"No longer supporting your phone"

[carlbarry]

I've been on H2O's $10 for 3 month plan with auto-renew for almost 3 years. I have an LG V35 GSM 4G Android 10 phone.
Thursday, my phone said "invalid card" and wouldn't let me make calls. I called H2O and the representative "sent a reset signal," I turned off and on, and the phone worked---for a few hours.
Next morning I turned on the phone, and got the same "invalid card" message. I called H2O. Representative told me to remove and re-inset the SIM card. Worked!--for a few minutes.
I called again, got same advice.
On my next call I got a representative who took my IMEI, and told me H2O is no longer supporting my phone. She also told me to take the SIM to "the store and put it in a phone, and it will work." What store? "One near where you live"!
So my question to the experts here: Has H2O really "stopped supporting" my phone, or have I just been jerked around?
Thanks.

[Yeswap]

Your phone might not be on AT&T's whitelist, https://www.att.com/idpassets/images...TT-Network.pdf

The whitelisted V35 models are:
V35 (LM-V350ULM)
• V35 ThinQ (LM-V350AWM**)
**AT&T version or Authorized open market version only.

AT&T has been known to disable non-whitelisted phones on their network, including on AT&T MVNOs, although I haven't heard of that happening recently.

On the other hand the H2O reps may be claiming the phone is unsupported because the lack the tools or training needed to fix provisioning issues.

You could try using Cricket's IMEI checker (AT&T doesn't have one anymore) at https://www.cricketwireless.com/prep...ing-your-phone to see if Cricket allows the phone. If they do it is certainly AT&T compatible.

[carlbarry]

Your phone might not be on AT&T's whitelist, https://www.att.com/idpassets/images...TT-Network.pdf

The whitelisted V35 models are:
V35 (LM-V350ULM)
• V35 ThinQ (LM-V350AWM**)
**AT&T version or Authorized open market version only.

AT&T has been known to disable non-whitelisted phones on their network, including on AT&T MVNOs, although I haven't heard of that happening recently.

On the other hand the H2O reps may be claiming the phone is unsupported because the lack the tools or training needed to fix provisioning issues.

You could try using Cricket's IMEI checker (AT&T doesn't have one anymore) at https://www.cricketwireless.com/prep...ing-your-phone to see if Cricket allows the phone. If they do it is certainly AT&T compatible.

Thank you!
" . . . lack of tools or training needed . . ." One representative hung up on me! That is why I am double checking, as I have no confidence in what I was told or the competency of the person who told me.
I have an LG V35 ThinQ. I put in the IMEI on Cricket (H2O doesn't seem to have one) and sure enough, it says my LM-V350AWM is compatible.

[Serial Port]

When customer service tells you that your phone is no longer supported, press them to tell you why. They should be able to offer an explanation.

[carlbarry]

When customer service tells you that your phone is no longer supported, press them to tell you why. They should be able to offer an explanation.

She would only tell me that she checked the IMEI and that H2O no longer supports the LM-V350AWM. I did press her on that, but then she went on to tell me to go to "the store," etc.; in other words, nonsense. That is why I wondered if she knew what she was talking about.
In any event, I posted on H2O's Facebook page, and also submitted a question on their website, in the hope that someone knowledgeable would reply.

[PaulCrawhorne]

Likely has to do with the wired/server side of the infrastructure ATT is using to provide service to certain MVNOs.

Boost's new "ElevateWEB/DOB" aka "Transformed Network" aka BTN's ATT-based service also only supports a newer subset of handset models that otherwise work fine with ATT, direct and TF.

Moto G Powers, 2022 are fine, earlier ones like 2020, not

LG V30 no problem

[carlbarry]

OK, I need some help here.
H2O sent me a list of settings to do on the phone.
However, they require accessing the APN. Well, on my phone the "Mobile networks" setting is greyed out and it won't let me access it! Is there something I am doing wrong?
What I really don't understand is, wouldn't I have had to change it to H2O when I first signed on to H2O? Their instructions they sent now include changing the carrier to H2O. So I would have had to have access when I signed on to H2O.

[Yeswap]

OK, I need some help here.
H2O sent me a list of settings to do on the phone.
However, they require accessing the APN. Well, on my phone the "Mobile networks" setting is greyed out and it won't let me access it! Is there something I am doing wrong?
What I really don't understand is, wouldn't I have had to change it to H2O when I first signed on to H2O? Their instructions they sent now include changing the carrier to H2O. So I would have had to have access when I signed on to H2O.

Is there a SIM in the phone? Is airplane mode off? It's normal for Mobile networks to be greyed out if there's no SIM or airplane mode is on.

[WheelieBoot]

You can see the settings on the grayed out APN if not edit those.

Is there an option to create a new APN and enter the correct settings on that version, then choose the new APN instead of the old one?

I'm looking at my TracFone APNs and see no option to edit or create a new one but I did have phones that sometimes allowed creating new APNs.

Maybe someone here in the forum knows how to do that.

Sent from my moto g power (XT2041DL) using HoFo mobile app

[carlbarry]

Is there a SIM in the phone? Is airplane mode off? It's normal for Mobile networks to be greyed out if there's no SIM or airplane mode is on.

SIM is in the phone, and phone says "invalid card." Airplane mode is off.
On my Motorola e6 that I use for TextNow I can see "APN" and click on it, and it opens with all the information; it gives choice between T Mobile or TextNow. But on my LG V35, it is greyed out and touching it does nothing.

[carlbarry]

You can see the settings on the grayed out APN if not edit those.

Is there an option to create a new APN and enter the correct settings on that version, then choose the new APN instead of the old one?

I'm looking at my TracFone APNs and see no option to edit or create a new one but I did have phones that sometimes allowed creating new APNs.

Maybe someone here in the forum knows how to do that.

Sent from my moto g power (XT2041DL) using HoFo mobile app

The "Mobile Networks" label is gray, or lighter than the other letters. I can see no options, and touching it does nothing; in other words, it does not open. On my Motorola used for TextNow, when I touch "Mobile Networks," APN is available, and touching it, opens, and can be adjusted.

[Yeswap]

SIM is in the phone, and phone says "invalid card." Airplane mode is off.
On my Motorola e6 that I use for TextNow I can see "APN" and click on it, and it opens with all the information; it gives choice between T Mobile or TextNow. But on my LG V35, it is greyed out and touching it does nothing.

"Invalid card" suggests the SIM might have failed. Rare but it happens. Can you test the SIM in another unlocked or AT&T phone? If you get invalid card there you need a new SIM

[carlbarry]

"Invalid card" suggests the SIM might have failed. Rare but it happens. Can you test the SIM in another unlocked or AT&T phone? If you get invalid card there you need a new SIM

Funny you should write this, as just this minute I tried an experiment. (I don't have another AT&T phone to try the SIM.)
I took an old SIM card, a Sprint that I got with TextNow, and put it in the phone. Instead of the phone saying "invalid card" like with the H2O SIM, it said, "emergency service only."
I then went to Settings>Network and Internet. And guess what! "Mobile networks" can now open, and I can access "Access Point Names"!
I don't know much, but now I really suspect the problem is with the H2O SIM.
By the way, the 2 APNs available are cinet and internet.
Can I configure the APN like H2O wants me to do (add H2O as an APN, and reconfigure the numbers) and then swap back in the H2O card?
UPDATE: On Facebook, I reported above. They are sending me a new SIM card.

[Engulfed]

I went through all of the above with an LG v40. New sim, set APN to two different settings. One was h20, one was some generic setting like "reseller". Neither worked.
I used LTE discovery app to see if it has any useful info and it listed the LTE bands as "disabled". No 2g. So I think this is an issue related to 2g needed to initially kick up to LTE.

I'd be interested to know how an LG v50 works over 5g. I'd wager it works (though may require 2g be disabled).

[dfriz]

I went through this last year. Solved the problem by going to Kroger and getting an Alcatel Volta "GoPhone" for $29.95. It worked about as good as my Samsung phone I was using.

Even if your phone is unlocked, if it doesn't have the "A" in the model # signifying that it was an originally AT&T phone it's probably not on the whitelist.

Unless there is a class action lawsuit or FCC ruling it it's difficult to beat AT&T's whitelist.