[VR6]

I'm not sure if I found a loophole but I'm using BBM and PIN messaging on my Storm2 over WiFi for free. I didn't find anything on a search for "free BBM" so I'm posting.

Here's what you need:
1) Unlocked Storm2 9550 with BBM installed
2) A working Blackberry with an active sim card with Blackberry data, pin and BBM
3) Active Wi-Fi connection

Here's how I did it.
1) take the active sim card out of your BB (do not deactivate, wipe or remove any services)
2) put active sim card into the Storm and start it up (do not add any email accounts or enterprise activate it)
3) connect to BBM and message someone ensure that it's working
4) turn off network signal and turn on wi-fi and connect to a hotspot and ensure that you can surf and still BBM and PIN
5) remove your sim card from the Storm2 and replace it back into your original BB
6) boot them both up and ensure that your original BB is still working like normal
7) now your Storm2 has a unique PIN, working BBM and PIN messaging through WI-FI

Let me know if this works for anyone else. If there are any BB experts out there I'd love to know 'why' this would work.

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted

I expect it will work until you do a battery pull or restart the device and cause the service books to be deleted, or some other reason service books are caused to be removed.

[djice]

As far as I am concerned if you have a data plan you're already paying for the service. BB messenger and Pin services are part of unlimited data plan, depending on the provider you are using. correct me "anyone" if I am wrong.

[aiharkness]

Originally Posted by djice

As far as I am concerned if you have a data plan you're already paying for the service. BB messenger and Pin services are part of unlimited data plan, depending on the provider you are using. correct me "anyone" if I am wrong.

The OP is simply stating any SIM with a blackberry data plan active on the account. It doesn't have to be the OP's SIM. It could be your SIM. I take the OP's word that things worked the way he/she described, but I can't confirm or contradict that things will in fact work that way.

Swapping your SIM from one device you are using to another device you are using is one thing. But that's not what the OP is talking about.

[akosnitzky]

As with Ira, I sort of took it that the OP did not have a data plan and thought he had unexpected access to certain services. I am happy for the OP but suspect his deal will be short-lived

[VR6]

This is technique can be done using anyone's active BB sim card. You're only using the sim card initially to set up the BBM service books and enabling the Storm2 to send and receive PIN messages. Once you remove the sim card it's running on WIFI meaning no additional charges (or association) to that sim card.

This means that if I have 1 active BB sim card and three Storm2 BBs I can have 4 (1 real one, 3 spoofed ones) and all be chatting using unique PINs without incurring any extra cost. The only stipulation is that the 3 'fake' account would only be able to run on WIFI so they're not always 'on' if you carry it around. However if you're always in a place with WIFI, it's almost just as good as a real BB!

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted

Understand, it's not free. You wouldn't be paying for it, but ultimately someone is paying for it. You or a few people doing it may be insignificant. But widespread adoption of that practice would end up costing the paying customers in higher fees.

Your blackberry data is going out over wifi which appears free to you. But the blackberry messenger data goes through RIM's network, which is being paid for by paying blackberry data customers.

[VR6]

Originally Posted by aiharkness

Wirelessly posted

Understand, it's not free. You wouldn't be paying for it, but ultimately someone is paying for it. You or a few people doing it may be insignificant. But widespread adoption of that practice would end up costing the paying customers in higher fees.

Your blackberry data is going out over wifi which appears free to you. But the blackberry messenger data goes through RIM's network, which is being paid for by paying blackberry data customers.

You are correct Ira when taking the big picture view of it. The small picture view is if a few people do this then it's basically 'free'. I have a feeling if original owner cancels their BB account the 'fake' BB may still work but I cannot confirm this. Basically it's just a neat little trick to do if you want to BBM from home/work/school. Not really that useful if you travel a lot since it's hard to find a WIFI signal sometimes.

[devnull]

Originally Posted by VR6

You are correct Ira when taking the big picture view of it. The small picture view is if a few people do this then it's basically 'free'.

And you're posting this on a forum that is globally accessible.

[VR6]

Originally Posted by devnull

And you're posting this on a forum that is globally accessible.

Yes, forums are for sharing information and it's just a quirk or glitch that I've discovered. I'm sure I'm not the first to discover this as the Storm2 has been out for some time now. More knowledge benefits the entire BB community and it's not like someone would actually use this in place of a real BB account. What's the point of true instant messaging when you can only get it at a WIFI spot? I doubt Blackberry loses much business because of my little post.

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted

It is an interesting piece of information. But you've been around long enough to know the forum's hostility to freeloaders, just on principle. No accusations. Just making the point that it's a fine line between pointing something out and seeming to endorse it's use.

[VR6]

Originally Posted by aiharkness

Wirelessly posted

It is an interesting piece of information. But you've been around long enough to know the forum's hostility to freeloaders, just on principle. No accusations. Just making the point that it's a fine line between pointing something out and seeming to endorse it's use.

point taken, fair enough

and here's comes the disclaimer..."use this technique at your own risk, I'm not responsible for anything you do to or with your equipment"

Anyways, thanks for the feedback everyone.