LEGALLY duplicating a SIM Card

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Rick - 01 Nov 2006 00:32 GMT

Hi all

I need to clone / duplicate my SIM card. Nothing dodgy - I have
bought a car with a phone in it and I would like a duplicate so I
don't have to swap it from the phone every time it want to use the car
phone - you get the picture.

I've scoured the net for ideas but have not found anything very
helpful. I bought the SIM MASter device but the software only allows
backup of contacts / SMSs etc., not a complete duplication.

NB - I initally contacted my operator to request a duplicate - they
were about as unhelpful as possible!

Any ideas very gratefully received, either on here or by email.
Address below minus the obvious!

Thanks!

rparker@uk2.net-FUCKOFFSPAMMERSANDDIE

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Colin Wilson - 01 Nov 2006 01:07 GMT

> NB - I initally contacted my operator to request a duplicate - they
> were about as unhelpful as possible!

Try them again - its a fairly standard request afaik, just that some of
them might not be as clued up as others.

Reply to this Message

Ivor Jones - 01 Nov 2006 01:31 GMT

> > NB - I initally contacted my operator to request a
> > duplicate - they were about as unhelpful as possible!
>
> Try them again - its a fairly standard request afaik,
> just that some of them might not be as clued up as others.

Only Orange and Vodafone currently offer such a service and it comes at a
price. It isn't a matter of just duplicating a SIM.

Ivor

Reply to this Message

Jon - 01 Nov 2006 08:31 GMT

void@btinternet.com declared for all the world to hear...

> > NB - I initally contacted my operator to request a duplicate - they
> > were about as unhelpful as possible!
>
> Try them again - its a fairly standard request afaik, just that some of
> them might not be as clued up as others.

It's not a standard request at all.

Signature

Regards
Jon

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hairydog@despammed.com - 01 Nov 2006 10:09 GMT

>> NB - I initally contacted my operator to request a duplicate - they
>> were about as unhelpful as possible!
>
>Try them again - its a fairly standard request afaik, just that some of
>them might not be as clued up as others.

Wrong answer. It may be a standard request, but what is being asked
for is almost impossible and has huge technical problems, so no
network will do it.

What the OP actually wants is two phones on the same phone number.
That's possible, but not by cloning the sim card. Orange and Vodafone
each offer a service that does this, but both have snags.

My car simply has a different phone number. Much easier.

Signature

Iain
the out-of-date hairydog guide to mobile phones
http://www.hairydog.co.uk/cell1.html
Browse now while stocks last!

Reply to this Message

Jon - 01 Nov 2006 08:30 GMT

rparker@uk2.netFUCKOFFSPAMMERSANDDIE declared for all the world to
hear...

> I need to clone / duplicate my SIM card. Nothing dodgy - I have
> bought a car with a phone in it and I would like a duplicate so I
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> I've scoured the net for ideas but have not found anything very
> helpful.

It's only theoretically possible with very old SIM cards, and even then
the original SIM is usually destroyed in the process.

> NB - I initally contacted my operator to request a duplicate - they
> were about as unhelpful as possible!

Who is your provider? Vodafone offer multiSIM for £7 per month extra on
your subscription and this also leaves you without GPRS. Orange offer
"Single Number" if you are a corporate customer. If you're not either of
those then you should give up now!

Signature

Regards
Jon

Reply to this Message

Rick - 01 Nov 2006 11:07 GMT

To clarify in case it wasn't clear, I am aware that I could not have
both phones on at once, and indeed wouldn't want to. I can't see why
that should be difficult.

If someone could explain to my *why* what I want isn't technically
possible, I'd be really interested to know.

Thanks for your responses so far!

>Hi all
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
>rparker@uk2.net-FUCKOFFSPAMMERSANDDIE

Reply to this Message

Gerry (The MOTH) - 01 Nov 2006 11:55 GMT

I've got a sim cloner in the garage somewhere, you could load up to 5 sim
cards onto one sim card, but would only work with old sim cards and since
upgrading to 3G sim cards can't get it to work. Got it off ebay.

Signature

Gerry (The MOTH)

> To clarify in case it wasn't clear, I am aware that I could not have
> both phones on at once, and indeed wouldn't want to. I can't see why
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>>
>>rparker@uk2.net-FUCKOFFSPAMMERSANDDIE

Reply to this Message

Jon - 01 Nov 2006 20:10 GMT

rparker@uk2.netFUCKOFFSPAMMERSANDDIE declared for all the world to
hear...

> To clarify in case it wasn't clear, I am aware that I could not have
> both phones on at once, and indeed wouldn't want to. I can't see why
> that should be difficult.
>
> If someone could explain to my *why* what I want isn't technically
> possible, I'd be really interested to know.

If you did somehow manage it then it would be *possible* for you to have
both devices on at once and A GSM network does not know how to cope with
that.

The services that give you one number for 2 SIMs work with clever use of
diverts which are transparent to the user. EG with Vodafone multiSIM you
actually have 2 dummy numbers assigned to each SIM and one "real" number
whose sole purpose is to divert all incoming stuff to one of the dummy
numbers (whichever is nominated as the active receiver. In technical
terms there's more to it than that but that should suffice for a laymans
explanation.

Signature

Regards
Jon

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Ivor Jones - 01 Nov 2006 20:24 GMT

> rparker@uk2.netFUCKOFFSPAMMERSANDDIE declared for all the
> world to hear...
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> for you to have both devices on at once and A GSM network
> does not know how to cope with that.

Then the network should be reprogrammed so that it *isn't* possible. If a
second SIM with the same details tries to connect while one is still
active, it should be possible to reject it as an invalid attempt. Only if
the network does not have that customer's account currently registered
should it be possible to connect.

I don't see why that isn't possible without a lot less hassle than it is
now.

Ivor

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deadmail@burnt.org.uk - 01 Nov 2006 21:27 GMT

"Ivor Jones" <ivor@despammed.invalid> wrote in message
<4qsajuFnpsk2U1@individual.net>:

>Then the network should be reprogrammed so that it *isn't* possible. If a
>second SIM with the same details tries to connect while one is still
>active, it should be possible to reject it as an invalid attempt. Only if
>the network does not have that customer's account currently registered
>should it be possible to connect.

Why do you assume the second one is the 'illigitimate' one?

Reply to this Message

Ivor Jones - 01 Nov 2006 21:32 GMT

> "Ivor Jones" <ivor@despammed.invalid> wrote in message
> <4qsajuFnpsk2U1@individual.net>:
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> Why do you assume the second one is the 'illigitimate'
> one?

I don't assume either is illegitimate as you put it. What I am trying to
say is this - if a customer is currently logged in, with *any* SIM, then a
second SIM should not be allowed to connect until the first one has
disconnected. This will prevent the problem of the same details being
logged more than once simultaneously.

Ivor

Reply to this Message

I'm interested as well. Would only (obviously) have one phone on at one
time. Would like to keep a phone for the car that connects with SatNav
whereas normal phone I use can't connect to the SatNav.
It just gets tiring/boring/whatever having to keep switching the sim
(O2) cards. Just want it for ease of use.
Hope someone has a workable idea.

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