How to Find lost cell phone with IMEI number

Published by Amit Bhawani on November 1, 2009 – 6:17 pm38 Comments

What’s IMEI?
The International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI is a unique number given to almost every CDMA or GSM handsets.Nowadays even satellite phones are also equipped with their own IMEI number.This IMEI no. can be used by the network provider to impose a sort of “ban” on the stolen cell phone,i.e, debarring it from accessing any network.If once such a ban is imposed on any device then u cannot use any network whether u change the SIM card or not.Thus the IMEI is used only to identify the cell phone and practically has no connection with the subscriber

Lost Mobile Phone

Lost Mobile Phone

Block a stolen cell using IMEI
When a cell phone is stolen and the user wants to ban it from using any network,he must have access to the IMEI no of the device.If he does not have it, well nothing can be done.The owner must report their local operator with the IMEI no,to block the device.The network provider has a shared database known as EIR(Equipment Identity Register).The network provider then puts ur IMEI serial no. in that database.Doing this the communicate this IMEI no. to Central Equipment Identity Register(CEIR).CEIR also known as IMEI database is the central database system for various network providers.if an IMEI no. is blacklisted in CEIR the cell will not respond to any service provider network.The IMEI is not easily changeable thus making the device useless for the thief…

Short comings of the procedure
* Its not completely a fool-proof system IEMI no. can be changed using special tools.This makes the system useless.
* Even if u receive ur cell ,it is very difficult to reactivate it.Till now it is possible only in UK, but still the owner is given a special password when he/she blocked the device.

Extracting IMEI information from ur cellphone
There are few simple steps of extracting IMEI no. from ur handset itself.For many cell phone just by pressing *#06# will give u the mobile serial no. or the IMEI no.For a GSM device the IMEI no. can be obtained by sending command AT+CGSN.

For older sony or sony Ericson handsets just by pressing : Right*left left*left*.For Motorola users by pressing #,* may give information about IMEI no.

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