rss997

exactly why i said that option was bad....verizon is the best and cdma is better than gsm, here at least in the U.S.A.

MJones

Trying another SIM card is just a basic troubleshooting exercise to eliminate the possibility that the problem is not just your SIM card.
If it works with another SIM it is your SIM card thats screwy.
If another card does not work its the unit.

I would try this first, so that when you take it in you can tell them that NO SIM cards work.

When it comes to these new-fangled gadgets I do not have great faith in the Techs, they will be scratching their heads, since they dont have a clue and have not seen too many cars with this option.

Gary R.

Well, I hope what I heard today from two different dealers isn't true. Both had no clue on what hardware upgrade was necessary to get the phone to work, one said there is no built-in phone, both seemed to feel it will never work... talk about a mess!

alin2

Your not kiddin' I HATE bringing cars in for electrical things especially with German cars. It always seems to be an interminable process. The only reason why I haven't tried another SIM card is that everyone I know owns a Verizon CDMA phone! But, I figure my SIM card must be working since it works in multiple other phones. Now, it's possible that the PCM phone will not accept a working CINGULAR SIM card...now that would really suck since Cingular coverage is a heck of a lot better than T-mobile for instance. And, there woudl be no guarentee that a T-mobile card would work.

Anyways, I have an appointment on Friday to have the car "looked at" by my dealer. I'm gonna hate leaving my perfectly working, but cell phone less 911 there...I'll keep everyone posted...

MJones

Try another card....it's the first thing that a tech should do.
Stop by a Cingular store, a T Mobile store, stop strangers on the street, try another card.

You would not want the dealer say to you "you must have a bad SIM card" see it works with this card....

alin2

Okay, I'll try to stop by a T-mobile store and see if an employee will give me a working SIM card to try...what a PIA...

SamG

The phone obviously works as it is able to connect to a 911 operator, so that eliminates the possibility that it is on the wrong GSM band for the U.S. The trouble appears to be non compatibility with US SIM cards, or at least your Cingular SIM card.

The real pitty is Porsche is not offering a Bluetooth interface for the audio/cell system (as well as an ipod interface). Bluetooth allows wireless handsfree intergation between the cars audio system and any Bluetooth compatible phone, regardless of cellular carrier or operating system (GSM, CDMA etc).
Lexus offers this in some of their cars already, I'm sure there are others as well.

pnoble

SamG,

You said it, and many other car manufacturers also offer Bluetooth already and soon most will (except Porsche maybe): Toyota, Acura, Honda, Audi, BMW, MB I think...

Meanwhile I got my $94K 997s in early November and it won't even allow GSM integration and can't be upgraded. Woopee.

Guys, give up on Porshe's idiotic GSM implementation and save $960 and a lot of pain and go get a Razr3 or some other sexy GSM or CDMA phone with a Bluetooth headset.

BTW, when you put a Cingular SIM card in a AT&T phone, 'wrong card' just indicates that the phone is 'locked' to frustrate someone changing carriers and wanting to use their current phone, the cost of which was subsidized by the prior carrier.

Phones can be unlocked by inputting a special code. If you ask nicely your current carrier may provide the code, especially if you tell them you are going abroad and want to use the phone with a local SIM card there. (They realize they are only pissing off good customers forcing them to pay $2-$3 a minute to make a local call while travelling).

Otherwise many independent phone stores will unlock your phone but will charge you as if they are performing some engineering feat. They are just entering the same codes and I believe you can find most codes posted on the web, though I haven't myself looked.

Re frequency incompatibility, I don't believe this is a function of the SIM card at all but entirely of the phone's capabilities, except only that a SIM from a carrier who operates, in a given country, on a frequency incompatible with the phone won't 'work' in so much as the phone won't be able to connect with the carrier's network.

kwsmith6

I just got my 997 with the GSM phone option. I still have two AT&T Wireless SIM cards and they both work. Cingular just went to 64K cards with something called ENS to use both Cingular and AT&T towers. Maybe that is the problem. perhaps if you go back to the Cingular store with your car, they will try an old AT&T SIM for you.

I agree that Porsche should implement Bluetooth, but I do have two Sony Ericsson Bluetooth kits in other cars that do not always keep a Boothtooth signal.

alin2

Hey thanks for the info! There is still hope yet! I'll try to borrow an old AT&T wireless card and try that out...

alin2

Okay...another update in the ongoing GSM phone module saga.

1. I tried an AT&T Wireless SIM card. Lo, and behold, it worked! Logged on the network right away. Nevermind that AT&T and Cingular are the same company now.

2. I tried an older 32K Cingular SIM card. Lo, and behold, it worked! Interestingly, it logged on and displayed "AT&T Wireless," not Cingular.

Therefore, the GSM phone module works. However, it does not seem to work with the new 64K Cingular SIM card as my brand spanking new 64K Cingular SIM card will NOT work. I haven't tried T-mobile, but I have a feeling if they have migrated to 64K cards, that it might not work.

So it appears that the GSM phone module will accept older technology and is unable to read the newer 64K card. BTW, this is not a problem isolated to Porsche. Apparently according to the Cingular salesperson I spoke with, there is a run on 32K cards that Cingular wants to phase out because the 64K card will not work with the new Treo.

Anyways...a brief review of the GSM phone module...
1. The automute of the stereo and the voice quality of the other party is very good.
2. The voice quality transmitted through the microphone (I think in the steering wheel) is very good.
3. The multifunction steering wheel does make the function of the phone much more convenient.
4. The phone is full featured and includes text messaging.
5. Handsfree operation is SOOO convenient...

I'm returning to the Cingular store tomorrow and getting a new 32K SIM card...Hopefully Cingular won't be completely phasing these out...

programmatore

Congrats! I'm glad you finally got it working. I had a feeling it was something as simple as getting the "correct" SIM card. Thanks for the update.

kwsmith6

I think Cingular will continue to carry the 32K sims. The 64K sims are supposed to allow smart switching between the AT&T and Cingular towers to take advantage of the best signal, but from I have read, the phone also has to support the Enhanced Network Selection function. A Razr with the 64K sim and the right Cingular flex has the "ENS" function, but if you read the cell phone boards, not everyone agrees that a Cingular Razr works any better than an unlocked Razr with a different flex. I have an unlocked Razr with an AT&T sim, and most of the time it shows Cingular as the carrier. When I picked up my 997 on Tuesday, I put my AT&T EDGE modem sim into the slot. It worked, but one area where I never get service, the Razr was able to receive and dial on Cellular One. The Porsche phone just showed network search. Maybe I can change some settings to get the Porsche to register on Cellular One.

I agree the phone works very well and sound quality is good. It seems to have great reception even compared to my Razr; however, it would be difficult to share a sim between a Razr and the Porsche since the sim card in the Razr is buried under the battery. I think the new Treo 650 has a sim card tray like the Porsche. That might be the right combination.

I think Porsche could have had a better solution; although, my dealer who also sells Audi, told me that they are having problems with the Audi Bluetooth system. In one of the preliminary order guides they did have a VDA option that so far is not available. VDA is a standard plug system that most German car companies implement. While VDA is hard wired instead of Bluetooth, it would be a good solution since you can connect almost any handsfree phone kit. If I remember right it was only $250.00, but still not available.

Patriot

So what do you recommend then for a Sprint Treo 650/Bluetooth headset user, who has PCM & NAV but not the GSM phone module, but who might be tempted if the price was right & the technology worked. Questions:

1) How much is the phone module and all other necessary parts for the Porsche system, installed?
2) How do you 'share' if at all, the sim card between the phone as a standalone handset and the phone integrated into the PCM/stereo?

YoungTurk
'05 Carrera (Arctic Silver/Black) (12/04 build)
800 miles and perfect

alin2

Perhaps the reason why the 64K SIM won't work is because of ENS, but in testing the SIM cards, I was able to get a 3 year old Cingular phone to use the 64K card.