Hello All,
I just recently purchased the AT&T nexus one and I just want to make sure my understanding of my question is correct or not. I have noticed that when I am at my house and if I have 3g enabled the signal bars next to the 3g icon are somewhere between 2-4 bars and are always fluctuating, But if i enable the option for use only 2G networks obviously the H or 3g icon disappear and the EDGE icon shows up but the signal strength is at a full 5 bars all the time not fluctuating. It was my understanding that the signal strength bars were completely seperate from the 3g or 2g icons. I thought that the signal strength bars represent my cell signal and whatever icon showed up was the data coverage in the area but they aren't related? Is this correct or is it that the signal strength bars represent the signal of the 3g or 2g?
The signal strength bar represents the 2g or3g signal strength.
Both of you are correct. To make calls or text the signal bars are need to use data the icons are needed.
But you don't make calls on 3g or edge. So I don't understand why the signal strength bars are lower when on 3g as opposed to edge unless its wat the first Guy said. And that doesn't seem correct cause that's basically saying my cell service is worse and I would have a higher chance of getting dropped or no calls at all when I am on 3g as opposed to edge.
not sure about your networks but on every other 3G network you make both call and data,,,
rimrocka0834 said:
But you don't make calls on 3g or edge. So I don't understand why the signal strength bars are lower when on 3g as opposed to edge unless its wat the first Guy said. And that doesn't seem correct cause that's basically saying my cell service is worse and I would have a higher chance of getting dropped or no calls at all when I am on 3g as opposed to edge.
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A couple of notes here:
- All you're seeing here is that 3G service is weaker than 2G/EDGE service at your house. Perhaps there are more EDGE towers around you than 3G-enabled towers, or EDGE runs on a lower frequency such as 850MHz that penetrates through walls better.
- If your 3G service completely drops out, you should fall back to EDGE during the call. There shouldn't be any interruption, but there's a small chance that the call will drop when this happens.
The latter happens to me on TMO all the time if I go into weak 3G, and I've never had a dropped call or issue because of it - so really, as long as you have solid EDGE service, phone calls shouldn't be a problem for you. Note that when you fall back to EDGE, you can't use data while on the call, but if you're still on 3G, it's possible to do so. You can of course combat by this by just using wifi.
Now, on the other hand, AT&T's 3G network is overloaded in some markets, so you may have a dropped call because of that - but that's a different issue altogether.
gsvnet thanks a lot! Cleared up everything I was wondering.
I know its kind of against how cellular is designed to work but I am in a situation where a sprint signal is only barely(0 bars) available and it decides to roam (with the triangle) to a uscellular signal. The problem is that its constantly trying to stay on the sprint signal, realizing that the connection isn't good enough and goes back to the uscellular signal and is just killing performance and battery. Is there any prl update or fix I can make with the evo to just stay on the uscc signal and forget about the crappy sprint signal at this location instead of hopping between the two? Ideally I'd like something automatic but I would even settle for a toggle. The uscellular signal is a repeater that was installed at my workplace. For example, in battery status my evo; the cell standby is at 39%
I am having the EXACT same issue in my office. The repeater signal in my office (850 MHz so it only repeats Verizon / AT&T / T-Mobile) is -70 dBm (full bars on my phone). The Sprint signal from outside through the foot thick cement walls is -102 or worse dBm (aka 1-0 bars). Why the hell will the phone not consistently stay on the higher power signal??
The techknowfile trick is NOT the solution to this problem. This seems like a problem with the phone itself - the whole point of a multi-band phone with free roaming is it should always pick the best signal (in my opinion).
I tried the techknowfile trick as well with no luck. Maybe a different prl? I used the 40060.prl file suggested.
Hi !
I recently purchased a S5, SM-G900F model, i'm in europe and i'm using Vodafone as a mobile carrier.
today i saw that i was only getting 1 bar and sometimes didn't show any bar at all,I went to settings and my signal strenght was at -122dbm 22 ASU, connection type as LTE, my mobile data was off.
i was afraid i had no connectivity at all and i picked another phone and i voice called my S5, i was able to make the voice call successfully and my bars went from almost none to 4-5 bars, signal strenght was at -79dbm and surprisingly it didn't drop to HSPA or UMTS.
I thought the most common behaviour for the instantly signal boost was to drop to 3G, but it didn't happen, connection type was at LTE and for long time.
I must say i was at the same place from almost an hour and it didn't boost until i made the voice call.
My question is, can a carrier be able to "keep" a mobile phone at small amount of cell towers and boost signal up with some voice call activity or mobile data traffic ?
Thanks and sorry for my poor english
Albef said:
Hi !
I recently purchased a S5, SM-G900F model, i'm in europe and i'm using Vodafone as a mobile carrier.
today i saw that i was only getting 1 bar and sometimes didn't show any bar at all,I went to settings and my signal strenght was at -122dbm 22 ASU, connection type as LTE, my mobile data was off.
i was afraid i had no connectivity at all and i picked another phone and i voice called my S5, i was able to make the voice call successfully and my bars went from almost none to 4-5 bars, signal strenght was at -79dbm and surprisingly it didn't drop to HSPA or UMTS.
I thought the most common behaviour for the instantly signal boost was to drop to 3G, but it didn't happen, connection type was at LTE and for long time.
I must say i was at the same place from almost an hour and it didn't boost until i made the voice call.
My question is, can a carrier be able to "keep" a mobile phone at small amount of cell towers and boost signal up with some voice call activity or mobile data traffic ?
Thanks and sorry for my poor english
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1- 3G signal and LTE signal are different and separately. Some reasons that may keep your phone not drop to 3G:
a) 3G signal at that time is weaker than LTE
b) Your carrier can set a policy/algorithm of how a phone switch between 3G/LTE signal
c) Check your network settings in Settings > More networks > Mobile networks > Network mode?
2- Regarding to your question, I can say that the carrier can not have such ability.
I bought a business class Verizon extender for $400 because the Turbo has less reception than my LG G2 did, but there seems to be a serious flaw in the Turbos programming (or maybe it's the antenna). I can be right next to the extender with only a couple bars, if I go to make a phone call it suddenly jumps to full bars. The issue could be battery saving? Because if I walk 30 feet from the extender I will lose the extender connection all together. I can then walk back to the extender and have no connection even when right next to it. Basically the extender is useless at 30ft because it will always lose connection.
Before anyone says, it's a defective extender. It's not, this is the replacement extender for the first one that had the same issue (and a burnt out power LED).
Can you post a picture of the extender? The first two photos show its connected to the extender. The third is 3g and it won't connect to it on 3g.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Free mobile app
extender in background
mobrules777 said:
Can you post a picture of the extender? The first two photos show its connected to the extender. The third is 3g and it won't connect to it on 3g.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Free mobile app
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The extender is the 4 blue lights in the background. It is the new business class one made by Samsung. It's supposed to have a range of 60ft.
The icon above your signal strength in the pictures shows that you are connected to the extender. It looks like a little house. Barely noticeable but its there. I have three to four bars at one end of my house but the other end only one. The one I have is the residential one but I have very bad 4g reception at my house. I dont really know anything about the business class one. The one I have has a range of about 100 ft. I can walk about half way into the back property without losing connection. I wonder If the materials of the building is causing an issue. I know a local government that bought these for several of its buildings. They didnt work for them because the buildings were concrete and brick. A phone could be 10 ft away from the extender but a wall between them and there was no connection at all.
Im sure this is stuff you already know but I would talk to verizon tier one support about it. They seeem to be a little more knowledgeable.
1 bar and I'm 1ft from extender.
It is showing 1 bar and I'm 1ft from the extender. So I walk 30ft and I got nothing.
The turbo can't do simultaneous voice and data because it has one radio, so whenever I make a call it shows 1x with no bars. I guess when you're on the extender and make a call, it switches to full bars like you said. I don't know anything about these extenders though.
If you place a call, you should see it go up to full strength.
You're seeing the 4G indicator, which is the 4G signal coming in from the network. The Network Extenders are 1X/EV-DO only.
Look at Settings-> About Phone-> Status-> Network Type and Strength and see what it says for 1x (or maybe 3g) strength.
I think digitaloutsider is right- when you're not on a call, and you're in 4G coverage, you'll see your 4G strength on the signal meter (or, at least, the low bar between the two). You can verify that you're going through the network extender by either dialing #48 or listening for a double beep immediately after you dial a number.
I don't have a business extender, but my consumer device doesn't have a great range. When I'm 30 feet away in my house (depending on exactly where I am), I'll see a noticeable drop in signal strength from the extender. It certainly still works anywhere in my house, though.
tested
reggie14 said:
Look at Settings-> About Phone-> Status-> Network Type and Strength and see what it says for 1x (or maybe 3g) strength.
I think digitaloutsider is right- when you're not on a call, and you're in 4G coverage, you'll see your 4G strength on the signal meter (or, at least, the low bar between the two). You can verify that you're going through the network extender by either dialing #48 or listening for a double beep immediately after you dial a number.
I don't have a business extender, but my consumer device doesn't have a great range. When I'm 30 feet away in my house (depending on exactly where I am), I'll see a noticeable drop in signal strength from the extender. It certainly still works anywhere in my house, though.
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I believe you guys are correct. It is showing the tower signal, even when the little house extender icon is on. I took several screen shots and they seem to verify the bars are the tower signal. The one issue seems to be that I still am completely losing connection to the extender when I am not far away (45ft), as seen in one of the screens. Certainly not the 60ft range that Verizon claims the business extender can reach.
lukester01 said:
I believe you guys are correct. It is showing the tower signal, even when the little house extender icon is on. I took several screen shots and they seem to verify the bars are the tower signal. The one issue seems to be that I still am completely losing connection to the extender when I am not far away (45ft), as seen in one of the screens. Certainly not the 60ft range that Verizon claims the business extender can reach.
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It looks like your phone is getting a stronger signal from a Verizon tower than your network extender in one of the pictures. Are you getting closer to a window in that case?
file name tells location
reggie14 said:
It looks like your phone is getting a stronger signal from a Verizon tower than your network extender in one of the pictures. Are you getting closer to a window in that case?
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If you hover over the picture, it will show the file name for the location in relation to the extender. The extender is in an area of better cell tower coverage. I have a serious problem with intermittent cell coverage at this location. One second I'll have an amazing 4G signal, then 10 sec later it will be 1 bar 3G, then seconds after that nothing, then 5 min later great 4G coverage again. I am on the water in Seattle and I have noticed that when it switches to the 3G signal I am actually on a tower 3 miles away across the water. For some reason the signal goes up and down, then switches towers, it's a mess. So I was hoping the extender would give me constant coverage.
The one you are talking about I think is me on the phone, 45ft from the extender (is the phone icon at the top?). But if I get off the phone at that location the signal instantly drops as you can see in another photo labeled 45ft from extender. I honestly think the phone boosts it's reception when on the phone, then lets it drop when not. This would be fine if I only used the phone for phone calls (I use my wifi for data), except that I cannot then get texts when it does this.
lukester01 said:
If you hover over the picture, it will show the file name for the location in relation to the extender. The extender is in an area of better cell tower coverage. I have a serious problem with intermittent cell coverage at this location. One second I'll have an amazing 4G signal, then 10 sec later it will be 1 bar 3G, then seconds after that nothing, then 5 min later great 4G coverage again. I am on the water in Seattle and I have noticed that when it switches to the 3G signal I am actually on a tower 3 miles away across the water. For some reason the signal goes up and down, then switches towers, it's a mess. So I was hoping the extender would give me constant coverage.
The one you are talking about I think is me on the phone, 45ft from the extender (is the phone icon at the top?). But if I get off the phone at that location the signal instantly drops as you can see in another photo labeled 45ft from extender. I honestly think the phone boosts it's reception when on the phone, then lets it drop when not. This would be fine if I only used the phone for phone calls (I use my wifi for data), except that I cannot then get texts when it does this.
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Use Verizon Messages, you can send+receive SMS over Wi-Fi and you can open your messages in a web portal from your laptop or another device. Verizon apps don't always suck haha
I am gasping at the remark the turbo has worse reception than the g2. My droid maxx definitely has better reception and hand off than my g3 but both work well.
Sent from my Verizon LG G3 using Tapatalk
I really think it depends on your area as far as reception. The Turbo is the first phone I have used that gets cell reception in my neighborhood. That would be better reception than the OG droid, Bionic, Original Nexus, S3, HTC One, Iphone 4, iphone 5 and Verizon Ellipsis.
That said, due to all the reception issues of the past, I also have the business class extender. I have 2 bars of 4g and when I make a call, it goes over to 1x at full strength. As I move away, the bars drop. I live on half an acre and this thing still works out in the yard. You always know when you are using the extender because of the little bo doop sound it makes when you answer or make a call.
I've had the phone for about a month now, and I've never seen the signal strength indicator display anything other than max. I definitely know that my signal strength is pretty poor at my workplace via my old Nexus 4 and the LTE Discovery app. Does anyone's phone display an accurate signal strength? I'm currently stock on Marshmallow (same issue with Lollipop) with T-Mobile as my carrier, if that matters.
That sounds like "Demo mode" in System UI Tuner. It makes everything look like it's working perfectly.
It's also possible that you have a very clean signal to a malfunctioning tower. I've seen this in a few places.
kevinmcmurtrie said:
That sounds like "Demo mode" in System UI Tuner. It makes everything look like it's working perfectly.
It's also possible that you have a very clean signal to a malfunctioning tower. I've seen this in a few places.
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Demo mode is disabled. I've installed a couple of apps that display information about my cellular signal, and they accurately displayed the corresponding indicator based on the signal strength. I'm not sure why my Moto X won't accurately show it. Maybe I just need to find a place that has no service just to make sure. LOL