Cell Phone Expansion Hack

[Painkiller667]

Some of you might be familiar with that if you take out the sim card from a cell phone, you are still able to call emergency (cops and such). I was wondering how that works, how you cant call anyone else like that but the cops. I also wonder if a hack could be done to expand that emergency service to be able to call anywhere.

Another thing about cellphones. Many new ones have internet access anywhere. My question is, why don't laptops have the same internet access? Shouldn't there be a satellite internet service plan for laptops, just like there is for cellphones? Or perhaps taking that chip that allows the cell phones to browse, and embed it in a laptop.

Anyway, enlighted me if my information is outdated. Thanks

[orange]

well two things:

The SIM card is not what determines what calls can be made and can't be made, that is done by the phone software itself, so you would need to use a program like BitPim and a USB cable in order to change the settings of your phone's firmware.

Secondly, cell phones dont get their internet service from sattelites. They recieve their internet service as a high-bandwidth service from the cell tower of their own provider. And if you look to the plan maps of all the major providers, cellular internet is not available everywhere.

As for laptops and internet, there is an option for you here. All of the major service providers in the US have data only plans that come with a PCMCIA or EXPRESS card for your laptop. This gives your laptop the ability to connect to the cellular network (when it is available) and view the internet just as you would at home. It doesn't work everywhere, and it costs anywhere from $34 to $80 a month depending on bandwidth.

Hope this helps.

[VaKo]

There is the possibility of hacking the phone to allow more numbers to be called for the without-sim-emergancy-only mode. But without a SIM card I don't know how you could get a phone number, which might cause a problem when routing calls across the PSTN (you would need to research PSTN more before doing this). However, it will still send the IMEI, and if someone notices the attempts to make free calls without a phone number (which they will) the next thing they will do is look at who owns a handset with that IMEI.

[Painkiller667]

how will they find out who owns the IMEI, whatever that is, especially if I find the cellphone. Which I have found like 3 over my lifetime. I think this is a very interesting topic in need of research.

[VaKo]

I think your biggest problem will be routing a call over the pstn network without a phone number. Does anyone know how a mobile phone can place a call to the emergency services without a phone number?

[SomeoneE1se]

AFAIK in the US anycall from a cellphone is E911 and that different then regular 911 and I think it's on its own network.

[cooper]

I'd be stunned if the decision wether or not to allow you to call a number (i.e. is it an emergency service) was made on the phone itself. Probably in the connection setup phase your SIM number is sent to the tower that validates it, and if no such number is provided you get limited to emergency services numbers and/or the local helpdesk of your provider.

[psychokiller]

Some one Working at Mobile Provider in Egypt told me that the mobile connects to any network available to it when no sim card in it, and the mobile itself has the numbers of the Emergency depending on the S/W on it like (911 for US, 112 for Egypt) and if u changed the # in the S/W most probably wont work as those numbers connect through the Network of ur provider so this number isnt like those in the server network emergency calls.

some1 told me so mayB right and might be wrong :D

[Painkiller667]

most dangerous thing in this "operation" IMO would be having a gps chip in the phone and not knowing it. must make sure there is no tracking devices in it before doing any of that shizzle. But other than that, I dont see how they could track down where I am, and EVEN if they knew that i was making illegally free phone calls, and they knew where I was, its not like they would get a helicopter and 15 swat guys to hunt me down and kick my ass.lol

[VaKo]

Most phones that use GSM don't have GPS trackers. I know that CDMA services use GPS for the E911 service, but I don't know why. I would assume it was because GSM can be tracked down to a block or 2 just using the network and that CDMA is much harder to locate a user from.

[moonlit]

I should imagine the first thing they'd do is cut off the phone, likely bar it via IMEI. BY this point you know you're busted, then you toss the phone. Problem solved.

[VaKo]

Yeah, you could just try getting a PAYG throwdown from ebay or your local market. Works for most criminals.

If you need a untraceable phone, its quite simple. You rent somewhere with cash and a false name, then buy a TV license under the same name. Using that, and the contract you get power/water/gas bills under the false name. Then, using all this stuff you pose as a very poor/working class person just out of prison (hence the lack of a housing history, ie your making a new clean start) and go buy the cheapest PAYG phone you can, under that name. Bingo, fully legally owned phone line under a false name and address.

[moonlit]

Yeah, but don't forget to not use your safehouse enough to accidentally leave any real ID behind.

[VaKo]

Nah, the whole point of this is to be the landlords best friend. Someone who pays on time, every month but never actually uses the place. If they say anything, just say your in a unstable relationship, and although your trying to work it out your keeping a place just in case it goes bad and you need to move out quickly. If there male and over 30, make a joke about women being crazy. Leave some clothes there, some toiletry's and send mail there every now and again (ie the type of mail single blokes would get, post cards from women, porn etc). When your doing things like this, its not a case of having a cover story and telling people it, you need to give them enough little details to keep them happy and waiting until they ask you about things.

[moonlit]

That works...

...you done this before by any chance?

;)

[VaKo]

Nope. I've known people who have done similar to escape bad credit/child support/crazy ex-wives though. They are starting to crack down on that method though, but its not that hard to get a fake passport if your in a town with a large enough immigrant community. Just start working in a crap factory job and get talking with the guys your working with. For instance, when I was working in a royal mail depo (no background checks required) I learned loads about credit card fraud.