Can AT&T tell if a unlocked iPhone is on their network?

[grant0830]

I currently have a rate plan with AT&T that does not allow for the iPhone to be used with it. So my questions is with the plan set up under another phone and placing that SIM into a unlocked iPhone can AT&T tell that I am using an unlocked iPhone on their network?

[pokekid]

usually by the imei they can tell.

[Pineapple Devil]

yes, they have a program called snooper that can tell when it registers on your account. if you use the phone for a day and check your online account it will show the active phone as an iphone

[hartphoto]

Does snooper have the ability to tell if it's an unlocked iPhone?

Or just that it's an iPhone (because of a range of IMEI's that probably correlate to iPhones).

Not unlike MAC addresses for ethernet nics (for example), with a certain range belonging to different manufacturers.

[grant0830]

So what if from time to time you throw your sim back into another phone (not iphone) or are there ways around snooper?

[pokekid]

change its imei to another phones number and use it. better to just get the plan and less worrysome on att

[Pineapple Devil]

Does snooper have the ability to tell if it's an unlocked iPhone?

Or just that it's an iPhone (because of a range of IMEI's that probably correlate to iPhones).

Not unlike MAC addresses for ethernet nics (for example), with a certain range belonging to different manufacturers.

no, they cannot tell that its unlocked but if anyone knows anything about the iphones they'll be able to see what plan you're on and figure out that its unlocked. honestly though, the majority of att employees are not into phones enough to know about it. they go based on the imei specific to that phone's model

[sinner1649]

oh yes they can tell, and they are starting to be really crazy about sweeping on accounts and such. I work for at&t , I see it all the time. What I have done is unlocked, jailbroken, and activated my iphone with ziphone. But the key thing I have done is changed my imei with ziphone. When you do that at&t has no idea you have an iphone and you can be on unlimited media net for $15. I also have the family text which also gives you the ability to use swirlymms. It's great! Works like a charm. In at&t's eyes I carry the lovely motorola v400.

[Pineapple Devil]

oh yes they can tell, and they are starting to be really crazy about sweeping on accounts and such. I work for at&t , I see it all the time. What I have done is unlocked, jailbroken, and activated my iphone with ziphone. But the key thing I have done is changed my imei with ziphone. When you do that at&t has no idea you have an iphone and you can be on unlimited media net for $15. I also have the family text which also gives you the ability to use swirlymms. It's great! Works like a charm. In at&t's eyes I carry the lovely motorola v400.

and thats also illegal

[jlhull]

I have been using an unlocked iphone for over a month. I did not change the imei number. I don't have any data plan, because I just use wifi. at&t's website still shows my old phone. I gave my old phone to my husband, and it is also showing up under his phone number. Might just be a glitch, but they haven't updated mine yet.

[addertay]

Does it have the phone you are using for gophone customers in the account information? I switched to my iphone last week as i was stuck at an airport and had a gophone sim. I have since switched back to my nasty gophone ( i only use it occasionally as in my area we mostly have CDMA)

I know ATT could tell if they wanted to but if i could check its showing my old gophone again it would give me a little peice of mind.

( in case your wondering i typically just use my iphone as a touch.. had it for a while)

[sinner1649]

and thats also illegal

never said it wasn't

Does it have the phone you are using for gophone customers in the account information? I switched to my iphone last week as i was stuck at an airport and had a gophone sim. I have since switched back to my nasty gophone ( i only use it occasionally as in my area we mostly have CDMA)

I know ATT could tell if they wanted to but if i could check its showing my old gophone again it would give me a little peice of mind.

( in case your wondering i typically just use my iphone as a touch.. had it for a while)

i wouldn't worry about it.

[grant0830]

Yes, the IMEI method is the only way to keep the big blue from sweeping accounts that have plans that are "not compatible" with the iPhone. As I was told they will simply de activate your service if you are trying to "cheat" the system. But, that could have been a scare tactic.

Anyway, I am waiting on ziphone unlock for 2.0 software, any idea when that will be out?

[hiflyer]

Anyway, I am waiting on ziphone unlock for 2.0 software, any idea when that will be out?

Just read an article on another forum and Zibri says he will not have a hack for 2.0.

[sinner1649]

Yes, the IMEI method is the only way to keep the big blue from sweeping accounts that have plans that are "not compatible" with the iPhone. As I was told they will simply de activate your service if you are trying to "cheat" the system. But, that could have been a scare tactic.

Anyway, I am waiting on ziphone unlock for 2.0 software, any idea when that will be out?

who knows.....I honestly don't even care to upgrade to 2.0 unless the app store comes out with some really good apps, such as swirlymms, orblive, islsk,......but i doubt they will come out with anything like those so....I dont really see a need for me to change to 2.0 until then. I get mms, I stream tv from dish network, I download music from islsk...gets the job done. To each their own

[dooley19]

oh yes they can tell, and they are starting to be really crazy about sweeping on accounts and such. I work for at&t , I see it all the time. What I have done is unlocked, jailbroken, and activated my iphone with ziphone. But the key thing I have done is changed my imei with ziphone. When you do that at&t has no idea you have an iphone and you can be on unlimited media net for $15. I also have the family text which also gives you the ability to use swirlymms. It's great! Works like a charm. In at&t's eyes I carry the lovely motorola v400.

They might see that your using a motorola v400, but can they tell what kind of web browser the phone is running on while using they data network? I know I can go to certain sites on my iphone and it tells me what kind of browser my phone is using(Safari) and the ip address. They know the ONLY phone that uses that browser is an iPhone. Another thing, they know a v400 can't pull that much data from the network in a months time like an iPhone can.

[sinner1649]

They might see that your using a motorola v400, but can they tell what kind of web browser the phone is running on while using they data network? I know I can go to certain sites on my iphone and it tells me what kind of browser my phone is using(Safari) and the ip address. They know the ONLY phone that uses that browser is an iPhone. Another thing, they know a v400 can't pull that much data from the network in a months time like an iPhone can.

true, i get what your saying. I have never seen that happen though in over 3 years. The only thing i've seen them be able to tell the difference is when you tether. Honestly though, I could see this possibly being a problem with some. I don't use the edge network that much though, mostly wifi. My work has wifi, my home, my friends. I probably use around 20mb per month if that. But at the same time, how do people get away with using the nokia n95 and other unlocked phones? Those phones use lots of data. It's the same idea. Like I said I see issues when people have pda personal, bb personal, etc. and then they tether and use like 500 mb or even way higher. Never with phones that just use media net on the phone and dont tether.

[dooley19]

true, i get what your saying. I have never seen that happen though in over 3 years. The only thing i've seen them be able to tell the difference is when you tether. Honestly though, I could see this possibly being a problem with some. I don't use the edge network that much though, mostly wifi. My work has wifi, my home, my friends. I probably use around 20mb per month if that. But at the same time, how do people get away with using the nokia n95 and other unlocked phones? Those phones use lots of data. It's the same idea. Like I said I see issues when people have pda personal, bb personal, etc. and then they tether and use like 500 mb or even way higher. Never with phones that just use media net on the phone and dont tether.

yeah your right, them N95 phones and other unlocked smart phones has to use lots of data. Well you know more than I do, u work for them