Cell phone question.

[jsbush]

Is it illegal to clone your own cell phone so you can keep one phone in the house all the time and the other phone on you? If it is legal, can I do it my self or do I need to bring it to a dealer?

 

[QTPie]

i think it's illegal.
We have to call them and tell them the code of your phone so that they enter it into their computer system.

 

[Frosty3799]

<< Is it illegal to clone your own cell phone so you can keep one phone in the house all the time and the other phone on you? If it is legal, can I do it my self or do I need to bring it to a dealer? >>



that would be cool... i am sure it can be done, but its probably not legal, because that would be like having 2 phones but only paying for one

 

[Jerboy]

<<

<< Is it illegal to clone your own cell phone so you can keep one phone in the house all the time and the other phone on you? If it is legal, can I do it my self or do I need to bring it to a dealer? >>



that would be cool... i am sure it can be done, but its probably not legal, because that would be like having 2 phones but only paying for one >>




The serial # has to be altered. I believe your phone # is matched against the phone's serial # at their system.

 

[Frosty3799]

<<

<<

<< Is it illegal to clone your own cell phone so you can keep one phone in the house all the time and the other phone on you? If it is legal, can I do it my self or do I need to bring it to a dealer? >>



that would be cool... i am sure it can be done, but its probably not legal, because that would be like having 2 phones but only paying for one >>




The serial # has to be altered. I believe your phone # is matched against the phone's serial # at their system. >>



couldnt you just flash the same serial number on 2 phones? i know people who have flashed their phones with new stuff.

 

[Jerboy]

<<
couldnt you just flash the same serial number on 2 phones? i know people who have flashed their phones with new stuff. >>



I wouldn't be surprised if serial # was written on write-once chip just as some AT&T have unalterable splash screen.

 

[Frosty3799]

<<

<<
couldnt you just flash the same serial number on 2 phones? i know people who have flashed their phones with new stuff. >>



I wouldn't be surprised if serial # was written on write-once chip just as some AT&T have unalterable splash screen. >>



its probably possible to get a new chip, or buy a blank phone... my friends that have flashed their phone use sprint... i dont know about the other companies. i know a few people who work for cingular, which is the provider i use.. i could probably find out if its possible

 

[Jerboy]

<<

<<

<<
couldnt you just flash the same serial number on 2 phones? i know people who have flashed their phones with new stuff. >>



I wouldn't be surprised if serial # was written on write-once chip just as some AT&T have unalterable splash screen. >>



its probably possible to get a new chip, or buy a blank phone... my friends that have flashed their phone use sprint... i dont know about the other companies. i know a few people who work for cingular, which is the provider i use.. i could probably find out if its possible >>




Given that their ASIC CPU doesn't have serial # on it. If it's got a serial like Pentium III, you're screwed. There has been alot of cellphone piracy problem and they're really working hard on combatting it.

 

[Frosty3799]

<< Given that their ASIC CPU doesn't have serial # on it. If it's got a serial like Pentium III, you're screwed. There has been alot of cellphone piracy problem and they're really working hard on combatting it. >>



true, but wouldnt they have to have blank chips somewhere? or else if just the chip dies in a perfectly good (otherwise) phone, then that phone would be garbage.

 

[Jerboy]

<<

<< Given that their ASIC CPU doesn't have serial # on it. If it's got a serial like Pentium III, you're screwed. There has been alot of cellphone piracy problem and they're really working hard on combatting it. >>



true, but wouldnt they have to have blank chips somewhere? or else if just the chip dies in a perfectly good (otherwise) phone, then that phone would be garbage. >>



I'm sure the phone would be garbage anyway, because maintaining a repair facility and labor to do this would far exceed the cost of ocassionally replacing dead phones.

If that's not the case I'm sure the manufacture would have it, which will obviously have a new S/N. This won't be a problem for legitimate repairs though. Your carrier would simply cross out the old s/n on their system, then re-register it with the S/N from your new chip.

 

[jsbush]

I searched about this subject on google, and they say you can change the ESN (electronic serial number) on any cell phone to work exactly the same as the orginal one.

What I'm not sure though is if this is legal to do it on your own phone. I'll call Bell mobility and ask them, I don't want to risk anything.


Thanks.

 

[Pabster]

Of course it is possible. It is laughably easy with AMPS/NAMPS phones (ie analog) and only slightly more difficult with CDMA/TDMA phones. GSM, on the other hand, presents a bit more of a challenge.

Anyway, no, it is not legal. There are a myriad of protections built in to a given providers' service to thwart that type of activity.

 

[Frosty3799]

jsbush: do you already have a second phone? if so, and it is only you usin both phones, so that they wont both be used at the same time, then i dont think they would be able to detect it. i am sure if you call them, then they will say no, and tell you you could just get a second phone.

if you know someone at one of the dealers, then ask them to set it up for you

 

[MikeO]

<< Is it illegal to clone your own cell phone so you can keep one phone in the house all the time and the other phone on you? >>



(I'm just interested) Why do you want to do that? The idea of cellphone is that you can keep it on you, everywhere and all the time

 

[Jerboy]

<< I searched about this subject on google, and they say you can change the ESN (electronic serial number) on any cell phone to work exactly the same as the orginal one.

What I'm not sure though is if this is legal to do it on your own phone. I'll call Bell mobility and ask them, I don't want to risk anything.


Thanks. >>



It's not illegal per se to modify anything on your telephone, but it's illegal to gain access to the carrier's network using an unauthorized phone or so I feel...

 

[Frosty3799]

<<

<< Is it illegal to clone your own cell phone so you can keep one phone in the house all the time and the other phone on you? >>



(I'm just interested) Why do you want to do that? The idea of cellphone is that you can keep it on you, everywhere and all the time >>



i could see how you would want to do this... from my house i dont get good reception with my phone, because i am far from towers and it only has an internal antenna, but i like the cell phone, cause it is fine in most places, and very smalll and portable. it would be nice to have a phone back at my house with maybe a bigger antenna, so i could get better reception there... and you may say "why not just use your home phone?" well, i know a few people who just have cell phones and cable interent, so no need for a home phone.

 

[jsbush]

Yeah I already have two phones. Ones a startac and the other one is a timeport.

I get poor reception in my house so I was thinking of setting up the startac with a roof mount antenna or something. But as jerboy sayed, it's prohibited by federal law, so I guess i'm out of luck.


Thanks for all the info guys.