How I Fixed "Your SIM card does not allow a connection to this network" G1
Thu, 2009/08/06 - 00:41 | 
phil First off, I want to say that I LOVE my Android based G1!! It is the best phone I have ever owned!
Ok, with that being said, I was driving home late one evening and ran into the horrifying issue of "Your SIM card does not allow a connection to this network" which is apparently specific to the G1... Some people have reported that they receive this while roaming but as far as I know, I was never in an area of roaming...
In attempting to troubleshoot the problem, I tried changing from 2G to 3G, no luck, I tried rebooting with still no luck, so when I finally got home I did some research and found a suggestion that "airplane mode" might be causing problems. I fiddled with the airplane mode and still no luck...
A while back, I had downloaded a program off the market called "Any Cut" which basically lets you create a shortcut to just about any aspect of your phone, even system info areas that aren't accessible from the main settings menu. One of the shortcuts I created was "Phone Info" which shows all sorts of cool network info about your provider (mine being T-Mobile). While it is cool to see lots of numbers and letters, it really doesn't do anyone a whole lot of good unless they know what the stuff means. One area of the "phone info" shows the data connection statistics for the data plan and I noticed that while I wasn't connected to a network, It seemed as though I was connected to the internet. I usually have "auto-sync" turned off to save battery but figured I would turn it on to see what would happen, but still being skeptical. Next thing I know, I get a "new e-mail" notification! (but still no voice service)
So, what does this have to do with fixing the problem of "Your SIM card does not allow a connection to this network"? Well, I don't really know what it all means, or if it will fix your phone or not, but I will tie the "Any Cut", "Phone Info" and "Auto-sync" together in hopes that it might also help you.
Current Method
Update 2012/01/17: I want to note that I've learned an easier method for accessing the phone info outside of anycut. You might give this a try first before downloading AnyCut. (Instructions below under the "Archive Method" heading)
1. Open the phone dialer
2. Enter: *#*#4636#*#* (Once entered, you will be taken directly to a "Testing" page)
3. Tap Phone Information
4. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and you should see a button that says radio off. Hit this button and when it reads radio on Hit it again to turn the radio back on.
I'll also note that you should check the "Set preferred network type" setting. Something weird might have happened and this setting is no longer correct. Changing it "shouldn't" hurt anything, just remember what the original setting was incase you think you should go back to it and I personally haven't had any luck with changing it on my GSM carrier (it just defaults back when I exit the phone information screen), but I've been able to change it on CDMA carrier phones and it will stick with the new setting (This is largely due to being able to completely turn off 4g and force the phone to 3g which saves battery). If you are unsure what your carrier is, you can probably do a google search and figure it out pretty quick.
The following is a list quoted from pjmo of what the different options mean:
GSM = GPRS (2g)
EDGE(2g)
UMTS(3g)
WCDMA(3g)
HSDPA(3g) {Cell Carrier examples: AT&T and T-Mobile}
CDMA = CDMA*(2/3g)
EV-DO(3g)
WiMax(3/4g) {Cell Carrier examples: Verizon and Sprint}
Now that the general stuff is out of the way, here's my take on the Preferred Network types:
WCDMA preferred - The GSM phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 3G is favored more.
GSM only - The GSM phone is capable of using only 2G data communication. When the 2G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
WCDMA only - The GSM phone is capable of using only 3G data communication. When the 3G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
GSM auto (PRL) - The GSM phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more. This one is a bit confusing to me since PRL is associated mostly with CDMA technology and not GSM technology.
CDMA auto (PRL) - The CDMA phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more.
CDMA only - The CDMA phone is capable of using only 2G data communication. When the 2G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
EvDo only - The CDMA phone is capable of using only 3G data communication. When the 3G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
GSM/CDMA auto (PRL) - Some phones are equipped with both GSM and CDMA capabilities. This setting appears to just have the phone attempt to stay connected to the data communication type that works the best. (Maybe the Samsung Galaxy S will take advantage of this???)
Unknown - If none of the above fit or the phone is acting weird as far as connecting to the carrier, you will see your preferred network type is set to this
Archived Method
2. Create a shortcut to "Phone Info"
(menu -> add -> shortcuts -> Any Cut -> Activity -> Phone Info) Click "OK" on the "Edit Shortcut" screen
3. Try turning off / on auto-sync
(menu -> settings -> Data synchronization -> Auto-sync) Wait for the sync arrows to appear
4. Go back to the home screen and click on the new "Phone Info" shortcut
5. scroll to the bottom of the screen and you should see a button that says radio off. Hit this button and when it reads radio on Hit it again to turn the radio back on.
After turning the radio off then back on, It took about 5 seconds and I had a connection to the tower again!!
If it works, (or doesn't work) let us all know in the comments so others can see the results!
Edit: 2009/03/22 Ok, as much as I hate to admit defeat... I'm pretty sure this method is a complete bust and it turned out to be pure coincidence that mine was fixed... (I'm betting now it was network issues...) Anywho, I'll leave this up in hopes that SOMEONE might benefit from it.
Edit: 2011/01/25 Read through the comments as several folks have some additional tricks that might work for you.
The Wichita Computer Guy is hosted by one of the best hosting companies on the market: Hostgator.com. Not only do they provide unlimited domain addons, subdomains and parked domains, they also offer unlimited databases, unlimited hosting space and unlimited bandwidth! We have been using Hostgator for several years now and had great customer service support and almost 100% uptime. If you are looking for a website hosting company that provides everything you need for a powerful CMS based website, take a look at Hostgator.com!!
Thanks AnyCut Helped
Amazing! Any Cut helped me solve a problem I had for a couple of months now!
When I come back to my home town, my carrier turns to roaming, where it will connect for a few seconds and disconnect later. I used a different phone when I was at home.
Any Cut helped me identify that it used to search for WCDMA ... I changed it to GSM only and it works good
Thanks Phil. You saved me the cost of another phone!
But, I still do not understand. The default setting was "WCDMA Preferred"... and hence it should select a GSM, since its not "WCDMA Only". Anyone has any idea?
Network Setting
I wish I had an answer... I've tried to change the network type on my phone (*#*#4636#*#*) but it won't ever keep the setting...
It's always defaults to "GSM/CDMA auto (PRL)" Fortunately haven't had any issues lately though... knocks on wood
Unfortunately, can't get my phone to work
My Motorola Defy has recently started to give the "Your SIM card does not allow a connection to this network" error and I have similar symptoms reported in this thread, i.e. no calls or SMS but data works.
The phone has been unused for a few months after I upgraded to an Atrix but now I'm trying to set the Defy up to give to my girlfriend and have been baffled as to how to fix it. I'm based in the UK and have tried various SIMs from different networks, but with no success.
After discovering this thread, I've tried pretty much everything recommended, also without any success! Guess I'll just have to keep on trying in the hope I can get it to work.
I wonder if this problem is some kind of low-level bug in Android which has persisted as it has been developed?
"sim card doesn't allow connection to network".. seems solved..
Hi
Thanks for the solutions... In my case, (HTC Desire S, with Airtel in India), I had to use a combination of solutions to *apparently* solve the problem. I connected the earphones and turned the FM Radio on and off, and also removed the battery for about half an hour. (Earlier I had tried only removing the battery, but that didn't seem to work.)
Now it's working, and the network is back again.
Hope this doesn't become a perennial problem... such a slick and smart instrument... would be a shame if it kept giving this network error.
Thanks once again.
sim card does not allow connection to this network
i had this same problem for ages tried everything from soft reset to removing the battery for half an hour hard reset re flash but to no availe it shouldnt of just gone off should it well i thought long and hard about his so i thought the radio on the phone uses the earphones as an anntennae so i plugged them in and behold i got my signal back and no longer saying your sim does not allow connection to all you guys n girls having this problem aswell as limited service try this and good luck westyslf
hi. the problem with my set
hi. the problem with my set is, that im getting the same msg, after i resotered factory settings because signals werent coming, so when i did, it started giving me this option "your sim card.... " due to this i cnt download any thing from the market to make it work,,, plzzz helpp mee,,,
Didn't work for me first, 3rd attempt did work and its back on
I travel down to London from up noth and got this problem on my desire HD I have tried the steps dint worked for first time then I kept on trying and on 3rd attempt it did. But for some reason o2 signals are down again....Its annoying
Desire HD
Hey phil,
Thanks man, I got a desire HD yesterday, rooted it and installed a custom rom on it.
But for some reason i could not make or receive any phone calls,
Not finding any help, i tried your advice downloading any cut and checking out the phone info.
And low and behold, i saw that it my phone was trying to connect to WCDMA and only GSM is supported in South Africa.
I changed it to GSM only.
And walla...
Just thought i'd say thanks you helped a great bit.
AlexX
tanx Friend u rescue
tanx Friend
u rescue me
airplan mode dident work on my HTC Incredible S
but your method work
Handset Locked
On my phone the solution was to ring the network and get the handset unlocked.
It worked
Thanks a lot worked on htc desire swedish "3" network
Works on HTC Desire
I started facing chronic sin recognition issues couple of days back. This solution restored by HTC desire. Thanks
It's NOT work for my G1 Dream
It's NOT work for my G1 Dream
hey bud have u figured out
hey bud have u figured out how to fix the no service issue on ur dream pls reply thanx
Radio on/off is same as Airplane Mode off/on
Radio on/off is same as Airplane Mode off/on.
For phones with Airplane Mode, switch it on then off. This turns the radios off then on.
Works for similar SIM Error messages, which are not really a SIM problem.
I Agree, However...
While I will agree with you that putting it in airplane mode shuts off all radio's, for some reason, that did absolutely nothing for me when I tried it. It was one of the first things I did. Not to mention, rebooting the phone didn't fix the problem either. I'm not trying to play devil's advocate, but for whatever reason, simply putting it in airplane mode didn't seem to have much affect.
It worked for me on Desire HD!
Thank you so much, I've had the problem ever since I came back to Europe yesterday, the phone was in airplane mode for a long time, I think this is what's causing the problem. So I installed Any Cut and did as you said and it's working again! Thank you for sharing this information!
Worked on Samsung Galaxy S on
Worked on Samsung Galaxy S on Italian network "3".
Used the radio on/off trick plus removal of sim card and battery.
Thanks
HTC Desire / UK joint Orange T-Mobile connection problem SOLVED
I had a very similar annoyance. I am originally on Orange but since Orange and T-Mobile joined in the UK I was eager to be able to switch onto the joint "Orange T-Mobile" network. To no avail, I always ended up with the "Your SIM card does not allow a connection to this network" message.
I did the Phone info Radio on/off hint posted here first. It did not work. However I found out what definitely helped, at least, on my HTC Desire:
1. Turn the Data Roaming option ON in 'Wireless & Networks -> Mobile Networks';
2. Switch off all your data connections, both the Wireless and the Mobile Network Data connection;
3. In the 'Wireless & Networks -> Mobile Networks' menu change the Network Mode to GSM only. It appears that the SIM may be blocked by the new network if something faster is setup here than what is supported by the new network (I always had this setting on 'WCDMA only' as I prefer having no network instead of 1G/GPRS, but again, make sure you DON'T set this to e.g. 'WCDMA only' before connecting);
4. Connect to the new 'Orange T-Mobile' network;
4'. If it doesn't connect first, do the Phone info - Radio off/on toggle trick posted here;
5. Reconnect to your preferred data network (Mobile/Wireless)
BTW Orange has just confirmed that the joint network does not support 3G+. And if you try connecting with the 3G setting activated on your phone, the network apparently blocks you out with "Your SIM card..." message.
HTH.
Hi, when i try to change to
Hi, when i try to change to GSM only it literally wont let me change it, the setting stays on GSM/WCDMA auto, is there anything you can suggest as the whole turning radio on and off hasn't worked.
Cheers
connection problem in canada solved
thanks for this post. I had the same issue:
problem
1) enabled airplaine mode
2) once I landed in Canada I had no connection (data connection worked, but not calls)
3) when I connected manually it said "your sim card does not allow a connection to this network "
I am using a HTC desire Z, running on Switzerland Sunrise Network
solution
1) calling tech support to re-activate my sim did not help
2) then followed the step as outlined by
by tilusnet (not verified) on Mon, 2010/10/18 - 14:50
this did the trick. Thanks you all guys for your posts!
Sim not valid poor signal on HTC Desire
I havent tried the AnyCut program but i did try the 5 steps above but still "sim not valid" message.
Seems their are other message boards for other networks all having same HTC Desire network connection problems.
My phone was fine for first couple of months then this problem started, im wondering if i need to uninstall a dodgy app not install more.
Regards
Thx
Hey, thanks for the info tilusnet! I hope it helps someone else out and I'm glad you got things working again :)
thanks buddy
...thanks buddy....this is not just a coincidence...but you have almost found a solution. It helped me too. Let's see if someone can use this information to create a patch.
It worked. I just downloaded
It worked.
I just downloaded AnyCut and tried this, then took the battery out and it worked.
I have a UK HTC Desire on Orange. I arrived in the US yesterday - email worked fine but I could not make a voice call using either Orange roaming partner (T-Mobile or AT&T).
Now it works just fine.
Thanks.
....seriously..i just got
....seriously..i just got this problem...and have had horrible signal all day until it finally popped up this error. my fix was (not sure if this first part even helped) turn radio on/off using the anycut method then turning off the phone, removing the sim card (made a weird clicking noise when i took it out) put the sim back in and boot back up. now i have full bars 3g, earlier today i had 1 bar edge in this room. bank.....
Mytouch 3G
t-mobile
cyanogenmod 3.0.8test3
By some reason, Not work on me
I got a HTC Desire as well. I did exact what you say again and again. Even reset the phone, but still no luck.
Thank You anyway, I'll keep trying :D
It worked on a HTC Desire
Did exactly what you said.
I tried the process twice and 2nd time it did reconnect.
The problem occurred when I switched off the wireless - it also seemed to break the 3G connection.
Thank you so much
within a week span of time, two of my G1 phone had the same problem 'your sim card does not allow a connection to this network'. After a long search I found your post and did exactly as you mentioned. It is not a coincidence, both of my phone are working now. WOW...
At first it did not work. but I repeated the steps again and it worked.
Thank you so much
Doesnt work on my HTC Magic
Doesnt work on my HTC Magic :-)
Not working for me
I Have the same problem but I can't make it work
here my logcat output
====== turn off radio ===========
D/GpsLocationProvider( 130): state: DISCONNECTED apnName: null reason: radioTurnedOff
D/GpsLocationProvider( 130): state: DISCONNECTED apnName: null reason: radioTurnedOff
I/ActivityManager( 130): Stopping service: com.android.mms/.transaction.SmsReceiverService
====== turn on radio ===========
I/ActivityManager( 130): Stopping service: com.android.mms/.transaction.SmsReceiverService
D/GpsLocationProvider( 130): state: DISCONNECTED apnName: null reason: null
E/TelephonyProvider( 186): Failed setting numeric '72431' to the current operator
Any ideias?
thanks,
Leonardo Skorianez
Just tried this on a HTC Hero
Just tried this on a HTC Hero but it didn't work.
HTC hero
Hi,
I have this problem quite often. At least one time a week, sometimes more. I have an HTC Hero on O2 in the UK. It is the most annoying thing and clearly the worst characteristic of the HTC Hero.
It sometimes seems to go away with restart (power 'off' and then 'on' again) but it may be a coincidence as it doesn't work at all times.
Having read this post, I just switched on the wireless (Wi-Fi). While I was reading the instructions described in this post to see what to do next (and not believing that they made any sense at all) it started to work. So, I thought the key was to turn on/off the wireless (and all the other AnyCut stuff). In any case, after a couple of minutes, the problem returned.
So, to sum up, I don't have any solution to the problem, unfortunately, but it does seem to go away after some time, usually short. It does return from time to time.
HTC Hero "Update"
Well, hopefully HTC will release the much awaited 2.1 update and along with it, a new radio update that will fix your issues... Out of curiosity, have you tried wiping the phone back to the factory defaults and started over from scratch?