[OT] Unlocking Orange handset

Try

With luck you can get a free unlock code.

Cheers

Dave R

This was one of the reasons I won't ever consider a locked handset again. About 3 years ago I tried to set our son up with a quickie get-me-out-of- trouble phone, and out of 11 old handsets that all worked, not a single one could be used.

The one which infuriated me most was an Orange £4.95 alcatel that they wanted £40 to unlock to take an EE SIM.

F*ck that.

I also discovered a lot of unlock sites are s**te.

I thought maybe some regulation required network operators to provide unlock codes for free.

Maybe free codes are only for contract phones.

From memory most contract phones are unlocked anyway. Not that I care. My last phone was direct from WileyFox - unlocked and damn good value (their appalling customer service is what did for them). 4 years on and it's a testament to how little has changed that I don't need a new one to do anymore for me ... this suits me fine.

Can't remember the last time I bought a phone that was locked. Mind you I don't change them every 5 minutes like some people seem to. I only bought my current one (Samsung S5 mini) because my old one (S4 mini) died on me.

The two Nokia 6310i's I have as standbys have been faultless for the last 15 years and are still on the original batteries too.

It would be useful to know the Nokia models. There are unlock code generators on line that will work with some of them.

I'm trying to unlock an old Nokia 8210.

I think you'll find that they are required to provide unlock codes, on demans. at the end of the contract.

If the phone wasn't supplied - allegedly at a discounted price

- whether on a contract or tied to PAYG, it shouldn't be locked in the first place!

WE only buy SIM free phones these days but when I wanted my phone unlocked, I went to place advertising the service and they unlocked it for a fiver.

When my wife wanted her phone unlocked, I found the unlock code online and got it for free!

Fortunately the phone is a DCT4 for which you can get an automated unlock code free on line.

If you look at the GiffGaff page

If the decoder gives you several codes usually numbered 1-7 it is only code 5 that you need to enter to network unlock it. Once unlocked it does not forget. However if it has a SP logo at start-up, unlocking will not remove it.

Try

They don't get used for calls on an everyday basis, but they're always powered up. Average battery time 4 or 5 days. I confess to playing Snake

That and their penchant for pissing about on social media rather than sorting things out. I think WF was run by teenagers ;)

I have yet to find a phone that I was unable to unlock. Either from the free websites and a bit of work, or, on a couple of occasions, from those "£2 to unlock" eBay people who provide you with a code in return for your phone's IMEI.

How can capacity of 15 year old NiMH batteries not go down?

That GiffGaff page sends you to

There the "Nokia DCT4 online calculator" doesn't list an 8210 in the dropdown list for "Nokia model".

Seems like a bug.

The capacity of unused NiMHs will degrade when they lose most of their voltage and crystals start to form.

It looks as though unlock-free.com and unlocking4free.com may do it for you. Despite what they advise you should only need to enter code 5, certainly use 5 if 7 doesn't work.

Both those sites give the exact same message, "An Error has occured!".

When I finally manage to get an unlock code, are you saying to use +5 with the unlock code which was provided to be used with +1 or +7?

Unfortunately that site doesn't list an 8210 handset. I must be jinxed!