If your company’s smartphones and cell phones have CDMA technology, then they each possess a unique electronic serial number (ESN) that serves as an identifier when it comes to accessing phone carrier networks. Buying new mobile phones from a carrier will, fortunately, help you avoid ESN problems altogether. But if you opt to buy used or refurbished models, then you’ll need to be vigilant to ensure that you wireless phones that are actually usable.Read on to learn about what to do when your company phones need a clean ESN check:
An ESN is an identification number embedded into smartphones and cell phones by manufacturers.Whenever a call is initiated, the ESN is sent to a base station. The mobile switching office of the phone carrier then registers the ESN and verifies whether or not it is a valid one.If the carrier detects an invalid ESN, then the mobile phone is flagged and is consequently blocked from the network, which means that such a phone is virtually useless.
A bad ESN refers to a smartphone or cell phone that has been blocked or blacklisted by a carrier and that therefore cannot connect to the network.In the best case scenario, your smartphones will have valid ESNs, which will save you the headache stemming from bad ESNs. If you have problematic ESNs, however, the affected smartphones won't be usable, and you’ll face an uphill battle to clear up the situation so that they can be activated.There are 3 reasons to account for why an ESN can be bad. They include the following:
One of the reasons why businesses can easily get caught up in this sort of problem is that many companies buy used or refurbished wireless phones in a bid to save money. Buying one new smartphone can cost a proverbial arm and leg, but having to buy multiple of them for deployment in the workforce can take a huge bite out of corporate budgets.Your company might find it appealing to get a substantial discount by purchasing used or refurbished mobile phones in bulk. If you’re buying such phones from a non-wireless carrier, you need to check the ESNs by using online databases or by confirming their validity with your wireless carriers prior to making the purchase.
If your company chooses to buy used or refurbished smartphones or cell phones, you can avoid ESN problems by using PhoneCheck's diagnostic software. PhoneCheck’s proprietary mobile diagnostic software is designed to cover over 60 potential defects, and it removes the possibility of human error.PhoneCheck is compatible with iOS and Android operating systems, can be used to process up to 30 devices at a single time, has a cloud management console with analytics and tester productivity, and includes a database with the ability to export to Excel and CSV.Most importantly, your business can ensure that your used or refurbished phones have valid ESNs and can connect to your carrier’s network without issues.Believe it or not, it’s possible to save money with used or refurbished phones without the risk of picking up wireless devices with bad ESNs. With PhoneCheck’s diagnostic software, your company can rest assured that your wireless phones can be deployed and used as intended!
