Network doesn't work despite SIM is correctly detected

My SIM is correctly detected, it has credit, I see signal dots, I'm not in Flight Mode and connection is enabled but for some reason every online service loading stays in an endless loading. Wi-Fi connection with the same SIM works just fine though. The only 2 reasons I can think of are a hardware problem that specifically prevents sending and receiving data and that applications refuse to use the SIM network because they prefer Wi-Fi 😒.

iPad 2

Posted on Aug 4, 2023 12:04 PM

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Posted on Aug 5, 2023 09:30 AM

The majority of mobile phone SIMs are not correctly provisioned for use with tablet computers. If they work at all, they may not provide access to the full range of cellular services. This is not a limitation of the iPad, but of the Cellular network provider.


If using a physical SIM with iPad, you will require a DataSIM explicitly provisioned for iPad or mobile broadband (a.k.a. MiFi).


Be aware that an iPad, whether a Cellular model or not, is not capable of directly accessing Cellular Voice or SMS/MMS Messaging features. An iPad with either WiFi or Cellular connectivity alone can only access IP-data services. If you have added a DataSIM and Cellular plan to a WiFi+Cellular model of iPad, the number associated with the SIM card is only used to identify your account for billing purposes. This number is not used for making calls or sending messages.


11 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 5, 2023 09:30 AM in response to LucaPavan

The majority of mobile phone SIMs are not correctly provisioned for use with tablet computers. If they work at all, they may not provide access to the full range of cellular services. This is not a limitation of the iPad, but of the Cellular network provider.


If using a physical SIM with iPad, you will require a DataSIM explicitly provisioned for iPad or mobile broadband (a.k.a. MiFi).


Be aware that an iPad, whether a Cellular model or not, is not capable of directly accessing Cellular Voice or SMS/MMS Messaging features. An iPad with either WiFi or Cellular connectivity alone can only access IP-data services. If you have added a DataSIM and Cellular plan to a WiFi+Cellular model of iPad, the number associated with the SIM card is only used to identify your account for billing purposes. This number is not used for making calls or sending messages.


Aug 4, 2023 01:40 PM in response to sberman

Of course there is credit even now on my SIM, I am using it. You wouldn't mean that I have to pay a separate fee just to connect to Apple services? That would explain why even through Wi-Fi I can't authenticate my Apple ID as I had explained in one of my posts, Impossible to download games. I still have to find a solution to that, the authentication loading just never ends.



Aug 4, 2023 01:02 PM in response to sberman

Well, if you mean a configuration on the iPad settings then no, I did nothing specific as usually once inserted the SIM works immediately, needs specific configurations or I receive a configuration SMS. When I started the iPad the first time with the SIM connection was enabled automatically (I don't like such things) and I see my SIM provider name (Very) on the right of signal dots on notifications panel so I never thought of changing anything. Should I disable Automatic option and try with a different provider? Perhaps I never needed to do this thing since the default Very works fine.

Aug 5, 2023 06:09 AM in response to sberman

I tried all the providers I had on my list but only another one was detected, others just disconnect. Anyway, I noticed that the iPad detects the SIM as it feels like it, after some seconds it stopped detecting it so I tried enabling and disabling Flight Mode and I could force it to detect it. Data Usage values are always at 0 nonetheless so doesn't really send or receive.

Aug 7, 2023 07:30 AM in response to sberman

Thanks for telling me to check again there, in fact I realized that I just had to add my APN there. I didn't it before because as APN option is under Roaming (that I see as Roaming: No) I thought that it was related to the roaming use but then understood that the space between Roaming and APN options is to separate them, not that APN is really related to Roaming, I'm so dumb 😒🤦😂. So far on my phones I never needed to add the APN manually since the connection worked out of the box or I received a configuration SMS to apply in a tap. Anyway, now it works just fine, thanks 👍.

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Network doesn't work despite SIM is correctly detected

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