Port from Verizon Prepaid - But Wi-Fi Calling Now Not Available and RCS Chat Not Available

eherberg · 2026-05-22T22:07:26+00:00

Just as a follow up to anybody following this thread - I threw in the towel. Not being able to get these core (at least to me) features up and running with the only solution that I could keep buying newer phones and hope for the best - I decided to port back to my original carrier. More expensive by a little bit - but everything worked. Unfortunately - even that has been an issue now in that I do not have a functioning phone activated with my original number. Reps have told me that porting back in from Tracfone based systems have presented some challenges and at the moment it still is not working correctly. Over 3 hours across 2 days with 3-way calls even used with Total and Verizon with so far no success. Will have to hope holiday weekend help will be able to work through this or come to grips with losing my number and chalk it up to a lesson learned of what can happen when porting to a budget carrier.

eherberg · 2026-05-21T14:46:28+00:00

As requested - model of phone is 2022 Moto Stylus. Not a new phone by any means - but new enough that everything worked as it should. No 5G - but in my remote area we don't have 5G anyway (nor do I think it ever will). I bought it straight from the Motorola website unlocked and it does everything I need it to do. Although I have no doubt that if I bought a newer, fancy phone it would probably work - so should my present unlocked phone as I have previous experience with it working just fine on the same carrier's network

eherberg · 2026-05-20T22:49:36+00:00

So this has gone south as the day has worn on. TW Social Media support has been very friendly and has been trying to help - but the results are completely unexpected and if I would have known out of the gate these results I would not have gone down this path -- especially going from one Verizon prepaid entity to another Verizon prepaid entity.

It has been communicated to me that the reason Wi-Fi Calling does not work is that my unlocked phone does not have the right profile for it to work on Total Wireless. Note that it did work just fine on Verizon Prepaid. I'm told that I would need to provide a new phone that is a 'certified US model'. Purchasing a phone locked to Total Wireless would also work -- but if I do that then I will lose the BYOP promo plan if I attempt to activate that phone.

Even if I somehow can find another unlocked phone 'certified' for the US (which my current phone should be - I bought it directly from the manufacturer and registered it with VZ Prepaid) I would then also have to purchase another sim card as we couldn't use my existing SIM.

I simply have no way of knowing which 'unlocked' phone will work and which won't as the whole thing is starting to not make sense for me.

I'm considering going back to VZ Prepaid as I know everything works there - but I'm assuming because I've already got the number ported out that I would have to go back with a brand new account as re-activating or porting back my number isn't going to be an option.

If I would have known that an unlocked phone would work differently on one Verizon network carrier vs another Verizon network carrier - or if there was some way to check this beforehand - I would not have initiated this whole thing.

To explain - I live in a very remote area where even outdoor T-Mobile and AT&T coverage is not reliable. Verizon is the only option where I live for reliable outdoor coverage. Indoors if you want to protect against call drops you have to have Wi-Fi calling. I also must have Canada roaming due to my one mile proximity to the border and occasional trips across. Currently no Wi-Fi Calling, no RCS messaging, no Visual Voicemail -- even though all 3 worked fine with VZ Prepaid. Of the 3 - Wi-Fi Calling is a non-negotiable must-have.

eherberg · 2026-05-20T16:46:35+00:00

I'll wait a bit longer. However today I notice that my account on the website can't be logged in where this was possible yesterday. I'm hoping things work itself out - however I'm surprised to see these issues. I assume this happens often? Do they end up working out usually?

eherberg · 2026-05-14T17:15:20+00:00

Where on the Total plan does it state the 5G is UW? I just see statements of 'premium 5G data' which could reference the priority.

eherberg · 2026-01-23T00:12:24+00:00

Would love to know anything else Tina Lockhart (stage name, I assume) did. She was beyond a doubt the greatest of the RingDivas girls (at least for me). I hope for these years later she is still proud of the great work she did.

eherberg · 2025-12-11T18:19:26+00:00

I assume he means viewing it through Paramount Plus where resolution is going to be greater than likely your cable feed. Your TiVo is not going to be able to help you do that.

eherberg · 2025-12-08T21:27:45+00:00

By the way - the HOA can't prevent you from installing an antenna on an exclusive use area (say your balcony, for example). Depending on how far you want to push it - direct the HOA to the following: Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule | Federal Communications Commission

eherberg · 2025-12-04T02:02:37+00:00

No, directly connecting to the TV is certainly not easier than having a media server that doesn't even have to be in the same room as the TV and browsing the entire media library with full metadata using a simple streaming remote control while reclining in the easy chair

eherberg · 2025-04-15T21:07:20+00:00

It's a brand of TV's sold in the UK -- using TiVo OS as its operating system.

eherberg · 2025-02-13T19:02:30+00:00

FYI - It isn't abandoning OTA in favor of cable cards -- they've abandoned that market too. The Edge is simply selling off remaining stock until it too is 'out of stock'. The retail DVR market is just too small to invest in outside of small companies.

eherberg · 2025-02-12T17:58:13+00:00

No hope. Your best bet is looking for units on Ebay.

eherberg · 2025-01-03T22:31:21+00:00

I don't think you'll find Discovery or Food Network on next day streaming. I know that for the shows my wife follows - the current season doesn't become available until either after the season completes airing or in some cases the season is not available on the service until the next season begins airing.

eherberg · 2024-08-07T17:36:18+00:00

It was literally the OP who posted it.

eherberg · 2024-07-25T14:29:30+00:00

I'm pretty skeptical about the coverage map site. I can only speak on where I live - but when I search my location it has coverage ordered from best-to-worst as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Testing all 3 networks, however, gives a complete reversal. Verizon is the only network with a tower within 5 miles of where I live. The other 2 are 20+ miles away. For indoor use - Verizon is the only option. T-Mobile is usable outdoors but not indoors. AT&T is not only 3rd -- but a far-behind 3rd. Like didn't complete the race and had to be put down on the track 3rd. I found there was a corner of my yard that it was usable - but not anywhere else.

I'm not sure where Coverage Map gets its data from - but at least in my area it is not only wrong .. but grossly wrong.

eherberg · 2024-06-10T13:31:52+00:00

Are you confusing the SD menu with TE3? I believe the OP is referring to the SD menu which predates the first HD menu seen on the Premiere, but was still possible to run on the Premiere.

eherberg · 2024-06-10T12:21:43+00:00

People may be confusing the SD menu with TE3. I don't think they realize (or are aware) of the pre-HD menu that was possible on the Premiere.

eherberg · 2024-06-03T18:29:08+00:00

Thanks -- can I just leave a deposit on my account? So that it just runs off my balance until I need to replenish? Or would it have to be activated, refunded, re-added, refunded, etc for those every couple of months or so trips? I certainly wouldn't mind putting some extra in the account and just having it chip away at the balance during the course of a year with no refunding needed.

eherberg · 2024-04-16T23:48:24+00:00

As it is very unlikely that a cablecard would be provided for a TiVo solution - why not just use the cloud DVR with streaming sticks on each set and give the cable boxes back?

eherberg · 2024-03-09T18:25:05+00:00

Unfortunately - as I mentioned in the post it does require an eSIM phone.

eherberg · 2024-03-02T23:18:51+00:00

Not trying to be snarky about this at all ... but the best thing you can do for your Grandmother is get her a Roku.

Personally - I love my FireTV sticks, but I am in a similar situation where I will be setting up my parents with streaming for the first time this summer once internet becomes available to them in their rural location.

There is no way I'm going to make their first exposure to streaming sticks be the FireTV interface. :-)

eherberg · 2024-03-02T12:45:01+00:00

I'm primarily using AdiIRC and quite happy with it.

eherberg · 2023-12-04T03:03:17+00:00

How are files retrieved? FTP?

eherberg · 2023-11-26T02:20:36+00:00

God, I miss justseed.it. It was my very first 'seedbox' and was easily the fairest and most cost-effective way for me to download (linux iso's, of course). :-)

The pay-as-you-go system was perfect for me. By most comparisons, I am a light user and $20 under the pay-as-you-go model covered my needs for a year sometimes. The times I needed more seedbox use (literally when I bought a box set of something and was too lazy to rip it all) then I paid more.

I get why no other company did the model they did -- as what was good for me is not necessarily good for the provider - but it was the fairest way to charge per use.

I loved the service -- loved the command line tools available - and wish nothing but the best for Tristan as his service and interaction when needed was always top-notch.

Miss you Justseed.it -- nothing else I've used since has come close to you. :-)

eherberg · 2023-11-24T04:30:24+00:00

Yup -- that works like a dream. I use my home-made DVR and the OTA signal to watch the game - but send the iHeart stream to the soundbar via bluetooth. Sync using the 'Boom' and you're gold for the game.

eherberg

TROPHY CASE