It might also be a good idea to check the ribbon connector of the modem and make sure it’s connected and not damaged, especially as you bought the phone from a private party.
And then, assuming you have the SIM card oriented correctly (and the right way up), and the HKS is not activated, you might check in the software settings to make sure mobile is activated, and that your carrier’s name appears next to the “Network” entry. If not, tap it and reset it.
Also make sure you have the U.S. modem (BM818-A1) and not some other region.
thanks for the help, but I might have another issue. My US T-mobile SIM card appeared to be in the tray just fine but was not read by the Librem 5 at all after being my SIM card for many years. I put it in my previous phone, a Pixel 3A with Graphene OS and a Blackberry Passport with Blackberry 10, the SIM card is now not being read by either device? Did the Librem 5 somehow break my SIM card? Is that even possible? TMobile have a security feature on it? I mean I would doubt a TMobile security feature as I am running it on phones that don’t use iOS or Android.
not the first time, but since I have tried restarts, I am looking through the settings, but what is worrying me is the SIM is no longer being read by two other phones I alternate time with.
Someone else reported a similar thing here recently, but I don’t find that thread on first search. It seems unlikely that carefully inserting a SIM could actually kill it. And I don’t think T-mobile has started disabling old SIM cards all of a sudden, although they might like to. They do require VoLTE-capable phones (and probably new SIMs) now, but to my knowledge they haven’t started actually disabling connections over it.
its strange, it is the same SIM card I have had for years, was mostly using it on a Pixel 3A with Graphene OS, so it they were going to get finnicky with “unauthorized operating systems” or something like that, one would think the SIM would have acted up already. It now appears the SIM is not functional at all. This happened after putting it into the Librem 5 and its not working on any of my phones now.
In that case, I would put the SIM back in the Pixel* and contact T-mobile to see about a network reset, or see if they need to send you a replacement SIM (or let you pick one up locally to then port your number to the new SIM).
*So that they don’t start some BS with you about non-VoLTE phones on their network.
Edit: Also, do you have a different SIM you can try in the L5 to see if it’s read?
Advice on whether it is OK to leave powered on or should be powered off while inserting a SIM seems to be inconsistent. (I am talking generically across all mobile phones.)
That would be my advice too. (The Librem 5 is much faster to boot than the iPhone, so there is less reason to be slack about it and not shut down before inserting or removing either of the relevant cards.)
I have never had this issue swapping a SIM card in phones while they are on, as most modern phones as we know are really never off unless the battery is completely drained. I am thinking the Librem 5 may have fried my SIM card?
the modem, I bought this on ebay, how do you check in the phone, can’t find it in the settings? Do I have to find it through some bash terminal command? Also do foreign modems matter that much these days? Don’t phones go international all the time these and only the data plan changes?
There probably is a command to list it, but I don’t know what it is. @irvinewade can help, I’ll bet.
I would take off the back of the phone, carefully unscrew the protective plate over the modem (top right when viewing the back) and look at the connectors, because if they’re not connected, then the terminal command won’t find anything.
About foreign/domestic modems, most modern phones have at least some international interoperability. Unfortunately for the L5, Purism had to go with suitable modems for their hardware and philosophical requirements, so there are different modems for different regions of the world when it comes to the L5. (Fortunately you can swap modems in the L5 as needed, within reason, due to its modular design…but it’s not advisable to do it very often.)
that could be another issue, I believe it shipped from Europe causing another problem. I do have an order in the States for a phone direct from Purism, but now I may have to order an American modem too to see if I can swap it out. But the fried SIM card is yet another issue even with the correct modem.
I highly doubt whomever I speak to has heard of Linux based phones with kill switches lol I remember a year ago I was rocking an Ubuntu Touch Nexus 5 and I got a call from TMobile asking if I would like to upgrade to a more modern phone than a Nexus 5, I told them no way as I was running Linux on it. He never heard of Ubuntu Touch or swapping OS’s lol Can’t imagine trying to explain the experimental new Linux phones like Librem 5 or Pinephone lol
Thats exactly what I am going to do, just laughing if I actually tried to explain to them I am tinkering with a Librem 5 I bought off Ebay how that conversation would go. lol
You should also be able to see the IMEI in the Mobile settings. I don’t have a SIM card in right now, so I can’t see the setting to tell you exactly where it is.
This: