Galaxy tab 10.1 sim card problem?

[Julian]

Hi,

I'm not exactly a tablet user (I fucking hate them) and I don't know much about sim cards, so I'm asking here.

About a year ago my mom bought a galaxy tab 10.1 to take to Brasil with her. I have no fucking clue where/from who she bought it from, but apparently she bought it from somewhere in Africa. (Or so she keeps telling me)

No idea how she got it set up, but the 3g internet supposedly worked, and had been working for the entire year, but now it's asking for a "SIM network unlock PIN". Again, I have no idea how this shit works.

I know this may be really broad and require more in depth information, so just let me know what kind of information I may need to ask for.

Thanks

[Niya]

Um... Have you tried to just enter the PIN that belongs to the SIM card? Sounds to me like the typical "enter PIN" prompt you also get on mobile phones when you turn them on or disable airplane mode.

[Julian]

Never messed with sim cards, where do I get the pin #? Is it on the sim card itself?

[Niya]

When you get the SIM card from your provider you normally get it in an envelope that contains the SIM and a letter with PIN and PUK. So search for that letter or ask your mom about it.
In case you can't find it/lost it, some providers know the PIN (or at least the PUK). The latter is needed when you enter the PIN wrong too many times so you can unlock the SIM again.

In worst case (lost letter and provider doesn't know PIN/PUK) your provider will have to send you a new SIM card, there is no way to change or disable the PIN unless you know the current one.

[Julian]

When you get the SIM card from your provider you normally get it in an envelope that contains the SIM and a letter with PIN and PUK. So search for that letter or ask your mom about it.
In case you can't find it/lost it, some providers know the PIN (or at least the PUK). The latter is needed when you enter the PIN wrong too many times so you can unlock the SIM again.

In worst case (lost letter and provider doesn't know PIN/PUK) your provider will have to send you a new SIM card, there is no way to change or disable the PIN unless you know the current one.

Just asked, if there was a letter/documentation or anything that came with it, they no longer have it, but they claim there wasn't any.

She bought the tablet here in the US, but since she used the tablet in brasil, I'm assuming she bought the sim card there? Because the provider has to be a Brasilian company, unless I'm understanding this wrong?

[Niya]

Probably yes, since using an US SIM in brasil would probably create horrendous roaming fees.

[Mugekuge]

Your problems isn't the simcard, the phone/tablet is locked, it happens sometimes bands aren't totally unlocked and it let the device to work fine for a while (or something like that, not totally sure why devices get locked again), you can probably unlock it online via some website that unlock cellphones, i think all you need is the IMEI, that's like 15-20$ or you can tell your mom to go to any local particular cellphone dealer (not the ones from the phone company).

As extra info yea Puk number comes written on a card (size of credit card) where your simcard came attached, if your mom doesn't have it, she can go to her cellphone operator and ask them for that number.

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps3c9543e7.jpg