Cell phone ignorance...have questions

[HeXploiT]

So since I can connect my nokia cell phone to my pc(which I have yet to do),
does this mean if I pick up another cell phone without service that I can copy the information from my primary memory chip(or whatever it's called) and duplicate that info to a second chip/phone?

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: Perry404
So since I can connect my nokia cell phone to my pc(which I have yet to do),
does this mean if I pick up another cell phone without service that I can copy the information from my primary memory chip(or whatever it's called) and duplicate that info to a second chip/phone?

What exactly are you trying to do? Copy your contacts? Who is your service provider?

 

[HeXploiT]

Service provider is cellular one. I just want to have two phone that answer to the same number just like I would with a landline.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: Perry404
Service provider is cellular one. I just want to have two phone that answer to the same number just like I would with a landline.

As far as I know, that isn't possible for cell phones. They do have home/office systems that link up to your cell phone. So you can get 2-5 handsets that all run off the one cell phone. IIRC those systems are kind of expensive.

 

[HeXploiT]

Originally posted by: Mike

Originally posted by: Perry404
Service provider is cellular one. I just want to have two phone that answer to the same number just like I would with a landline.

As far as I know, that isn't possible for cell phones. They do have home/office systems that link up to your cell phone. So you can get 2-5 handsets that all run off the one cell phone. IIRC those systems are kind of expensive.

Well isn't the memory chip in a cell phone just that, a memory chip in which case it could be copied and written to another chip?

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: Perry404

Originally posted by: Mike

Originally posted by: Perry404
Service provider is cellular one. I just want to have two phone that answer to the same number just like I would with a landline.

As far as I know, that isn't possible for cell phones. They do have home/office systems that link up to your cell phone. So you can get 2-5 handsets that all run off the one cell phone. IIRC those systems are kind of expensive.

Well isn't the memory chip in a cell phone just that, a memory chip in which case it could be copied and written to another chip?

When you say memory chip I will assume you're talking about a SIM card. Phones these days have both memory and SIMs. A SIM is linked to your phone number and as far as I know it cannot be copied. You cannot use more then one phone with the same number.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

You can swap out the SIM card to the other phone when you want to use that phone, but using the same number for two phones. I don't think that's possible.

 

[pm]

Theoretically what you are trying to do, can be done. But in reality I would highly recommend that you don't explore this any further.

The idea of making two identical SIM cards is called "SIM cloning", and is expensive and illegal and it isn't hard for the provider to figure out and nab you for. The penalties for doing this are severe.

Other alternatives:

There are call forwarding services that will do this for you for a fee - such as ringcentral.com.

Most VOIP providers will allow you to program one or more cell phones to ring simultaneously or in sequence.

A lot of PBX's - including the Linux-based Asterisk - can do this.

You can often program cell phones to call forward to another line if you don't answer on the cell or are out of range - although often these codes are undocumented.

For example, on the iPhone, there's a list of codes that cover forwarding here:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/07/12...e-secret-iphone-codes/

And there are similar lists for Nokia and Motorola phones, and presumably all of the other phones out there.

 

[HeXploiT]

Originally posted by: pm
Theoretically what you are trying to do, can be done. But in reality I would highly recommend that you don't explore this any further.

The idea of making two identical SIM cards is called "SIM cloning", and is expensive and illegal and it isn't hard for the provider to figure out and nab you for. The penalties for doing this are severe.

Other alternatives:

There are call forwarding services that will do this for you for a fee - such as ringcentral.com.

Most VOIP providers will allow you to program one or more cell phones to ring simultaneously or in sequence.

A lot of PBX's - including the Linux-based Asterisk - can do this.

You can often program cell phones to call forward to another line if you don't answer on the cell or are out of range - although often these codes are undocumented.

For example, on the iPhone, there's a list of codes that cover forwarding here:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/07/12...e-secret-iphone-codes/

And there are similar lists for Nokia and Motorola phones, and presumably all of the other phones out there.

SIM card! dangit I couldn't remember the name of it.
So sim cloning is illegal!? What the hell? That's just amazing. They thought ahead enough to pass laws preventing us from using two phones .lol
The entire thing is I want a second phone but I don't feel I should have to pay for a second service. This is very interesting. I might even feel guilty If I were to copy a friends music cd. That is a form of piracy. But copying a sim card so you can have two phones? I don't think there is any way someone could convince me this is morally wrong.
Also I find it extremely unlikely the provider could figure it out. I assume that with cloning you wouldn't be able to use both phones at the same time. Therefor it sounds rather easy and easy to get away with.
Note that I am only talking about using ones own sim card & information.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Well it's pretty easy for a carrier to find out what you are using. Each SIM has an identifier, you number and account info. The phone has a unique IMEI number and all of these are sent when you turn it on and it connects to a base station. As soon as you turn on Phone #2 and it shows two IMEIs at the same time on one number/account you can expect a call regarding your service.

 

[pm]

The entire thing is I want a second phone but I don't feel I should have to pay for a second service. This is very interesting. I might even feel guilty If I were to copy a friends music cd. That is a form of piracy. But copying a sim card so you can have two phones? I don't think there is any way someone could convince me this is morally wrong.

For your application, no, it's not morally wrong. However, until they tightened the security on phones (and passed laws to prohibit it), unscrupulous people were stealing people's cell phone numbers and service to be able to make free calls. In fact, as I recall there was a fairly famous incident in which members of some terrorist network (Fatah? Hezbollah?) stole the cell numbers of a bunch of famous CEO's and politicians and used them to make calls. It happened several years ago... in either England or Canada.

Anyway, if you want to use two cell phones with the same SIM, you can. Just take it out and move it (with your contacts written onto it) to the other phone. Most cell phones have a "copy contacts to SIM" function.

If you want to have two phones working at the same time, with the same number... no, that can't be done legally.

 

[HeXploiT]

Well if it's a software based identifier I'm sure it can be fixed. Possibly even if it is hardware. I know very little about the technology at this point though. Somehow I suspect I am violating the TOS in this thread now but I would have never even known it was against the law if I didn't ask here.
As far as just moving the sim card goes...well that sort of defeats the purpose. Two would be nice because then both my Wife and I could carry a phone at the same time. I wasn't even thinking of using both phones at the same time. With a landline you can't use two simultaneously so I wouldn't expect to do so with a cell.