Just a tech ? about OTA update

[PixelHenge]

I'm just curious.. tried to ask elsewhere but people keep replying to me like they think i'm freaking out about it or something (guys, really? i was here BEFORE the release.. gimme a break)

I just wanna know is all. It came up in a conversation last night, how stuff like this works is really interesting to me. SO PLEASE don't answer this post if you wanna do some n00b brow beating.

Anyway..

How exactly dose an OTA update work. Now, i know when they send me rplacment games on other handsets it just sends a private DL link to t-mo's servers. The same with DLing out of the market.. its off a server. I know this packet would be off a server too, but; first question, when the send an update is it the whole package sent to your phone?

Ok, next question. How does it "know" what hand sets to go to. Ok, so, for instance: I am on t-mobile, when i got my G1 i put my simcard from another phone into the G1 and signed in with my gmail. BUT i have the $19.99 total interrnet package right now (no 3g here anyway!). I never called t-mo about any of it. Further, what about someone who's using these supposed "unlocked" G1s? Do they get an OTA update just because it's a broadcasting G1? Or dose it have something to do with the APN gateway?

What i want to know is, how dose it know to come to say, my phone with my number? Dose their system just do a run down and match of order+sim card broadcasting+ IMEI the sim is broadcasting from? So like when the OTA is sent out, the system would run down a list of valid sim cards and compare them to valid signal recieving IMEI's? Os is it based on all broadcasting G1's? In which case when you sign into your phone your sending a packet not only to verify with google but also that you just activated a handset with t-mobile? OR is it based on the network gateway through which you recieve your data?

Dose what i'm asking make since? I just wanna know how it works is all. Because usually the t-mo systme doesn't seem to know which phone in their "phone picker system" i have untill after i have 'pinged' it by going to t-zones or whatever.

Just curious... the geek in me is dying to know how it all works.

[snoslicer8]

Since the update would supposedly come from Google, I would imagine that it's pushed the same way GMail and GTalk are...that type of "trickle" connection would be perfect for an OTA.

As far as the timing, I would think that the server can see when your GMail address registered from a G1 device, telling it how early you had the device. This would determine the order for who gets the update.

This is all speculation.

[Darrell]

Yes, I figure Whoever is running the update has a list of all the phones, maybe when you register it sends back the phones IMEI matched to the Google mail address and they use something built into the Push aspect of G-Mail to send the update. That would also be a better reason for them requiring you to have G-mail, rather than just as a way of pushing the platform.
However if the above is true (and I must stress I'm only speculating) does that mean that there could be a way to infect the G1 through this system ?

I'd like to know how its done, just to find out how secure it is.

[PixelHenge]

Darrel, thats a good point, if it were possible it could leave the handset vulnerable. Up untill now i had kind of figured the whole g-mail signin thing was a passive system, like logging into you g-mail on the computer logs you into other google services. But if its "pushed" on a more open network like like with the gmail...hmmm..

So it wouldnt have anything to to with when UPS reported delivery or you when your order went into their system, but rather when that first ping was made with google..?

interesting...