Don't dial *228 on your Bionic...

[Iamthedragonwarrior]

I'm not sure if this is common knowledge but for me it was not. I got my Bionic, (less an activation guide), and the phone wasn't activating. So I remembered you can dial *228 to activate VZW phones. So I did and it told me that the SIM card was not registered or recognized. I couldn't make any kind of phone calls at all.

So I went all night without a phone, get to work and call into VZW. The lady puts me through an automated system so I can accept the "terms and conditions" or whatever so I did that. Then I tell her I can't even get *228 to work and she's like WHAT? She then informs me that dialing *228 from my 4G phone, (although I don't have 4G service in my area), disables to SIM card right then and there. So, yippee I get to take an extra long lunch break and visit with the VZW store people today.

:icon_evil::icon_evil::icon_evil::icon_evil::icon_evil::icon_evil::icon_evil::icon_evil::icon_evil::icon_evil::icon_evil::icon_evil::icon_evil::icon_evil:

 

[Arkbird]

I've never heard of it not working with a 4G phone. But in any even my phone is activated so I can dial *228 and press option 2 for roaming updates. I hope you get your phone working.

 

[Speeding Wheels]

I've never heard of it not working with a 4G phone. But in any even my phone is activated so I can dial *228 and press option 2 for roaming updates. I hope you get your phone working.

My understanding is that the PRL updates automatically when the phone restarts.. so no more need to call *228.
The issue the OP is referring to is one I've heard a couple people mention.. if you call *228 for initial activation it seems to render the SIM card useless for some reason.. hopefully that'll be addressed by VZW at some point... or at least they should post some sort of notice regarding it.

 

[xashaffer]

I have an HTC Thunderbolt and yes dialing 228 basically fries the sim card. I got this TB on release day and the Verizon rep fried my first one before an email got sent to them that it would mess it up. Hundreds if not thousands of sim cards were wasted that day because they weren't trained properly

Sent from my ADR6400L using DroidForums

 

[Arkbird]

My understanding is that the PRL updates automatically when the phone restarts.. so no more need to call *228.
The issue the OP is referring to is one I've heard a couple people mention.. if you call *228 for initial activation it seems to render the SIM card useless for some reason.. hopefully that'll be addressed by VZW at some point... or at least they should post some sort of notice regarding it.

Really? Didn't know that.
and well I guess the OP is just going to have to wait then. Activations for the Bionic have been slow since release. I don't know why but it seems to take a while for the Bionics and the activation servers to work together or something. My Bionic took around 20 minutes to activate after being turned on.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Sim cards don't need to be activated. They should work the moment they are placed into the phone and will work if removed and put into a new phone. That is the whole point of them. If 4g phones require sim cards you'd think that they would have disabled the *228 function in the phone.

 

[themuttt]

I have an HTC Thunderbolt and yes dialing 228 basically fries the sim card. I got this TB on release day and the Verizon rep fried my first one before an email got sent to them that it would mess it up. Hundreds if not thousands of sim cards were wasted that day because they weren't trained properly

Sent from my ADR6400L using DroidForums

I remember reading this when the wife got her Thunderbolt.

 

[Iamthedragonwarrior]

Did anybody actually receive the activation guide?

I had my Bionic on for hours before I decided to dial *228. It was having the worst trouble trying to activate. I'm more than a little ticked. And my dang phone is still trying to activate. Go figure, lol.

 

[Speeding Wheels]

I got the activation guide with mine.. took about 20 mins for 4G to kick in after going through the steps.

 

[scdown]

When I bought mine last Thursday, the activation system was sluggish. I decided to leave the store and take my chances, but before doing so, I asked, "If this doesn't take soon, should I dial *228?"

The rep's response: "Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea any more."

 

[Anathema]

My understanding is that the PRL updates automatically when the phone restarts.. so no more need to call *228.
The issue the OP is referring to is one I've heard a couple people mention.. if you call *228 for initial activation it seems to render the SIM card useless for some reason.. hopefully that'll be addressed by VZW at some point... or at least they should post some sort of notice regarding it.

We need to compile a comprehensive thread for what *228 does. As for activating your phone, https://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/activation/activatephone.jsp *228 has absolutely nothing to do with activating you phone. You call 611 to activate.

*228 is only for programming your phone, and the only reason verizon has been talking about *228 option 2 is for people that use extended networks or are frequently in and out of extended networks and are experiencing connectivity issues when re-entering verizons network.

I'm going to place a lot of the blame on verizon reps for this. When I got my phone they told me to dial *228 option 1 if I needed to update my PRL and I had to correct them on the spot. The next day, when I went to verizon so my dad could get his bionic, they told him to dial *228 option 2 if experiencing connectivity issues, had to correct them again. It only fixes connectivity issues when in and out of extended networks.

Once again... do not dial *228 to activate your phone, use 611 - their website - or just go into the store.

The only other reason I see to use *228 is in newer verizon network locations or in areas where towers where built or upgraded after you last did it (which is why they recommend every 3 months)

 

[Iamthedragonwarrior]

We need to compile a comprehensive thread for what *228 does. As for activating your phone, https://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/activation/activatephone.jsp *228 has absolutely nothing to do with activating you phone. You call 611 to activate.

*228 is only for programming your phone, and the only reason verizon has been talking about *228 option 2 is for people that use extended networks or are frequently in and out of extended networks and are experiencing connectivity issues when re-entering verizons network.

I actually dialed *611 first and the call wouldn't even go through. So I also tried to activate it online and that didn't work either. I suspect that my dialing *228 isn't even really the problem because I did that last. I'm curious to see what the VZW store associates will say. Should be interesting.

 

[19thumper76]

We need to compile a comprehensive thread for what *228 does. As for activating your phone, https://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/activation/activatephone.jsp *228 has absolutely nothing to do with activating you phone. You call 611 to activate.

*228 is only for programming your phone, and the only reason verizon has been talking about *228 option 2 is for people that use extended networks or are frequently in and out of extended networks and are experiencing connectivity issues when re-entering verizons network.

I'm going to place a lot of the blame on verizon reps for this. When I got my phone they told me to dial *228 option 1 if I needed to update my PRL and I had to correct them on the spot. The next day, when I went to verizon so my dad could get his bionic, they told him to dial *228 option 2 if experiencing connectivity issues, had to correct them again. It only fixes connectivity issues when in and out of extended networks.

Once again... do not dial *228 to activate your phone, use 611 - their website - or just go into the store.

The only other reason I see to use *228 is in newer verizon network locations or in areas where towers where built or upgraded after you last did it (which is why they recommend every 3 months)

have you ever listened to the voice prompt when you dial *228 it says "to ACTIVATE or program your phone press 1, to update your roaming capabilities press 2". how does that not have anything to do with activation?

 

[Anathema]

I actually dialed *611 first and the call wouldn't even go through. So I also tried to activate it online and that didn't work either. I suspect that my dialing *228 isn't even really the problem because I did that last. I'm curious to see what the VZW store associates will say. Should be interesting.

You would need to activate your phone before *228 but it shouldn't have broke anything. Are you able to make any calls right now? Also did you buy this at the verizon store? Sounding like an ESN problem which they could easily fix at the verizon store.

have you ever listened to the voice prompt when you dial *228 it says "to ACTIVATE or program your phone press 1, to update your roaming capabilities press 2". how does that not have anything to do with activation?

It won't activate anything if your ESN isn't registered to that phone yet. Which needs to be done by the carrier. If he can't get 611 to even connect, he should take that phone in and talk to somebody - which also means *228 will do nothing.

I honestly think the biggest reason is that verizon reps aren't used to handling sim cards, which pretty much make PRL updates pointless unless you take the sim card out or use it in another phone. With a sim card, PRL updates are made after every reboot of your phone (if needed). Notice how all 4g verizon phones use a sim card now? And if you talk to a knowledgeable person at verizon they will confirm that *228 is pointless on any 4g verizon phone (since they have sim cards).

 

[Arkbird]

have you ever listened to the voice prompt when you dial *228 it says "to ACTIVATE or program your phone press 1, to update your roaming capabilities press 2". how does that not have anything to do with activation?

And then when you click 1, it says "Please wait while your phone is being PROGRAMMED." Just saying....you can't ommit all the details.