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The device itself may still be powered on, have mobile internet access, connect to the server, and continue sending location data. The difference is that it now identifies itself as: **88000000888** If you request the device parameters by SMS, you may also see an unusual IMEI: **888888000000888** We have seen this more than once on the LiveGPSTracks platform. Similar packets also appear in logs from other GPS tracking systems. So where do these numbers come from, and can the original IMEI be restored? ## Where does 88000000888 come from? The identifier a GPS tracker sends to a monitoring server does not always match its full IMEI. Older GT02, GT02A, TK-110 and many similar trackers use a shortened device ID. Only part of the 15-digit IMEI is used to identify the device on the server. A short ID by itself is therefore not a sign of a fault. In this particular case, the tracker starts using this value instead of its normal IMEI: ```text 888888000000888 ``` This produces the ID: ```text 88000000888 ``` and the protocol may send it with a leading zero: ```text 088000000888 ``` The three values are connected: ```text 888888000000888 ↓ 88000000888 ↓ 088000000888 ``` You can see both values in the packet itself: ```text (088000000888BP00888888000000888HSO199) ``` It contains: ```text 088000000888 ``` as the device identifier used by the protocol, and: ```text 888888000000888 ``` as the IMEI value reported by the tracker. The same IMEI may also appear when the device parameters are requested by SMS. This rules out a server-side parsing problem in most cases. The LiveGPSTracks server does not replace the original IMEI with a string of eights. The tracker is already connecting with `888888000000888`. The same values have been seen in logs from other GPS tracking systems. `888888000000888` is most likely a default, fallback or service value used by some firmware when the normal IMEI is no longer available. We have not found manufacturer documentation that explicitly describes the purpose of this value. ### Why can the original IMEI disappear? The exact cause is not known. Possible causes include: - a failure when reading non-volatile memory; - corrupted stored settings; - an initialization error during startup; - unstable power; - an unexpected reboot; - a firmware bug. The existence of `SETIMEI` commands is significant here. On some trackers in this family, the IMEI value used by the firmware can be written through a command. That also means this stored value can potentially be lost or replaced. ## What the owner sees The tracker does not disappear from the account. It simply stops updating. The physical device may still: - be powered on; - register on the mobile network; - have internet access; - connect to the LiveGPSTracks server; - send coordinates. The server is now receiving those packets under a different ID. It has no way to know that `88000000888` is the same physical tracker that previously connected under another identifier. The device already added to the account therefore stops receiving new data. # What to do if your tracker starts using 88000000888 The first goal is to restore the original IMEI. ## 1. Check which IMEI the tracker reports Older GT02A firmware often supports: ```text PARAM,# ``` For example: ```text PARAM,666666# ``` Other firmware versions may use commands such as: ```text imei ``` or: ```text getimei ``` Some versions use: ```text CXZT ``` If the SMS response contains: ```text 888888000000888 ``` the incorrect IMEI is already being reported by the tracker itself. ## 2. Find the original IMEI Check the label on the tracker first. The IMEI may also be available: - on a label inside the case; - on the original packaging; - in the manual or warranty documents; - in old photos of the device; - in old SMS messages from the tracker; - on another tracking platform where the device was previously used. If you only have the shortened ID that was added to your account, that may not be enough to reconstruct the full IMEI. Do not copy the missing digits from another GT02A or search for a “typical TK110 IMEI.” You need the IMEI assigned to that specific device. ## 3. Check the firmware version It is better to identify the firmware before changing the IMEI. Some older GT02A versions support: ```text VERSION,# ``` The firmware version may also be included in the response to `PARAM`. TK110, GT02 and GT02A do not refer to one single hardware and firmware combination. Many different trackers have been sold under these names over the years, and their SMS commands are not always the same. ## 4. Write the original IMEI back to the tracker Some TK110/GT02 firmware supports the `SETIMEI` command. One documented format is: ```text #SETIMEI### ``` Other firmware uses: ```text SETIMEI,# ``` Some similar trackers use: ```text setimei ``` Do not send every variant one after another. Identify the firmware or at least the command family used by the tracker first. ### Which password should be used? Common factory passwords include: ```text 123456 ``` and: ```text 666666 ``` The owner or seller may have changed the password, so a password shown in one manual will not necessarily work with every TK110. ## 5. Check the result Request the device parameters again after writing the IMEI. Instead of: ```text IMEI: 888888000000888 ``` the tracker should report its original IMEI. After reconnecting to the server, it should also return to its previous device ID. If that ID is already registered in the LiveGPSTracks account, the existing tracker should start updating again. There is normally no need to change the APN, server address or port just because the IMEI was restored. # If SETIMEI does not work ### The tracker does not recognize the command It probably uses different firmware and a different SMS command set. Look for documentation for the actual firmware version rather than relying only on the TK110 or GT02 name printed on the case. ### The tracker reports an incorrect password A factory reset should not be the first response. The password may have been changed earlier. Check old configuration notes or SMS commands that were previously accepted by the tracker. ### The IMEI is restored but later changes back to eights If the correct IMEI can be written successfully but later returns to: ```text 888888000000888 ``` after a reboot or some time in operation, the problem is probably no longer just a configuration issue. Possible causes include: - failing memory; - unstable power; - a firmware fault; - another hardware problem. Repeatedly writing the IMEI again will not fix the underlying fault. ### The original IMEI cannot be found If the label, packaging, old SMS messages and records from another platform are all unavailable, the remaining option is to contact the seller or manufacturer. Do not use an IMEI from another tracker or invent a new one. # Should you try a factory reset? Some GT02A firmware provides a `FACTORY` command, but it resets user settings. A factory reset may remove: - APN settings; - server address; - port; - reporting intervals; - time zone; - other configuration. There is no guarantee that it will restore the original IMEI. You may end up with the same `888888000000888` and a tracker that also needs to be configured from scratch. Restoring the IMEI first is usually the better approach. # Why 88000000888 cannot be used as a device ID `88000000888` is not unique to one physical tracker. Different devices can start using the same ID after their normal IMEI has been replaced by `888888000000888`. If such an ID were added to an account, several unrelated trackers could start sending data to the same device entry. The result would be obvious on the map: one point could appear in one city, the next hundreds or thousands of kilometres away, followed by another point somewhere else again. It would look like one tracker was jumping between completely unrelated locations, while the coordinates were actually coming from different physical devices. For this reason, the LiveGPSTracks platform blocks `88000000888` as a device identifier. A tracker with this ID cannot be added to an account. If your tracker starts connecting under this number, the solution is to restore its original IMEI and unique device ID. # Why can the tracker still use mobile internet with the wrong IMEI? The IMEI or ID sent inside the GPS tracking protocol does not necessarily tell us which identifier the GSM modem is using to register with the mobile operator. A tracker reporting `888888000000888` in its GPS protocol may still: - register on the mobile network; - use mobile data; - connect to the monitoring server; - send GPS coordinates. The problem appears when the monitoring server has to decide which tracker those packets belong to. # In short If a tracker stops updating in the account and its parameters show: ```text 888888000000888 ``` the server may start receiving it under the ID: ```text 88000000888 ``` That value is generated and sent by the tracker itself. The usual recovery path is: 1. request the tracker parameters; 2. find the original IMEI; 3. identify the firmware version; 4. find the correct `SETIMEI` command for that firmware; 5. write the original IMEI back; 6. check the parameters and server connection again. The LiveGPSTracks platform does not allow `88000000888` to be added as a device ID because the same identifier can be used by multiple physical trackers. If the restored IMEI later changes back to eights, the tracker may have a memory, power, firmware or hardware fault.