2 Phones 1 Number (Sounds like a dirty viral video)

[xxxxts]

Heya fellas, I am an AT&T user and the proud owner of an N900 since it was released. I am eligible for an upgrade on my AT&T service plan and the Dell Streak is only $99. I don't plan on trading in my N900 anytime soon, but I have to admit the Dell Streak does have some good qualities about it. I would love to pick it up and use both phones without swapping sim cards back and forth.

Is there a way to have 2 phones ring with the same number? I would imagine it would just take 2 of the same sim cards?

[Creamy Goodness]

yeah ummm i am relatively sure the network operator won't like that idea. as in it's illegal to even try.

[AgogData]

i thought about that too, your only way to get another SIM with the same number is to report missing or stolen SIM but in that case they will deactivate the old and activate the new one..how about then you go to a different branch and activate the old one saying suddenly it stopped working :D...but i'm sure they keep online records of the whole processes

[xxxxts]

yeah ummm i am relatively sure the network operator won't like that idea. as in it's illegal to even try.

Could you please explain?

[retsaw]

It's up to the operator to support this. My sister had this with Orange in the UK, one SIM went in the car and one in her phone, when the car phone was on it took priority and that one rang.

[gerbick]

The only way I can think of doing that is by cloning your SIM... which is very illegal. You can't have two different phones, with two different IMEI''s ringing at the same time - not unless something's changed in AT&T's policy in the last few years.

However, what you could do is swap your SIM as you use the device perhaps.

Isn't the Dell Streak still at Android 1.6?

[nilchak]

How about using Google Voice and have users call the GV number - which is redirected to both the N900 and the Dell Streak numbers (different SIM cards with different numbers).

Its not exactly your use case scenario - cause you wil have 2 diff numbers on the two devices - but one GV number to call both together.

That way both the devices will ring when called on the GV number.

[xxxxts]

How about using Google Voice and have users call the GV number - which is redirected to both the N900 and the Dell Streak numbers (different SIM cards with different numbers).

Its not exactly your use case scenario - cause you wil have 2 diff numbers on the two devices - but one GV number to call both together.

That way both the devices will ring when called on the GV number.

But then I don't get 3G on the Streak.

[IzzehO]

Yeah VoIP with 2 lines is the only option that comes to mind.

[Kangal]

Well the only way to fix your problem would be to root/hack/flash the Streak. Put CyanogenMod (this is a custom ROM). Put the SIM card into the Streak (this is now your primary phone).

Turn on the N900 without a SIM card (and use it basically as an Internet Tablet/MID). When you want 3G on your N900, turn on the tether from the Streak (over Wifi).
With the N900 scan for Wifi signals, find the Streak, Enter the password and Connect.

Now if someone calls you, your Streak will ring.
You can use the 3G data/internet on both phones simultaneously (but it might be a little slower).
Be careful of your battery on both devices (especially the Streak) since tethering tends to consume plenty, but if your Streak runs out of battery before the N900 just swap the SIM card into the N900 and keep on going.

I'm doing the same thing with my laptop and my Galaxy S (although I don't have to pay the carrier fees/flash a custom ROM).

[uusitalo]

i have 4 same numbers with my multisim option with saunalahti operator

[xxxxts]

i have 4 same numbers with my multisim option with saunalahti operator

Well you are very lucky.

I called the AT&T store and told them the car thing and they said they would give me a sim card for my vehicle.

But I am curious - what is the big deal with the sim card cloning? Having 2 sim cards with the same number, why is that illegal???

[Wikiwide]

Well you are very lucky.

I called the AT&T store and told them the car thing and they said they would give me a sim card for my vehicle.

But I am curious - what is the big deal with the sim card cloning? Having 2 sim cards with the same number, why is that illegal???

I don't know.
http://www.mobilityminded.com/5568/carrier-challenge-in-the-usa-offering-two-sim-cards-for-one-phone-number

I suppose it would be illegal to clone SIM cards without operator's permission because then one phone number could be used by ten different people (and would they be able to phone each other by calling the shared number, I wonder?), and it would be chaos.

When you get second SIM card, it's most likely different (with another IMSI?), just using the same phone number. So there is no chaos for cellular towers.

Besides, if SIM cloning would be legal, then the same equipment could be used to modify contents of a SIM card, and it's surely illegal.

[Rauha]

It's technicly possible in all GSM networks. It's called multi-sim. GSM standard has suppported this for years now. (IIRC) the technical maxium is one account shared between 5 SIM's, altough local operators here in Finland offer only sharing between 2-4 devices. You also have to pay couple of euros extra every month.

By the way, it also works with data, not just phone calls.

[thnninen]

By the way, it also works with data, not just phone calls.

That's true, but on the other hand it doesn't work with SMS messages. Well, of course you can send SMS messages from both phones, but only one of them receives them. (At least it has been like these for some years, I'm not totally sure if that's true with all the operators).

I keep running into this when some customers complain they're not receiving SMS:s from our service. It's often the case that the messages just went to the other phone.

[qwazix]

that happens when instead of multisim the carrier uses a hidden number on the second sim and call forwarding when phone off. By the way its a viable solution if you don't care about sms.
________
VAPORIZERS INFO (http://johan-luis.tumblr.com/)

[ysss]

Yeah, I think cloning a SIM card clones its serial number too (IMEI or whatever), so to the operator both device appears as one, whereas with operator sanctioned method (multisim, etc) they will issue 2 different sim cards for you and route your phone numbers to them.

[Wikiwide]

It's technically possible in all GSM networks. It's called multi-sim. GSM standard has supported this for years now. (IIRC) the technical maximum is one account shared between 5 SIM's, although local operators here in Finland offer only sharing between 2-4 devices. You also have to pay couple of euros extra every month.

By the way, it also works with data, not just phone calls.

I have stumbled upon this article:
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Jan2004/6335.htm

But where is it said that multi-sim is part of GSM standard?

I know, it would be great to have several phones with identical SIM cards and history synchronisation.

It's just curious whether these SIM cards are completely identical, slightly different or completely-different-and-using-network-operator's-workaround-to-share-one-phone-number?