What Is a Device Register?

EIR is the English abbreviation of Equipment Identity Register, and Chinese is "equipment identity register".

EIR is the English abbreviation of Equipment Identity Register, and Chinese is "equipment identity register".

When a mobile phone user initiates a call, the Mobile Switching Center (MSC) and the Visiting Location Register (VLR) request the IMEI from the mobile station (mobile phone) and send it to the EIR. The EIR will receive the IMEI received in three forms: white, black, and gray. The comparison is sent to the MSC / VLR so that the MSC / VLR decides whether to allow the mobile station device to enter the network. Therefore, if the mobile station is using a stolen mobile phone or a mobile device that is not certified for the fault, the MSC / VLR will determine the location of the stolen mobile station and block it. Timely precautions. What we usually call the tracking of stolen phones through a network tracker is achieved through EIR.

In addition, EIR also has the meaning of excess information rate, container equipment transfer orders, and resident prospective entrepreneurs.

Chinese name

Device identification register

Foreign name

Equipment Identity Register

EIR Introduction

To understand what EIR is, let's first look at a problem that you might encounter.

When you lose your mobile phone, in addition to hoping to recover your lost property, do you immediately report it to the operator s business office? However, the loss of the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) is just to prevent people who have picked up the phone from using the SIM card in your phone, that is, cannot use your phone number. Deep down, do you want the person who picked up the phone to be able to make a call even if it is loaded into your phone with another SIM card? This can be done. The device used to implement this function is EIR (Equipment Identity Register). ^[1]

EIR Principle

Let's see how EIR does this. In short, EIR protects the security of the system by checking the phone's IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) to prevent theft of the phone.

Just like everyone has a unique ID number, every mobile phone has a unique identity IMEI. IMEI is a 15-digit decimal number that indicates the model, manufacturer, assembly location, and serial number of the phone. IMEI is equivalent to a mobile phone's ID number.

In a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) network, the unique identifier of a mobile phone is a Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID). The use of IMEI numbers in GSM / UMTS / LTE systems is the same as the use of MEIDs in CDMA systems. The following uses IMEI as an example to explain the working principle of EIR. ^[1]

In EIR, users' mobile terminal devices are divided into white lists, gray lists, and black lists. The IMEI numbers of the devices are assigned to the corresponding lists.

• It is legal for a whitelisted mobile phone to access the network.

• Blacklisted phones (such as stolen or illegal phones) are blocked from accessing the network.

• Mobile phones in the grey list (including faulty and unauthorized mobile phones, as determined by the operator) will not be barred from the network, but will be tracked by the network.

The EIR database stores IMEI information and its whitelist, graylist, and blacklist attributes.

The EIR identifies the legitimacy of the terminal equipment accessing the PLMN network by checking which list the IMEI is in.

EIR identification of terminal legitimacy ^[1]

1. When a mobile phone user initiates a call, the MSC (Mobile Switching Center) and VLR (Visit Location Register) where the user is located request the IMEI from the mobile phone and send the IMEI to the EIR.

2. The EIR compares the received IMEI with the stored white list, black list, and gray list, and sends the result to the MSC / VLR, so that the MSC / VLR decides whether to allow the mobile station device to enter the network.

When you go to the operator's business hall to report the loss, you will change the IMEI number of your mobile phone from the original white list to the black list. In this way, the MSC / VLR can determine the location of the stolen phone and prevent it from accessing the network. Therefore, even if you change the SIM card, you can no longer use this phone to make calls.

The MSC / VLR can also take timely precautions against the faulty mobile phone. ^[1]

EIR application

Some network operators in Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, India and other countries began to use this service to monitor stolen mobile phones. Unfortunately, at present, China has not basically adopted EIR to identify IMEI. So, the best way is to be optimistic about your mobile phone ~ ^[1]