn't need on the Lumia)
- Also tried with and without specifying anything in NETWORK SETUP app

IN "NETWORK SETUP APP"
- APN = att.mvno
- APN = <blank>
- Also tried with and without the ST-provided proxy (which I know you shouldn't need on the Lumia)
- Also tried with and without specifying anything in SETTINGS -> CELLULAR app

... and I've completely given up on MMS at this point so I wont even get into the settings I have tried there.

Could my SIM be a lemon? If it is, why would it only affect data? For $10 I'm happy to go back to Wal-Mart and try it at this point.
When I put it in the first time the phone did not ask me to enter my unlock code.
I unlocked the phone by putting in my brother's SIM from a Verizon Android phone. Is that normal???


I'd appreciate any tips that anybody might have from experience in difficulty getting ST data to work.

Otherwise I am just gonna throw up my hands and pray my unlocked 920 comes soon (and that the APN is editable in WP8).

 

[palandri]

Which one do I buy? My phone is unlocked, but I cannot get data for the life of me with the AT&T compatible SIM card from Straight Talk (and I have tried it all). Should I have purchased the generic GSM SIM card instead? What else could be keeping me from gettin data?

How did you unlock your phone? What steps did you take?

 

[ballanda]

Here are the steps I took to unlock the phone (on build 8779 of WP):

1) online chat with AT&T rep.... said I was taking my phone international, and got the unlock code, based on my IMEI number.

2) Bought AT&T compatible SIM card from Straight Talk

3) Put SIM card in phone and activated Straight Talk service. Phone number/voice/SMS worked right away. I never had to put in my unlock code. I thought that was odd... why else would I need it?

4) Entered dozens of data settings... no data... no matter what I tried, no data

5) Flashed from build 8779 back to 8112 using Nokia setup tool. Tried to activate data again, no luck.

6) Grabbed SIM card from a Verizon phone.... this time it asked me for the unlock code. I entered it and it was accepted! Put the Straight Talk SIM back in.

7) Tried dozens of data settings again, for days.... but still no data.

8) Updated phone back to build 8779. Tried dozens of data settings again... no data.

I am officially out of ideas.
My only unanswered mysteries are... why did the phone never ask me for an unlock code with the straight talk SIM? ...and, do I need to unlock the phone again now that I updated the build (via Zune interface to PC)?

I tried unlocking the phone the other way in the instructions provided by AT&T but it made no sense to me. It said to enter all these characters (#pw... etc) but it didn't say where when or how. As far as I know the phone is unlocked because I simply entered my code when I put in that Verizon SIM.

 

[palandri]

Here are the steps I took to unlock the phone (on build 8779 of WP):

1) online chat with AT&T rep.... said I was taking my phone international, and got the unlock code, based on my IMEI number.

2) Bought AT&T compatible SIM card from Straight Talk

3) Put SIM card in phone and activated Straight Talk service. Phone number/voice/SMS worked right away. I never had to put in my unlock code. I thought that was odd... why else would I need it?

4) Entered dozens of data settings... no data... no matter what I tried, no data

5) Flashed from build 8779 back to 8112 using Nokia setup tool. Tried to activate data again, no luck.

6) Grabbed SIM card from a Verizon phone.... this time it asked me for the unlock code. I entered it and it was accepted! Put the Straight Talk SIM back in.

7) Tried dozens of data settings again, for days.... but still no data.

8) Updated phone back to build 8779. Tried dozens of data settings again... no data.

I am officially out of ideas.
My only unanswered mysteries are... why did the phone never ask me for an unlock code with the straight talk SIM? ...and, do I need to unlock the phone again now that I updated the build (via Zune interface to PC)?

I tried unlocking the phone the other way in the instructions provided by AT&T but it made no sense to me. It said to enter all these characters (#pw... etc) but it didn't say where when or how. As far as I know the phone is unlocked because I simply entered my code when I put in that Verizon SIM.

Once you put a "non-AT&T" SIM card in your phone, it should ask for an unlock code. I don't know if that works with an AT&T MVNO. Somebody else with Straight Talk should be able to tell you.

The other method/instructions AT&T gave you are entered into the dial pad and then you hit call.

I think you need to unlock it again. Do a hard reset first.

 

[ballanda]

I did a hard reset and I am trying to unlock it with the code via the phone dialpad, but I cannot get the "P", "W" or "+" characters to appear. The instructions say...


The letter p appears if you press the button star(*) three times quickly
The letter w appears if you press the button star(*) four times quickly
The symbol + appears if you press the button star(*) two times quickly

...but it doesn't work. If I press * 3 times quickly I get 3 stars. And I have tried it at all varying degrees of "quickly". I must be msising something...

 

[inteller]

you dont need to unlock the phone in the first place...probably somewhere in all those steps you did something got messed up. The steps are, get ST ATT SIM, get ST service, configure APN.

apn settings are Internet settings: apn att.mvno (NOTHING ELSE)
mms apn settings are att.mvno, ST proxy IP number, 80 for the port and http://mmsc.cingular.com for the mmsc address NOTHING ELSE

 

[anon(5335877)]

When you put in your Straight Talk SIM it doesn't ask you for the unlock code because Straight Talk uses AT&T's network, and the phone is locked to that network. You need to put in a SIM card from any other carrier that isn't AT&T, which is why the Verizon SIM gave you the unlock code prompt.

Also, when you set up the APN, you're only supposed to use one or the other. You shouldn't input settings into both the Settings -> Cellular AND Network Setup app at the same time. I think in that case, the Cellular settings will override whatever is in the Network Setup app. Just use the Network Setup app, input the settings, save/apply it, then reboot. Sometimes after my reboot the network setup app will ask me again to choose which network profile I want (and I choose the ST settings that I already saved) and it'll apply it again. After that I have working data and MMS.

 

[ballanda]

Thanks all. I have tried all of that, dozens of times ... Every combination of APN setting and location (settings vs network setup app) that you could imagine.

I just don't know what else to do. I think I am going to buy another SIM and activate that, and see what happens. I just hope I can bring my remaining service for this month with me. I'll report back.

 

[ballanda]

I just noticed this on the Network Setup app description...

"on SIM locked devices, even after unlocking, this application will not configure the Internet and MMS settings."

So how did so many people get it to work then?

 

[waazzupppp]

It's usually oversetup that causes the problems with APNS... Here's the basics for running any AT&T MVNO SIM card. This is a generic setup that works with Net10, H2O, Red Pocket Mobile or Straight Talk...

First off, clear any edits you have made to the native APN in the cellular settings. This will override the Nokia Network Setup App and cause a failure in either Data or MMS settings every time.

Next, download the Nokia Network Setup App from the Marketplace.

Open Network Setup and click the (+) icon at the bottom of the screen.

Connection Name - Enter Provider Name (i.e. Straight Talk)

Check the box that asks to use as current APN.

Internet APN
Access point name: att.mvno
Proxy address: (blank)
Proxy port: (blank)
Username: (blank)
Password: (blank)

MMS APN
MMS access point name: att.mvno
Proxy address: 66.209.11.33
Proxy port: 80
Username: (blank)
Password: (blank)
MMSC address: http://mmsc.cingular.com


Once you configure this, press the save icon at the bottom. You should see this added to the list of AT&T native network settings in the drop down on the Network Setup App.

That's is... Don't change any other settings in the main Windows program or anything else.

 

[ballanda]

It's usually oversetup that causes the problems with APNS... Here's the basics for running any AT&T MVNO SIM card......

Thank you... Unfortunately those are the same settings I have been trying for a week now. I haven't had a chance to try buying a different SIM card yet. But I doubt that will work either. I am hopelessly without data. On the bright side, I am a way safer driver lately.

 

[palandri]

Thank you... Unfortunately those are the same settings I have been trying for a week now. I haven't had a chance to try buying a different SIM card yet. But I doubt that will work either. I am hopelessly without data. On the bright side, I am a way safer driver lately.

Let us know what happens with a new SIM card.

 

[ballanda]

New Straight Talk SIM card just arrived...

1) Powered off phone (with correct APN settings already in place)
2) Installed new SIM
3) Activated new SIM
4) Waited 30 minutes
5) Turned on Phone


I HAVE DATA!!!!! NEW SIM WORKED!!!!!

I had to double check that wifi was off, because I was shocked.

Thanks all for the input. Who knew a SIM card could be defective on data when the voice/SMS work fine!?

 

[palandri]

New Straight Talk SIM card just arrived...

1) Powered off phone (with correct APN settings already in place)
2) Installed new SIM
3) Activated new SIM
4) Waited 30 minutes
5) Turned on Phone


I HAVE DATA!!!!! NEW SIM WORKED!!!!!

I had to double check that wifi was off, because I was shocked.

Thanks all for the input. Who knew a SIM card could be defective on data when the voice/SMS work fine!?

Glad you got it working.

 

[jrdatrackstar1223]

I'm bumping this thread because I've seen people say you are only suppose to use the Network Setup app, and that's all. However, in order for MMS, data, and Microsoft services to work, I HAVE to use both.

If I only use Network Setup, I get everything to work EXCEPT Xbox/Zune music. I get an error that there is a a problem with the Network. If I only use the cellular APN settings, Xbox/Zune stuff works (as does internet), but MMS doesn't work. The only thing has worked to where I can use EVERYTHING is:

Celluar settings:

Enter in att.mvno and that's it...

Network Setup app:

att.mvno for Internet APN
"Straight Talk" for MMS apn
66.209.11.33 for Proxy address
80 for Proxy port
http://mmsc.cingular.com for MMSC address.

It takes a couple of reboots, doing the cellular vs Network setup first then resetting, etc, but I eventually get everything to work...

 

[1jaxstate1]

Can you guys give you take on your experiences with straight talk? I've been with AT&T for since Cingular days, and I don't know why. I've heard how inexpensive ST is compared to AT&T.

You guys have any "gotchas" that you have experienced.

 

[palandri]

....You guys have any "gotchas" that you have experienced.

I would imagine you can't roam. AT&T & T-Mobile do share some towers.

I've seen reports by people claiming SraightTalk cancelled them for data usage and they lost their phone number. I have no idea if these reports are correct. Other people claim they use 5GB a month on StraightTalk and have no problem.

Sorry to be political, but the WalMart business model hurts small businesses. They go into rural areas, convince County Commissions not to tax them and they'll create 100's of jobs, setup a store, and everyone starts shopping there because of the price and small businesses in the rural towns go out of business.

 

[1jaxstate1]

Is this a WalMart operation? Didnt know that. Sigh.

I've been reading some reviews, its been 50/50. Not too sure if I'm ready to make the leap.