Database Users

o2 3G

Hello, without meaning to sound like a complete idiot, can anyone tell me if I will automatically get 3G connection on my o2 account, or do I need to contact them to enable it.
Because every time I try to make a video call, the Exec tells me that 3G is not available.
Or do I need a new SIM Card?
They sent me a new SIM Card with the Exec, but I have not fitted it. Do you think that I need to insert and activate it?
Many Thanks in Advance
Fatzzz

I also got a new SIM card when my Exec arrived and I had to call O2 to get them to activate it. They said this would happen within several hours, but in fact it happened within 5 minutes. The old card stopped working at exactly the same time, so don't go out without them both once you've called them!
You can only make video calls when your phone has locked on to the 3G network. You'll know when this has happened because you'll see a 'U' symbol next to the phone signal strength icon instead of the 'G' for GPRS. (U stands for UTMS.) Or, go to the phone dialler pad and check the network name.
Most people seem to struggle to find a 3G signal though, so it might all be a waste of time. Certainly here in Sussex I haven't found a signal yet.

Thanks SiliconS, do you know if there is a special plan to subscribe to, or will it work as long as it is in a 3G area?
Cheers
Fatzzz

I contacted O2 today to ask the same question (as well as get my new plan confirmed).
I was advised that I would need a new sim, which has been ordered and should be sent out soon, and once that sim arrives, I need to contact O2 and get them to enable the new SIM and disable the old one.
What they then advised me is that 3G would be used whenever it is available.
It'll work in Liverpool where I work, but from what I've seen, St Helens, where I live, won't work just now but is planned for future expansion although there is no date.
To be honest I doubt I'll use it too much as I permanently activesync with my laptop via Bluetooth and use that as an Internet connection.
Once a decent push email solution has been delivered I'll probably rely on 3G a bit more.

In London, I get U everywhere I go, don't know about other areas. It was rather amusing when the train passed Hither Green the U changed to G for about 10 secs then switched back to U again. So does it mean the transmitter somewhere near Hither Green doesn't support 3G?

it could just be that the signal wasn't strong enough to support UTMS.
For example, if I go into the office at work I usually end up on GPRS, yet if I go near a window I can use UTMS just fine.
Hope this helps.

http://www.webmap.o2.co.uk/
Check you O2 coverage
I am right on the edge of a coverage area however i am in dark blue but i get a very week signal from O2s UMTS network and a very strong signal from their GSM network.
I have real problems with using a data connection as i keep switching between the 2 networks and there is a delay while it does it. Also MSNM is really bad when it does this. At the moment i have set my Exec to just use the GSM network and ignore the UMTS one.

well I ordered a new sim from o2 to get 3g on my jasjar, and they sent me a normal gsm one (I didn't notice at the time, ended up hard resetting just to make sure I hasn't disabled it somehow!) So check when the SIM arrives that got 3G written on the side with the bubbles and not GSM! I infact ended up going to the O2 shop and getting one from there.
Flubster

Issues Maintaining a GSM Signal

I have just got an XDA Exec from O2 and I have just put my Orange SIM in and it works, so the unit is unlocked.
Now my last phone was a Nokia 6310i and that maintained a GSM signal at my house very well.
BUT the new XDA Exec does not and the GSM Signal is coming and going. If I can't resolve this I will have to return the unit and go back to the old phone!!!
So is there anything I can do to hold the GSM signal better? Is there a ROM that is better? I am currently running the latest O2 ROM.
Regards
Ben

I had this problem because the Band is set to auto. In my area there is a very weak 3G signal (UMTS) so the phone would get stuck trying to latch on to 3G, then would bounce back to GPRS etc etc.... Better to switch the Band to GSM (also saves battery power) and only switch to WCDMA(3G) when you really need it. Click on the signal icon, then settings, then Band, and change it to "GSM". Worked for me.
Would be nice if we could get a little shortcut to make this switch easier with one click. Anybody have any ideas or know of any little app that will toggle between GSM and UMTS(WCDMA) for us?

Done that already and it is still not working well

Help - no network!

My Tytn won't register on Vodafone UK. Was OK this morning, charged in the car but now just shows "Searching".
Any suggestions?

Me too- must be a network problem on Voda at the moment

Not sure where you're located, but looks like there's a problem with the Voda towers around Harlow- but if you set your phone to GSM only, it all starts working again. For some reason, as soon as the phone switches to UMTS, it somehow seems to cut itself off- I can only assume this *is* a network problem...?

thanks for the replies. glad i don't have to do a hard reset or send my phone back

X1i when using 3G on AT&T I cant make or receive calls???

So when I leave all the band settings to auto on the phone, it immediately connects to AT&T's 3G network and shows the "H" in the title bar it worked for a little while then calls stopped coming through, after a hard reset it works again with calls for a few hours, then it begins to fail.
If I switch the bands to GSM and manually select the frequencies (850 + 1900, according to wm) then it connects to the EDGE network, and I can make and receive calls as I please, no problems, except for the crappy network speed.
So someone help me out here please, is the phone defective, or is it not working as it should because of the lack of the 850 band? I know that AT&T works on either or but this problem has me stumped.
Other than this rather huge problem (phone that cant make calls), I absolutely love the Xperia and would hate to return and wait for another.

did you try to use the connection wizard to let the phone config itself?
after I put my iphone sim in it shows the H/3G icon on anf off all the time, while I can receive call I was unable to go online.... after someone suggested me to call att to update the imei on my account to the x1, I found that I still have to go to connection and change the setting myself b4 it can go online. you will have to remove the user name and pw in media net setting and uncheck the proxy server.
I guess my case is a little different than yours but I guess you can give it a try... good luck =)

Thanks, I actually haven't tried that since i figured it would be the same as what happens when you turn the phone on for the first time, when it autoconfigs.

if it say it detect a new sim and ask if you want to do the auto config then I guess its the same... but again I did need to change some settings inside the network config to make it work too... so I am guessing the "auto config" has some flaw in it

No problem with my X1i when I venture in a1900mhz area close to my home. I live in a small town in Ca. only 850mhz here. But in the larger Metro area around me... No Problems with calls or hspeed data access...
Stuart

Thanks for the replies, It looks like the Configuration wizard in the settings menu did the trick. It do something else that the autoconfig doesnt. The phone seems to work now just fine, although it doesnt hang on to the signal as well as my old k790a. The office I work in is an ATT dead zone and I could make calls using the K790a with only one bar, with the Xperia it either doesnt go through or drops the call.
Again this is better as it works now, just not as well as my old phone.
Also, scl_electronics, so you are saying the X1i has both 850 and 1900mhz bands? I had a feeling mine did too, but I thought it was put to rest that that wasnt the case with the X1i....

Sorry Aaron J,
i should have been more specific!! Where I live, 3G is only on 850mhz band so I don't get access..Just The edge network. When I venture about 10 mile away toward the major Metro areas..The 1900mhz band are used. So the H is displayed, but I don't have those access problems for calls or data!!
But i am waiting to see if they can crack the rom for 850mhz-3G access!!
Stuart

scl_electronics said:
Sorry Aaron J,
i should have been more specific!! Where I live, 3G is only on 850mhz band so I don't get access..Just The edge network. When I venture about 10 mile away toward the major Metro areas..The 1900mhz band are used. So the H is displayed, but I don't have those access problems for calls or data!!
But i am waiting to see if they can crack the rom for 850mhz-3G access!!
Stuart
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh ok thats kind of makes, sense although I thought the X1i didnt have an 850 band at all, so what frequency does it work off then?
Anyways, back to my problem....I spoke too soon, it dont work on 3G switched to EDGE. I might just try getting a new sim card, mine is a Cingular one from 2005, that has been in at least 4 different phones now including the X1i.

Aaron J said:
Oh ok thats kind of makes, sense although I thought the X1i didnt have an 850 band at all, so what frequency does it work off then?
Anyways, back to my problem....I spoke too soon, it dont work on 3G switched to EDGE. I might just try getting a new sim card, mine is a Cingular one from 2005, that has been in at least 4 different phones now including the X1i.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well out here in Ca... 850mhz gsm/edge is used ..So I quad band gsm phone is handy!!!
Stuart

Yes it is! My little problem is a little confusing though as one thing I just realized that I didnt say before is that the phone has no problem connecting to the 3G network using HSDPA. I get full bars with the H icon pretty much everywhere in my area and my data speeds are very good. So I can surf the net, download programs, watch high quality youtube videos using the app in touchflo and even send and receive texts just fine.....just no calls when on 3G. I'm hoping its just setting somewhere and not a faulty device.
I live in Raleigh NC by the way so maybe it could be a faulty tower?

Well when venture into Stockton Ca. my phone switches to 3G-HSDPA:1900MHZ Without a connection hitch....
Have you tried a soft reset......
But when all else fails Hard Reset to the Rescue!!!
Btw... in several of my ppc-wm units when restoring to OEM setting(hard reset) there has been many time the process had a problem. So something would be screwed up!! So when You don't succeed, try another hard reset!!
Good luck,
Stuart

hey i was wonder if your problem is HSDPA/HSUPA being on, i have at&t also and it worked for the first few weeks fine with it being on then all of a sudden it stopped and couldn't connect to the internet, before i had the H/Edge showing up and also my email never updated when it was set to do it every 15minutes. Now that i disable the HSDPA/HSUPA i see 3G/Edge and email update all the time on the X1i. Just wonder if that might fix it, I'm all kinda still new to all this but i had my X1i for 2 1/2 weeks now.

Hello thanks for all the suggestions, Experiaenjoy, no I haven't tried mainly because I can connect to the data network just fine and get awesome speeds with full bars pretty much everywhere, all of my data related activities and programs work just fine (aka murder my battery life ). I just cant make calls while on 3G.
I talked to a coworker today who used to be a regional manager at AT&T hee said that he saw many cases of people who were having problems where it was due to the SIM card. He said they all had the older orange Cingular card and that an update to the new blue AT&T card solved all problems. So right now I'm trying to see if I can get mine updated (I do have an older Cingular SIM). Once I get that, I will do a hard reset (3rd one also done about 20 soft resets since I 've had it-I've installed a bunch of programs and tweaks) and skip the auto config and go straight to the connection wizard.

GSM/3G Stupid question

I want to make my phone 2G only however every combo of base band seems to allow for 3G or non-working signal. I'm on UK vodaphone. I'm pritty sure it was just change one of the settings on past winmo on orange...

Go into Phone/Menu/Options then scroll down to 'Band'
In the 'Network Type' section select 'GSM' and leave the Band Frequency on 'Auto' then press 'Done'

Tried that one i get a nice "!" next to the signal. It's why I was specific and said voda

Are you in UK?
I'm with Voda as well though that shouldn't really matter. GSM coverage is much better overall than 3G, so if you see the '!' it may be worth changing location and seeing if it will work. I'm pretty sure Voda don't have any 3G only masts, so anywhere you get a 3G signal you should also get GSM, though it doesn't work the other way around.
Don't mess with the base band settings- only the Network Type settings. Have you tried a soft reset?
Are you using the original ROM version and was the phone suppled by Vodafone?

Hi Yeah, i'm in the UK. It did this with both voda and the hspl "official" rom I upgraded to (the htc uk website one). Soft reset should be the same as dropping the battery out yeah? If not I'll try a soft reset as well and report.

yep soft reset worked vs battery go figure... Doesn't seem to have helped much with signal in my office roll on voda access gateway....

Ahh well- ours is not to reason why!
Technically battery out should be the same as a soft reset, but maybe that doesn't save the updated settings correctly?
It is strange in your case though, as the ROM update ought to have prompted a full reload. Presumably you now have the official HTC ROM V1.48? It might be worth installing the HTC SIM Contacts hotfix as this does update the Radio ROM to V2.06- many have reported a better signal with this version.
The Access Gateway is superb. I've just moved to Voda specifically to get one of these as I have no signal at all at home with any operator (occasional one bar with Orange); the Gateway now gives me 5 bars of 3G signal. Bear in mond it is 3G/HSPA only though- won't work at all if the phone is constrained to GSM, and won't work with non-3G phones.