Guide - How to change your PRL [no root required]

[gothir]

This is a guide to changing your PRL...no root required.

Where I work has an absolutely horrible Sprint 3g connection...lucky if it breaks 100kbps...so I use a modified PRL while I am at work to roam on Altell/Verizon towers. If you have the same problem as me then read below on how to change your PRL.

This is my first guide so let me know if you see anything I can do to improve it and be gentle =P. I couldn't have made this guide without Leviuqse's Epic 4g PRL guide HERE and yoboii23's guide to getting your MSL and drivers setup HERE. I was able to use information from both of their guides to help get this method working on my Evo 3d. This process seems long but it actually takes less than 1 minute to do once you have everything setup.

Disclaimer: Changing your PRL can build up a lot of roaming data/calls if you use a modified PRL/other carrier PRL if you are not careful. Use another PRL at your own risk. Don't play around with the settings in QPST unless you know what you are doing.

Requirements:
1. HTC Diagnostic Drivers installed
2. MSL for your phone
3. QPST installed...I tested this method with QPST 2.7 build 323 and QPST 2.7 build 366.
4. PRL file of your choice

Step 1 - Install your HTC drivers and acquire your MSL. yoboii23 over on XDA wrote a great guide on installing the drivers and getting your MSL HERE. Follow those instructions before moving to the next step.

Step 2 - Google and install QPST...I tested this method with build 323 and build 366. X-drivers has the software listed as freeware but I am not 100% sure it is so I will not post any direct links.

Step 3 - Find what PRL you want to use and put it in a folder on your computer. I am using a modified PRL created by techknowfile on XDA that is located HERE. This PRL works great for me but your mileage may vary...try out a few PRLs and see what works best for you.

Step 4 - Turn off USB debugging on your phone...go to settings > applications > development > uncheck USB debugging

Step 5 - Open the dialer on your phone and enter ##3424#

Step 6 - Connect your phone to the computer and select Charging only if prompted.

Step 7 - Open QPST Configuration wherever you installed it.

Step 8 - Click on "Add new port"

Step 9 - Uncheck "Select Serial and USB/Diagnostic Ports Only"

Step 10 - Select your phone on the list and hit OK.

Step 11 - Select your phone on the list.

Step 12 - Click on the "Start Clients" tab at the top and select "Service Programming"

Step 13 - Select your phone on the list and hit OK

Step 14 - Click on "Read from Phone' in the bottom left

Step 15 - Enter your MSL when prompted and hit OK

Step 16 - Click on the "Roam" tab then click "Browse" and navigate to your PRL file. After selecting your PRL click "Write to Phone".

Step 17 - Your phone will reboot at this point and you will see a couple popups on your computer that you can just hit OK to close. Let your phone reboot and don't close QPST until it is finished writing to your phone.

Step 18 - The PRL should be written to your phone now. You can verify it by going to settings > about phone > software information > more > PRL Version. If you want to switch back to a stock Sprint PRL then all you need to do is go to settings > system updates and click Update PRL.

 

[gothir]

Reserved for a FAQ if needed later.

 

[dman4915]

can this be done with a mac?

 

[gothir]

I have very little experience with Macs and I don't have access to a Mac that I can use for testing. I imagine it could work if you can get the drivers installed and QPST running but I don't know for sure.

 

[sirfoty]

Hmm... just followed every step. but now i dont have mobile acces. it says: Disconected because service is unavailable. I think that the PRL i downloaded from the link dosent work in my area. Where can i find other PRL's?

 

[dman4915]

search for 01115 prl. their is a good file over on xda thats works good it has 3g roaming in central Florida but I dont know where ele because I haven't needed it anywhere else.They have a few other sprint prl's on the page that I found on xda. The 0001 always worked good for me on my old Evo but sometimes it would lose it's data connection.

 

[blueblur]

thanks for your post on this. Worked perfectly on my EVO 3D. went from 1 bar to Full bars. SWEET!

It's important to note that I was able to do this with QPST 2.7 Build 366 as you mentioned in your OP, earlier builds did not work for me, I would get an unknown communication error.

 

[sandman_1]

Also did with 2.7 B366

All I can say is, thank you, thank you, and thank you!!! Went from 0-3 bars to 3-6 at the house. And the strange thing about it, I am not roaming? It says Sprint near top of my phone like I am on their network but with a good signal. I am confused lol Anyway I don't mind at all as long as I have a signal. The 3G speeds are great too, 1.5Mbps down. Doesn't really matter though, I use wifi at the house.

Ohh and QPST reported a few errors on the "write" of the PRL file. It still took though obviously and rebooted the phone. Confirmed it in the phone info also.

Thanks again!!

 

[jondevere]

Looks promising. I will have to try this out

 

[ashton4life]

I understand the instructions but I just dont understand how to determine the right PRL for my area. How do i go about looking for the correct PRL for South Miami area. I live in a dead spot and only get 1 bar and my 4G is almost none existant. Any directions to a good PRL?

 

[gothir]

All I can say is, thank you, thank you, and thank you!!! Went from 0-3 bars to 3-6 at the house. And the strange thing about it, I am not roaming? It says Sprint near top of my phone like I am on their network but with a good signal. I am confused lol

Your phone will not show that you are roaming when you are using this method. If you check your usage on the sprint page though it will show you are using roaming data.

I understand the instructions but I just dont understand how to determine the right PRL for my area. How do i go about looking for the correct PRL for South Miami area. I live in a dead spot and only get 1 bar and my 4G is almost none existant. Any directions to a good PRL?

The only way to know if a PRL is good in your area is to try it really. You can easily swap back to the stock prl just by updating it in the settings so it doesn't hurt to try one and switch back if you don't like the results.

I have a link in step 3 to the one that works great for me and the creator has a couple others posted in that thread too. You can flash a straight verizon PRL or an older sprint PRL if you want...just depends what works best for you.

 

[junebug72]

This is a guide to changing your PRL...no root required.

Where I work has an absolutely horrible Sprint 3g connection...lucky if it breaks 100kbps...so I use a modified PRL while I am at work to roam on Altell/Verizon towers. If you have the same problem as me then read below on how to change your PRL.

This is my first guide so let me know if you see anything I can do to improve it and be gentle =P. I couldn't have made this guide without Leviuqse's Epic 4g PRL guide HERE and yoboii23's guide to getting your MSL and drivers setup HERE. I was able to use information from both of their guides to help get this method working on my Evo 3d. This process seems long but it actually takes less than 1 minute to do once you have everything setup.

Disclaimer: Changing your PRL can build up a lot of roaming data/calls if you use a modified PRL/other carrier PRL if you are not careful. Use another PRL at your own risk. Don't play around with the settings in QPST unless you know what you are doing.

Requirements:
1. HTC Diagnostic Drivers installed
2. MSL for your phone
3. QPST installed...I tested this method with QPST 2.7 build 323 and QPST 2.7 build 366.
4. PRL file of your choice

Step 1 - Install your HTC drivers and acquire your MSL. yoboii23 over on XDA wrote a great guide on installing the drivers and getting your MSL HERE. Follow those instructions before moving to the next step.

Step 2 - Google and install QPST...I tested this method with build 323 and build 366. X-drivers has the software listed as freeware but I am not 100% sure it is so I will not post any direct links.

Step 3 - Find what PRL you want to use and put it in a folder on your computer. I am using a modified PRL created by techknowfile on XDA that is located HERE. This PRL works great for me but your mileage may vary...try out a few PRLs and see what works best for you.

Step 4 - Turn off USB debugging on your phone...go to settings > applications > development > uncheck USB debugging

Step 5 - Open the dialer on your phone and enter ##3424#

Step 6 - Connect your phone to the computer and select Charging only if prompted.

Step 7 - Open QPST Configuration wherever you installed it.

Step 8 - Click on "Add new port"

Step 9 - Uncheck "Select Serial and USB/Diagnostic Ports Only"

Step 10 - Select your phone on the list and hit OK.

Step 11 - Select your phone on the list.

Step 12 - Click on the "Start Clients" tab at the top and select "Service Programming"

Step 13 - Select your phone on the list and hit OK

Step 14 - Click on "Read from Phone' in the bottom left

Step 15 - Enter your MSL when prompted and hit OK

Step 16 - Click on the "Roam" tab then click "Browse" and navigate to your PRL file. After selecting your PRL click "Write to Phone".

Step 17 - Your phone will reboot at this point and you will see a couple popups on your computer that you can just hit OK to close. Let your phone reboot and don't close QPST until it is finished writing to your phone.

Step 18 - The PRL should be written to your phone now. You can verify it by going to settings > about phone > software information > more > PRL Version. If you want to switch back to a stock Sprint PRL then all you need to do is go to settings > system updates and click Update PRL.

oh thank you thank you thank-you.... Because of this method I was able to put new prl 60681.... Haven't done any speed tests

 

[Gents]

Followed the instructions and I am back in business. Thanks a bunch.

 

[HalizDad]

Too bad there's nothing like this for 4G data...

 

[cjxsutton]

is there a faster, easier way to do this when your phone is rooted?

my evo 3d is s-off and rooted w/ superuser, do i really have to go through all these steps or can i just throw it on the sd card and flash it or something? any guides around for doing this with root?

 

[jerseypimp]

Can this be done without a computer? My signal is draining my battery faster than my charger can charge my phone while Im useing it.

 

[uh60james]

Be careful with this guys. Sprint has been giving some people the boot for excessive roaming lately. Although your phone will show you being in native coverage you are not and all that data will show up on your bill as roaming data.

 

[MyTech1]

I got to the service programming part but when I click "ok" it just says "online connection failure: unspecified error". Any suggestions?

 

[kevster1321]

i'm on sprint and want to change my prl to a modified(to include sprint's 800mhz) sprint prl. in step 16 would i still click on roam or click a different one.

 

[pergerson6]

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1529274&page=12

Xda prl thread.

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