Help Selected network unavailable

[IamMark74]

I'm looking for help to fix my Samsung Galaxy S3, please.
I'm on rolling contract 3 mobile sim plan which the 6 months contract was up in May 2014 but have since continued to use/pay.
On Monday I was texting a friend at home and the my phone stop register on network.
I try usual fixes my self. I phone 333 and speak to technical team and they can't help and said to go three shop and get them to check sim, so I did that and they check sim in another phone and they say its ok and can't help.
Last resort I factory reset but that didn't help, just made things worse as now I can't use the 3 mobile wifi calling app because I need to use sim data to register. Before I could still use the 3 mobile wifi app to make calls.
My phone has a 4 bar signal still. IMEI checked ok.
I've had the phone for a few years now and used the same sim no problems and if it ever did not register on network I could just go into settings and re-register but no more.
I tried my sons 02 sim in my phone and it worked straight away. I put my sim in my sons phone but it came up with a code I needed to enter and wasn't sure what this code is, maybe PUK I don't know but like I said lady in 3 mobile shop said my sim card is working.
Its been 6 days now like this.
I don't see how my phone can be faulty as other sims work in it.

When I try to register sim my phone just says network unavailable. I have tried outside in another area to fix but nothing.



Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[Hadron]

I would ask whether you've accidentally set it to 2G only (which will stop it working with 3) but a factory reset should clear that.

I would suggest getting your SIM replaced anyway. The phone works with other SIMs and the SIM works in other phones, so it's the 2 not working together, and the SIM is much cheaper to replace (and how thoroughly did the lady in the 3 shop test it - make any calls, for example?).

The corollary: did you check you got 3g with your son's SIM? An O2 sim could connect to 2g, but a 3 SIM cannot, so it's worth making sure that the phone is working with 3g.

 

[IamMark74]

The lady in the three shop just put the sim in her phone and almost instantly said 'its working', and then took it out and handed it back to me!. She didn't check anything at all as far as calling or anything, I was a bit annoyed about that. She wasn't very helpful at all.

I'm not 100% sure the 02 sim was on 3g but as soon as I tried it in my phone I noticed the internet bar arrows flashing green & yellow and also received an incoming call on it from his girlfriend. I didn't try it for long as he had to go.

If I get a new sim I guess I can somehow link that with my same number.

I think I might go back to the three shop and ask them to try a new sim and change my number ovef if necessary, if that works.

Its all very odd to me..its pretty frustrating not knowing whats up.

Ok..I'll see what happens today and report back...thanks.

 

[Hadron]

You can get 3 to give you a new SIM and transfer your number to it. I did that with Orange a few years back when my SIM developed a fault.

Data bars can flash up under 2G as well as 3G. The letter next to those is key (G or E = 2G, 3g or H = 3G).

Good luck!

 

[IamMark74]

Well I've just been and got a new sim and put it in my phone and it didn't change a thing.
The staff in the 3 shop in town are the most unhelpful I've ever come across.

So maybe my phone isn't picking up the 3g signal?...could my phone be faulty?.

I just think its strange that the 3g signal of all things would just break.

Regarding the letters next to the signal bar I know what you mean but I don't ever see them flash up and can't remember seeing them flash up for a while now, its not something that I've noticed on a daily basis, all I remember seeing usually is the green and yellow arrows and the white bars on top.

I'm really confused tbh.

 

[Hadron]

Ah, I don't own an S3 and am used to seeing an indication on the status bar of what sort of data connection (GPRS, EDGE, 3G, HSDPA) you have.

It is very odd. You could check what mode the cellular connection is in by opening the dialer and typing *#*#4636#*#* (just that - you don't need to press call at the end). That will take you to the "Testing" menu (unless 3 have disabled it). Select "phone info" and scroll down to "Set preferred network type". Do not mess with the settings in this menu, just see what it says. If it's in a mode where WCDMA is one of the options you should be fine.

It would be good to test your SIM in another phone, but it sounds like your son's is locked to O2 (it was asking for an unlock code before it would accept your SIM). I know the SIM has changed, but it would be good to confirm it works anyway, just in case there is something going on with the 3 network or your account.

I'm really just trying to think of all of the possibilities here, as I've no idea why it is doing this.

 

[IamMark74]

That code doesn't do nowt. But my phone is set to WCDMA in settings.

Not been able to test sim myself in another phone yet.

Either my phone is bust or something up with 3 mobile service, I don't know.

I'll maybe try phone repair shop on Monday and see what they say...

Thanks again..

 

[IamMark74]

Morning all.

After trying the new sim yesterday for about maybe 4 or 5 hours and it did not work, I put my old sim back in my phone, turns out this was a mistake!.

Just now I received a call from 3 mobile to check my phone is working, the lady went through the settings again with me only to realise that I was using the old sim and I should have left the new sim in. So I put in the new sim and straight away my phone was working and registered on the network. Obviously I didn't give the new sim enough time to register.

The cause of the problem?, I still don't know. Must have been some fault with the sim not connecting to the 3g network but what caused this I don't know and 3 mobile couldn't tell me why either.

Oh and I forgot to say as soon as I put the new sim back in this morning I see straight away the 'H' and '3G' signs for example etc etc flash up on the icon.!!!

Thanks for all the help/advice.

'Problem fixed with new sim'.

 

[IamMark74]

Well my phone has developed the same fault again yesterday. The sim will not register on the network.

Since getting a new replacement sim my phone worked fine and has only showed the not registered on network message maybe one time that I can remember and I just went through settings and network operators and as soon as I selected 3 it connected.
But again for 2 days now I have the same problem as original.

 

[IamMark74]

Ok my sim has just started working all by its self again..

This is still confusing as I don't know if its my phone that is faulty or not...maybe so who knows..

No doubt my sim will do the same again soon and refuse to not register on the network..

 

[IamMark74]

When I got my S3 about a year or so ago I used to read up about the phone a lot and came across something about the 'insane chip' and so installed the app to find out if my phone had it and unfortunately it did. This could possibly have someone to do with it....my phone is just going insane I guess..

 

[EarlyMon]

http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/general/ultimate-gs3-sudden-death-thread-t1993044

From what I've read, that's fixable with the right kernel.

Assuming you meant this app.

Check out "eMMC Brickbug Check"

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.vinagre.android.emmc_check

 

[IamMark74]

Yeah that's it....lol...couldn't believe my luck when I found out my phone has that faulty chip..but that was a good while ago and I don't think its really affected my phone until maybe now which could make sense since the S3 is no longer supported for software udates..

I'm due a new phone soon as my S3 has gotten a bit raggedy now!. Charging port is worn out and cracked screen. I will be buying a new phone sometime this year hopefully. Most likely an S4 or S5 and/or instead I might get a Samsung Tab S with wifi 3G/4G so I can make calls on it.

 

[funkylogik]

Yeah the 'sudden death syndrome" bug was fixed in a kernel update ages ago and only affected the international s3.
The bug either completely bricked the phone or caused reboots in mild cases