How to register an Android Dev G1 over WiFi
I got an Android Dev Phone. The first thing you have to do when you turn it on is register the phone to a Google Account. However I don't have a data plan with my phone, and could not register my new account, rendering my phone useless.
The G1 has WiFi, and I was in a WiFi network, so I should have been able to use WiFi to connect to the google servers. By default you can't connect to WiFi. This is how you turn on WiFi. You'll need a computer running Ubuntu Linux.
Install the Android SDK.
Connect the phone to a PC via USB.
According to this Google page, you have to create a file called /etc/udev/rules.d/50-android.rules and put this in it:
So from a command line, run
and put the following into it
Then make sure the permissions are a+rx:
Unzip the SDK, and go to the tools directory in a terminal go to the 'tools' directory. The following command will show you the list of devices that are plugged in:
If nothing shows up here, then you computer isn't detecting the phone. Make sure the phone is plugged in, and you have the correct file as above.
Then restart the phone and go to the registration screen.
Then you can connect to the phone's shell and manually launch the settings screen.
This will bring up the Settings screen on your phone. From here you can tell it to connect to a certain WiFi network. After it's connected you can proceed and register the phone as normal.
$ sudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/50-android.rules
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idVendor}=="0bb4", MODE="0666"
sudo chmod a+rx /etc/udev/rules.d/50-android.rules
./adb devices List of devices attached HT847GZ20615 device
$ ./adb shell $ su # am start -a android.intent.action.MAIN -n com.android.settings/.Settings #
This is good info, thank you. I did not want to do a data plan hoping that eventually my current carrier would use android phones. I was however able to use a sim card to get the phone registered and the WiFi going then everything worked fine. T-Mobile sells cards for $6 that are intended for pay as you go plans. Just insert the card neglecting to register it. Worked great. Borrowing someones card just to do this works well also.
Comment by geo — Jan 14, 2009 5:27:26 PM | # - re
does this work with a phone that is not for developers -- i bought a normal G1 and had it shipped abroad to me and i can not get it registered over edge or anything. i want to do this on WIFI
Comment by Josh — Feb 1, 2009 2:58:41 PM | # - re
I did this and it worked straight forward. Thanks.
Quick reply to comment above, the T-Mobile option, although very cheap, is not available outside the US. That is why this procedure is needed in many cases I guess.
Comment by Frank — Feb 11, 2009 7:08:27 PM | # - re
Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting.
Comment by AndrewBoldman — Jun 5, 2009 12:48:57 AM | # - re
Thanks a lot for this. I was looking at the Windows tutorials and they seemed unreliable and annoying (potentially having to flash the Android software to an older version...not worth it).
But this short tutorial worked just great! Fired up my Ubuntu VM and it took 10 minutes tops including downloading the Linux SDK.
Comment by Andrew — Jun 13, 2009 12:40:35 AM | # - re
The article is usefull for me. I’ll be coming back to your blog.
Comment by KattyBlackyard — Jun 15, 2009 7:54:45 AM | # - re
Thank you very much. I got hold of my android dev phone 1 on Sunday and it could not get the GSM Connectivity in the first place. Once it searched for network after that it never came back again.
I used the suggestion you have provided. I was able to go to settings. Search for Networks again, pick up the correct network; sign in to the Google Registration as well.
My phone works now. Today is wednesday and I might have spent at least 10 hours to make this F thing work.:) Thank you.
Comment by Senthil — Jul 1, 2009 4:16:38 PM | # - re
Wait so will this work with a normal T-Mobile phone in the US, I am having this problem.
Comment by Tj — Jul 17, 2009 5:45:45 PM | # - re
Hi Tj, This should only work on a G1 / Google Android phone. I don't know about any other T-Mobile phone.
Comment by rory — Jul 20, 2009 12:05:04 PM | # - re