FreedomPop Franklin 850 Hotspot Woes

[The Real Bev]

Motorola Moto G5 Android 7 single-SIM phone with a cheap prepaid
T-Mobile SIM. When I added the $20 500-MB/month-free-data-for-life
hotspot, the hotspot took over the 'phone' function and, being wifi
only, can't perform it. It provides wifi just fine, but I can't make
voice calls using the T-Mobile 'phone'.

When I try to phone, I get a Freedompop blue screen and the following
message:

"Unable to recognize SIM
Make sure FreedomPop SIM card is inserted properly and in the primary
slot if dual-SIM. Please contact customer support if you continue to
have issues."

There are [OK] and [Manual Login] buttons. Neither one helps. No
difference with the hotspot being on or off.

I also have a phone with a Freedompop SIM, and I think that somehow
SOMETHING is getting them confused.

FP responded to my email in 5 days with instructions for updating the
PRL, which made no difference. When I replied to their email, 3 days
later they sent the same instructions. Awaiting the third response.

I can't find any setting in the G5 that I might change/delete to
eliminate recognition of the hotspot.

If FP doesn't help, I'll phone Motorola next week. Worst case: factory
reset, which is NOT what I want to do under any circumstances.

The little hotspot is perfect for what I want it for -- occasional use
when I'm away from home or any other wifi source, which is rarely. NOT
at the cost of the phone function, though. I can use the google
hangouts dialer with the hotspot, but I'm willing to bet that T-Mobile's
coverage is better than whatever the hotspot uses, and I use the phone
only for 'emergency' calls ("Don't leave, I'm on my way..") rather than
ordinary usage.

The 99-cent FP SIM in the OTHER phone has been really useful (Gas Buddy
usage alone is well worth the price of admission!) , so FP provides an
amazingly good free service -- their CUSTOMER service, OTOH, is abysmal.

--
Cheers, Bev
"So I'm at the wailing wall, standing there like a moron,
with my harpoon." -- Emo Philips

 

[Fox's Mercantile]

On 12/31/17 12:04 PM, The Real Bev wrote:

Worst case:  factory reset, which is NOT what I want to do
under any circumstances.

I had to reset my LG Android twice now.
Once when the camera stopped working, the second time when
Whatsapp dropped dead.

The second time around, I figured out the correct method of
backing up my contacts list so I didn't have to re-enter them
all by hand.


--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

 

[The Real Bev]

On 12/31/2017 01:36 PM, Fox's Mercantile wrote:

On 12/31/17 12:04 PM, The Real Bev wrote:
Worst case: factory reset, which is NOT what I want to do
under any circumstances.

I had to reset my LG Android twice now.
Once when the camera stopped working, the second time when
Whatsapp dropped dead.

The second time around, I figured out the correct method of
backing up my contacts list so I didn't have to re-enter them
all by hand.

Those and the apps are apparently backed up via google so it just takes
time, it's the settings and general personalization that cause trauma,
most especially the 'favorites' for the GPS apps -- Osmand and CoPilot
for instance.

--
Cheers, Bev
"Once you've provoked a few people into publicly swearing they are
going to hunt you down and kill you, the thrill wears off."
-Elric of Imrryr

 

[The Real Bev]

On 12/31/2017 10:04 AM, The Real Bev wrote:

Motorola Moto G5 Android 7 single-SIM phone with a cheap prepaid
T-Mobile SIM. When I added the $20 500-MB/month-free-data-for-life
hotspot, the hotspot took over the 'phone' function and, being wifi
only, can't perform it. It provides wifi just fine, but I can't make
voice calls using the T-Mobile 'phone'.

Something Freedompop-related (I assume, since FP was the only thing that
used it) installed a 'Messaging' app which caused the problem. Deleted
it and everything works now, including the hotspot the way it's supposed to.

Their customer service sucks badly, but their SIM (in a different phone)
and hotspot (works with 3 different devices so far) actually work once
you get organized!

--
Cheers, Bev
"...and then I'll become a veterinarian because I love children."
-- Julie Brown