Help: Unable to get Straight Talk T-Mobile to work...

**dougltc** · 12-18-2012, 02:39 PM

I am unable to get Straight Talk T-Mobile to work on my Nexus 4... I am having two problems:

1. I cannot save an APN... even after a reboot there is nothing there....

Here are the APN settings:

APN Name: Straight Talk
APN: wap.tracfone
Port: 8080
MMSC:
MCC: 302
MNC: 103

2. I am getting a triangle exclamation in the notification bar:

"No Service selected network (T-Mobile) unavailable"

I tried two different ST sims... same result.

NOTE: I also have a T-Mobile Everyday 4g micro sim and the gold contacts are smaller than the ST ones...

Pink = ST
White = TMo Everyday 4g

When I insert the TMo sim everything works fine and I get 3-4 bars

so I don't think that it is my phone... and to be safe, I have a 2nd N4 that I tested it with and got the same results..

Any ideas? I really wanted to use the ST $45 plan as it is $15 a month cheaper per phone than a comparable TMo Everyday 4g plan...

Thanks

**mrplayer66** · 12-18-2012, 02:48 PM

Did you cut the Sims yourself?

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**paral3ellum** · 12-18-2012, 02:49 PM

When you updated the APN settings did you make sure you actually hit the menu button and select save? I know it sounds dumb but it wasn't that obvious to me and i messed it up the first time.

Make sure you delete the old APN as well and make sure you have your new one selected.

I'm using the AT&T straight talk successfully so i don't think it has anything to do with your N4 or the straight talk sim card.

**dougltc** · 12-18-2012, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by mrplayer66

Did you cut the Sims yourself?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

Is it that obvious? Lol... yes...

Is that the problem? Did I ruin $20 worth of sims? Ugh....

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

**dougltc** · 12-18-2012, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by paral3ellum

When you updated the APN settings did you make sure you actually hit the menu button and select save? I know it sounds dumb but it wasn't that obvious to me and i messed it up the first time.

Make sure you delete the old APN as well and make sure you have your new one selected.

I'm using the AT&T straight talk successfully so i don't think it has anything to do with your N4 or the straight talk sim card.

Yeah, I did hit the menu/save....

And there was no old APN to delete... unlike the TMo Everyday 4g sim which had an APN on it already.

So I can surmise that my phone isn't reading the sim... either because of my cutting job or some other reason... otherwise I would have an old APN to delete...

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**Parth Ghetia** · 12-18-2012, 02:59 PM

The phone isn't reading the SIM card, otherwise it would connect to a network. Not having an APN only means that data services (and MMS) would not function. I suggest you get a SIM cutter or go into a T-Mobile store and ask them to cut a regular StraightTalk SIM for you, hopefully they won't care that it's not a TMO SIM.

Unfortuantely, you have ruined your SIM cards.

**dougltc** · 12-18-2012, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by Parth Ghetia

The phone isn't reading the SIM card, otherwise it would connect to a network. Not having an APN only means that data services (and MMS) would not function.

I think that you are correct... I guess that I ruined my sim cards.

Why are the gold contacts a different size I wonder... (see pictures in first post)

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**Musicboxrobot** · 12-18-2012, 03:06 PM

Switch the mcc to 310 and the mnc to 260
Thats how mine is set threw tmobile ST.

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**N4Newbie** · 12-18-2012, 03:15 PM

If your phone wasn't reading the SIMs you would get a "No SIM Card Installed" message when turning on the phone.

Here was the mistake I made:

I have always used CDMA phones before so no real experience with SIM cards. I know waht they are and how they work and all, just never had to deal much with them.

I bought a couple of $0.99 SIM cards from T-Mobile and had them shipped to my house. At the time, they didn't have any micros available so I bought the standard cards knowing I could trim them myself or take them to a T-Mobile store for swapping or trimming using a punch device (many stores supposedly have them).

So, anyway, I tried trimming one of them, thought I did a good job, but when I put it in the phone and turned on I got the No SIM Card Installed thing. Tried trimming a little more, tried this, tried that. No luck. Finally, I grabbed the second SIM card and drove to the local mall and T-Mobile store where the guy popped it into a punch and handed it back to me. Put it in the phone and still, No Sim Card Installed. The guy says to me , uhhhh....

While the phone is on, press and hold the power button until the menu pops up, select the Power Off option and OK. Make certain SIM card is installed. Press and hold power button 5 seconds until haptic feedback then release. Phone will reboot.

SIM card now recognized and functions properly.

In short, if you haven't actually rebooted the phone with the SIM card installed, do so now.

**Parth Ghetia** · 12-18-2012, 03:20 PM

Oh you're right, sorry. If the phone doesn't read the SIM card it would say there isn't one installed. I would figured that you rebooted the phone after installing it though. :P

**dougltc** · 12-18-2012, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by N4Newbie

If your phone wasn't reading the SIMs you would get a "No SIM Card Installed" message when turning on the phone.

Are you sure that there isn't a difference between no sim card vs unreadable sim card messages? If I cut my sims wrong would I get a no sim message?

In short, if you haven't actually rebooted the phone with the SIM card installed, do so now.

Yeah. I have rebooted more than once...

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**N4Newbie** · 12-18-2012, 03:36 PM

StraightTalk's website () says this:

Find below the values needed to update your device data settings to be able to send MMS* and connect to the Internet via your Browser:

1 Create a new APN (Access Point Name). Enter only the settings listed below:

Field Smartphone Settings
Name straight talk
APN wap.tracfone
Proxy leave blank
Port 8080
MMSC
MMS Proxy leave blank
MMS Port leave blank

2 Select the APN you just created. Delete the old APN from your phone if possible.

Keep in mind however that APN settings are only needed for data; you should be able to get voice coverage regardless of APN settings or even none at all.

Oh, by the way, your trimmed SIM card looks fine. I don't think there is a problem in that regard.

**PWC Realtor** · 12-18-2012, 04:13 PM

I had the same issue when I went from a GNex to an N4. A reboot while the card was inserted did the trick. I do miss how the GNex would require you to reboot the phone after inserting of removing a SIM card.

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**HyperM3** · 12-19-2012, 08:54 PM

I just switched to a T-Mo ST card from an ATT ST card today. I too had issues putting in a new APN. However, when I booted up my phone with the SIM in it it brought up a factory T-Mo APN. I tried to create a new one for ST after deleting the factory one but it wouldnt take. So then I had no APN in there. I hit menu and then "reset APN default" and let it do its thing. Then I rebooted and was able to put in the ST APN.

That being said, Im still having issues with MMS working. This is the reason I switched from the ATT SIM. Since I switched to ST in May, I have never had MMS working correctly and its a PITA. So I figured maybe going to the T-Mo SIM might help. Apparently it didnt so I may have to actually go back to a true carrier based plan in order to get full functionality out of my phone(s). Saving money is one thing, but losing the reason you have a smart phone and getting annoyed daily at it is not worth it IMHO.

**superblast** · 12-20-2012, 09:39 PM

Dumb question but did you activate the Straight Talk SIMs?

**HyperM3** · 12-20-2012, 09:49 PM

Originally Posted by superblast

Dumb question but did you activate the Straight Talk SIMs?

Yeah, activated both. Actually have MMS finally working now. It literally took over 24 hours to port over to the T-mo sim from the ATT sim. All is fine and dandy now so far.

- - - Updated - - -

Originally Posted by superblast

Dumb question but did you activate the Straight Talk SIMs?

Yeah, activated both. Actually have MMS finally working now. It literally took over 24 hours to port over to the T-mo sim from the ATT sim. All is fine and dandy now so far.

**Blaize19** · 01-02-2013, 10:01 PM

So I'm having the no data issue with a ST T-Mobile SIM on my phone, as well. I cannot delete the factory T-Mobile APN settings, and when I select the ST APN in settings it does not stick, but automatically reselects the T-Mobile APN.

I have tried all the things suggested, and am hoping someone has gotten data to work on a One S and can give me some help.

EDIT: Under APN Type: default,supl,mms

NO spaces after the commas. Once I entered this and saved, the ST APN stuck when I selected it and data works, if slowly. Yay.

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**Kevin Schmuhl** · 02-05-2013, 03:47 PM

I tried the apn type you suggested and it fixed my problem of the apn not sticking as well Thanks to Blaize19.
I also added the following setting to a second apn for the mms that I got from an app called tweaker ap

name: Straight Talk MMS
apn: wap.tracfone
mms proxy: 216.155.165.40
mms port: 8080
mmsc:
apn type: mms

note these settings to be added to 2nd new apn in addition to your main apn settings. Hope this helps someone