Mobile phone - SMS works, calls don't :(

[Jethro_uk]

SWMBOs Alcatel Pixi 4 6" has started pissing about.

Claims to be connected to the network (all bars up). However try to make a call and you're told it needs the SIM inserted.

SMS send/receive OK, so the phone is talking bollocks. (Found this out when I went to log into her online account and it sent a 2FA text to the phone which is received - then I tested sending ....)

Have tried all the tips - reboot, safe mode, cleaning SIM tray and card.

SIM works OK in another phone.

Apparently the phone is (just) in warranty, but I'm suspecting that'll be a 6-week wait situation ... annoyingly SWMBO relies a lot on the phone because of the screen size (she's partially sighted).

Have I missed anything obvious.

Completely stock Android etc.

[Bill]

In message <qdtuat$1dr$ [e-mail], Jethro_uk <jethro [e-mail] writes

I had just moved my SWMBO onto an Orange cheapest contract in an EE shop from pay-as-you go when her phone died.

They took it for repair under warranty, and we bought the cheapest phone they had rather than the offered loan one. It was back within a week, with a statement saying "No fault found".

Within a few days, it failed again. We went back and in a few days they replaced it with a brand new phone of the same model flip phone with largish buttons and screen.

[alan_m]

If the battery is removable - remove it. A reboot doesn't necessarily reset crashed software whereas a total remove of the power for 5 minutes will.

[Tim+]

Check all your APN settings. My One+3T phone is crap at sorting out its network connections after a factory reset. My SIM card work fine in other phones but in mine I have to set up all the APN settings manually. After that it works fine.

Tim

[Brian Gaff]

Depends on whether its got some security on some apps in the phone. I'd have no idea, I have an I phone. No need to worry about screen size use Talkback and there used gesture set and you can turn the screen off, Get a bluetooth keyboard for it as well. Brian

[Jethro_uk]

Cheers for all replies.

battery is not removable :( However am leaving phone off for a few hours. See what happens.

Going through various recommended steps, and looking at the diagnostic report for the GSM module, everything is talking. It knows it's IMEI number, can see all the networks around here. So the modem is working and the network can happily communicate with it.

Haven't tried a factory reset, yet.

Tesco (supplier) say it's still in warranty and I can have it "repaired" (as if). But that leaves SWMBO phoneless for a while.

My water is smelling some weird software issue. With predictable resignation, the ****ing phone is incapable of managing to do the *one job* you'd expect a phone to do. Says it all about modern life. All of a sudden a ferry company with no ships makes sense - and they'd probably win an award for customer service.

[Andy Burns]

Phones without removable battery may have a "soft battery removal" option, press and hold power button for a long (e.g 60 seconds) time.

[Jethro_uk]

Well did a factory reset. No change, but managed to work out phone can call 999 ....

[Jethro_uk]

OK, so another update ...

Managed to disconnect the battery and left for 30 mins. Still no joy,

*then* I went to settings and changed the preferred access mode from 4G to 3G, and lo ! The phone works !

Switched back to 4G, and same "insert SIM" problem.

Yesterday I changed the *network operator" setting to TESCO 3G which didn't do anything. But somehow locking the phone to 3G did.

Not sure quite what this means, except that SWMBO has a working phone again for now.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Mmm. Is the fallback configured correctly? I.e. if you are in the vicinity of a 4G operator you do not have a right to access, I could understand that error message if you phone wasnt willing to switch down to 3G to get authorized access

[Jethro_uk]

Wibble ?

Well the next diagnostic will be to try the phone when we go shopping (11 mile drive) tomorrow.

I have a vague memory from somewhere a while back about a faulty cell tower that refused to work with 4G. Although given I'm using the same

*physical* network as SWMBO (O2 - but I'm giffGaff) it would have to be fault in the MNVO layer ?

Having had a chance to look at the SIM a lot, it's also a bit bodgy-cut. Especially when compared with a pristine GiffGaff SIM.

Of course it's a network phone, so ****ing network locked, so no easy way to try a GiffGaff SIM.

[Andy Burns]

Maybe the phone's 4G radio or antenna is f***ed? SMS messages don't go over 4G so it would have switched to 2G or 3G to send those before ...

[Jethro_uk]

Possible - but there's been no mechanical event to cause any damage (and any event that damaged the 4G aerial would probably have damaged the 3G one too ?)

From:

If your Android will dial into a testing menu, you use it to toggle the radio. Open the Dialer app and call *#*#4636#*#* with no spaces. If you land in the Testing menu, select the option that says Phone Information. Tap on Turn Off Radio first, and then Turn On Radio. Reboot.

I've done all that, and as far as the phone seems concerned everything is working and it can see all signals.

I'll be curious to see if it carries on tomorrow when we've relocated. I have a feeling it will work - suggesting some weird local cell tower issue ...

[Jethro_uk]

Switched back to 4G when out and about, phone worked. Left it in 4G mode, got home. Phone worked.

Something not quite right about the 4G/3G negotiation. The odd thing is when I first started investigating, I put the SIM in my phone and it worked at 4G.

I'll get a new SIM anyway.