Updating your Verizon Preferred Roaming List (PRL) *228

[Pierce09]

Has anyone tried updating their Verizon Preferred Roaming List (PRL) by dialing *228? I get an error message that says "Call not sent." Anyone else have this issue? This is a basic Verizon function why would you not be able to do it with the GN?

 

[twindragons187]

*228 can toast your sim card. The phone updates its self. The other thing u can do is pull the battery and sim card and wait 30sec. Never dial *228 from an lte device.

 

[Pierce09]

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[Sock-Monkey Pete]

*228 can toast your sim card.

I'm curious where you get your facts from...

According to the Verizon Employee I spent an hour or two with from their Tech Dept upon purchase of my (and my fiance's) G-Nex about signal problems with her phone. It doesn't need the information because it updates itself. It's just a function the phone doesn't do.

Furthermore, the phone just denies the action and sends toast with "call not sent". How would that toast your card?

 

[superlawyer15]

you cant toast your sim card


the phone wont let you dial 228, it just doesnt work

 

[pool_shark]

The phone dials *22899.
I've read you can save that number as a contact and dial it.

 

[ultravisitor]

you cant toast your sim card

Technically, you can. Take it out of your phone, put it in your toaster...

 

[Fahrenheit]

When the Thunderbolt first came out, techs at the Verizon stores were activating them by dialing *228. It was corrupting SIM cards. Verizon sent out a notice not to activate them that way.

 

[sicario666]

The LTE sim cards don't use 228 to activate. Sim cards are phone and account specific. Once you slap it in there...your phone will activate automatically on power up.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[Dessie Dare]

*228 is the trigger for a user-initiated Over-The-Air (OTA) handset provisioning session in a CDMA network.
It is primarily used to activate new handsets
However, some operators allow it to be used to trigger a refresh of settings (including PRL).

PRLs are normally pushed to the handset without any action or knowledge of the user.
A user may miss such an update if their handset is switched off or otherwise in use.
If they notice they have problems obtaining service when they roam, rather than wait for the next schedule PRL push, they can use *228 to "Pull" a PRL refresh.

LTE handsets can be provisioned by SIM OTA (download of files and settings directly to the SIM).
However, LTE handsets offered by Verizon and Cricket etc. must be capable of service on CDMA networks as well. (They will roam into areas not covered by LTE.)
It is up to the operator whether they allow such handsets to be provisioned by CDMA OTA (in addition to SIM OTA). It seems that Verizon have disabled this capability (at least the ability to pull provisioning settings).

Interestingly, it now seems that there is no way for a subscriber to pull settings to their handset. They must wait for the next PRL download from the operator, whether by SIM OTA or CDMA OTA. :-\

Note: CDMA OTA is defined in the 3GPP2 standard IS683-E and also supports the configuration of LTE settings.

 

[pstinger]

I'm assuming that you've verified that turning off LTE and dialing *22899 does not work? I've never tried, so I can't say one way or the other.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums

 

[Dessie Dare]

Hi Philip,
I am not actually a Verizon subscriber myself.:'(
(I was simply adding what I know about CDMA OTA procedures to a discussion that was rapidly descending into the superstition of SIM toasting! )

I don't know for sure but I think it unlikely that disabling LTE would have any effect. Because there is no CSFB in CDMA networks, LTE capable handsets must be connected to both LTE and CDMA networks at all times. (They use LTE for data and CDMA to make/receive calls and SMS etc.). Verizon is not using LTE for voice calling or SMS yet so the phone's ability to call *228 or *22899 should not change.

But it would be great if someone who does have an LTE-capable handset on Verizon could check it out.

 

[wolverine2003]

Add *22899 as a contact and call it. I've attempted to dial it and it won't work for me. I haven't tried to add *228 to my contacts and dial it, but *22899 updated my PRL.

 

[Dessie Dare]

That is interesting Wolverine.
It suggests that the MML of the Smartphone prevents dialing with special characters but you can "surprise" it by passing it the full numeric string in a contact.

The issue may be handset dependent.

 

[Jeff_Byers]

Hello,

I can confirm that using the Verizon Wireless PRL Update number *228 option 2 will "toast" your SIM.

My phone is a new Verizon Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3.

For many years, I've been in the habit of using *228 during my weekly phone backup procedure.
Long ago, I had trouble roaming, and found that you cannot do the update once roaming, it is too
late then, so I do it periodically.

I noticed that 4G LTE was not working on my new phone, but everything else worked fine.
After hours with VZW support we decided I needed a new micro SIM card. That fixed the
4G LTE service!

But then within a week, I had used *228 again, and 4G service was again broken.
After another hour on the phone with VZW support, I was able to talk them into
letting me try another SIM. They wanted me to do a factory reset, or to replace
the phone, but I knew from this thread that the problem was the SIM, and how
it was being "damaged". They seemed unaware of any issue with using the
PRL update via *228 causing any problems.

So now my 4G LTE service is working fine, and I expect it to continue to do so.

Thanks for saving me the hassle of burning through a couple of more SIM cards,
or worse, a replacement phone or two.

~ Jeff Byers ~

 

[Dessie Dare]

Hi Jeff,
There is no way that dialling *228 can "toast " a SIM card.
What appears to have happened was that your use of the code over-wrote the LTE PRL that you new phone needs to obtain coverage in LTE networks.
Verizon obviously need *228 to be available for older handsets to download standard CDMA PRLs but they do not want subscribers with LTE handsets to use it.
For that they have a completely different mechanism.
This is why your phone only worked on the 2G/3G networks after you used it. (The phone could not have contacted ANY network with a damaged SIM)
It sounds like a factory reset would have been the quickest way to fix your issue but you seem to have convinced, not only yourself, but also Verizon Customer Care that YOU can "toast" SIM cards.!!

I congratulate you on your powers of persuasion but your reasoning is from the dark ages.
You should try *228 again but this time spin yourself anti-clockwise while you are doing it. Your SIM will not be toasted but you may see dragons!

 

[Michelle Sloan]

I just did it... I am on the phone with Verizon technical support right now and they just re-created the "toasting of the SIM card" while on the phone with me, because they didn't believe it either. DIALING *228 on the key pad will not go through. ADDING *228 as a contact and calling does go through and most assuredly does in fact "toast" your sim card.
Don't believe me.... try it.

 

[vazersecurity]

I'm curious where you get your facts from...

According to the Verizon Employee I spent an hour or two with from their Tech Dept upon purchase of my (and my fiance's) G-Nex about signal problems with her phone. It doesn't need the information because it updates itself. It's just a function the phone doesn't do.

Furthermore, the phone just denies the action and sends toast with "call not sent". How would that toast your card?

I had an HTC phone that would call *228. I was a major noob at the time and completely destroyed my SIM. It is confirmed to do that. They had to send me a new SIM.