HLR lookup
A query against a mobile network Home Location Register to check whether a number is active and reachable.
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A query against a mobile network Home Location Register to check whether a number is active and reachable.
The Home Location Register is the central database a mobile network keeps of its subscribers. An HLR lookup queries it to establish whether a given number is currently active, which network serves it, and whether the handset is reachable.
Because it consults live network state rather than a static allocation table, an HLR lookup can distinguish a number that is assigned and switched on from one that has been disconnected. It also reveals roaming status and the true home network of a ported number.
HLR lookups apply to mobile numbers on GSM networks. Landlines and VOIP numbers are not in an HLR at all, so a complete validation approach combines HLR data with other carrier sources.
Related terms
- Carrier lookup — Querying network data to find which carrier currently serves a phone number.
- Line type — The classification of a phone number as mobile, landline, VOIP, or invalid.
- Disconnected number — A number that is no longer assigned to an active subscriber and cannot be reached.