Phone Unlocking

I'm trying to change phone providers and both of them seem to be making it as difficult as possible for me to keep my number and my phone. Basically, I need to unlock my phone, but am really wary of those dodgy mofos you see everywhere with their tin pot shops. Has anyone done it with them? Does it work when you use those guys? the chap at 0two said it would take up to 28days to unlock a phone and the guy at 0rnage said you could just go and get it done and it would be instant. I really, really, really need to keep my number, so am really paranoid in case it messes that up and am not technologically minded in the least. Help!

Never used a shop to unlock a phone, but I did it myself using internet guide and it was relatively complicated so would not recommend if you are not tech aware. The easiness varies a lot dependent on the phone model, but there's no reason to think that the local phone unlocking shop will not be able to do it - and it will be cheaper than yr provider in most cases.

Unlocking your handset would definitely NOT affect you being able to port your number between providers, although there's a *chance* they could muck your current SIM card up so would suggest taking it out before they do anything.

What's this unlocking business, it sounds weird? In Finland, if you want to change operators, you just make a contract with the new operator, and then within a couple of days they mail you a new SIM card, and you switch that for your old card, and that's it.

Also, there's some EU regulation that says that cell phone users have to be able to keep their old number when they change operators. I know that because it used to be that you had to change your number when you changed operators, but then the EU regulation came in to force, and now everyone can keep the same number no matter how many times they switch operators.

The majority of mobile handsets in UK are "locked" to a particular provider eg. my O2 phone would not work with a Vodafone sim. Obviously, a decent handset is worth enabling for use with a new provider (or keeping if you choose pay-as-you-go over a contract in the future) so loads of shops/newsagents/market stalls will unlock handsets for a few quid. When I did this myself it involved using a PC and the phone data cable to make changes to the firmware and related files, I'd assume they do the same. Your point re keeping the number makes sense as this used to be a bitch to do over here, until a few years back when all operators started to offer it, at the EU's behest as you say.

I had my phone unlocked in a wee dodgy shop. It cost £5, and it was fine. I did it because I lost my phone and I asked my provider to mail me a new sim with my old number, then got a mate's old phone to put it in. There were probably other things I could have done, but it worked out OK for me.

Are there any youtube videos showing how to hack an old Zak Morris celphone to use a SIM or modern service? You'd think this is one area the internet would have covered!