Hey guys, Not sure if this is normal or not, but in my house I get 1 bar signal with the phone bare and laying on the table. If I put my case on it (Spigen Slim Armor View) it loses that one bar. (without case I get 101-DBm, with the case it jumps to 109-DBm or so. I thought it was the case at first but than I remembered the "death grip" so I put my hands on both sides of the phone while it was laying on the table and it lost the bar from my hands covering the sides.
The case i have can be taken apart into three pieces. I stripped it down to JUST the TPU part and put that on the phone, and it still loses it just with the TPU part of the case on it. Originally I figured I'd just get a different case to use at home where I have low signal but it seems I can't even use a regular TPU case without it dropping the signal...
Anyone else in low services area's experiencing the same?
(Note: I have a T-mobile S4, but its unlocked and running on AT&T's network. Not sure if that matters but I figured since the phone itself is T-mobile I'd post here)
hoitsn silently
Do you get 4g lte or just 4G/hspa?
seeming you only get 1 bar in your house, i would assume any little thing would disrupt your 1 par, since its so weak in the first place. This is the reason why i love wifi calling so much because if i didnt have it, id be in the same boat as you
Adam0524 said:
Do you get 4g lte or just 4G/hspa?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Outside my front door I get LTE, as soon as I walk inside my door I lose it.
TheAtheistOtaku said:
seeming you only get 1 bar in your house, i would assume any little thing would disrupt your 1 par, since its so weak in the first place. This is the reason why i love wifi calling so much because if i didnt have it, id be in the same boat as you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah Wifi calling is cool but I don't make many phone calls anyway, the only problem is the 1 bar of signal is enough to receive text messages. If I have my case on and it loses that 1 bar, I get text messages about 45 minutes after they're sent to me. Which is really annoying since I hate leaving my phone bare in order to get my texts on time... Guess that's the price I pay from going to AT&T from Verizon network.
Their coverage map shows "Good" at my address (Which it is, OUTSIDE) but inside any building its garbage.
SemiGamer said:
Outside my front door I get LTE, as soon as I walk inside my door I lose it.
Yeah Wifi calling is cool but I don't make many phone calls anyway, the only problem is the 1 bar of signal is enough to receive text messages. If I have my case on and it loses that 1 bar, I get text messages about 45 minutes after they're sent to me. Which is really annoying since I hate leaving my phone bare in order to get my texts on time... Guess that's the price I pay from going to AT&T from Verizon network.
Their coverage map shows "Good" at my address (Which it is, OUTSIDE) but inside any building its garbage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your building is just probably old and is made of something that significantly reduces cell phone signal. ANd you do know, that you can send and receive texts, mms and all that jazz with wifi calling too, its not just for calling despite it being called that
TheAtheistOtaku said:
your building is just probably old and is made of something that significantly reduces cell phone signal. ANd you do know, that you can send and receive texts, mms and all that jazz with wifi calling too, its not just for calling despite it being called that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately not, the building is 4 years old. And it happens in all the buildings in my area, restaurants, walmart, neighbors houses, etc.
And I didn't know that, however I'm on AT&T and they don't have it. Maybe I'll give T-mobile a shot but their service in my area is even worse than AT&T lol. Do they do Wifi-calling with Pre-paid?
SemiGamer said:
Unfortunately not, the building is 4 years old. And it happens in all the buildings in my area, restaurants, walmart, neighbors houses, etc.
And I didn't know that, however I'm on AT&T and they don't have it. Maybe I'll give T-mobile a shot but their service in my area is even worse than AT&T lol. Do they do Wifi-calling with Pre-paid?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as long as you have a tmobile sim and a touchwiz tmobile based rom then yes, it will work on any plan. im on the $30 prepaid myself
or you can look into getting a signal repeater for at&t
SemiGamer said:
(Note: I have a T-mobile S4, but its unlocked and running on AT&T's network. Not sure if that matters but I figured since the phone itself is T-mobile I'd post here)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Switch to Tmobile and use wifi calling.
Gunkk said:
Switch to Tmobile and use wifi calling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't recommend it if his coverage is Crap outside the house with tmobile.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4
Dial *#2263# and select Lte Gsm only. That will help your signal
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
alloycowboy said:
Dial *#2263# and select Lte Gsm only. That will help your signal
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Or spend the money for a cell phone repeater. They are worth it trust me i love having full bars in my house again even though outside i only get 1 bar
elesbb said:
Agreed. Or spend the money for a cell phone repeater. They are worth it trust me i love having full bars in my house again even though outside i only get 1 bar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll look into a repeater. However I'm still young and my credit isn't very established yet, and I hear AT&T usually requires a lot of money upfront to start an account. (I use their prepaid $60 plan currently)
alloycowboy said:
Dial *#2263# and select Lte Gsm only. That will help your signal
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just did it, thank you, I'll post back with results after using it today.
Note: in Network Mode under Settings on the device, if its on GSM/WDMA Auto, it stills shows Connected to LTE:14 under Status. Is it forced onto LTE now no matter what mode the network Mode setting is set to?
Gunkk said:
Switch to Tmobile and use wifi calling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-mobile has 0 bars even outside of my house. Not an option.
SemiGamer said:
I'll look into a repeater. However I'm still young and my credit isn't very established yet, and I hear AT&T usually requires a lot of money upfront to start an account. (I use their prepaid $60 plan currently)
Just did it, thank you, I'll post back with results after using it today.
Note: in Network Mode under Settings on the device, if its on GSM/WDMA Auto, it stills shows Connected to LTE:14 under Status. Is it forced onto LTE now no matter what mode the network Mode setting is set to?
T-mobile has 0 bars even outside of my house. Not an option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes...its forced to LTE GSM. But once your out of a LTE area you need to dial *#2263# again and choose "automatic". I will then go 4g
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
---------- Post added at 02:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:38 PM ----------
alloycowboy said:
Yes...its forced to LTE GSM. But once your out of a LTE area you need to dial *#2263# again and choose "automatic". I will then go 4g
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I go back and forth between the two
If I helped hit the Thanks button. ..
Sent from a Wicked S4
alloycowboy said:
Yes...its forced to LTE GSM. But once your out of a LTE area you need to dial *#2263# again and choose "automatic". I will then go 4g
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
---------- Post added at 02:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:38 PM ----------
I go back and forth between the two
If I helped hit the Thanks button. ..
Sent from a Wicked S4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see, however inside my house I don't get LTE (well it goes in and out, but the speeds are like 1mb down and 0.50 up when it does connect) So should I continue to keep it on automatic at home? (Data doesn't matter though, I run on Wifi at home, its just signal strength that I need increased so if the LTE/GSM setting is best for better reception I'll keep it on that at home anyway.
SemiGamer said:
I see, however inside my house I don't get LTE (well it goes in and out, but the speeds are like 1mb down and 0.50 up when it does connect) So should I continue to keep it on automatic at home?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would put it on which ever one gives you the best reception
If I helped hit the Thanks button. ..
Sent from a Wicked S4
Related
I just moved from Verizon to Tmo with a new job. At home, coverage was spotty. Unlike verizon, Tmo has no femtocell. Picked up a CelFi on ebay for under $200.
In short, the CelFi works well and I now have a good signal at home. The CelFi is basically the same as the Wilson or zboost signal boosters, except that the link between the antenna and base station is wireless, 5 GHz, instead of 50ft of coax cable. I don't think there's a reason to pay up for the CelFi if you can hide the coax, but in my case there wasn't a good way to run it.
In my experience, femtocell > booster, and booster = CelFi unless you don't have a good way to run coax. Hope his helps a Tmo user.
I have one of those and it work's great!!!
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
It does work well, but frankly the fact that Tmo doesn't have a femtocell that connects to broadband is a big disappointment. I suspect they bet on wifi calling instead, which has had mixed reviews by some. I'm on Net10, which is tracfone/same as walmart Straight Talk, and it appears wifi calling is for direct tmo customers only. Fortunately I found the CelFi.
Do any of you guys using Cel-Fi have the units disconnecting every few minutes? Mine works well for a few minutes, then they disconnect (status light flashes green on both units for about 15 seconds) and then they reconnect again for a few minutes. I've tried shutting off all wireless devices in my house thinking it is experiencing interference but it still keeps happening. The window unit has a solid 2-3 bars all the time and the coverage unit has an 8 or 9 when connected. I'm wondering if my system is defective?
Straight Talk and Net10
appletechsupport said:
It does work well, but frankly the fact that Tmo doesn't have a femtocell that connects to broadband is a big disappointment. I suspect they bet on wifi calling instead, which has had mixed reviews by some. I'm on Net10, which is tracfone/same as walmart Straight Talk, and it appears wifi calling is for direct tmo customers only. Fortunately I found the CelFi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an Iphone 4 GSM(AT&T) with Straight Talk..I did not see my Cell provider on the CelFi list..
Will the CelFi still work with my phone?
I have one of the T-mo linksys (older) [email protected] routers, which has 2 sim slots. for home phone lines if necessary. Which is basically VoIP and works good.
cisco3280 said:
I have an Iphone 4 GSM(AT&T) with Straight Talk..I did not see my Cell provider on the CelFi list..
Will the CelFi still work with my phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Straight Talk is an MVNO on T-Mobiles and AT&Ts network. It will work if you are on Straight Talk T-Mo.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
theandroidrooter88 said:
Straight Talk is an MVNO on T-Mobiles and AT&Ts network. It will work if you are on Straight Talk T-Mo.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a s2 from tmobile on straight talk and can say that the WiFi calling option does not function. Says unsupported sim. Called ST and they said it won't work
T-Mobile gives you a CelFi unit for free if your a customer and have truly poor service indoors. I've had my unit for 2+ years (I beta tested for TMO) and it works really well. Without the unit I have at most 1 bar of 4G. With the unit I have 3-4 bars of 4G and decent speeds. Also by default this works on those people using Simple Mobile (TMOs MVNO).
Can't complain although im moving to Silver Spring, MD this week from Miami, FL and the coverage in my new place is even worse than in Miami.
Wifi Calling and CelFi to the rescue!!!
How does that happen??? Post some pictures I use to live there.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
KRAZYADROIDMASTER said:
How does that happen??? Post some pictures I use to live there.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who was that in reply to?
quailallstar said:
Who was that in reply to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To you sorry. Just wondering how that area looks now.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
KRAZYADROIDMASTER said:
To you sorry. Just wondering how that area looks now.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RE: Pics of Silver Spring, MD
Google maps, street view... next best thing to being there..
BACK on TOPIC.
.
---------- Post added at 08:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:28 PM ----------
quailallstar said:
T-Mobile gives you a CelFi unit for free if your a customer and have truly poor service indoors. I've had my unit for 2+ years (I beta tested for TMO) and it works really well. Without the unit I have at most 1 bar of 4G. With the unit I have 3-4 bars of 4G and decent speeds. Also by default this works on those people using Simple Mobile (TMOs MVNO).
Can't complain although im moving to Silver Spring, MD this week from Miami, FL and the coverage in my new place is even worse than in Miami.
Wifi Calling and CelFi to the rescue!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Appreciate you mentioning T-Mo Signal Booster does 4G (Data and Voice).
( Unit linked to by T-Mo if you don't qualify links to http://cel-fi.com/ , it only talks about 3G)
My situation is Outside get decent signal, inside due to house having old plaster walls, with a extra layer of drywall over them, PLUS Aluminum siding on outside of house signal is pretty iffy.
Hoping T-Mo Signal Booster on it's way to me will help.
Open Signal Maps v?
Inside 4G?
-109dBm, 3asu
Fluctuates between t-MO'S 4G
UMTS =
EDGE = -91dBm , 11asu
Outside:
-99dBm, 10asu or better. (Varies)
2-3bars average - via 4.04 Android signal indicator. (T-Mo plat maps show me in green area, very close to dark green (BEST?) IIRC.
.
WeAreNotAlone said:
RE: Pics of Silver Spring, MD
Google maps, street view... next best thing to being there..
BACK on TOPIC.
.
---------- Post added at 08:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:28 PM ----------
Appreciate you mentioning T-Mo Signal Booster does 4G (Data and Voice).
( Unit linked to by T-Mo if you don't qualify links to http://cel-fi.com/ , it only talks about 3G)
My situation is Outside get decent signal, inside due to house having old plaster walls, with a extra layer of drywall over them, PLUS Aluminum siding on outside of house signal is pretty iffy.
Hoping T-Mo Signal Booster on it's way to me will help.
Open Signal Maps v?
Inside 4G?
-109dBm, 3asu
Fluctuates between t-MO'S 4G
UMTS =
EDGE = -91dBm , 11asu
Outside:
-99dBm, 10asu or better. (Varies)
2-3bars average - via 4.04 Android signal indicator. (T-Mo plat maps show me in green area, very close to dark green (BEST?) IIRC.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guess I'll respond to my own post.
Cell-Fi T-Mo branded signal booster definitely improved the signal and increased standby/talk/data standby use time.
Called T-Mo Feb 4th 2013 or so to obtain one for a family member..
T-Mo says they are out of stock until JUNE 2013.
They said there is no way to pre-order.
No way to reserve.
No way to pre-pay
No way to place a order, then have unit shipped out, billed
Only way to get one shipped is to call back, hoping you call when they have items in stock.
Way to run a business T-Mo.
(If I was running things I'd what to know how many units to order. How the heck do you get a handle on projected sales /persons interested in your product if you don't take orders?)
I guess that is why they don't have any in stock, eh?
T-Mo management session:
Q: How many Cell-Fi boosters do we need to ORDER?
A: Just a few, no one calling in has placed a "order".
.
Wow I had no idea this existed. Very interesting, thanks!
mtdang said:
Wow I had no idea this existed. Very interesting, thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:good:
I will say my unit is a little wonky (my second one) and sometimes drops my bars from 5 to none. This is probably due to the window unit only having one or two bars at best. I'm in a true dead zone here in 20901 :/
Can anyone with a IR Thermometer, or via finger method check TEMP of second unit?
To all T-Mobile branded Cel-Fi Signal Booster units:
Unit is comprised of a receiver /transmitter which is positioned near a window /area of greatest signal signal. A secondary unit is positioned away from this unit to create a "signal bubble".. within that bubble signal being boosted.
(Second unit is all black- Curved on top - approx 10x6 x 4 inches tall.)
My secondary unit runs very HOT - when it is positioned flat (As it is supposed to be.)
I'd estimate bottom plate of unit to be 120-130 degrees.
I say "estimate" as currently I have second unit *tilted at 45 degrees.
Tilted via a IR thermometer @Ambient temp 72, unit runs at 100, signal showing as "8".
*Tilting the unit- back section raised at 45 degree angle brings temps down. Before it was pretty toasty (HOT!).
Q: Can anyone with a IR Thermometer, or via the finger method check your second unit to see how HOT it's running?
Before tilting the unit- which really shouldn't be necessary bottom plate /side of unit was HOT enough to "burn" /feel as though it won't last long!
PS: This is with unit idle.
I went to my local T-Mobile store and they had two in the back. He gladly issued me one. Simple. No waiting.
[NEXUSâ´] [CARBON] [MATR1X] [TWRP]
thanks for the post
never seen on this U.U
Cel-Fi Cell Phone Signal Booster
Readers,
(full disclosure, I work for Cel-Fi).
We updated cel-fi pages, a lot of your questions are now answered on the site. The new RS2 unit is now dual band (2 and 4) and boost all frequencies of 4G (HSPA+) of T-Mobile, especially the ones that the T-Mobile iPhones (all versions) are now using.
Feel free to ask any questions here or on the site. Thanks for all your comments - it always inspires us to see your feedbacks.
Laurent
Seems the signal isn't good on the S4, flashed the base band ,an d the problem still exists...
Bad luck
karl_2000 said:
Seems the signal isn't good on the S4, flashed the base band ,an d the problem still exists...
Bad luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
might just be your area, i get full bars and kick a** data speeds all around my city
TheAtheistOtaku said:
might just be your area, i get full bars and kick a** data speeds all around my city
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 to this
karl_2000 said:
Seems the signal isn't good on the S4, flashed the base band ,an d the problem still exists...
Bad luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same issue. I'm in the SF Bay Area and even though TMobile's site has where I live and work as dark green (excellent 4g) I am lucky to get even one bar. Half the time I get network errors. Anyone else with TMobile experience anything like this? Any chance it's something that'll get resolved before my 30 day return period ends?
do any of you have other tmobile phones to compare signals with? if so, do that and if there are major differences talk to a tmobile store about getting a replacement.
these might be isolated incidents, because the majority of people are getting fully functional units
Wavern said:
I have the same issue. I'm in the SF Bay Area and even though TMobile's site has where I live and work as dark green (excellent 4g) I am lucky to get even one bar. Half the time I get network errors. Anyone else with TMobile experience anything like this? Any chance it's something that'll get resolved before my 30 day return period ends?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im in SF bay area (mountain view)
my data speeds are *top notch*.
you are either in an area thats out of tmobiles footprint or have a defective unit.
best bet would be to wait till tmobile actually gets the GS4 on display in the store.
when they do, go to your nearest tmob, and do a speedtest.net comparison with the demo model, and yours. if they are similar, then your part of the bay is legacy; if there is a big difference; 3,4 5 etc megabit difference; your unit may be worth exchanging for a new unit.
Wavern said:
I have the same issue. I'm in the SF Bay Area and even though TMobile's site has where I live and work as dark green (excellent 4g) I am lucky to get even one bar. Half the time I get network errors. Anyone else with TMobile experience anything like this? Any chance it's something that'll get resolved before my 30 day return period ends?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What part of SF are you experiencing this? My GF lives by the ballpark & she won't switch with me if she gets ****ty service.
I have excellent reception (bars) on my S4.
Way better than my Note II.
I let you know. When I get my phone next week. I do a speedtest and a screenshot of the phone signal in the settings menu.
DEVICES:
NEXUS 7 32GB STOCK
(NO ROOT)
T-MOBIL LG G2X (LG-P999)
STOCK (ROOTED)
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Have S4 and One, both show identical signal and speeds are also same.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2
Im getting much improved signal compared to my Gnex and Atrix HD.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2
Still no signal inside my workplace. Will do more tests. It does seem the signal is more stable, but it's only been a couple days.
Also, 4G LTE flashed for a couple seconds at my house. I live in the D.C metro area. Nice.
I have the HTC One in the Phoenix market. LTE is difficult to find more than a few bars on. 4G HSPA+ has been very easy to get full bars on.
I'm somewhat convinced T-Mobile is still working on building out in even LTE and re-farmed markets.
Sent from my cm_tenderloin using Tapatalk HD
Its funny how T-Mobile improves their network and yet many years later I still don't have service in places where I had no service maybe 5-6 years ago. And on top of this I noticed even more dead spots. I think T-Mobile should be working on that along with building penatration.....I would much rather have 3G everywhere then LTE almost nowhere.
Lately it became very frustrating since my wife has no service at work, i have no service at work, and i recently moved to different location and still no service....and God forbid I loose my wife in the mall, I have zero chances of finding her because no T-Mobile service inside.
Just got my S4 today and did not realize theres LTE where I work (fremont) which I never saw on my note 2. Even went out to lunch and was still getting LTE the next street over. So just to test I'm now back on my note 2 and it is not picking up LTE at my work. That tells me the radio on the s4 is much better.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
Oops
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA
Wavern said:
I have the same issue. I'm in the SF Bay Area and even though TMobile's site has where I live and work as dark green (excellent 4g) I am lucky to get even one bar. Half the time I get network errors. Anyone else with TMobile experience anything like this? Any chance it's something that'll get resolved before my 30 day return period ends?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea its something with the S4's phone/modem. I get bars and shows signal strength of 3 to 4 bars and i can make call but no internet in certain areas all around Los Angeles County/Orange County/Las Vegas/NYC. To test it i had my buddy go with me with his LG L9 and my buddy with his LG L9 phone would work fine on the calls and data/internet meanwhile my S4 would only get calls but no data as if it was a deadspot. i would have to go around like 1/4 or so before it would work again. its really strange not to mention annoying. I noticed this started happening to me after i upgraded from MDB to the MDL baseband and after i unlocked the phone using the "debug service menu". i wish i knew someone else with a stock TMO S4 to test my findings out more. I also cant wait for more tmo S4 modems. ive been thinking of ODINing back to stock MDB to test my theory, but i have just been lazy.
---------- Post added at 08:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:24 PM ----------
XeoNoX said:
yea its something with the S4's phone/modem. I get bars and shows signal strength of 3 to 4 bars and i can make call but no internet in certain areas all around Los Angeles County/Orange County/Las Vegas/NYC. To test it i had my buddy go with me with his LG L9 and my buddy with his LG L9 phone would work fine on the calls and data/internet meanwhile my S4 would only get calls but no data as if it was a deadspot. i would have to go around like 1/4 or so before it would work again. its really strange not to mention annoying. I noticed this started happening to me after i upgraded from MDB to the MDL baseband and after i unlocked the phone using the "debug service menu". i wish i knew someone else with a stock TMO S4 to test my findings out more. I also cant wait for more tmo S4 modems. ive been thinking of ODINing back to stock MDB to test my theory, but i have just been lazy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think it was a TMO LTE tower upgrade issues. after doing the Settings > More networks > Mobile networks > Network mode > and switching between the WCDMA and GSM one or the other now will work. better to have some internet than no internet, weird how the S4 just wont switch over to the working GSM internet if WCDMA fails....i guess when they coded it they figured if u have bars it "should work in theory" but they were wrong ...personally i think this should be considered a "bug"
I thought I was the only one. I found that if i keep my diztronic tpu case on while in my pocket it destroys all signal for some reason. I take it off and its fine.
layzer253 said:
I thought I was the only one. I found that if i keep my diztronic tpu case on while in my pocket it destroys all signal for some reason. I take it off and its fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I further tested my theory and went without my case all day. It didnt appear to do anything different at all. I am on CM10.1, I think I might go back to stock for awhile to see if it changes the fluctuating signal issue.
Just curious on how everyones signal is and which baseband they are on?
I'm on M919UVUAMDL and I have seen up to 15% of no signal while my S3 had 0 signal loss in a regular day.
Is anyone having a data problem with their network? I'm in the Everett Washington area and I've been having a terrible time with data! I go from 4 bars to no bars a split second. When I do get bars none of the apps seem to work from lack of connectivity. I use to get up to 20mbps when I did a speed test now I barely get between 6-8mbps. I'm really thinking about changing carriers. Its getting pretty ridiculous! I pay for unlimited data without being able to use the service half the time.
Any of you experiencing this problem?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
mrzhadow said:
Is anyone having a data problem with their network? I'm in the Everett Washington area and I've been having a terrible time with data! I go from 4 bars to no bars a split second. When I do get bars none of the apps seem to work from lack of connectivity. I use to get up to 20mbps when I did a speed test now I barely get between 6-8mbps. I'm really thinking about changing carriers. Its getting pretty ridiculous! I pay for unlimited data without being able to use the service half the time.
Any of you experiencing this problem?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually so have i in northen california. i was attributing it to flashing new roms. but im not really sure. in places I normally get 3G, i get "G" service now, really bizarre.
For future reference, this shoulda been posted in the q&a section.
Lots of people having problems lately.
Don't forget the refarming and upgrading effort.
And did you call T-Mobile to see if they had an outage or something in your area?
Sent from my SGH-T999L using xda premium
It seemed to me that T-Mobile, even though they call it "unlimited" cut you back after so much usage. Sure you still get data but not full speeds whether yours is 4g or 3g. They cut the speeds down. It was like clockwork every month.
There was many things I didn't like about T-Mobile that being number two. Number one was lack of coverage, anytime I was out of town, I wouldn't have hardly ANY service.
Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda app-developers app
Well I live down on Miami, FL and I did experience some slow down in data speeds for about 2 days recently but am back to normal speeds now. Though I didn't have bad signal just some slow down in days. How long have you been experiencing these speed slow downs?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
I've called T-Mobile but they don't seem to help very much with a fix. I've been feeling with it for over 2 months now. It's getting pretty frustrating. Thanks for the responses guys even though I didn't post in the right place! I wonder if upgrading my sim card would help?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
tork0112 said:
It seemed to me that T-Mobile, even though they call it "unlimited" cut you back after so much usage.
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They don't.. My speeds have gone down too, really bad. I want to blame it on refarming in my area but who knows. If I go around town I can get really good speeds.. Hope it gets fixed soon because I'm paying for unlimited
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Exactly!! It's highway robbery to pay for services you can't use!!
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mrzhadow said:
Exactly!! It's highway robbery to pay for services you can't use!!
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Its funny actually, I just remembered there's a spot I've discovered in my home that I can get 7-10mbps pretty consistent, if I move out of it I can barely make 1mbps. I hadn't tried it for a while because I've been using WiFi when I'm home because of the horrible speeds, and I just went back to the exact spot and got 6-10mbps from 4 straight speedtests, then I moved the phone a few feet away and I got 1.02mbps lol
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Man that's just horrible!!! But at least you can get the speed test going. I can't even get the data going even if I have full bars!! Lmao
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mrzhadow said:
Is anyone having a data problem with their network? I'm in the Everett Washington area and I've been having a terrible time with data! I go from 4 bars to no bars a split second. When I do get bars none of the apps seem to work from lack of connectivity. I use to get up to 20mbps when I did a speed test now I barely get between 6-8mbps. I'm really thinking about changing carriers. Its getting pretty ridiculous! I pay for unlimited data without being able to use the service half the time.
Any of you experiencing this problem?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try updating the modem first. Or downgrading it. Also your phone could have started to go bad. Does it happen everywhere
tmobile s3 running wicked. I still use a t9 text app so excuse the errors
I was actually running on UVDLJA then upgraded to the UVDMD5 package which had the bootloader, firmware and modem. The only thing I noticed was better battery life but only about an hour difference other than that it pretty much seems equal to UVDLJA. I noticed that there is a newer version of the package so in going to try flashing the new one and see if it will perhaps make any changes.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
@all
Try not to be too quick to bash on T-Mobile for poor speeds. They are refarming the AWS and PCS bands and rolling out LTE all over the place.
This is a nationwide project so it is reasonable to expect some issues.
Suggestions:
Call support to ask about any outages or upgrading in your area.
Try out the different modems and tweaks in my thread.
Give it a week. (Shouldnt take that long if they're upgrading, but just to be fair)
If you still see no improvement start writing/emailing/calling and posting on the T-Mobile support forums. If this many people are having problems and they get bombarded about it, it may force some action. Be persistent if it comes to this point.
I really do think that given time, everything will go back to normal, and maybe even better.
Also, for those of you who ALWAYS use their mobile data, even when wifi is available, just switch to wifi please! It saves your battery and if there is any network congestion everyone will benefit.
One last thing. Once the network in your area has been upgraded, you may find that the modem that was the best for you before is no longer. Retest, and update the map in my radio thread so everyone can benefit.
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---------- Post added at 01:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:18 AM ----------
mrzhadow said:
I was actually running on UVDLJA then upgraded to the UVDMD5 package which had the bootloader, firmware and modem. The only thing I noticed was better battery life but only about an hour difference other than that it pretty much seems equal to UVDLJA. I noticed that there is a newer version of the package so in going to try flashing the new one and see if it will perhaps make any changes.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
The only change is the updater-script. There is no benefit to reflashing if you already have. You won't see any update to md5 till samsung releases it.
Sent from my SGH-T999L using xda premium
In light of LTE being unofficially turned on yesterday here in Denver, my 1700 band speeds cut in half. The fastest consistent speed I could get was about 6Mbps with the average being 3-4.
I locked my phone to 1900 WCDMA and guess what? Back to 11-12Mbps. Faster upload too, 2.3-2.5Mbps. My initial fears about moving HSPA to 1900 may have been completely wrong. That is probably why my phone prefers the 1900 band now and has for a few months.
Long story short, give it time, everything will stabilize when the network upgrades are complete.
Anyone that wants to experiment with speeds on the different bands, from the TouchWiz dialer (sorry this doesn't work on any ROM lacking TouchWiz), dial *#2263#, go to WCDMA band preference and change it to either 1700 or 1900. This will lock the phone to WCDMA only though so if you don't have a strong WCDMA signal in your area your calls can and will drop. If this is the case, just go back into the menu and set it to automatic. Generally the phone will continue to prefer whatever band it was locked on until you reboot your phone anyway but at least this way it can switch bands for call purposes.
Meant to post this here, but somehow put it in the wrong thread....
I think I may need to sleep at some point!!
Sorry for all the reading guys, but just a little more.
There have been several threads opened recently on this exact subject. Seek them out as you will find some other things to try. Some have worked for some people while not others, so ymmv.
This is a post from EtherealRemnant. You have to do this from the stock dialer, but give it a shot.
Start a big download and go to the dialer, input *#0011#. Take note of the band you are on (2 or 4) and which items have a 1 on them out of HSPA and HSDPA. If you are on band 2 and see a one next to either of those options, you can try forcing 1700 by using *#2263# and choosing it under WCDMA. This will cause you to lose service if you have poor 1700 coverage, particularly for voice calls but you can always set it back by going back to the main 2263 menu and hitting automatic.
If those don't work or you see zeroes have you gone into phone status to see if you have an IMEI? Because that will lock you to UMTS. Shortcut to find out - *#06#
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Click to collapse
Good luck!
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LOL Doc, I had just beaten ya to it!
EtherealRemnant said:
LOL Doc, I had just beaten ya to it!
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Click to collapse
Lol!
I'd been trying to post that for a bit too!
Every time I'd post it, it would actually post in the thread I quoted you from. Turned out I had to take your name out of the quote box and it finally took!
Ahh well, I conceed you beat me to it.....this time!
Sent from my SGH-T999L using xda premium
This is from late last year, and I have had it posted in my baseband thread since.
Thought I'd post it here too for those who never make it to the 3rd post! It may help some people understand what T-Mobile is actually doing with their network upgrades.
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mrzhadow said:
Is anyone having a data problem with their network? I'm in the Everett Washington area and I've been having a terrible time with data! I go from 4 bars to no bars a split second. When I do get bars none of the apps seem to work from lack of connectivity. I use to get up to 20mbps when I did a speed test now I barely get between 6-8mbps. I'm really thinking about changing carriers. Its getting pretty ridiculous! I pay for unlimited data without being able to use the service half the time.
Any of you experiencing this problem?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too, live in Everett WA, but a tad closer to Mill Creek. My map shows I am 75 meters from the closest tower, and Tmo keeps telling me that a tech has checked the tower's operation and found it to be working fine... I don't think their tech is as thorough as I would be. I envision some lazy turd driving near by and says... "yep it's working, and leaves, parking somewhere and chalking up a few hours of naptime and writing up a worksheet making it look like it was a completed job. I have wrestled with TMo for quite a while with the same problem you have. I have a repeater installed in the house on the third floor, and it hardly helps, but any small gain coupled with others have actually made my phone, at least, able to make calls! I have tweaked using a lot of different things, and have found this most beneficial.
Using stock rooted 4.1.1 OS (root66)
Baseband UVDLJC
and the 1900 freq.
My sig still jumps all over the place (like yours) but at least now, I hardly ever have NO SIGNAL.....
Believe me, I have got on Tmo's case like something fierce..... They finally offered to even cancel any charges for my contract termination, but that was not my point for complaining! I just wanted to be able to use the phone, and it wasn't possible at that time. Now, at least, the phone works, I can walk 100 ft to the street, and get full bars, 4G, so I know there is coverage, but indoors, it's not that good. The funny part is that all the main roads have GREAT 4G Coverage, and in our community, indoor reception is not the greatest, to say the least.
Bottom line, you are not the only TMo client that is having problems and hopefully, the Doc's right!
Let's hope that the reception gets back to being as good as it was, or maybe even better!
Good Luck, and Aloha!
Hi guys,
Lately I have been noticing that my S4 hasn't been holding a signal as well as before. Seems to be this way since LTE rollout in my neighborhood. I get about 1 bar of LTE indoors. It seems as though the phone is more sensitive and tends to drop to E or 0 bars of 4G when it is in my pocket. Once I take it out of my pocket, it flips back to LTE in about 5 seconds.
Is this normal?
I noticed the same thing when LTE came to my neighborhood, south of Houston last week. When it is on 4G, I get full bars most of the time. As soon as the little LTE showed, I barely got 2 bars. Most of the time it's one or no bar. I manually switched my network back to GSM/WCDMA (auto connect). Now that I know Houston's LTE signal has gone widespread, I'll check it when I'm out and about to see if the signal is like that everywhere. But, for now, I'd rather make sure my calls will come in. I use WIFI at home, anyway. Maybe an updated radio will come with system upgrades.
My LTE connection up here in kingwood has been crap for the last week or so too. Kinda annoying, when I got the phone I was pulling 3 bars in my apt now it drops to E.
I have notice the same thing im in fort worth and since LTE I missed lost of calls because my phone is ether on my pocket or in side mg house I het great speeds outside though like right next to a tower lol
---------- Post added at 01:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 AM ----------
Meant to say I live right next to a tower lol
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same here, lte i barely get 2 bars. been like that since i got lte about a month ago. i assume its just because they are working on the towers and will take a bit to get the full benefits. Though even though i only get about 2 bars, i still get crazy speeds.
I have yet to see full bars on LTE. Everywhere I go I see two bars.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
You guys do understand that the bars are relatively arbitrary and don't really tell you much, right? If you want to know what your signal really is you need to look in settings, about phone, phone status and see what the dB reading on the phone is.
Anything above -80 is really strong
Anything between -90 and -81 is all right
Anything between -99 and 91 is a little weak but probably okay.
Anything below -100 is where you start to get into the possible dropped call territory.
Anything below -110 and you are probably not going to get a signal for more than a few seconds at a time.
There are other ways to check this as well with apps that will show signal status in widgets or on the status bar. And with many custom ROMs you can switch the signal bars to a dB reading.
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.
Thanks for that info.
When I was on the LTE, my db was 104-106. On regular 4G, it's on 87. That's why I've opted to stay on 4G for the time being.
I also get 1 bar of LTE when I'm indoors and then couple bars when I'm outside if I'm still in LTE area. Since Tampa isn't covered in LTE yet and some of my apps don't work at all with 1 bar of LTE, I just switched back to HSPA+ and changed the APN that better fits with HSPA+ speeds.
The HSPA+ speeds I get are just as fast as when I was with Verizon's LTE.
I called customer service and the lady told me to enable roaming. Maybe I will get better reception?
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
Soldier 2.0 said:
I called customer service and the lady told me to enable roaming. Maybe I will get better reception?
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It might if there is a much stronger tower from another carrier near you. However if you utilize roaming it could cost you an arm and a leg.
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.
Skipjacks said:
It might if there is a much stronger tower from another carrier near you. However if you utilize roaming it could cost you an arm and a leg.
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The lady said national roaming is included.
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Soldier 2.0 said:
The lady said national roaming is included.
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Click to collapse
Now that you mention it I think you are right about voice calling. Maybe it was the data use when roaming that had the potential to be expensive. You might want to check on that just to be sure. Nothing like a $400 unexpected cell phone bill to ruin your day.
Either way you will only see an impact on signal if say an AT&T tower is the only one available as the t mobile tower should get priority even with a weaker signal. At least that's how I think it works....I reserve the right to enjoy reading a post by someone who understands tower priority more than me giving a detailed explanation of how that all works.
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.
Only in certain areas do I get full bars on lte, usually its 2 or 3, but rarely does it go 4g.
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Skipjacks said:
Now that you mention it I think you are right about voice calling. Maybe it was the data use when roaming that had the potential to be expensive. You might want to check on that just to be sure. Nothing like a $400 unexpected cell phone bill to ruin your day.
Either way you will only see an impact on signal if say an AT&T tower is the only one available as the t mobile tower should get priority even with a weaker signal. At least that's how I think it works....I reserve the right to enjoy reading a post by someone who understands tower priority more than me giving a detailed explanation of how that all works.
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will I be charged for domestic data roaming?
No, T-Mobile does not charge for domestic data roaming. However, once your domestic data roaming allotment has been reached your data services will be unavailable until you return to a T-Mobile coverage area, your bill cycle starts over or you increase your data plan. If you have a Wi-Fi capable device, you may use Wi-Fi to access unlimited data.
How will domestic data roaming appear on my bill?
It will not appear on your bill as there are no additional charges associated with domestic data roaming.
How will I know that I am near my domestic data roaming allotment?
You will receive a free usage alert via text message to notify you once you use 80% of your monthly domestic data roaming allotment. You will receive another free usage alert via text message to notify you when you reach 100% of your domestic data roaming allotment. These text messages will contain a link that will allow you to view your real-time usage. You can also view your domestic data usage by using the MyAccount feature on your device once you have exceeded 80% of the monthly allotment (whether you are roaming or not).
Link https://t-mobile.jive-mobile.com/#j...d_Will_I_be_charged_for_domestic_data_roaming
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refarm
I had the same thing happen at my house in south Denver. It took three different phone calls but I finally talked to a guy in tech support who said that many people have had the same thing happen after the change to LTE in one's area. There seems to be no real solution to it. At my house the signal dropped so low that we couldn't make calls anymore and they sent me a signal booster. With the signal booster in my upstairs window we can use our phones with voice and data without problems.
I've also noticed that you have to be pretty close to a tower to get the benefits of LTE. I've been playing around speed testing with different distances and it drops off pretty quick - between 1/4-1/2 mile is about as far as you can get at least in my neighborhood.
LTE signal fluctuation is an issue right now but I will say that I'm happy that we can still fall back to hsoa+ because if we were to go from LTE to 3g (like sprint does ) I would have been one angry person.
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Ive noticed the signal become a problem too after i got lte. i dont know why.
TheAtheistOtaku said:
same here, lte i barely get 2 bars. been like that since i got lte about a month ago. i assume its just because they are working on the towers and will take a bit to get the full benefits. Though even though i only get about 2 bars, i still get crazy speeds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
figured out why my signal fluctuates. My idiot self forgot i had my aluminum backing on it since i got it. took it off and put the stock one, instantly got full bars.
I just noticed that I cant use the phone and surf the internet at the same time?? Is anyone having this problem? And if so is there a fix??
Thanks
It's not a problem, it's designed that way. None of the Spark devices have that capability unless you're running Wi-Fi for data while on a call, or using VOIP.
That sucks, just when you give sprint some hope they do this! If I had known I might have stayed with them after 15 years with them.
claude9039u said:
I just noticed that I cant use the phone and surf the internet at the same time?? Is anyone having this problem? And if so is there a fix??
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On 3g you can. The gf and I tested it last night. 3g yes you can.
jhill110 said:
On 3g you can. The gf and I tested it last night. 3g yes you can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You were using Google voice or some other VOIP service. It is physically impossible to run a CDMA voice call and data at the same time on a Spark device. It doesn't have the hardware to do this. Try it again with Wi-Fi turned off and without using your VOIP service.
jhill110 said:
On 3g you can. The gf and I tested it last night. 3g yes you can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might be missing a setting or something because I can't.
pilotmills said:
You were using Google voice or some other VOIP service. It is physically impossible to run a CDMA voice call and data at the same time on a Spark device. It doesn't have the hardware to do this. Try it again with Wi-Fi turned off and without using your VOIP service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Straight up call. It works. Give it a try. Btw, no VOIP. What would be the point?
---------- Post added 20th November 2014 at 12:25 AM ---------- Previous post was 19th November 2014 at 11:53 PM ----------
DarkManX4lf said:
I might be missing a setting or something because I can't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure you are not in LTE mode. 3g and it will work.
Is there a way to make it automatically switch down to 3G when on a call, instead of losing the data connection completely? I was really surprised when I discovered this issue present on the Note 4 which did not exist on the Note 3.
You're wasting your time. It doesn't work unless you're using a VOIP service. It's a Spark device limitation. I have yet to actually see any kind of proof that this guy is making calls and using data at the same time. Perhaps it's because it's not possible on the Note 4 on Sprint.
Doesnt work for me.. 3G only.. in a call...NO data!!
pilotmills said:
You're wasting your time. It doesn't work unless you're using a VOIP service. It's a Spark device limitation. I have yet to actually see any kind of proof that this guy is making calls and using data at the same time. Perhaps it's because it's not possible on the Note 4 on Sprint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pardon me pilot but your flat out wrong. I use data often while taking in cdma mode (3g) . No VOIP of any kind... Just sprints network.
Do you even have a GN4 to try it out? Doesn't sound like it.
Interesting that you seem to be the only one that's ever gotten this to work. Go to the play store and install the signal check app (lite or pro). You don't even have to try to use data, just make a call, open the app, take a screen shot and post it here, then we can discuss.
Sent from my Evo 4G <bwaaaa>
He has a special note 4 made just for him that allows data..
Sent from my SPH-L900 using XDA Free mobile app
---------- Post added at 12:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:58 AM ----------
The only devices that did simultaneous voice and 3g data were the Evo LTE, GS3 and Viper. No CDMA before or after could do it. Spark devices are not an exemption.. No voice and data till voice over LTE rolls out which won't be anytime soon.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using XDA Free mobile app
Thanks for actually understanding Spark devices and their limitations, unlike some others. Still waiting for a screenshot. I guess the photoshopping is proving more challenging than he expected. . .
Sprint could never truly do voice and data simultaneously. The only time it could was on previous LTE devices since there were two separate antennas. 3G and lower antenna and the 4G LTE antenna. Currently LTE on sprint is purely data. So while you were on a call, the LTE antenna was free to be used.
Spark phones only have one antenna to handle everything. It is a one lane highway and will be that way until VoLTE.
kjhud said:
Sprint could never truly do voice and data simultaneously. The only time it could was on previous LTE devices since there were two separate antennas. 3G and lower antenna and the 4G LTE antenna. Currently LTE on sprint is purely data. So while you were on a call, the LTE antenna was free to be used.
Spark phones only have one antenna to handle everything. It is a one lane highway and will be that way until VoLTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That wasnt the only time. The 3 devices i mentioned ealrier did data on 3g and voice simultaneously although as fast as they came up with that they also ended it too. But yup on the VoLTE.
Sent from my SM-N915P using XDA Free mobile app
No simultaneous phone call and data is probably my only complaint with the Note 4. Coming from the Note 2 and I could talk on the phone and browse the web on 3G/LTE at the same time without missing a beat. I really miss that. Now evrytime I get a call while i'm browsing the web etc, I get a blank white screen with a error message. The biggest flaw with the phone in my opinion!