CENTRAL U.S. -- *228 with Verizon Wireless

[Kyoman]

I'm pretty new at this. Can anyone tell me how often you should update your software using *228? Does this update your roaming list under America's Choice? Does this download have to be done in your home area or can it be done on the road?

[rallykid]

It should be done in your home area as far as I know. As far as how often, I do it every month when my billing resets, that way I am sure to have the latest PRL.

[BillRadio]

Kyoman,
Upgrading is a very personal choice. In some cases, if you upgrade, you LOSE service! In a few other areas of the country, service improves. In most others, nothing changes. Visit this group from time to time to see what changes have been made.

The main concern is that if you upgrade, once it's gone, it's gone! I would only make an upgrade after checking news groups, and before you might be traveling away from home. We maintain a list of most of the changes at:

PRL Info Page

The most recent change would only affect coverage in 2 counties in Northeast PA. If you go there, do it. If not, don't.

-Bill

[BLL]

I just updated the other day. There were two separate options; updating software and updating roam list. I did them in separate calls, but don't know whether or not can be done in same call.

[Justaboi1981]

*228 should be done once a month. Its a current up to date list of towers the you should be using. It should only HELP you. It should be done from your home area. But i heard it works all over as long as you are in a VERIZON area. So if your phone says your in roaming or Extended area. YOU SHOULD NOT DO IT.

Option 1. Programs your phone with your home SID, as well as programs you number on the phone then updates you PRL. (Preferred Roaming List)
Option 2. Just updates you phones PRL. (This is the one you should do once a month)

This is ture you should be using the most up todate PRL. But in some cases you lose coverage. But in most you gain coverage. And if you get bad coverage odds are its only going to help.

[LisaMK]

So I have a Verizon phone with a Philadelphia number (where I used to live), but I now live in Los Angeles. Because it's a Philadelphia number, my "night" minutes start at 6pm PST, because it's 9pm in Philadelphia, which is a pretty sweet deal for me.
I just got off the phone with a representative from Verizon because I was downgrading my minutes plan (from 900 to 450), and the woman told me that I needed do the *228 thing to "re-program" once I got off the phone with her, but that it would also reset my location, meaning that my night minutes would now start at 9pm PST, which would suck. Do I really need to do the *228 thing because I changed my plan, or are they just saying that because they want my location to be updated so that I won't start my free nights at 6pm anymore?
--Lisa

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by LisaMK

So I have a Verizon phone with a Philadelphia number (where I used to live), but I now live in Los Angeles. Because it's a Philadelphia number, my "night" minutes start at 6pm PST, because it's 9pm in Philadelphia, which is a pretty sweet deal for me.
I just got off the phone with a representative from Verizon because I was downgrading my minutes plan (from 900 to 450), and the woman told me that I needed do the *228 thing to "re-program" once I got off the phone with her, but that it would also reset my location, meaning that my night minutes would now start at 9pm PST, which would suck. Do I really need to do the *228 thing because I changed my plan, or are they just saying that because they want my location to be updated so that I won't start my free nights at 6pm anymore?
--Lisa

Do you know for a fact your Night minutes start at 6PM? Does it show clearly on your bill? If it does, then it must be a billing glitch because your Night minutes are supposed to start at 9PM wherever YOU are located, not the location of your phone number.

Whenever I've traveled anywhere outside of the Pacific Time Zone, my Night minutes always started at the 9PM time of wherever I was located. If what you were saying were true, them my Night minutes would start at Midnight out east because I have a Los Angeles number. It doesn't make sense (but it doesn't mean it's not happening). Glitches occur, and you may be temporarily benefiting from it.

Even if your Night minutes really are starting at 6PM(PT), it won't last for long anyway, even if you don't "*228" your phone.

Lastly, I would recommend starting a new thread instead of resurrecting a 6 year old one.

[LisaMK]

Oops! I didn't realize it was such an old thread! I just googled "*228 Verizon", and this thread came up, so I created a username so that I could ask my question.
No, it doesn't show up on bill that my night minutes start at 6pm PST, but I asked a Verizon rep a little while back, and she confirmed that this was indeed the case. When I mentioned it to the woman I spoke with today, she also agreed that until I did the *228 thing, my night minutes would start based on where my number is from (or I guess the last place where I did *228). Do you think it's completely necessary to do the *228 thing because I changed my plan? Or can I not do it in case I'm still benefiting from the different time zone thing?
Thanks for your help.
--Lisa

[Mobile Mike]

Originally Posted by LisaMK

Oops! I didn't realize it was such an old thread! I just googled "*228 Verizon", and this thread came up, so I created a username so that I could ask my question.
No, it doesn't show up on bill that my night minutes start at 6pm PST, but I asked a Verizon rep a little while back, and she confirmed that this was indeed the case. When I mentioned it to the woman I spoke with today, she also agreed that until I did the *228 thing, my night minutes would start based on where my number is from (or I guess the last place where I did *228). Do you think it's completely necessary to do the *228 thing because I changed my plan? Or can I not do it in case I'm still benefiting from the different time zone thing?
Thanks for your help.
--Lisa

No problem on the thread thing...

Lisa, I'm not sure I would believe the Verizon reps. It has never been my experience that this is how it works. What your bill says is what's important. You don't want to be making calls before 9pm Pacific time and have it eat away at your 450 anytime minutes.

As far as doing *228, it's good to do when you make a change, but it's not an absolute. You really don't need to do it now if you don't want to. If you're not going to do it because of the "Nights" minute thing, I would review your current and previous bills to see how you are actually billed, because if what the reps told you is wrong, doing *228 won't make any difference.

Your question about Night minutes is not a new one. From what I remember being said in another thread on the subject, Night minutes are determined by the time on the tower the call was competed on, not by the phone number's geographic location. If you think about it this makes sense because it would adversely affect anyone with a phone number from an area outside of the Eastern Time Zone. You'd have a lot of P.O'd people out there, me included.

[littlepriest01]

I always do it at home, and I do it about once every two weeks just to be safe.