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using my verizon note 3 on Tmobile

T

therealbigrich

Lurker
I'm trying to figure out how to use my Verizon note 3 one T-mobile network. I see people say to press *#06# and then put in my unlock code but that's not working on my phone. Is there any other way to unlock my phone so that it works on T-Mobile .
 
No, since it's a CDMA phone and TMobile uses GSM. You can put it on Sprint and use their SIM card if you unlock it, but you can't use a CDMA phone on a GSM network. (It's like getting a picture on a radio - they're different technologies.)
 
johnpjackson said:
The Galaxy Note 3 is not CDMA, it's LTE.
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LTE is the 4G data protocol it uses, Verizon uses CDMA for voice, TMobile uses TDMA(GSM) for voice. The two don't mix. And since logging into the network is done on 2G (voice), regardless of the high speed data protocol the phone or the network use, if the phone can't talk to the network on 2G to connect to the network, the phone won't work on that network.
 
Rukbat said:
LTE is the 4G data protocol it uses, Verizon uses CDMA for voice, TMobile uses TDMA(GSM) for voice. The two don't mix. And since logging into the network is done on 2G (voice), regardless of the high speed data protocol the phone or the network use, if the phone can't talk to the network on 2G to connect to the network, the phone won't work on that network.
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Cant really disagree with you because you sound like you know better than me. I just thought if you unlock a phone it could be used on any carrier. I was also pretty sure after I went to more settings and under mobile networks it lets you change network mode from Global, LTE/CDMA and GSM/UMTS so idk.
 
therealbigrich said:
I just thought if you unlock a phone it could be used on any carrier.
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That's the SIM-lock, and it applies only to GSM phones. CDMA phones aren't SIM-locked.

I was also pretty sure after I went to more settings and under mobile networks it lets you change network mode from Global, LTE/CDMA and GSM/UMTS so idk.
Click to expand...
That's the data connection, not the network connection, which is always (these days, anyway) 2G on a GSM phone.
 
Rukbat said:
That's the SIM-lock, and it applies only to GSM phones. CDMA phones aren't SIM-locked.

That's the data connection, not the network connection, which is always (these days, anyway) 2G on a GSM phone.
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Dude please do NOT give incorrect information! Verizon Note3 is an unlocked phone. You can put a tmo sim into the phone and make a phone call directly. I have tested this with my phone

HERE is the APN settings:
Name : T-Mobile LTE

APN: fast.tmobile.com

MMSC: http://mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc

MMS Protocol: WAP 2.0

MCC: 310

MNC: 260

APN Type: default,supl,admin,dun,mms


You just may or may not get 4G/LTE speeds. I don't know if we can link other forums on here so I'm not going to do that but a simple search on XDA for VZW Note 3 N900V Fully Functional on T-Mobile 4G lte will give you step by step on what to do and for root and no root Note 3 phones.
 
I am sure.. that Verizon is CDMA.. and T-Mobile is GSM... for phone calls. the 2 will never mix. This is separate from the DATA radios.

I would be surprised to find out NOTE3 on Verizon has both radios on it.. both GSM and CDMA.. and active. because that is $$$ in both hardware.. kill battery as one would not be used.

similar to Sprint.. they are CDMA too.. and most of those phone do NOT have SIM slots.
GSM phones require SIM cards to activate.

there are small carriers that use Verizon's network as their backbone. and prepaid services.
you might be able to move it on to one of them.
 
Rukbat said:
That's the SIM-lock, and it applies only to GSM phones. CDMA phones aren't SIM-locked.

That's the data connection, not the network connection, which is always (these days, anyway) 2G on a GSM phone.
Click to expand...

dan330 said:
I am sure.. that Verizon is CDMA.. and T-Mobile is GSM... for phone calls. the 2 will never mix. This is separate from the DATA radios.

I would be surprised to find out NOTE3 on Verizon has both radios on it.. both GSM and CDMA.. and active. because that is $$$ in both hardware.. kill battery as one would not be used.

similar to Sprint.. they are CDMA too.. and most of those phone do NOT have SIM slots.
GSM phones require SIM cards to activate.

there are small carriers that use Verizon's network as their backbone. and prepaid services.
you might be able to move it on to one of them.
Click to expand...

Very simple to actually just put a tmo sim card in a note 3 and test which is why I did. You want further usage you can change the APN settings and be all set! Just search XDA under what I said.

I got so tired of VZN and their cost for everything that I switched to Tmo with my VZN Note 3! Yes it works!

Alternately you can also bring your Note 3 to Straight Talk (ST).

No need to believe me or not believe me, just do the sim card swap and see for yourself! If you put in a tmo sim card into your vzn note 3 and try to make a call it won't let you if it can't be done...NOT the case here.
 
ok.. If you said you actually did it.. then I stand corrected.

so the Verizon Note3.. is both CDMA and GSM.. unlocked.. = world phone?
 
dan330 said:
ok.. If you said you actually did it.. then I stand corrected.

so the Verizon Note3.. is both CDMA and GSM.. unlocked.. = world phone?
Click to expand...

It does indeed work...at least in the .US I have not tried anything internationally, but I don't see why it too would not work.

A simple APN change and you are set. :)
 
I have a galaxy note 3 sprint. I rooted it to work on metro pcs. My question is why am i only getting 3g speeds insteadof 4g? What did i do wrong? Never had this happen before.
 
iLL wiLL 01 said:
I have a galaxy note 3 sprint. I rooted it to work on metro pcs. My question is why am i only getting 3g speeds insteadof 4g? What did i do wrong? Never had this happen before.
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Have you checked the APN settings?

Also when you go to Settings > More Settings (at the top) > Mobile Networks > check out what is chosen, that could have an effect on what you're connecting to.

Otherwise when did this problem start?
 
Twenty1 said:
It does indeed work...at least in the .US I have not tried anything internationally, but I don't see why it too would not work.

A simple APN change and you are set. :)
Click to expand...

bump.. yes correct. i did this when while i was in vietnam. i have a vzw retail note 3. popped in vietnam simcard and phone worked like a charm. i had to manually set up APN though to access the interweb
 
Wcdma is gsm but cdma standard what matters is not the technology but the airwaves the phone can receive compared to the ones the carrier is sending that's the beauty of lte or wcdma which is advanced 3g so what I'm saying is if you do all proper setting changes you should be able to at best receive 3g and voice will work either way think about global roaming which is gsm standard
 
Just to help with the clarification, it's not that they can't lock it. Verizon phones with LTE have to be unlocked as thats a condition of them using the 700MHz spectrum. So if its a global capable Verizon LTE phone it'll be unlocked. Almost all are global now anyway.
 
Gman9831 said:
Just to help with the clarification, it's not that they can't lock it. Verizon phones with LTE have to be unlocked as thats a condition of them using the 700MHz spectrum. So if its a global capable Verizon LTE phone it'll be unlocked. Almost all are global now anyway.
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Yep. But I haven't been able to tap into any LTE networks outside Verizon. So far the fastest connection I've had was a 3g connection in Vietnam... tested it on speedtest.net Android app for 5mb dl and 2mb upload. Pretty fast for 3g imo
 
so if I have a Note 3 and unlock it in Canada in order to use Roam Mobility (which works off of t mobile), do I need to buy a SIM in the U.S. in order to use, or can I use any foreign one before activating?
 
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