Sim Card not supported

[u07jrb]

Hi,

I recently bought an ipad in the UK from ebay (seller said it was a uk version)and a 3g card from apple for three pay as you go. When installing the sim and connecting to itunes it says sim card not supported.

Anyone else had the same problem. I get pup ups in itunes about unable to update carrier settings but not sure if its just because it doesnt recognise the sim card. I have tried a factory reset with no luck.

I have concluded either the sim card is broken (I doubt it) or the ipad is a foreign version. Even if it is it should still work as I belive there are no carrier locked iphones apart from the CDMA versions.

Tried seaching the forums and web but found nothing. ITs like i am the only one with this problem.

Anyone help?

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Hi,

I recently bought an ipad in the UK from ebay (seller said it was a uk version)and a 3g card from apple for three pay as you go. When installing the sim and connecting to itunes it says sim card not supported.

Anyone else had the same problem. I get pup ups in itunes about unable to update carrier settings but not sure if its just because it doesnt recognise the sim card. I have tried a factory reset with no luck.

I have concluded either the sim card is broken (I doubt it) or the ipad is a foreign version. Even if it is it should still work as I belive there are no carrier locked iphones apart from the CDMA versions.

Tried seaching the forums and web but found nothing. ITs like i am the only one with this problem.

Anyone help?

When you install the SIM card, do you see the 3G icon and signal strength bars on the top left-hand side of the iPad screen? On the 'Settings' page of the iPad what options do you have under the 'Carrier' tab?

Tim

 

[u07jrb]

I have played about with it ti try and get it to work and have seen a veriaty of things. At the moment it has 1 bar signal strenght but does not say 3g. I think I have seen it say invalid sim once.

When I click on carrier it says unable to load network list. The menu then says Automatic.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

I have played about with it ti try and get it to work and have seen a veriaty of things. At the moment it has 1 bar signal strenght but does not say 3g. I think I have seen it say invalid sim once.

When I click on carrier it says unable to load network list. The menu then says Automatic.

For sure, it's not a CDMA Verizon phone as they don't have SIM cards. I have several '3' PAYG SIM cards and I've never experienced this trouble. It normally goes straight through to the '3' website, even if you had no credit left, to allow you to top up. One thing you could try is to take out the SIM card and try cleaning the contacts by rubbing lightly on a dry cloth. But the fact that you have signal bars and the iPad doesn't say 'No SIM' suggests that the iPad is connecting with the SIM without a problem. Do you have another device that takes a microSIM that you could try just to be certain it's not a SIM problem. It would have to be something like an iPhone4 - other phones don't take the iPad microSIM.

Tim

 

[u07jrb]

I don't have any other sims but I will go to the apple store tommorrow to sort it out. I seen a couple of posts where people have said that if it is a USA ipad 2 (which it might be, I am not 100% sure) then it needs to be initialised in the USA or with a AT&T sim. I can't see why I would have to do this but I am clutching at straws here until I can get to apple tommorrow.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

I don't have any other sims but I will go to the apple store tommorrow to sort it out. I seen a couple of posts where people have said that if it is a USA ipad 2 (which it might be, I am not 100% sure) then it needs to be initialised in the USA or with a AT&T sim. I can't see why I would have to do this but I am clutching at straws here until I can get to apple tommorrow.

Yes - that's true - if it's a US AT&T iPad then most people have found it needs to be initialised in the US with an AT&T SIM card - thereafter it can be used anywhere. Was it new when you bought it? Did it come in a sealed box with a UK power outlet adaptor or did it come with a US-style adaptor?

Tim

 

[u07jrb]

Good point. The box wasn't physically sealed but everthing was covered in the plastic wrapping inside the case to show that it hadn't been used. It came with the UK adaptor.

I just noticed that I get an invalid sim in the top corner if i switch off the mobile data then switch it back on.

 

[wytey]

Good point. The box wasn't physically sealed but everthing was covered in the plastic wrapping inside the case to show that it hadn't been used. It came with the UK adaptor.

I just noticed that I get an invalid sim in the top corner if i switch off the mobile data then switch it back on.

at a guess, I assume the iPad is like mobile phones on contract, I.e. locked to a specific carrier, or at least that is what it sounds like to be

before buying a replacement, try it out first just incase the above is true

 

[u07jrb]

My understanding is that Ipad 2's are not locked to carriers. I'll try a new sim tommorrow.

 

[u07jrb]

Well. I went to apple today and found out that the ipad i bought was locked to vodaphone!!! I didn't know any ipad 2's were locked. Must be a contract thing.
Does anyone know how to un-carrierlock it?

 

[wytey]

Well. I went to apple today and found out that the ipad i bought was locked to vodaphone!!! I didn't know any ipad 2's were locked. Must be a contract thing.
Does anyone know how to un-carrierlock it?

only way I can think of right now is getting an unlock code from Vodafone, but since you didn't buy it from them originally, dunno if they will provide you with it, even if they did, they will charge you for the privilege

other options are...

suck up to the apple staff....

find some mobile phone store and get them to do it, again, they will charge, but more than likely less than vodafone

 

[petszata]

i want to ask what happened when you go to mobile phone store? becouse i have same problem i bought ipad 2 from ebay , and everything is just like with your problem

 

[Bushy]

I can't speak for the iPad 2 but with my old iPad 1 the carrier is locked in when the sim is first inserted - so if the previous owner had inserted a Vodafone sim into the iPad it would be tied to that carrier. In my case the previous owner had put a 3 sim in and the carry was locked to 3 but a full reset on the iPad removed the restriction / carrier tie and any sim thereafter could be used.

I have not tried a sim in my iPad 2 yet mainly because I tether the device and only opted for the 3G version so memory maps would work when I am out green laning

 

[petszata]

ok but i bought new ipad 2 , i think its never open

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

ok but i bought new ipad 2 , i think its never open

It's not the SIM card that 'locks' the iPad or iPhone. It's the 'phone or iPad itself that is locked and this means that it can only be used on that carrier's SIM that it's locked to.

An unlocked iPad or iPhone is always unlocked - irrespective of which carrier's SIMs it's used with.

In the early days of the iPad none of them were locked. But, latterly, in the UK several carriers are offering locked iPads at heavily discounted rates if you sign up for a monthly data contract. Unscrupulous people are obtaining these iPads, defaulting on their contracts and then offering the iPads for sale on eBay etc. The seller usually fails to mention that the iPad is locked.

I really don't know what the solution is here - I'd be very surprised if you could contact the seller and get your money back and, as far as I'm aware, there's no way to unlock an iPad at present. So it seems to me that the only way forward is to obtain a PAYG card from the carrier that the iPad is locked to. What I don't know is whether the carriers are tracking the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity - it's 'sort of' an electronic serial number) of these 'contracted locked' iPads and, as a result, will insist on the user 'picking up' the monthly contract on which the original purchaser defaulted.

We've had several Members (only in the UK so far - any other countries have locked iPads?) who have been caught out by purchasing iPads off eBay.

So my advice would be, if you're tempted to purchase an iPad off eBay or Craigslist be very very careful that it's not locked. I don't know how you can possibly tell this if the item is being shipped to you by post, though.

Hopefully the authorities will get onto this soon.

Tim