# Technical cellphone question



## samhevener (Feb 23, 2006)

How do I receive calls on my cellphone when I am on the other side of the US? No matter where one is, if your cellphone provider has service in the area, one will receive the call.
My question is, does my cellphone's ring signal have to be sent from every cellphone tower in the US that is used by my provider? or is there some way of the system knowing exactly where I am without me having used the cellphone for several days? How does it work?


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

The Telephone company always knows where you are.

Beware the telephone police!!


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

As you move around, every cell you enter or pass through logs your EIN and reports your location to the central brain.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

samhevener said:


> How do I receive calls on my cellphone when I am on the other side of the US? No matter where one is, if your cellphone provider has service in the area, one will receive the call.
> My question is, does my cellphone's ring signal have to be sent from every cellphone tower in the US that is used by my provider? or is there some way of the system knowing exactly where I am without me having used the cellphone for several days? How does it work?


Your cellphone (if it on) constantly connecting to nearest cell towers. I.e. informing "I'm here and available !"


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Exactly.

As long as your phone is on OR in standby, it is communicating with the cell tower nearest. So the phone system always knows where you are.

Only way around that is to turn the phone off... which then results in not receiving calls (they go to voice mail if you have that setup)...

Then the next time you turn on your phone, the first thing it does is try to find a cell tower to connect to and say "hey, I'm over here!"


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

It's the fillings in your teeth.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Usually your phone will communicate with more then one tower if it possible ...


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

I thought your cell phone absorbed some of your DNA which is then analyzed and results sent to a windowless building where grim men in white lab coats register you in a huge databse.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Yeah, sort of ... in analog era of cellphones (if you aware of Corsair's 'fingerprint' SW) there was special HW/SW what did distinguish those too; now - for digital - it's a piece of cake for both parts: phone itself and SIM card.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

But, this is also how people are tracked anywhere by law enforcement whether they use the phone or not. Missing, kidnapped or fugitive, LE can ping your phone and track your movements as long as the phone is turned on and communicating with the tower system. Sometimes they need a warrant, but not always. We've done tracks following people along interstate highways until units local in the area could intercept.

That's works as long as we know what vehicle they're in. If they change vehicles, it makes it harder to pinpoint until they stop somewhere.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

I don't remember exactly interval, but once in a minute or more often it's doing own 'ping'; perhaps for chasing purpose it need to updating more often ...


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## samhevener (Feb 23, 2006)

SayWhat? said:


> But, this is also how people are tracked anywhere by law enforcement whether they use the phone or not. Missing, kidnapped or fugitive, LE can ping your phone and track your movements as long as the phone is turned on and communicating with the tower system. Sometimes they need a warrant, but not always. We've done tracks following people along interstate highways until units local in the area could intercept.
> 
> That's works as long as we know what vehicle they're in. If they change vehicles, it makes it harder to pinpoint until they stop somewhere.


Not if you have a Net 10 or Trac phone.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

samhevener said:


> Not if you have a Net 10 or Trac phone.


Just make one call and you're on a hook  .


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## ncxcstud (Apr 22, 2007)

I always say it's 'magic' and leave it at that


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## samhevener (Feb 23, 2006)

P Smith said:


> Just make one call and you're on a hook  .


I'm sure the cellphone can be tracked but how do thay know it is my cellphone unless someone gives them the number. The only person who knows my cellphone number is my wife. On course if I call someone else there is a record of the number. With Net 10 or Tracphone you will never have the problem millions of users had with Verizon. The fake charges and other crap. My cellphone provider has no idea who I am. I like it that way, no bills.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

That's the way to track such phone - you're could be traced after making any call to known number.


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