So I've got the Verizon M9 that I now use on Straight Talk's CDMA network.. Unlimited data and whatnot, but only 5GB at 3G/LTE speeds. After 5GB it should be throttled to 2G, and when I'm not in a 3G+ coverage area, I connect to 1xrtt and have slow data... But at least I've got data. In 3G+ areas though I can't seem to be able to force it to connect to anything less. Being on Straight Talk I don't have VoLTE so whenever I make calls (before and after I hit the 5GB limit) I connect to 1xrtt for voice calls.
Knowing all that, I assume I can access 2G when the phone wants me to, but is there a way I can force it to use 2G?
Related
I'm wondering if there is any benefit to leave the phone on 3g instead of GSM if we don't have a data plan. Does it serve any benefit like improve call quality even if we don't have the data plan from T-Mobile? Thanks.
As far as I know, voice is completely separate from data. Whether 3G is on or not should not have any effect on voice signals.
you'll save your battery if you do so.
3g does not have speaker feed back. 2g does have speaker feed back.
KTang8 said:
I'm wondering if there is any benefit to leave the phone on 3g instead of GSM if we don't have a data plan. Does it serve any benefit like improve call quality even if we don't have the data plan from T-Mobile? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CMIIW, using 3G you can simultaniously using both data and voice, but under 2G (EDGE) your data connection will be suspended temporary if you make a voice call
oh off course, the signal will likely be better for 2G compared to 3G (higher frequency)
I switched over from Sprint due to their slow 3G speeds (~500kbps). 4G wimax was available (7-9mbps) but I wanted a phone with a 720 screen and those are limited to just 3G speeds.
Concerned about the 2GB throttle speeds with T-Mobile's data plan, I figured I'd max it out before my next bill in a few days and I'm surprised to say that it isn't so bad... IF you switch to 2G after you're throttled.
Regular "4G" speeds were 3mbps-9mbps, fast enough for me.
Throttled speeds are at 60kbps, nothing more.
But if you switch to 2G/Edge, the speed actually is faster than the throttled speeds at 120-150kbps which is perfectly fine for web browsing.
How are eveyrone else's experience with being throttled?
How do you switch to 2G/Edge?
I'm on the 2GB plan, but rarely do I ever go over, I'm always near WiFi.
You have to go into mobile data settings and check the box that says use 2g only.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Being throttled is pretty bad. I haven't been throttled in a while, but I remember the speeds being around 30-80 kpbs. T-Mobile claims it's EDGE speeds, but it's still much slower than EDGE.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I broke my 5GB cap the other day and got throttled. Couldn't stand it so I upgraded plans for this month only. Expensive jump from 5GB to 10GB. I was in between homes and locations this month so no home internet connection. I did a lot of tethering with big downloads this month, etc... I usually don't go over 2GB. But to answer the point, I HATE THROTTLED SPEEDS. Horrible.
tracerit said:
I switched over from Sprint due to their slow 3G speeds (~500kbps). 4G wimax was available (7-9mbps) but I wanted a phone with a 720 screen and those are limited to just 3G speeds.
Concerned about the 2GB throttle speeds with T-Mobile's data plan, I figured I'd max it out before my next bill in a few days and I'm surprised to say that it isn't so bad... IF you switch to 2G after you're throttled.
Regular "4G" speeds were 3mbps-9mbps, fast enough for me.
Throttled speeds are at 60kbps, nothing more.
But if you switch to 2G/Edge, the speed actually is faster than the throttled speeds at 120-150kbps which is perfectly fine for web browsing.
How are eveyrone else's experience with being throttled?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everyones experiences should be the exact same, as they hard cap your download speeds to 60kbps once you're "throttled". As you say, switching to EDGE ("2G networks only"), you'll see faster speeds, but higher ping times.
Its really not that bad. As long as you're not trying to stream movies or download large files, EDGE is quite acceptable. If you don't mind waiting for the ping times, web browsing is even acceptably fast imo. You can use apps w/ background data and all push services still as well.
I'll take a full speed + throttle system over a cap + overage system. At least with throttles, you have the option to pay more if you choose.
Can anyone verify if this still works? My family is thinking of switching from AT&T to T-Mobile. None of us have a Galaxy Nexus, but I'm assuming this trick would work on other phones as well. Personally I have an AT&T Galaxy SIII I-747.
origamifreak2 said:
Can anyone verify if this still works? My family is thinking of switching from AT&T to T-Mobile. None of us have a Galaxy Nexus, but I'm assuming this trick would work on other phones as well. Personally I have an AT&T Galaxy SIII I-747.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it would work, but i dont think your phone has the bands to support tmobile's AWS bands so you wouldnt have 3g/HSPA+
I will be moving to an area that doesn't have any type of broadband available other than a cell phone signal and satellite. Now that T-Mobile's 70$ pay as you go plan is truly unlimited 4G with absolutely no caps I would like to know if it would be realistic to setup a second account and cellphone or mobile broadband device and just pay 70$ for mobile broadband that would only be used at home?
Would I be able to torrent? What are my limitations going to be?
Thank you
u could get a mobile data plan on a phone (i stress phone because it'll be cheaper) and then get a USB sim modem off craigslist. Get a newer compatible router (Asus n56, n66) and then plug the USB modem into the back of it and set it up. This method would provide your entire house (wireless and Ethernet) with internet as if you were connected to broadband.
I can torrent on LTE with my skyrocket at reasonable speeds, so I don't see why 4g would be any different. it IS however very signal dependent, so having at least 2-3 bars is ideal
specifically the $30/month unlimited data (first 5GB at 4g), txt and 100min?
What happens after you use up the 5GB? Do they throttle you to 3g or 2g?
Is the coverage good and equal to postpaid customers?
The way throttling works is after you use up your 4g data the speeds will be slower and slower the more you use it.. So it will slow down to 3g speeds and then 2g.. I don't have real world experience with this because I've never been throttled (unlimited data ) but that's how I was told when I worked at metroPCS, and that's what customers would say when they capped their 4g data.. I don't know about the coverage but I'd like say that it should be equal to postpaid
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
serio22 said:
The way throttling works is after you use up your 4g data the speeds will be slower and slower the more you use it.. So it will slow down to 3g speeds and then 2g.. I don't have real world experience with this because I've never been throttled (unlimited data ) but that's how I was told when I worked at metroPCS, and that's what customers would say when they capped their 4g data.. I don't know about the coverage but I'd like say that it should be equal to postpaid
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the coverage is the same except postpaid has more roaming prepaid only has like 10mb of roaming data
1dtms said:
specifically the $30/month unlimited data (first 5GB at 4g), txt and 100min?
What happens after you use up the 5GB? Do they throttle you to 3g or 2g?
Is the coverage good and equal to postpaid customers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To answer your question directly.. after 5GB of 4g/LTE, you will have 2g (EDGE)..peroid.
I have the $30 plan, and I purposely burned my 5GB the last week of my cycle to see what happened. You'll get a text message at 4GB of usage, then after 5GB you'll get another text saying you went over and your speeds are slowed.
I have a samsung s3 and here in Eastern Canada, I'm with FIDO (use Rogers towers) and the coverage is not as good as Bell's. New rules allow each of them access to all the towers. This means me as a customer can now freely roam from one carrier's tower to the another. The only problem is that FIDO has setup the phone so that its network has priority even if it has one bar on 2g it won't switch over to Bell's towers unless I lose the signal completely. Is there a was to force the phone to switch over faster? Or is there a way to disable 2g and allow only 3G 4G and LTE?