yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] p51d007:
idiots in the glass towers at the death star

You think they give three hoots that we want to use a PHONE that they didn't cripple? That is the problem with the wireless industry in the USA. You have pretty much two carriers. AT&T, & Verizon. There is now no real competition

to keep the carriers somewhat honest. I say in a few years, unless the lobbyist throw a boatload of cash by paying off congress, it will be time to bust up "ma-bell" again. Remember, when they did back in the 80's is what got us out

of the dark ages with wire phones. The carriers in the USA are content to just

screw people with poor service, poor selection of devices etc....

Heck, as long as idiots are lining up for iJunk, we'll never get the cutting edge

devices.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ericshmerick:
Not a problem with me. You can quickly source and purchase any GSM phone from anywhere in the world in the internet and have it delivered in a few days.

GSM is an open standard. There are no regulations on what GSM phones are allowed on GSM networks, whether it's in the US, UK, Germany, etc. That's the mission of the GSM consortium.

What AT&T is doing is a violation of this standard. They can't just take a smartphone with a bigger screen than other smartphones (yet smaller than a tablet) and force you onto a tablet only no-voice plan.

iPhones can conqour the world - fine by me. But any GSM device is allowed on a GSM network. If it's a GSM tablet (with no phone functionality) then AT&T is in the right. The Note isn't a tablet, its a phone.

AT&T is wrong here plain and simple.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Adrian71:
My phone's start-up screen was preset to German, and there are also a few random things in the settings, widgets, etc., that show up as German. I imagine something similar must be true for Polish phones ... ?

---------- Post added at 02:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:13 AM ----------

You think they'd know that. They did carry the 5" Dell Streak phone, after all. Now they're acting like they've never heard of a phone so big.

What excuse did they give you for why they wouldn't give you voice on what was obviously a phone? Just the fact that it would get flagged eventually anyway? Why don't they just activate the phone and deal with the problem if it arises, instead of being a bunch of jerks about it? Man, that's awful. The guys in the store I went to were actually excited about the phone and wanted to do what they could to get it to work for me. One guy wouldn't stop playing with it until I asked for it back.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] maxh:
People that already have a plan are the ones having their data shut off. AT&T's official stance is that tablets require tablet data plans, and tablet data plans are not compatible with voice/SMS (wouldn't want customers enjoying convenience and only paying 1 bill to AT&T...) This is why when you went in to sign up they wouldn't give you a voice plan.

However, in all other cases, AT&T ties the legally binding contract to the voice plan, and SMS and data are considered features which can be added and removed at will (as long as device compatible.) So with people that already have plans and switch their sim into a tablet (or Note), if they removed the voice, they'd be removing the contract and the people would be free to leave AT&T without an ETF. They sure as h*** ain't gonna do that. So instead they remove the data to make it unpleasant so the customer is more likely to switch their sim back to their phone and buy another data plan for the tablet. Pretty sh*tty if you ask me...

What you should've done if you really wanted a new plan was to not show them the Note. Just go in, say you want a sim-only plan and that you have a phone at home, or that you'll be getting one soon and want to be able to just pop in the sim and go when you get it. Maybe you're going somewhere and won't have time to go back by a store after getting the phone... Tell them you don't need them to hold your hand for the sim insertion/ apn settings on phone if they say to bring the phone in to the store. Worst case scenario if they're still being a pain, bring in another phone compatible with the plans you're wanting to get. Btw, you should NOT be locked into a contract when signing up for sim only, so make sure they don't give you one.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] kdel:
They didn't try to get me on contract. The rep who worked with me to try and get it set up was really geeked about the Note and was saying it was going to be his next phone. He kept going to the manager with ideas to help me out (imei from skyrocket, etc.) but the manager kept shooting him down--saying it was going to get flagged anyway, blah blah blah.

I've decided to try to call customer service and tell them that I don't think my phone is set up right because I don't have voice. I will give them a story about my husband getting the sim for me and not knowing any better, etc. I will just play dumb this time and see what happens.

My first mistake was going into the store with the phone and being informed about the possible issues and being straight with them. After reading through every post in this thread, I should have known better. I will post back with the results of my call.

On a brighter "note"--I love this phone and although I haven't rooted yet, the customization has begun. It's just a sweet device.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] cenkaetaya:
this is really pissing me off

i got the note reading that people have it working fine here

now they are not?

what is the deal, is it working or not?

if GSM is an open standard and this is a phone, cant ATT be sued over blocking this device?

i dont understand how this is possible, its complete BS. Has anyone written a letter to the head of the company, we need to flood them with letters.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] inameandy:
I got my note on thursday, received the text about wrong data plan on friday morning. Talked to CS over the phone and she couldn't change the data plan from my $30 monthly iPhone unlimited to Android 4G because the system won't recognize the IMEI.

Went to AT&T store today trying to resolve the issue and same thing happened, they couldn't change the data plan, the store tried to get a 4g android phone's IMEI number but they don't have any at the time. (they can't give out new one's, but can only borrow the IMEI from those that are defective). The CS there was nice enough and ask me to come back in a couple of days and check if they have any defective 4g phones and they will be able to swap it for me.

After about 8 hours later, logged in to my AT&T account and saw a message saying that my international and domestic data service has been suspended due to a substantual usage? (i used total of 148mb over the last 15 days)

Pretty pissed off that i pay $200 a month on bill and this is what i get, gonna call them in the morning and complain
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Siriack:
Have you tried deleting some of the files in the efs folder?.

---------- Post added at 09:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:34 AM ----------

For those who would like to post a complaint to AT&T, here's some info:

Randall Stephenson, AT&T CEO

rs2982@att.com (direct)

randall.stephenson@att.com
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] getmouse:
Im not implying anything. I take it you never been to the note's site.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] inameandy:
Ok, i talked to the agent from the after hour support (CS from india), it seems that they actually have more knowledge than regulard hour CS supports. Here is what happened, he registered the IMEI number and yes it shows up as a tablet, he switched my "iphone unlimited data plan for $30" to "Data Unlimited for PDA Connect Unlimited for $39.99". After talking to him and knowing how the system works, i decided to stay on that plan so AT&T won't give me hard time about it.

Everything still works, phone, text, data, the only difference is that 9.99 extra, since the data plan changed from mobile phone to a tablet plan in sort of way.

I will still go back to the store in the next couple of days and see if using another 4g phone's imei + android 4g unlimited plan will resolve the issue. But i'm afraid that from what i understand, its not the imei registered into the system that is giving you trouble, but because your current data plan does not match the device that you are accessing the internet on "i.e. mobile phone plan not matching tablet internet access from galaxy note"

Hopefully in the next few months when AT&T's note come out this can be resolved and i will be able to switch back to $30 mobile plan, but for now this will probably be the extra cost to own a note.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ericshmerick:
Oh, I've been to their site. Went to the .uk site and sent a letter asking them to send the knuckleheads (didn't use that term, obviously) at AT&T US a list of IMEI's so they can put them in their systems as smartphones.

A stylus does not make this a tablet. A slightly larger display does not make this a tablet.

A 7" or above screen with no phone capabilities does make a device a tablet.

That's a neat graphic they have there, but it's nothing more than advertising. Just because it exists, doesn't mean the Note is suddenly officially a tablet computer.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] maxh:
I agree, advertising and semantics mean nothing. The thing has a cellular radio and microphone with earpiece, so it's a phone. It's even a good size and shape for holding to the side of the head. There's no question, this is a phone.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] getmouse:
Im not saying its just a tablet im saying it's both. What would you call the dell streak then.

Dell them selves called it a tablet/phone and it has a 5" screen

What make a tablet a tablet a 7" screen or bigger.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ericshmerick:
Dell Streak ≠ Galaxy Note

The N7000 is not a tablet. Just because the IMEI isn't in AT&T system doesn't give them the right to force a tablet plan just because of their ignorance about the phone.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] p51d007:
Yeah, but not much we can do to convince them it is a PHONE. Look at the threads that people have to jump through hoops, then, it happens again. AT&T's computers are kicking people off... I'm sure it is by design also. "Rumor" has it at&t will get this some time in 2012, crippled, LTE, no home button. Guess they don't want anyone having a superior device to the iJunk. Heck, when you walk into a corporate store, or online, they push it to no end. I even had an at&t drone look at my streak and tell me she wouldn't have anything but an iPhone.

With that attitude, what do you think they push? More iJunk.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dscline:
Seems to me that if you were to show them that when you turn it on, press the "phone" button, dial a number, then hold it up to your head and have a conversation just like with any other phone, that would indicate that it's a phone. No tablet that I'm aware of is designed to be used that way.

I think the better question is: how can they convince anyone that it's not a phone?
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] kdel:
Even if you convince the rep behind the counter that it's a phone and he agrees with you, he has very limited on what he can do for you. If it's not in the system when they scan the code under the imei, they have nothing to attach a voice plan to.

Also, is there no tech support number you can call to reach someone on the weekend?? I couldn't believe that. Their support system has banker's hours...lame.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] p51d007:
Not that it will do a lot of good, I just sent an email to both addresses.

People, PLEASE! You'll get more flies with honey than vinegar...be respectful

if you do email these addresses below.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ericshmerick:
Don't worry - I kept my communication respectful and professional. I am simply trying to have them provide guidance on why their management is insisting this smartphone is a tablet.

Ignorance about this device does not give them the automatic right to harass loyal customers to switch to a tablet plan with no voice features just because they aren't familiar with the phone.

Awareness and education is all I'm trying to create. Right now, those in the US wireless industry are living in within the confines of what's branded and available in the US right now. Makes no sense unless you are Verizon or Sprint. GSM companies have a bigger responsibility as there are thousands of devices that are GSM and are allowed on their open network under the GSM open standards.

They just can't knee-jerk and pass a sweeping judgement on a device simply because the IMEI isn't in their system. Educated human rationalization is key here for them to recognize it's a smartphone and have their IT systems department correct this error.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] kdel:
Professional, respectful email sent.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] gman901:
I am glad I read these posts... I think my wife may be buying me an unlocked version off of Amazon and now I am thinking to tell her not to bother. I currently have been with the iPhone plan since 2007 and I have the 2 GB + 2GB tethering plan. If I popped my sim from iphone into the Note, will I most likely get the text and lose voice/data as well? I don't feel like jumping through all these hoops that everyone is going through. This would be my first entry into the Android world and I certainly do not want to deal with this mess.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dscline:
It seems the vast majority of people reporting getting the txt are people on unlimitted plans. Most people with metered (2GB, 4GB) plans seem to be ok at this point.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ericshmerick:
See, this is what makes absolutely NO sense to me. If AT&T is targeting users with unlimited (i.e. me) and forcing them to a tablet plan while ignoring those on metered plans, letting them use their "smartphone" all they want up to their cap, this practice is pretty much illegal discrimination.

I have unlimited because, well, I've had it for a long time. My most usage ever was 2.7 gigs/month. I don't sit around downloading .iso's or torrents using my data connection. My usage with the Note will absolutely no different than any other phone I've owned...which generally bring me in under 2 gigs per month.

That said, I am not willing to relinquish my unlimited plan simply because I don't want to worry every time I use my data connection. If I accidently blow through 5 gigs during a month on a whim, I don't want an enormous bill. After all, I pay for unlimited, not abuse it.

So, if AT&T is using this device's IMEI to kill off unlimited data users, I'm sure the FCC would be interested in learning more about this practice...

Edit: if you want to also email the head of wireless at AT&T, here is his email:

Ralph de la Vega

Ralph.delaVega@att.com

As usual, please state your case in a professional manner. Anything else will be instantly ignored. The place I work gets complaints occasionally and I will say those that are well-written with supported facts get read and passed to the executive staff. *****ing and the like are quickly deleted and forgotten about forever.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Adrian71:
That's what's so infuriating, though. AT&T reps would know about the Streak, because they sold the Streak. And it doesn't really matter how Dell marketed it -- the 5" model was still a smartphone. The Streak 7 was a tablet, because it had no phone. The distinction ought to be clear. The Note's screen is 0.3" larger than the Streak. That's it. They're not all that dissimilar from one another. I sure never got a threatening text from AT&T saying "Hey, we think your Streak is a tablet, so we're shutting you down."

The whole thing comes down to the IMEI -- something that should take their IT department no time at all to address, if they actually cared to. Unfortunately, AT&T seems to be infected with a lot of dickheads (pardon my French) like the idiot lazy manager who said "don't bother; it'll just revert and trigger the text message anyway." That's not how you treat a paying customer -- you work with them to try to establish a resolution.

I feel really fortunate that I've worked with some good and helpful reps so far, and that I haven't gotten the text yet. But I keep thinking it's just a matter of time until the shoe drops.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ericshmerick:
So when you work with a "good rep" what's the outcome? Do they use another IMEI, tell you are okay then you hope all is well until the next text?

Or is there some other note they put on your account, etc, that will force AT&T to stop harassing and accusing you of using a tablet?

---------- Post added at 07:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:53 PM ----------

Just sent this to AT&T via my account:

I recently paid $700 for an unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone.I have read numerous reports that the IMEI is flagged by AT&T as a tablet. This smartphone is NOT a tablet.Will you please note my account that it is in fact a smartphone, not a tablet,so that I do not receive messages demanding that I switch to a tablet plan?I intend to use this smartphone as any other unlocked GSM device under the open GSM standard.I also do not want my plan changed in any way and unlimited data must remain.

I'm ready to battle these people....
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Adrian71:
I really doubt that there's any conspiracy afoot. I think it's just the usual AT&T incompetence. When they see our IMEIs come up, they have no way of knowing that what they're seeing isn't a tablet, if that's what their system is showing them. Remember, at this point, the Note is still an international device. What passed the FCC is most likely a prototype of whatever American version will come out, and it most likely has a completely different IMEI set.

None of this is to defend AT&T. I just think it's typical bureaucracy. If your device isn't what the drones expect it to look like, they'll just shut it off without looking any further into it.

And that's what I meant about helpful customer service reps at the stores. The guys I worked with understood what I was telling them regarding the IMEI challenges with the phone, and they did everything they could think of to do to help out, given their limited abilities to do so at a computer kiosk in a retail store. They offered personal attention and tried to fix the problem (which mainly consisted of (1) dropping in a 4G SIM, because I was getting Edge speed on my Streak's 3G SIM when it was in the Note, (2) grabbing an IMEI from a display model, and (3) double-checking to make sure everything worked before I left the store). It's not their fault. It's the fault of lazy managers who don't give a crap about customers, an IT department that could easily look into the issue, and a corporate HQ that's obviously too greedy to care.

Is there a concerted effort to drive people off unlimited plans? Beats me. I really think it's as simple as the fact that AT&T thinks you're taking your unlimited voice+data SIM and putting it in a tablet, because they're ill-equipped to identify the new IMEI. And it's probably not like there are tons of people buying this phone like we are, unlocked and from overseas. If they wanted to drive people off unlimited plans, they'd surely do it with a phone that's bound to have significant market penetration. If the Streak was any indication, the Note will probably be a niche phone, for better or worse.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] p51d007:
That's what I use now LOL. The problem the streak had was it STARTED out with 1.6, even though 2.x was out, Dell tied it to at&t, and, well, you know at&t doesn't know how to market anything but an iPhone LOL. Had it since Oct '10, still love it, but would like to move on with the Note. The stylus has potential for me, which is what has me holding off on something smaller without the stylus. I already have my service

work orders on a form I can fill out on my Streak, but have no place for them, or no way that I can have them sign it. With the note, I can have them sign it, and immediately email it to be closed, saving me the hassle of having to call it in, then scan it into the system and on and on.

Unless I can be 100% sure that I won't have to hassle with at&t about the Note, I'm going to have to just hang onto my Streak a little while longer....until at&t gets its act together.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ericshmerick:
AT&T, a GSM carrier, can't just do what they want.

Picking and choosing what phones they wish to allow to fully function on their network is a direct violation of GSM standards. If it's an unlocked, legal GSM device, they must allow it to function in it's purposeful state, which the Galaxy Note is designed to do. AT&T can't restrict it to a tablet only mode. In a smartphone mode as it's a smartphone. It's not up to AT&T to pick and chose how the device is allowed to function.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] maxh:
Sounds like someone needs to sue AT&T. Isn't there a website for collecting people to initiate class action law suits? I don't know how this would work with the binding arbitration clause in the standard wireless agreement contract. Perhaps it would need to be people that were rejected for new voice service with their Note, as they wouldn't have a contract.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Killer Ear Infection:
Maybe we've all been thinking about this all wrong. If they will allow a data-only plan for the Note, $45 a month with no contract seems good enough for their version of 4G using Google Voice. In essence for how few minutes I use right now on my calling plan, I'd end up saving a metric ****-ton and without all the extra work of a separate hotspot to worry about... This might be the path forward at least for me!
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] getmouse:
You may have you use skype.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ericshmerick:
Not at all interested in this. As someone else stated, Skype over their crappy network is a nightmare. I've had my number for 14 years...not willing to give that up. Also, if I go to a tablet plan, there goes my unlimited plan. Not an option. I'm grandfathered in legally and do not abuse it. I simply don't want to have a cap, plain and simple. My usage hovers around 1.5gigs to 3 gigs max since I've had unlimited. If I was using 50gb/month, I could understand AT&T foaming at the mouth to boot me. As it stands now, they are making money off of me.

I'm just going to delete the EFS folder (after backing up) and throw a middle finger to this company. Seems they have left me with no other option.
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Funk2641:
Is there a step-by-step method for deleting ones EFS folder? thanks
[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] kdel:
Just got off the phone with at&t. I pretended that my husband had gone into a store to set up my Note and had somehow gotten a plan without voice. The rep said "sorry about that" and got everything switched over to a 2GB data/450 voice/unlimited text (discounted to $10 for my inconvenience ;)) I got transferred to the person who ports numbers over and ported my sprint number over and now I am up and running.

Remember, I am a new customer with a brand new sim card. Last friday, the in-store rep would only set me up with data plan.

The porting/switching rep made a test call to me and had me make an outgoing test call to another number. No red flags were raised...yet.

So....I am "all in" with this phone now. Here's hoping I don't I don't get flagged. I will let you all know if I get "the text" of doooooom.