Searching for Network / SIM card blocked - help please!!

Question

I have just purchased an 8700c from a reputable eBay seller from whom I have previously purchased other items.
The 8700c was advertised as Unlocked without a SIM card.
I have never owned a Blackberry before and am just getting familiar with it.
When I click icon to 'Turn Wireless On' and press the Phone key then at top of screen displays "Searching for Network".
After a minute or so displays "No Service".
I bought the 8700c because one day my previous mobile phone did exactly the same thing.
After an hour on my landline phone with the phone company they assured me the GSM network was functional in my area and suggested my old phone was faulty.
Not knowing if the phone itself had just died or if fault was with the SIM card I took it to the local branch of the telco.
One of the guys there swapped his SIM card into my phone and had same problem - hence phone faulty.
Thinking about it later I realised that it didn't prove there wasn't also a problem with my SIM card but I thought it unlikely so decided to buy a new phone.
Anyway, received the 8700c yesterday and have inserted my old SIM card, been reading manual, etc.
Whilst learning how to use it I've been asked several times to enter a password.
Assuming this was the PIN/password I had on my old phone to prevent use in case I lost the phone, I entered it and it was accepted without any error/warning.
So I thought I was right in believing the PIN/password was stored on the SIM and not another code, maybe in some EPROM memory in the old phone - I'm not so sure now.
Doing a Google search I've found mention of various PIN/PIN2/PUK/PUK2 codes used in mobile phones which, if not used correctly, can cause the phone to be locked permanently.
Here's current information I've found on the 8700c:
click icon Settings / Options / Status shows
      PIN:      {8 alphanumeric code}
      IMEI:     { 6 digits .00. 6 digits .5}      i.e 15 digits and 3 periods
click icon Settings / Options / Advanced Options / SIM Card shows
      SIM Card: Blocked
      ID:     {20 digit number}
click icon Phone shows
      My Number: Unknown
click again to see list of items, scroll down to Options
click again to see list of items headed Phone Options
click on General Options
the 'Show "My Number":' line has value Yes
click icon Settings / Options / Network shows
      Network: * None *
      Network Selection Mode: Automatic
click again to see list of items, scroll to My Preferred Network List
click again to see one item which is GSM network associated with my old phone
So it seems this has been found from the SIM card.
The top left hand side of screen shows 'cingular' but I think I read somewhere that this was just the network for which the 8700c was originally issued and doesn't detemine whether the 8700c is currently locked/unlocked.
Is 'My Number' Unknown because the SIM card is Blocked?
Is the SIM card Blocked because I entered my old PIN password instead of the Settings / Options / Status alphanumeric code PIN or some other PIN?
How can I determine if the 8700c is really unlocked?
Are there some other settings/options or anything else I should do so I can get connected to the network?
Any thoughts would be very welcome.

Answer 1

I am having exactly the same problem mate. Never used a Blackberry - received mine today from eBay (Didn't include a manual) and i have been trying to configure it with no luck. I can't connect to a Network/My SIM Card is blocked/My number is unknown - Even though my SIM works perfectly in my Sony Ericsson. Have no idea what to do. Any help would be appreciated.