[Q]4G data speed very slow during call - T-Mobile, Samsung Galaxy SIII

Hi, I have a galaxy S3 with T-mobile. I'm in a place where I have excellent 4G speeds (about 5-6 Mbps :speedtest), I noticed that when I'm on a call the 4G data speed drops to useless speeds. I can barely open a website or download an app. Speedtest shows like 500+ ping and about 500kbps download which is NOT constant (goes up, stops, goes down, etc). Real speed is way less than that. Websites don't open or take forever.. Is this normal? I am using stock rom (but also happened with other roms). I went back to stock thinking that this was a problem with other roms only, but the same thing happen with stock rom. Any ideas/clues/solutions? thanks in advance

Long ping times is normal due to how it operates. But only 5-6mbps? That's pretty slow. Most get averages of 13-18mbps and some get averages around 25.
Try the different modems to see which will be better for your location.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

DocHoliday77 said:
Long ping times is normal due to how it operates. But only 5-6mbps? That's pretty slow. Most get averages of 13-18mbps and some get averages around 25.
Try the different modems to see which will be better for your location.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, its kind of normal to get slower speed while on a call?

It would seem a logical conclusion. But I've never tested it. But I've never had anything not load or go slow enough for me to notice. If I think about it on my next call ill try to test it out.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

DocHoliday77 said:
It would seem a logical conclusion. But I've never tested it. But I've never had anything not load or go slow enough for me to notice. If I think about it on my next call ill try to test it out.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok thanks, The problem here is that I find it way to slow.. lets say I'm downloading a file with no phone call going and I get 600KB/s, during I call I get like 16 to 40KB/s at most... It's like having dial up again... way to slow.. I think something is not right but can't figure out what, since I reverted back to stock wiped everything and also formatted the system after installing stock..

Have you checked your imei or ever lost it?
If not you should really try the different modems.
If this is a recent development you should also call support to see if they have any tower issues in your area.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

DocHoliday77 said:
Have you checked your imei or ever lost it?
If not you should really try the different modems.
If this is a recent development you should also call support to see if they have any tower issues in your area.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMEI still intact, and have never lost it. I will try with different modems thank you! I'm not sure if this is a new issue since I didn't use my internet as I am using it now while on a call before, also I moved from Puerto Rico to the states for a few months, so there are many variables at the same time. But will try with the modems.
Another question, when I odin Stock (not rooted) ROM does everything (incl. modem, kernel, etc) goes back to stock?

fireboypr said:
IMEI still intact, and have never lost it. I will try with different modems thank you! I'm not sure if this is a new issue since I didn't use my internet as I am using it now while on a call before, also I moved from Puerto Rico to the states for a few months, so there are many variables at the same time. But will try with the modems.
Another question, when I odin Stock (not rooted) ROM does everything (incl. modem, kernel, etc) goes back to stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck.with the modems! It takes patience, but is worth it in the end!
Yes, Odin flashing the official firmware will set everything back on stock.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

Hello, spent the whole day testing out every single JB modem from your post and none of them solved my problem... did find better speeds with some on them while not on a call. But as soon as I'm on a call the speed drops to about 47kbps, looks like a cap or something because I get constant speed of 47-49 kbps. Sometimes it goes over the cap and works normally but for a few seconds then the speed drops and its not constant anymore until it reaches around 47kbps... This is so frustrating... is there anything else that I can try out??
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

fireboypr said:
Hello, spent the whole day testing out every single JB modem from your post and none of them solved my problem... did find better speeds with some on them while not on a call. But as soon as I'm on a call the speed drops to about 47kbps, looks like a cap or something because I get constant speed of 47-49 kbps. Sometimes it goes over the cap and works normally but for a few seconds then the speed drops and its not constant anymore until it reaches around 47kbps... This is so frustrating... is there anything else that I can try out??
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash the LJC firmware package. Third firmware link in my signature. This is for SGH-T999 (d2tmo) only. Unsure about the download cap while talking on the phone. Aren't the two separate? Cell and data, right? Shouldn't be a cap then, but I've never been talking on the phone while downloading a file. I will try it if I think about it tomorrow.
5-6Mbps is not bad. It just depends so much on where you are. My fastest test ever was the other day @ 14.4Mbps. It's not a big city, but it's sizable. It's usually under 10Mbps in that location. And normally less than that everywhere else in the area. There are some areas that put me on Edge. Might as well just turn on airplane mode. Because T-Mobile's Edge... is actually worse than no data connection at all.

Thank you, will try that tomorrow. 5-6mbps is fine for me but that is without call. While on call is like 0.37mbps constant or really bad ups and downs.. is like edge (worst than not having connection at all).. anyways will try and report back. Thanks again
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Sorry I couldn't remember this before, but I have a theory that could explain what's going on there.
Voice calls and 2g (GPRS) both share the same frequency spectrum. I remember doing some 3g research in the past and one of the benefits to the introduction of 3g was more overall bandwidth for all, even those left on 2g. At the time, 2g data service was greatly impacted by how much voice traffic was going across the network at any given time.
During peak voice call times, there was less bandwidth for mobile data users because the tech was designed to give priority to the calls. This meant even slower than usual 2g data speeds.
But as people moved to 3g, there were less using 2g for data lessening the impact caused by voice and sms communications.
So what I'm getting at is when you are on a call, that call is going across 2g frequencies, meaning you are connected to 2g. (Though 4g data should still be available to you regardless. But it may have something to do with what you're experiencing.)
Keep in mind that this was 3 or 4 years ago. I'd think that it'd work differently now. But it is possible that they never changed the fact that voice shares its spectrum with 2g. I could be seriously off with all of this, but I still thought I'd mention it since it would make a little sense with the speeds you're seeing.
The thing is, the S3.is capable of using DC-HSPA (dual carrier) which means it can use 2 different signals at once (one from T-Mobile, one from a partner carrier) for greater speeds (HSPA+42). So I don't understand why it won't use this same tech to give you better data speeds while on a call.
I know I've used mobile data while on the phone before, and never felt like the qos was lacking. But I never speed tested it either.
The more I think about it though, the more I'm thinking it's either firmware (see aerowinders post above), hardware, or you're connecting to a tower that either has problems or hasn't been upgraded in a long time. I don't believe that what you're seeing is normal operation.
Of course every bit of this is speculation at this point. Hope no one thinks I wasted their time with it. I thought it may spark some ideas though!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

I was looking up some information and ran across this. Figured Id link you to it since it is directly related to your problem.
You can pretty much ignore my above post! LOL
T-Mobile Support Document - Using Voice and Data Services at the Same Time
Basically, it looks like you should call Tmobile.

Tried with the file you provided and still the same results.. I guess I will have to call tmobile to troubleshoot this problem :/ thanks tho
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Good luck! Let us know your results if you don't mind.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

Hello, I still have not called customer service, but I'm going to be back where I din't have any problems next week. I'm going to test it out there. If I don't have problems there, then it's this area the one with problems. Anyways I will let you all know my findings.. Thank you all for the support!
Edit: I just confirmed that it works perfectly fine where it used to worked fine. It must be the new area where I moved recently that has issues. Thank you all for your time and help.

Related

1x/3g

Not sure when and with what ROM this started happening but my signal drops to 1x really frequently. 3G is always going in and out. Any ideas or fixes? Has this been discussed somewhere before? On train ride in to work so haven't searched threads yet! I flashed synergy a few days ago coming from mikg and before that gingerale..and before that cyanogen! It seems like I've had the problem since moving back to sense from cyanogen about a month/month and a half ago.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Where are you located? Have you had speed related issues?
Sprint has been having issues related to the overloading of towers with the excessive growth of data usage [with the boom of the Evo]
Towers are set to send some phones to 1x when 3g usage is high in order to alleviate speed issues for all.
That could explain your issues.
mattykinsx said:
Where are you located? Have you had speed related issues?
Sprint has been having issues related to the overloading of towers with the excessive growth of data usage [with the boom of the Evo]
Towers are set to send some phones to 1x when 3g usage is high in order to alleviate speed issues for all.
That could explain your issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in the northwest suburbs outside of downtown Chicago. I work and commute to the city and I experience it the whole ride to and from home. I will be sitting at my desk and randomly go from full 3G to 1x. At home in the suburbs, my signal is terrible in my house already but I do get dropped to 1x as well. Don't really notice any speed changes besides the normal slowdowns from what I am assuming is the congestion.
That sounds like a horrible way to fix their congestion issues! Is this something they just started doing? Like I said in the first post, everything functioned perfect up until a month or two ago. Also, would they apply that to an area as big as Chicago out the suburbs?
ripalsanghani said:
I live in the northwest suburbs outside of downtown Chicago. I work and commute to the city and I experience it the whole ride to and from home. I will be sitting at my desk and randomly go from full 3G to 1x. At home in the suburbs, my signal is terrible in my house already but I do get dropped to 1x as well. Don't really notice any speed changes besides the normal slowdowns from what I am assuming is the congestion.
That sounds like a horrible way to fix their congestion issues! Is this something they just started doing? Like I said in the first post, everything functioned perfect up until a month or two ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not a fix, it's just a way to alleviate some congestion while they work on redoing the towers.
I'm not saying this is what's happening to you but it's likely.
You can try to have the phone reactivate itself. [If I recall correctly that function is in ##yourmsl#]
You can get your MSL here.
You can also try to update your PRL and then Data profile.
Same thing here. I've complained to Sprint several times so now they want me to bring my phone in to be checked so I need to unroot. Ugh
mattykinsx said:
It's not a fix, it's just a way to alleviate some congestion while they work on redoing the towers.
I'm not saying this is what's happening to you but it's likely.
You can try to have the phone reactivate itself. [If I recall correctly that function is in ##yourmsl#]
You can get your MSL here.
You can also try to update your PRL and then Data profile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. I will give it a shot. I did update my PRL and profile in that order but didn't seem to help. If nothing helps maybe I'll have to get this bad boy replaced or something.
ripalsanghani said:
Thanks for the info. I will give it a shot. I did update my PRL and profile in that order but didn't seem to help. If nothing helps maybe I'll have to get this bad boy replaced or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, and before you ask there is no logical reasoning for this and even the very knowledgeable technician that recommended it hasn't figured out why it would do anything, you can try going to ##3282# and clicking "view" and then clicking on EVDO and then backing out and trying the internet.
They don't know why that would do anything and no it doesn't make any sense...but that's exactly why I refuse to go into anything related to working on computers...for being logical they aren't logical...at all.
By the way, doesn't hurt to keep your radios updated.
Best of luck.
mattykinsx said:
Also, and before you ask there is no logical reasoning for this and even the very knowledgeable technician that recommended it hasn't figured out why it would do anything, you can try going to ##3282# and clicking "view" and then clicking on EVDO and then backing out and trying the internet.
They don't know why that would do anything and no it doesn't make any sense...but that's exactly why I refuse to go into anything related to working on computers...for being logical they aren't logical...at all.
By the way, doesn't hurt to keep your radios updated.
Best of luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, I am actually in IT so I know exactly what you mean. I will try that out as well. And my radios were updated and I was actually considering rolling back to see if that caused any issues for me.
Let me correct myself, sorry I never run Sense, it's ##786# then you hit menu and hit reset.
You need to have your MSL. Also, please note that this will erase your /data and you will lose all personal information.
Furthermore, be sure to cancel when it tries to do a check for firmware update.
This honestly may be more trouble than it worth though.
Thanks, yeah I found the reset option in another thread. I reset, hit the prl update, cancelled the firmware check and will run this around town for the day see if I get 1x. I'll post back here later today. thanks again for the help!
Well used for most of the day and so far so good. Saw it go down 1x once on train compared to everytime I unlocked the phone. Let's hope this isn't temporary . Ill post again after the weekend to test around the suburbs and state to state during a trip to toronto. Thanks again!
Oh and speed still sucks but that's a sprint issue obviously.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
ripalsanghani said:
Oh and speed still sucks but that's a sprint issue obviously.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it is.
ripalsanghani said:
Not sure when and with what ROM this started happening but my signal drops to 1x really frequently. 3G is always going in and out. Any ideas or fixes? Has this been discussed somewhere before? On train ride in to work so haven't searched threads yet! I flashed synergy a few days ago coming from mikg and before that gingerale..and before that cyanogen! It seems like I've had the problem since moving back to sense from cyanogen about a month/month and a half ago.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same problem a month ago. It's the phone. I tried many different combination of radios and roms but no help. Ended up exchanging it. When you bring in the phone just use the android browser to load a heavy graphic webpage which should take forever in 1x mode.

Signal Strength on E4GT ICS Is Erratic

My signal strength is jumping around like crazy...from -106dBm then back up to -64dBm...and everything in between, in a matter of seconds. This has been happening since FD24.
I have been using Sfhub's stock rooted nodata roms. I tried the FD02 kernel repack with rougue recovery on FD26 rom & modem, and it seemed to jump around alot less.
Could the kernels be the issue? Or the modem? or the Rom itself?
Update for FF02:
FF02 seems to be better for now...will do some tests later. I had it jump around only once yesterday.
Try throwing your phone at the wall, fixed mine
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Rinzler said:
My signal strength is jumping around like crazy...from -106dBm then back up to -64dBm...and everything in between, in a matter of seconds. This has been happening since FD24.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it is jumping fro -106 to -64 and back, it is probably scanning because it lost signal. When you first boot your phone, often it exhibits the same scanning behavior.
sfhub said:
If it is jumping fro -106 to -64 and back, it is probably scanning because it lost signal. When you first boot your phone, often it exhibits the same scanning behavior.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I figured...and that fact is absolutely murdering my battery life.
You think a data reset will help?
I wouldn't say there is a great chance, but the possibility exists.
The "cleanest" install possible is the following:
1) install Full ODIN OneClick
2) remove external sdcard, if any
3) from android, format internal sdcard
4) from android, perform ##786# reset (providing your MSL, which can be retrieved via "getprop ril.MSL" from terminal or adb shell)
If you format your sdcard, make sure you move your backups to your PC or other external storage.
What does the ##786# reset do exactly?
Rinzler said:
What does the ##786# reset do exactly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It resets NVRAM as well as your Android user data.
You dial ##786# in the dialer on a stock rom.
It will reset stuff like your phone #, your data login, and other values stored in nvram.
It will cause your phone to perform hands free activation at the next boot, which will populate that information again as well as update profile and prl.
Hands free activation only works on Sprint's native network so don't do it in a place where you can't reliably get signal.
Anybody else having this problem?
Rinzler said:
Anybody else having this problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
happened to me right after i flashed fe07 modem. i moved back to fd26 to see if its the towers or modem. all seems fine, but i will be keeping an eye over the next day.
FE07 had absolutely abysmal 3G data speeds. It took so long to download the Facebook app update that I immediately flashed an older modem to check against it - FC24 runs like a CHAMP.
I tested fe07 for a day or so. I didn't notice much other than it would drop to 1x often. I ran a speed test 3/4g between fd26 and fe07. Fd26 clearly performed better for me. I went back.
Still rockin EL29 here. All the new modems sofar for me have sukt dik. And YES I let them settle in B4 pulling any test. SOOOO I dont want to hear the BS here, like whatwent on with my other post in a similar topic. Yeah got me sum points taken away..lol..
Indrid Cole said:
Still rockin EL29 here. All the new modems sofar for me have sukt dik. And YES I let them settle in B4 pulling any test. SOOOO I dont want to hear the BS here, like whatwent on with my other post in a similar topic. Yeah got me sum points taken away..lol..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Updating profile is what's important. there's no settling in. Im using ek02. It's the most stable (IMO)
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA
revamper said:
Updating profile is what's important. there's no settling in. Im using ek02. It's the most stable.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try ta tell that to some of the fools in here. Then bam a mod from a completely diff forum or wherever he is from hands me a infraction. Oh well. It is fun to flame. Fuk um.
Lol
I don't discuss modems because for every release 1/3 think it is better, 1/3 think it is worse, and 1/3 think it is the same.
No matter what you say, some people are in violent disagreement.
Just pick what works for you.
Fe07 is the best ever in history until the next best release!
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
I got the "you roamed too much call" yesterday. I don't force roam ever because I'm in FL and force roam doesn't work here with sammy phones.
I was running several of the recent modems last month and used 5GB of data roaming. Almost 100% of my data. Was the first and only month this has ever happened....in 8-9 years. I reverted back to older modem and roaming stopped. This was on top of the fact that I keep wifi on at all tines at home because my house is a dead spot. I also have an air rave (whatever its called).
I only listen to music, email and surf web. Quite surprised by the call.
I explained to rep that I only go to work and home. That for whatever reason home and work are dead zones. Of course he checks and tells me coverage is great in my city. Then he says sprint can boot me, or I can ask to switch for free. Told him I didn't want either. His solution was for me to put setting for roaming sprint only. I asked him how I would use my phone if I only roamed sprint? No answer.
Very frustrating since I wasn't force roaming, have 6 lines and can't afford other carrier and I actually like sprint.
Sent from home How do I turn my phone on?
My phone came with El29, and after seeing loss of signal often I started experimenting with modems. Tried fd19, fd24, fd26, and fe07, and I still get bouts of loss signal. It's not an issue of bad reception, because my OG epic has no signal problems.
Hows the signal on FE10?

Help with E4GT radios needed

I had the Evo 4g for about 1.5 years and it was a great phone. It started having problems so I decided to upgrade to the Samsung S2 on Sprint. Ever since I got it I have low signal most everywhere, can't connect to 4g unless I'm out under open sky, and my phone flips to roaming a lot. I have updated everything but still no fix. I'm rooted but on stock ATM. Please I need some suggestions for fixing this with tweaks or a better rom. Specs below.
SPH-D710
2.3.6
EL29
All I can suggest is try all the modems,at most I get 4 bars,4g cuts out alot for me
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA
Ignore the low signal stuff. Our phone is just really accurate. Nothing wrong with our radios. You'll still be fine if its low signal usually
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
locoboi187 said:
Ignore the low signal stuff. Our phone is just really accurate. Nothing wrong with our radios. You'll still be fine if its low signal usually
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of times when I am roaming or have really low bars I can't make or receive calls at all. I seem to remember having similar problems with a Samsung device on T-Mobile. Is the hardware side of Samsung's weaker than HTC? If it was just low signal but I could still use the device as a phone I wouldn't care, but it is just an expensive toy a decent portion of my day as it is right now.
Try clearing your nvram and reactivating.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Yeah I ignore my signal bar as well.. Even when it's low, my calls data sms are just fine.. But then again I'm in a area where sprint works great
- Sent From My Blu Kuban Themed Tapatalk Like A Boss
revamper said:
Try clearing your nvram and reactivating.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you clear your nvram?
Part of my point in all this is that I am in an area that has good Sprint coverage, the only difference between my usage is the phone. I was consistently on 4G with my Evo now I very rarely can connect or stay connected, I always had cell service on my Evo, now lots of dropped calls and static and unable to send/recieve texts unless under open sky.
dlpetey said:
I had the Evo 4g for about 1.5 years and it was a great phone. It started having problems so I decided to upgrade to the Samsung S2 on Sprint. Ever since I got it I have low signal most everywhere, can't connect to 4g unless I'm out under open sky, and my phone flips to roaming a lot. I have updated everything but still no fix. I'm rooted but on stock ATM. Please I need some suggestions for fixing this with tweaks or a better rom. Specs below.
SPH-D710
2.3.6
EL29
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your best bet might be to try a bunch of different modems. [modems here = radios on other devices like HTC]
You'll have to root and add CWM to flash them. Modems are build 'independant'. Meaing you could be on EL29 and use an FG20 modem if you'd like. By far the best reception (both 3g an 4g) has been on the FG20.
If you want to keep your phone on EL29 stock use sfhub's 'Autoroot' and add EL29+CWM-Rogue. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1342728
Hit up the 'Modem repository by rwilco12 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1662295
After each modem flash I suggest updating the PRL and Profile too.
Find one that gives you the best signal for your area.
There are also '3g/4g speed tweak' posts in this forum That will work on GB and ICS builds.
Good luck.
dlpetey said:
How do you clear your nvram?
Part of my point in all this is that I am in an area that has good Sprint coverage, the only difference between my usage is the phone. I was consistently on 4G with my Evo now I very rarely can connect or stay connected, I always had cell service on my Evo, now lots of dropped calls and static and unable to send/recieve texts unless under open sky.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would think they would've mellowed this out of the all the phones by now, but you may be experiencing the infamous Loss of Service (LOS) issue this phone wrought when it was first released.
dlpetey said:
How do you clear your nvram?
Part of my point in all this is that I am in an area that has good Sprint coverage, the only difference between my usage is the phone. I was consistently on 4G with my Evo now I very rarely can connect or stay connected, I always had cell service on my Evo, now lots of dropped calls and static and unable to send/recieve texts unless under open sky.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can either use odin or a dialer code + your MSL.
There are new PRL out and I get a better signal now and better 3g speeds. Update prl and profile first. Next try different modems, I like FE22
Thank you everyone. I just updated the PRL and Profile again. I'll see if that makes any difference and if not I will start running through the modems. If I find something that works I'll post back.

[Q] New GS3 vs GNex, getting very poor ping

When I had my Galaxy Nexus I was regularly getting pings of 80-110ms and 6-10MB downloads.
Just got a new T-Mo GS3 last night from the T-Mo store and all pings have been OVER 1000ms with around 5-6MB downloads.
Both phones were/are on the $30 Prepaid plan (100 mins, unl/5GB data & unl text). Only the phones have changes. Always testing from the same location. The download speed is fine even at 3-4MB it's the pings that are killers. Testing with Speedtest.net app so whether the tests are accurate or not the comparison delta should be valid.
Any changes that need to be made with the prepaid plans?
I would try flashing a different radio on it and see if that helps. Some people have better results using different radios which perform better or worse depending on which area you live in.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Read through my thread and you should be able to understand whats haooening a bit better.
In a nutshell, your ping times probably aren't going to matter as much as you might think. Reason it happens is because at idle you are on a slower connection and when you begin data transfer it takes a moment to jump to 4G.
As soon as the test finishes immediately retest and youll probably see that ping time go down.
Also make sure your using the same server. And toggle airplane mode on/off on both phones before testing.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1880987
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
DocHoliday77 said:
Read through my thread and you should be able to understand whats haooening a bit better.
In a nutshell, your ping times probably aren't going to matter as much as you might think. Reason it happens is because at idle you are on a slower connection and when you begin data transfer it takes a moment to jump to 4G.
As soon as the test finishes immediately retest and youll probably see that ping time go down.
Also make sure your using the same server. And toggle airplane mode on/off on both phones before testing.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1880987
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks .. it seems to have improved today. Maybe it was a local issue.
Usually is a tower issue. Especially if all you do is test one time and blame the phone immediately.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
theking_13 said:
Usually is a tower issue. Especially if all you do is test one time and blame the phone immediately.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, however the tests on the SGSIII was run multiple times (dozens) over 24hrs.

Defective Radio?

I have been having a lot of problems with my new honey, namely in the signal department! I went through a whole thing with it right after activation...it worked, then didn't, then did...etc. A chat session, phone call, & 2 trip to the actual store (all in 1 day!) resulted in them doing a factory reset and sending me on my looney way. It seemed to have helped, for about a day and a half. Now it is dropping signal again! It seems to do so, sometimes, when I have the wifi on. But then sometimes not (I'm not sure if wifi is culprit or coincidence.)
The ATT store employees said I may have changed a setting (I'm sure I didn't as I don't know of any setting that would even cause that!) and also "explained" my signal will naturally fluctuate...(They think I am an idiot, obviously and of course the phone was working fine when I was there...duh!) They also gave me a new sim card.
I *really* want to love this phone! But I'm finding it frustratingly undependable. Texts won't send when I need them to. I'm not getting them either, always. Voice is hit or miss when it drops (sometimes it works, sometimes not.) I have ALSO noticed the signal is not as strong as my old beloved Cappy. That thing was a horse (and I'm thinking of going back to it if this new one doesn't wise up!) Seriously, $300 bucks for a brand new phone & it can't keep a proper signal?
Is it the radio? Is it the software (still 100% stock, unrooted)? Should I make them give me a new one? What if it doesn't work, either? Flashing it to fix the issue is fine for me, but I've been holding out for multi-view before I get flash-crazy. lol Not to mention I may have to return it so better to not mess with it [yet]. I'm very frustrated & tired of getting looked upon like I'm the typical woman idiot who is not as smart as her new smartphone!!! I am NOT imagining it!!!
k.babymamma said:
I have been having a lot of problems with my new honey, namely in the signal department! I went through a whole thing with it right after activation...it worked, then didn't, then did...etc. A chat session, phone call, & 2 trip to the actual store (all in 1 day!) resulted in them doing a factory reset and sending me on my looney way. It seemed to have helped, for about a day and a half. Now it is dropping signal again! It seems to do so, sometimes, when I have the wifi on. But then sometimes not (I'm not sure if wifi is culprit or coincidence.)
The ATT store employees said I may have changed a setting (I'm sure I didn't as I don't know of any setting that would even cause that!) and also "explained" my signal will naturally fluctuate...(They think I am an idiot, obviously and of course the phone was working fine when I was there...duh!) They also gave me a new sim card.
I *really* want to love this phone! But I'm finding it frustratingly undependable. Texts won't send when I need them to. I'm not getting them either, always. Voice is hit or miss when it drops (sometimes it works, sometimes not.) I have ALSO noticed the signal is not as strong as my old beloved Cappy. That thing was a horse (and I'm thinking of going back to it if this new one doesn't wise up!) Seriously, $300 bucks for a brand new phone & it can't keep a proper signal?
Is it the radio? Is it the software (still 100% stock, unrooted)? Should I make them give me a new one? What if it doesn't work, either? Flashing it to fix the issue is fine for me, but I've been holding out for multi-view before I get flash-crazy. lol Not to mention I may have to return it so better to not mess with it [yet]. I'm very frustrated & tired of getting looked upon like I'm the typical woman idiot who is not as smart as her new smartphone!!! I am NOT imagining it!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would definitely take it back and make them give you a new one.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Sounds like your antennae is shorting out or something like it wasn't soldered properly or the cable isn't secure. Would explain why WiFi affects it. I'd go there and demand a replacement and if they don't wanna budge your within 30 day no questions return. Then go to a diff store and get a new one. I really don't see it being a software issue.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
cjsspape said:
Sounds like your antennae is shorting out or something like it wasn't soldered properly or the cable isn't secure. Would explain why WiFi affects it. I'd go there and demand a replacement and if they don't wanna budge your within 30 day no questions return. Then go to a diff store and get a new one. I really don't see it being a software issue.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it possible that whatever the problem was, it miraculously resolved itself? I had it drop signal two more times since this post, then nothing since. It's been working perfectly. I hate to keep it if it might arise again but I hate to return it if it was some weird fluke thing.
This may or may not be related to the above problem: has anyone noticed their reception is not as good as on a previous device? I had a Cappy and it always got great signal. I noticed this one is not as strong in the same places I previously visited with my old phone. Although admittedly, it seems to be improving. Does that even make sense or is even possible? Just like me, my phone has to be the goofball of the bunch!
k.babymamma said:
Is it possible that whatever the problem was, it miraculously resolved itself? I had it drop signal two more times since this post, then nothing since. It's been working perfectly. I hate to keep it if it might arise again but I hate to return it if it was some weird fluke thing.
This may or may not be related to the above problem: has anyone noticed their reception is not as good as on a previous device? I had a Cappy and it always got great signal. I noticed this one is not as strong in the same places I previously visited with my old phone. Although admittedly, it seems to be improving. Does that even make sense or is even possible? Just like me, my phone has to be the goofball of the bunch!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha I'm glad its working better but I still think it may be hardware related. I get better signal now with this device then my sIII or my note before it. Have ya done anything to your phone at all? Root mod etc?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
cjsspape said:
Haha I'm glad its working better but I still think it may be hardware related. I get better signal now with this device then my sIII or my note before it. Have ya done anything to your phone at all? Root mod etc?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. I've done nothing because I'm having this returning debate. lol I'm itching to though!
This is classic "my car doesn't work so take it to the garage then it works fine and they will make fun of you" If I do return it what do I say? It is documented about my "troubles" as per the ATT phone rep. Though if I can't reproduce the problem they're just going to send me on my way, I'm afraid.
k.babymamma said:
Nope. I've done nothing because I'm having this returning debate. lol I'm itching to though!
This is classic "my car doesn't work so take it to the garage then it works fine and they will make fun of you" If I do return it what do I say? It is documented about my "troubles" as per the ATT phone rep. Though if I can't reproduce the problem they're just going to send me on my way, I'm afraid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With enough "negotiating" they'll take it back haha. Plus are you still within your no ask return window? Just explain how its sporatic but annoying to the point its not functional for reliable use and they should do something within their power to help ya out
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
k.babymamma said:
Nope. I've done nothing because I'm having this returning debate. lol I'm itching to though!
This is classic "my car doesn't work so take it to the garage then it works fine and they will make fun of you" If I do return it what do I say? It is documented about my "troubles" as per the ATT phone rep. Though if I can't reproduce the problem they're just going to send me on my way, I'm afraid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You spent enough money on the device, you should be absolutely happy with it, not apprehensive. If you wait past the return date, it's going to sit in the pit of your stomach for 20 months and ruin your enjoyment of it until you can upgrade again. Not worth it. Smile your brightest smile, walk into the store, very nicely tell them that you've had multiple issues and the AT&T phone reps said to go in and ask for an exchange. That's it. They're going to count on you being intimidated and going away. Smile, be nice, and don't be intimidated.
If they say you have to reproduce the problem, invite them to spend the day with you. The Note 2 is amazing and you shouldn't settle if you believe your hardware is having problems.
UserNamer said:
You spent enough money on the device, you should be absolutely happy with it, not apprehensive. If you wait past the return date, it's going to sit in the pit of your stomach for 20 months and ruin your enjoyment of it until you can upgrade again. Not worth it. Smile your brightest smile, walk into the store, very nicely tell them that you've had multiple issues and the AT&T phone reps said to go in and ask for an exchange. That's it. They're going to count on you being intimidated and going away. Smile, be nice, and don't be intimidated.
If they say you have to reproduce the problem, invite them to spend the day with you. The Note 2 is amazing and you shouldn't settle if you believe your hardware is having problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. I have decided to take it in later today, as my 14 days is up on Friday. I hope they have stock of them. Anyhow...I have another question. If a phone is sitting still with no movement (and the weather is good, lol) will there be variations in signal strength? I get 3 bars with 4G showing, then it drops to one tiny bar. Sometimes the 4G disappears then reappears. The it will go back up to 4 bars. All in the course 5 minutes! I do realize signal will vary with movement but will it if your phone is just sitting there?
I am trying to experiment a little. I just realized/remembered that I had (uneventfully) dropped my phone (not hard, in-case) about the same time as my dropped signal problem pretty much resolved itself. So then I was like, hmm, maybe there IS something loose inside. I've tried gently shaking/jarring it here on my desk, coincidentally with the bars dropping back to just 1 as a result. But then again it may be coincidental as they are seeming to waiver A LOT. I just wondered if it is normal.
I never really stared at my old phone (Galaxy1) here at my desk but I'm almost positive it always had more than 1 bar at this same location and I never noticed it waiver like this one. But like I said I never had to make myself stare at it to check, either! lol Just wondering if someone knows a little more about cellphone signal 101 than me.
I have the issue of no 4G HSPA+ but I can get a strong LTE signal when in an LTE reception area. I'm wondering if you are in an LTE area and can get LTE? Where are you located?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
I have noticed problems with my GN2 as well. Mine shows I have signal but my data stalls or doesn't seem to work as it should. I'm in an area where there shouldn't be any problems. Only seems to happen in non LTE areas. Whenever I have LTE signal this thing is blazing fast.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
Update: Took the phone in. Basically, they had never heard of the issue with this phone. But...I walked away with a replacement. So far so good though I've had it only a few hours. The girl was very nice & explained even though I was borderline limit she would take care of me. I told her I received it Fri the 9th but she said they were basing the 14 days on the 7th! I said I didn't physically have it till the 9th! Jeeze. Moot point since she was going to take care of it anyhow but it just concerned me how (corporate) att could chop 2 days of my in-store return time!
So no, I'm not in LTE land, unfortunately. 3g H+ & E only though I can't complain about the coverage or speed. Good enough for me 4 sure.
The signal bars waivered quite a bit even while in the store. They said while some fluctuation is normal it shouldn't be as much as it was doing especially with the close proximity of the tower & good weather and especially while just sitting on the counter.
I downloaded the free app "No Signal Alert" from the Play Store. In just a few hours it recorded lost signal 4 times! (In a very good coverage area) [my first phone b4 the exchange] Consider using it if you want to see if you are losing signal like I was. Handy app!
Hopefully this is a good one. I know it sounds goofy but this phone seems to even move faster than the other. Weird. It will be interesting to hear if anyone else is having this problem. Maybe there was a bad batch of them or something? Like the Nexus I read about & their signal problems.
Sent from my awesome gn2 jesusphone using xda app-developers app
Haha im glad that they helped ya! No its not goofy or silly to think that one phones faster then another because no two phones are alike. The silicone chips are very different and performance can very greatly. I had an s3 that wouldnt take custom kernels to save its life but I got it replaced after a two year old and a toilet incident haha and that one took even the most abusive settings in stride!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
I have a similar situation with mine. LTE will be working fine but then I notice that once I connect to my home wifi and then either leave my wifi range or turn off wifi the LTE icon will show in the status bar and it will show that it's sending and receiving data but Web pages will stall and never load, Play Store will timeout, and SpeedTest.net will start up but the needle will freeze about 1/8 of the way up indefinitely. I've toggled data at this point but it never fixes it, I have to restart the phone at which point LTE works perfectly but once I get back on my wifi the cycle will repeat, this has happened reliably for about the past week.
Do you all think I have a defective radio or am I missing something? I'm still within my return Window and will probably swap it Friday.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
williamsjscott said:
I have a similar situation with mine. LTE will be working fine but then I notice that once I connect to my home wifi and then either leave my wifi range or turn off wifi the LTE icon will show in the status bar and it will show that it's sending and receiving data but Web pages will stall and never load, Play Store will timeout, and SpeedTest.net will start up but the needle will freeze about 1/8 of the way up indefinitely. I've toggled data at this point but it never fixes it, I have to restart the phone at which point LTE works perfectly but once I get back on my wifi the cycle will repeat, this has happened reliably for about the past week.
Do you all think I have a defective radio or am I missing something? I'm still within my return Window and will probably swap it Friday.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea my wifi lte transfer is always spot on so something may be wrong
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
williamsjscott said:
I have a similar situation with mine. LTE will be working fine but then I notice that once I connect to my home wifi and then either leave my wifi range or turn off wifi the LTE icon will show in the status bar and it will show that it's sending and receiving data but Web pages will stall and never load, Play Store will timeout, and SpeedTest.net will start up but the needle will freeze about 1/8 of the way up indefinitely. I've toggled data at this point but it never fixes it, I have to restart the phone at which point LTE works perfectly but once I get back on my wifi the cycle will repeat, this has happened reliably for about the past week.
Do you all think I have a defective radio or am I missing something? I'm still within my return Window and will probably swap it Friday.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds very similar to how mine is acting. I'm wondering if it is the ATT smart WiFi app causing the problem. Shows data incoming and outgoing but stalls.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
kkl0wn said:
Sounds very similar to how mine is acting. I'm wondering if it is the ATT smart WiFi app causing the problem. Shows data incoming and outgoing but stalls.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly how it's acting for me. I just now disabled the AT&T Smart WiFi app and after a quick restart and toggle test there was no problems, but I'm not sure if the problem will only pop up after I've been on wifi for a while. I'm going to see if it keeps doing it tomorrow.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Disabling Smart WiFi appeared to fix the problem.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
What I noticed today is that when this same issue happens, with 4G icon and wifi icon both active, it occurs after I manually check for a firmware update within the system settings. The 4G icon doesn't go away until I reset the phone.
Also I manually deleted the all the AT&T boat ware apps before this was happening so the smart wifi app is not causing this for me.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Weird, if you get the issue and don't have the Smart WiFi app then it must be something else and it was coincidence that it worked normal for me today. I've only checked for firmware once (when I first got my phone) so it must be something else causing it. I'm hoping the multi view firmware will also have a fix for it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

Categories

Resources