Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

I agree with TA-t3...

The IMEI block system is very important in the fight against mobile crime. Circumvention of that system is irresponsible and doesn't really give you much in the way of anonymity, specially if you want to keep an identifiable phone number.

If you buy a stolen phone then it's your lookout. If the situation with phone sales in your country is that bad then insist you get to try the phone with your SIM card first to check it.

I'm very sympathetic to the Big Brother arguments when it comes to DNA databases and CCTV, but not in this case.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

I don't think the argument here should be is it legal or not to change the IMEI. It should be more, why do you want to?

I think (I have to check) but 3GPP does not require, by legal requirement, a handset manufacturer to provide a unique IMEI for a handset - yes it is very useful, and helps alot, but I don't think it is required to validate the device tecnically.

Some operators don't care about devices without IMEIs - there has been millions of fake Nokia/Blackberry/Sony Ericsson devices used on networks in Pakistan/India/China for years. All these devices have had a) cloned IMEIs, b) no IMEIs.

I would be more worried about the affect it would have on the device's operation on the network.

If you are doing it for illicit purposes (stolen/fraud) then you deserve to get caught. If its for valid reasons, then away you go, but be warned..

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

this sounds about as legit as changing the vin on a car... i begin to wonder why...

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

I think that vin numbers and imei codes are quite different by their nature. Even though the both are "unique identification numbers", a vin number would be like imei only if it was possible to track car movements on a network (of roads) remotely by it's vin number.

In my opinion this makes a big difference when it comes to ones privacy.

propelli

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Just out of curiousity, why is IMEI the problem ? Your SIM/number is just as (if not more) trackable as the IMEI. The question no IMEI change proponent answered is why do you want the HARDWARE to be untrackable but not yourself (which would be the goal if the real reason is privacy concerns) ?

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

so they have gps-systems integrated to cars, how do you know those are not calling home?

just keep your phone closed while travelling and switch phones with random people at random intervals plus one sim card per turning on a phone.

or then again stop using gsm-stuff.....

e: and what if changing imei would be possible? would you really switch to a new sim-card after each change? could you really change imei with such pattern that can't be described by an algorithm?

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

This thread should be IMMEDIATLY SHUT DOWN this topic IS illegal and anyone who even attemtps to help will be reported by me for sure !!!! i lost my E90 stolen and blocked by Nokia. Please people ignore this thread .

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

It is illegal in some places and legal in others. Please don't try to force your laws or your morals on the rest of the internet.

IMEI changing has a very legitimate reason - some programs lock themselves to IMEI. If your device is broken and replaced as part of warranty service, or is lost and you decide to get a new one, you suddenly can't use the programs you bought. You find yourself at the mercy of companies which might accept this change and might not. Changing the IMEI to the original one is much easier.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Easy, dude, relax ... youre going to have heart attack ... ;)

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Read the guys posts you will clearly see he is dealing with a stolen phone, if he had nothing to hide then he would post the existing imei and he also talks BB5 , know i dont know what world you live in but coming from Poland and asking what he is asking AND you must remember this is a community, does it look good for the community such discussions? now where do you think most stolen anything gets sold off? ask yourself some serious questions and IF your N900 is stolen just how would you feel?.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

You say its much easier, but I think we've found from this thread that its not that easy!!

Agree with Matan here - I'm from the UK and I know that the act of doing it is illegal, however talking about it isn't illegal over here, and even so, as Matan said, you can't force your laws, customs and views on other people. Our collonial days are over and long may it stay that way!

Solution? Don't read this thread if you don't like it!!

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Problem is if the answer WAS posted on this forum it would no way look good and the guy was asking for a direct answer so go read all his posts and you will see what i am on about. I know just how it feels to have a expensive mobile stolen and i also know how to change the imei but no way would i ever give out such information.
If he was legitimate he would contact Nokia direct and post a pic of his imei and give a valid reason.
Any talk about changing mobiles identity is going to bring hostile comments no matter what especially from those who have suffered a loss. Your in the UK so you should know already the fight against such activities so why condone it on this community?.
Think long and hard before you condone such talk.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

@abill_uk - your personal opinions on this add nothing to the constructive discussion about technical feasibility.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Post a pic of your IMEI and once its been checked out as not stolen just maybe someone will give you some help ok.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Let's not mix legitimate and fair here. The EULA of any application will certainly not endorse circumventing DRM, so you're on the slippery slope of Fair Use at best. It sure sucks having your hands tied or applications lost, but that does not automatically grant legitimacy.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

The technical feasability as you put it is very very simple to those who know how but you simply cannot post information like that on ANY forum because the chances are you would probably get a visit from your local police ha ha. It is NOT a personal opinion its about the fight against stolen mobile equipment. The only discussion about changing imei is WHY do you want to change not post how to do it ! omg get a life will you.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

This response sparked a thought in my mind. The real issue with the N900 and TMO is the mixing between your average phone user and the Linux type community. Both sides aren't really familiar with dealing with each other.

Anyway, that's a bit off topic.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Problem with the N900 is the very fact its no way an average mobile and many many average mobile users have bought one then realised the implications of it not doing the job the average user is used too, this is Nokia's fault for releasing a mobile without the basic working functions thats common place in 2010, i could even go so far as to say there is nothing in existance like the N900 in any way or form yet and its come as a shell shock to many many people thats why they are ranting and raving for the firmware to be upgraded.
Anyhow i am not having an argument or losing my rag in any way regarding the changing of imei but suffice to say whatever discussion regarding imei it just cannot be changing it without some radical reason because it IS illegal near enough world through now and manufacturers themselves are only too aware of the implications, this is why they will only do this themselves usually so that stolen does not come into the equation in any way or form.
Incidently imei is instantly trackable to its owner or seller so before any talk could possibly take place at least that side of it would have to be proven and out of the way.
Very very sticky subject to talk about .

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Which laws govern whether or not it is legal or not to post something online? I say that the laws of the jurisdiction where the information is hosted (e.g. Finland) should apply.

Of course if local law forbids you to share information, it is your responsibility to comply.

I'm not an expert in law, and Finnish law especially, but I think it should be illegal to do criminal acts, but it shouldn't be illegal to write and discuss about them.

Murder, arson, theft are illegal, but you can't arres t me for talking about how they are committed.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

it's not impossible to change IMEI, I have witnessed someone changing their IMEI on their N95s before, using the debranding software

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

To all ppl with "simple solutions":
Thanks for your opinions. Since they are not reasonable, I don't have to discuss anything about this :) And.. No thanks, I'll keep using Internet and GSM. I know %100 privacy is not possible nor guaranteed, but doing my best is better than doing nothing. So there's no "false feeling of anonymity" when it comes to me. Maybe you should consider your motives about not letting other ppl hack their devices as they wish.

@abill_uk
You sir, are terribly wrong =) Personal ideas are personal, and most of people (including me) do not care. Since this thread is named "Is changing IMEI possible?" it's a simple yes/no question with a hidden question "If It's possible, how to do it?" So its not a discussion of WHY, it is a discussion of HOW. It's a technical discussion, not a moral one.

You think It's not good to change it, or you dont want to change it? It is ok. Do not use this thread. Hey, I have seen another thread with some guy asking about pr0n on N900. It's funny!! But please, do not force your opinions or viewpoints on other people.

Sharing information and applying that information are not the same. Even if some people stole devices and change IMEI because of it, there's other users just want to change it because of anonymity, or just for fun, etc. Computers are more open than gaming consoles, and you see, lots of ppl pirating software. So what? We should make them more closed? So they can't pirate software, or if we close all torrent trackers, It'll affect pirates?

It is just.. weird to see that kind of solutions on a GNU/Linux distro's forum.

BTW, most of you guys already know that, but: If you steal a device, you can sell it, or find someone with enough knowledge and hardware to change it's IMEI number for you. They are already doing that for years, so It's possible for some ppl, but I don't know if it's possible on N900, how they do it and if it's possible with on-the-fly patching software, instead of some hardware and tools. (which WAS the main topic of this thread, long time ago)

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

It is not about law its about not allowing people to deliberatly gain the use of something they have stolen or knowingly give the use of something stolen, ok here is a scenario for you to think about...
you just had your N900 stolen... i have got it ... i ask on some forum how to change the identity of your mobile and i get the answer, how are you going to feel about the fact someone has told me exactly how to use your mobile and you can do absolutely nothing about it ?
The moral of this is not just about law its about trying to stop people doing something immoral.
By giving out such information on the internet about how to change imei is going to progress crime not stop it.
So best way to stop progress of crime is not to talk about how easy it is to commit it !.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

You sir, are terribly wrong =) Personal ideas are personal, and most of people (including me) do not care.



Enough said !

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Do you know the way to read IMEI by non-root application in N900?

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

sysinfo-tool -g /certs/npc/esn/gsm

And the DBus equiv.: run-standalone.sh dbus-send --print-reply --type=method_call --system --dest=com.nokia.SystemInfo /com/nokia/SystemInfo com.nokia.SystemInfo.GetConfigValue string:"/certs/npc/esn/gsm" (returned as an array of bytes)

sysinfo also has a library (libsysinfo0) with no publicly released headers that Nokia apps can use to access sysinfo directly. With all that said, however, I dunno if the phone daemons use sysinfod

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=34058 also discusses getting it from the GSM daemon itself.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

You think you can detach moral and technical issues?

OK, what would you feel if some people discuss technical ways to genocide people? Or... whatever, it is just example what there are issues the moral ground of it's should be taken into account first.


As for now I see only two arguments in favor of IMEI change possibility - anonymity and access to software after changing equipment.

Anonymity has a very little with IMEI change and anybody who speaks about it doesn't answer the simple question - "will you change SIM card frequently with IMEI change?". They understand that IT is an issue but not IMEI because it is pretty easy to change phone in the name of anonymity but anonymous SIM card is difficult to obtain in many countries.

As for access to software change - that is an issue, at least in some countries law doesn't enforce the rights of owners or contractors. In US you can ask the game/software provider about allowing you to change equipment for locked software, BTW.

But in any case, the IMEI read is difficult for application software and actually, I think Nokia would inforce DRM via attaching DRM software to chip which would have it's own serial number. The reason is simple - between application and RF chip which hosts IMEI there is an open source and easy hackable software (and you, Matan, do it each day :) and replace IMEI in it is pretty easy.

So, N900 IMEI can't be used for enforcing DRM in N900 and that is also not a case.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

It is not from RF chip and can be easily faked, so - it can't be used by DRM.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

OK am going to put you right on the spot now... here is YOUR chance to steal the limelight (cos no way i want it !!! )

WHY and for what reason would you want to change imei on your N900 ?

After saying to me ... @abill_uk
You sir, are terribly wrong =) Personal ideas are personal, and most of people (including me) do not care.

Then i will rest my case because no matter what reason ANYONE gives for wanting to change imei they must have a valid reason to do so.
My personal idea as you put it is simple... dont condone crime by telling everyone just how to change imei.
That is LOGIC not personal ok.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

LOL at Abill_uk... who is talking about stealing your/anyone's phone??

The thread is about imei changing.. Which, in the uk at least, is Illegal to DO, but I guess its not illegal to talk about the subject..

If your phone was stolen/lost, do you think those who stole it are genius people who know how to change imei??? they probably dont even know what imei is.... If I want to sell a stolen phone, I'll sell it to another country, thats simpler than changing imei or whatsoever... CHILL DUDE!!

If you are really so much concerned about you phone being stolen/lost, there are insurance as cheap as £4.99 a month.... I have it, and tbh, I dont give a damn if its bricked, lost, stolen, broken..

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Hasn't this discussion pretty much played out?

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

here comes trouble :P ... :D

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Would you like any discussion about finding a way to burn your house? Or you could check the intention of that discussion first? I mean - moral ground.

Or, it simple - use google and find it. But that guys are smart enough to target only phones which are commercially profitable to sell, they don't stole anything which has no market. If there is no known way to change IMEI then that market doesn't exist for N900 ... or at least it is restricted by some 3rd world countries without IMEI locking.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Heard that something (I don't know even if its a HW or SW, think of it as both) Advance Box just did the trick for N900. I'm not sure if it is possible yet to change IMEI on N900, but.. here it is:
http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/f609/

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

If you buy a car which goes 200mph, does any authorities question you whether you will be speeding or not?? NO

But if you speed, you get caught, your problem..

Its illegal to go over 70mph on a motorway in uk, but its not illegal to de-limit a car which already does 150mph....


mobile phone thieves are "opportunists".... They see a phone, want it? grab it/nick it quietly. then walk/run away...

Do you think some thief will see your N900, and think "oh nice looking phone, but let me google first whether there is a good black market for this"....?? :D

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

found this from that site

http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/f609...lashed-975230/

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Maybe he wants to install N900-Pptest-Pack 1.0.0-2010042416?
http://translate.google.com/translat...sl=zh-CN&tl=en

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

I don't think so. AFAICT the package is only to test the packaging system. The reason is this package, which provides chinese input method through mscim: http://maemo.org/packages/package_in....0-2010042905/

However, it seems to only be available for devices sold in Hong Kong, which is ensured by checking the device IMEI. It does not provide means to change the IMEI.

Thats how I found this thread.... I want that input method... Can you tell me how to change IMEI now? :D (j/k)

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Which is exactly why making it unprofitable to steal any mobile phone at all is a good thing.

I'll say again, if the phone market in your country is bad enough that you don't know whether you're buying blocked/stolen goods, then insist on trying before you buy. It's your responsibility to make sure you are not part of the problem.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Firstly i'm sorry that i join your discussion wiht my poor English skill.

I have read your discussion completely about how to IMEI changing. I can give you an example why a person really needs to do it.

I work in SSSR. Last year i have been to Turkey. At that moment i stayed to use my gsm (N97) and there is no way to use without registration your gsm, because of laws even you bring it with you. I have registered at that moment once.

So, it was last year happen.

And now Nokia published the new version of Nokia which is N900 named. I bought n900 this year and i came to Turkey again for spend my holiday with my parents.

It seems everything is ok but no. So, I bought this gsm in SSSR and i payed TAX for use it in SSSR. But there is a law here in Turkey which you couldn't register again a new mobile even you bring with you in two years.

What should i do if i need to use it here in Turkey?

I'm not thief as you described.

Even I payed completely for it to use in SSSR. But there is no way to use it here in Turkey without registration and there is no way to register in two years 2 gsm(s) to your passport.

I think that could be a reason to change IMEI and to use it or am i wrong?

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

There's rumours of T-Mobile beginning to block all non-Hiptop IMEIs from their Hiptop PAYG plan (which is the only PAYG plan with data). I'd be interested in learning how to spoof a Hiptop IMEI in case this ever affects me...