SIM PIN lock enquiry please

Jon_01

wongataa wrote: »

Of course if you are some sort of PAYG deal then this doesn't apply as once you run out of credit then you can't make calls etc. This applies to many many people. If someone stole my SIM I could lose about £8 at the most.

Very true, although I have seen payg acc's with £100's on them and one with over a grand!

It's also a mistake to say that as you have unlimited minutes it won't affect you (as above). When a sims stolen it's not used to call within the UK, most are used to call overseas. Some area's are over £5.00 a minute and they don't come out of your unlimited bundle.

I would always recommend setting a sim pin for everyone. . .

emptybox

Because of this thread I just tried to set a SIM lock on my phone.

When I clicked the button in Security to set a SIM lock it asked for a code, so I put in the code I wanted to set it to. But it said the code was wrong, and I only had two more attempts before the phone locked up.
So I thought perhaps it needed the default code 0000, but that didn't work either. :eek:

I've now looked online, and now find the default EE code is actually 1111.
But as there's only one attempt left, I don't have the confidence to try that, just incase I've set a different code previously and the whole thing locks up.
(I found a code written down but not sure if it's the SIM one?)

Does anyone know if the 3 attempts reset on a phone restart, or is it a time thing?
I know the code is either going to be 1111 or the one I have written down, so I need at least 2 attempts to be safe.

pmduk

AndyPix wrote: »

If someone stole/found your phone - the first thing they would do with it would be remove the sim and discard it anyway

Sadly that's not what happens. Nor do people always notify their phone as lost immediately, thinking they've just left it somewhere it can easily be found

pmduk

emptybox wrote: »

Does anyone know if the 3 attempts reset on a phone restart, or is it a time thing?
I know the code is either going to be 1111 or the one I have written down, so I need at least 2 attempts to be safe.

The code will be 1111, networks set their own default codes. Should you block your phone this way you will need a PUK code (not to be confused with PAC), probably best to use this under instruction from your network's CS team as continued entry of a PUK can cause major issues

emptybox

pmduk wrote: »

The code will be 1111, networks set their own default codes. Should you block your phone this way you will need a PUK code (not to be confused with PAC), probably best to use this under instruction from your network's CS team as continued entry of a PUK can cause major issues

So, are you saying the 3 attempts never resets?
It's 3 attempts for the lifetime of the SIM?
(or until you enter the correct code)

Harold.Finch

emptybox wrote: »

So, are you saying the 3 attempts never resets?
It's 3 attempts for the lifetime of the SIM?
(or until you enter the correct code)

After 3 failed attempts the SIM is blocked. It does not re-enable after a period of time.

If this happens you need to obtain a PUK code from your network. Once the PUK is correctly entered the SIM is enabled and the PIN window is reset to 3 attempts. If you enter the PUK incorrectly 10 times the SIM is permanently disabled.

emptybox

Harold.Finch wrote: »

After 3 failed attempts the SIM is blocked. It does not re-enable after a period of time.

If this happens you need to obtain a PUK code from your network. Once the PUK is correctly entered the SIM is enabled and the PIN window is reset to 3 attempts. If you enter the PUK incorrectly 10 times the SIM is permanently disabled.

Thanks.
My SIM isn't locked. I went to try to lock it, but in order to lock it you needed to enter the current/default code.
I put in two wrong codes and didn't want to risk a third wrong one, so I've left it unlocked.

I shutdown and rebooted the phone, so I know it hasn't activated the lock.
Perhaps I'll have trouble if I put the SIM in a new phone, but for this one I think I'll just leave well alone, as trying to extract the correct PUK code from EE customer services is the last thing I want to do.

Harold.Finch

emptybox wrote: »

PUK code from EE customer services is the last thing I want to do.

Personally, I would give obtaining the PUK a try, even though you may not feel like doing it. You may be able to obtain it on line:-

http://ee.co.uk/help/accounts-billing-and-topping-up/sign-up-and-manage-your-account/unblock-your-phone-with-a-puk-code

It will protect your continued use of the SIM and allow you to try several PIN's. Also, the PUK does not expire and can be used with the associated SIM more than once.

20aday

emptybox wrote: »

Thanks.
My SIM isn't locked. I went to try to lock it, but in order to lock it you needed to enter the current/default code.
I put in two wrong codes and didn't want to risk a third wrong one, so I've left it unlocked.

I shutdown and rebooted the phone, so I know it hasn't activated the lock.
Perhaps I'll have trouble if I put the SIM in a new phone, but for this one I think I'll just leave well alone, as trying to extract the correct PUK code from EE customer services is the last thing I want to do.

I've just joined EE and the default SIM PIN was 1111.

I've turned my SIM PIN on for the last couple of years as I don't really fancy a large bill if it ever fell into the wrong hands.

emptybox

Harold.Finch wrote: »

Personally, I would give obtaining the PUK a try, even though you may not feel like doing it. You may be able to obtain it on line:-

http://ee.co.uk/help/accounts-billing-and-topping-up/sign-up-and-manage-your-account/unblock-your-phone-with-a-puk-code

It will protect your continued use of the SIM and allow you to try several PIN's. Also, the PUK does not expire and can be used with the associated SIM more than once.

Looking at the EE forums, it seems that the PUK code you can obtain online is the wrong one and doesn't work (PUK2 instead of PUK1 or something?).
The only way to get a working code is to ring up customer services, or visit an EE shop.
People have been complaining to EE about this for years, but EE have done nothing.

https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/4G-and-mobile-data/PUK-Code-doesn-t-unlock-SIM-says-wrong-PUK-Code-others-raised/td-p/357233

ETA: I took the plunge and entered 1111 as the code, and the SIM successfully locked. Phew!
I've now changed the code to a unique number, and tested that it works by rebooting the phone.
So luckily I won't need to find out if the online generated PUK works or not.