Related
I've had my MDA in the US for a couple of weeks now. During the first week the reception was great, but now is terrible. In at least two specific places where I used to get good reception, I now get no service at all.
Hard boot has not helped.
I suspect the problem started after I plugged in an external antenna. For those who have seen the inside, is there anything I might have knocked loose?
I'm not afraid to open it up, but there might be a tradeoff in getting warranty service afterward. Mostly likely, I will open it up, void whatever warranty there is, and find nothing to fix anyway . . .
I am a long-time XDAI/AT&T user. Switched to T-Mobile about the same time as getting the XDAII. But initially, after switching, I sat in a meeting and surfed the internet with good coverage. A week later, in the same place, no service. There is a marked decrease in signal strength in every other location, also. Much too consistent to be a problem with the provider (I think).
I'm having the same exact problem. Does anyone know what might cause this? how it can be fixed?
Poor Reception
I seem to be having a poor reception issue, too, though I'm not sure what reception I should be getting from my XDA II -- I've only had it for a week or two, and can only compare its phone performance against an XDA 1. In that comparison, the XDA 1 received much better than the XDA II. Can anyone tell me if something is going on?
Thanks!
maybe it's because xda1 have an antenna ?
my exp is that they are the same receptionwise
and both of them are the same as my old motorola cellphone
Bad Reception after plugging in external antenna
had the same problem after plugging in a radio shack antenna. It was so bad I was ready to buy the new Ipaq thinking I could use the quad band for AT&T in the USA.
THe bad reception lasted about two months, thenone day it just "snapped" out of it. I have had great reception now for over a month, and have used an external antenna without a problem. plugging it in and out no longer effects the reception when it is unplugged. A hardware switch that did not reset? No idea, just reporting m experience.
Steve
Could it be because of your provider? Mine has almost no reception here at work but that's how it was eversince I started working here. Even with my Nokia, my XDA II still have one or two bar the most here at work. But when I'm at home, I get full reception.
But Cingular has always had bad coverage around my work area, Verizon on the other hand has good coverage.
My first Streak lost reception in every 2-5 minutes, the complete service not just 3G. I got a new sim but same issue. Side of the streak my friends HD or HD2 has a stable 3G or H. I get and exchnage and the new one is different, this get a reception in every 5 minutes only GPRS or EDGE. So try exhange again. DO you guys had any reception problem. I am in Wimbledon Park, in Wimbledon i dont have any problem.
Over on MoDaCo, there were people yesterday having problems in London, and one guy specifically in Wimbledon. Up north, everything if A-OK!
that was me, just i am curious about others opinion, this phone definetly worst than the other in same place same simcard so this is phone issue.
qq67 said:
that was me, just i am curious about others opinion, this phone definetly worst than the other in same place same simcard so this is phone issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to some other people it's happened on some other android phones. But yeah, definitely a problem that needs to be looked at by Dell or O2.
I lose signal constantly when on 3G/H always dipping in and out, doesn't seem to pick up 3G very often either even in high strength signal areas. Wifi reception is also a lot weaker than my hero. Worth taking back as hardware deficient or do you think mendable by future radio/software upgrade?
I dont know exactly what the procedure is if I get a new one and has a same issue. I already asked carphonewarehouse can i get an other brand but they said i cant, even if the 5th one is faulty or just doesnt work in my flat. I just cant imagine what happens after 4th or 5th faulty phone if i can swap to other model. The exact question is what happens if Streak has an construction problem? Will I spend my weekends in carphonewarehouse to get an exchange? Ridicoluos. the problem is I love Streak but I seriously started to think to get Desire or HD2
I Hope this is not a sign of things to come with the reception issue,will we be getting teething problems ?
qq67 said:
I dont know exactly what the procedure is if I get a new one and has a same issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can ignore them mate.
Quote the consumer protection act at them if the phone consistently fails to connect. "not fit for purpose"
If they still fail to replace/refund your money, then go straight to a solicitor and go to the small claims court, easy peasy.
I've noticed 2 issues with my streaks' reception.
1) At my house, where I typically get excellent 'H' reception on my HTC WIMO phones, the streak regularly losses all reception, depending on where it is. Moving it by as little as 30cm in a room can make the difference between full signal and no signal. Seems to be an issue with full strength signal. In work, where I get a weaker 'H' signal, I get no drop outs.
2) The WIFI reception always seems weak, steady, but weak. Haven't really had chance to test this outside of my house, so maybe my router setup.
I was wondering where the antennas are, cos maybe I'm "holding it wrong"
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
I noticed this 30cm too.
Between me and the keyboard reception zero never 3G or H 30 cm left never lose reception and 50% of the time is H or 3G, sometime i lost the reception middle of conversation if i am not watching where i am
Yesterday we made a Big O2 Reception Party. 3Winmo 2 Iphone 2 Android and the result is this problems definetly comes from O2. The streak maybe more sensitive for sh.t O2 recption than other phones. that is it. this is my 3rd Streak and i cant beleive all 3 was faulty, or it has a big construction error.
Going straight to voicemail
My dell streak has similar signal issues but another problem. Whenever my closest friend calls me, most of the time he is redirected to voicemail straight away! Though, other people are able to call me.
I've got mine on T-mobile and I get the same coverage as my colleague running a T-mobile Desire - 1-2 bars of HSDPA coverage; my X10 would sometimes drop to GPRS in the same location, something that hasn't happened with the Streak yet...
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
i get great reception on tmobile in hampshire. H/3g 2/4 bars
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk
@flumps
Is the Modaco ROM better than the Dell ROM? Any screenshots?
hey guys, just an observation. When I was using my phone with 3g OFF I was losing reception really often, but when I have 3g on it seems to be much more stable. I know this doesnt fix what most of you are seeing, but thought I would share.
CodeCruiser said:
@flumps
Is the Modaco ROM better than the Dell ROM? Any screenshots?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nothing to screenshot bud. it looks and feels the same as stock rom but a little snappier. its good for a first attempt @ streak rom but nothing flashy about it at this point in time.
back on top. i stand corrected, i have had a issue with reception without even knowing it. i blamed the cut outs on my using task manager and killing something i shouldnt but that doesnt seem to be the case. it knocks completely out randomly and says "no sim card"
I am quite happy with the Dell ROM except that I hate to see Amazon MP3 store app and TouchDown app running everytime I open task manager(even though I kill these). Now TouchDown is a paid app and for some reason Dell thought each and every user of Streak would pay for it so the app must remain installed on device. I know I can root the device and get rid of these apps but that would void warranty(I think).
I was having connection loss issues until I removed the task manager, now it's fine. I think the streak is happier without one.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
My streak has been stuck on 'g' for the past couple of days, up until then i've had a decent hsdpa connection all over town and in work. Called o2 today and they say that there's been no change in coverage. No idea what the issue might be.
if you have a task killer killing sim toolkit then it will kill reception till it restarts.
There does look like an issue with H connection and the streak, I haven't worked out what it is.
IF someone can get steady H access (and has drop outs) and has their streak rooted can you run Dmesg via adb shell to see what feedout there is about it?
I recently purchased a used Samsung Vibrant. Returning it is not an option at this point. Suffice to say, its not stolen, I've paid my idiot tax, and now I want to move on and try to make someting of the money I 've already wasted. If I had to do it over again, I'd buy a new one.
Basically, the phone unable to show enough signal strength to make a phone call or data connection. Now and then it may show one bar, most of the time no bars or a blue circle/slash icon. AFAIK, even without a SIM the phone should still connect for 911 service. After checking the phone and reading this forum I can verify the phone is running the stock firmware, is not currently rooted or unlocked. As I see it have the following options;
1. Attempt some of the firmware options I find available in this forum. I'm fairly experienced with flashing HTC phones, especially the Touch Cruise, with various radios and Android builds. There seem to be many choices, I'm not sure which to start with but prefer stability over bleeding edge.
2. Contact Samsung support for possible repair, either warranty or at cost. If this is a know simple issue and would cost around $100 or so I'd considering it worth it.
3. Take it to T-mobile and see if I missed something obvious.
4. Slap my self on the back of the head for a bone-head choice, and use my repair money toward a mytouch. At least its Android.
Any helpful suggestions?
Thanks,
Nomedias
New JI6 OTA fixes signal problems
Also avoid palming the phone in left hand on a weak signal, covering the bottom left corner your signal strength drops.. Ive personally only seen this effects data not voice
demo23019 said:
New JI6 OTA fixes signal problems
Also avoid palming the phone in left hand on a weak signal, covering the bottom left corner your signal strength drops.. Ive personally only seen this effects data not voice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I followed the directions at forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=732458 to update to JI6 update. The problem is still there. FYI, the only 512.pit I can find is the one included with the stock ROM. Is that good or is there a more recent one I couldn't find mention of?
you dont need to update pit file. its the same that you already have
demo23019 said:
you dont need to update pit file. its the same that you already have
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, that makes sense.
An update on the issue. I changed the screen timeout to 10 minutes, then set it down. After a couple minutes it might get 2-3 bars (-95 to -105 dBm), but the moment I pick it up it drops to nothing. And no I'm not using a deathgrip, and other phones I have get a solid signal, also on T-mobile. I'm thinking I gonna contact Samsung tomorrow and see what repair options I have, if any.
Thanks for the assist.
Nomedias said:
Thanks, that makes sense.
An update on the issue. I changed the screen timeout to 10 minutes, then set it down. After a couple minutes it might get 2-3 bars (-95 to -105 dBm), but the moment I pick it up it drops to nothing. And no I'm not using a deathgrip, and other phones I have get a solid signal, also on T-mobile. I'm thinking I gonna contact Samsung tomorrow and see what repair options I have, if any.
Thanks for the assist.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't have to be death grip it happens just by covering the bottom left side...like i said in my OP just palming in left hand can cause this.
This only happens when you're on a weak signal.
I have this problem even on JI6 you have to hold phone certain way so you're not blocking antenna with hand.
This happens to me at home but noticed when i get real strong signal on the road or at girlfriends house it doesn't happen
I'm pretty sure nothing is wrong with your phone i think its just a design flaw on the vibrant
BTW here is an old post i made few weeks back before understanding what was actually going on
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=791058
EDIT
hey if you do find a solution with Samsung over the phone could you give me a heads up/PM on what they had you do?
demo23019 said:
......
This only happens when you're on a weak signal.
......
hey if you do find a solution with Samsung over the phone could you give me a heads up/PM on what they had you do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that also follows. FYI, I get a strong signal with other phones at my location using my SIM, even on unlocked AT&T phones. However the Vibrant never gets better than -95 dBm.
I've already sent an email to Samsung support. I'll post an update once that is resolved.
Nomedias
Nomedias said:
Yeah, that also follows. FYI, I get a strong signal with other phones at my location using my SIM, even on unlocked AT&T phones. However the Vibrant never gets better than -95 dBm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you my nexus and diamond never had this problem.
What i was getting at is the vibrant antenna is **** or just a bad designed flaw.
and requires "stronger" signal
Anyways from my understanding there still isn't a real solution for this... but i know JI6 helps
but now battery drains faster because of the new JI6 modem
demo23019 said:
I agree with you my nexus and diamond never had this problem.
What i was getting at is the vibrant antenna is **** or just a bad designed flaw.
and requires "stronger" signal
Anyways from my understanding there still isn't a real solution for this... but i know JI6 helps
but now battery drains faster because of the new JI6 modem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you talking about? The Nexus One and ESPECIALLY the Diamond has typical HTC garbage cell reception. My Vibrant has excellent reception, better than the new G2 with it's antenna at the top (don't cover it, you'll switch over to EDGE) If there is something wrong with yours you should get that checked out!
heygrl said:
What are you talking about? The Nexus One and ESPECIALLY the Diamond has typical HTC garbage cell reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea ok what ever you say
heygrl said:
If there is something wrong with yours you should get that checked out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is nothing wrong with mine, like i said before ...
This happens to me at home but noticed when i get real strong signal on the road or at girlfriends house it doesn't happen
its a known issue with vibrant phones..even yours
Just not as noticeable the closer you're to cell towers
demo23019 said:
Yea ok what ever you say
There is nothing wrong with mine, its a known issue with vibrant phones..even yours
Just not as noticeable the closer you're to cell towers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know this because?
1) No, I am NOT near any cell towers
2) Took my Vibrant out to the interstate, had EXCELLENT reception - better than my other T-Mobile phones.
3) Like I said, next to the G2 the Vibrant reports a far better signal
4) if it's not reporting anything higher than -95dBm you have a serious problem. That's probably why it was for sale. Lots of people like unloading junk. It's still under warranty, get a new one from T-Mobile.
this is my 2nd phone not for that reason but old one did same, my friends does same when tested in same spots..ect my phone is fine
considering im in a spotty 3g area even states this on tmobile site on map..
Im talking about about data here not voice...i drop to Edge 3-4 bars when i cover the bottom left i dont lose signal completed. I think there is miss communication between us
=
demo23019 said:
this is my 2nd phone not for that reason but old one did same, my friends does same when tested in same spots..ect my phone is fine
considering im in a spotty 3g area even states this on tmobile site on map..
Im talking about about data here not voice...i drop to Edge 3-4 bars when i cover the bottom left i dont lose signal completed. I think there is miss communication between us
=
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what does spotty 3G coverage have to do with the phone?
OMG forget it
UPDATE...
Called Samsung support today. The phone is still under warranty, so they issued an RMA number and sent me a UPS label via email. I'll ship it to them and as long as it isn't due to physical damage, it will be covered at no cost to me.
As expected I had to go through the usual steps such as making sure I had a good signal where I was on another phone. Once it was clear it was either a hardware issue or a problem with the software I can't resolve, they had no problem with an RMA. FYI, I was up front about it being purchased from another T-mobile customer, but this did not appear to be an issue.
This is my first time dealing with Samsung support, and all things considered I'm feeling very positive right now. I deal with tech support lines alot in my job and so far I'm happy. Will update when I get the phone back.
Nomedias
I really want to buy this phone... But when I google around, I find tons of forum threads like this and youtube videos like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsEnYzEjjwM
Not too encouraging....
heygrl, you seem to be the only one here who is extremely happy with your reception, so it's hard for me to take your word for it!
Is there any natural way to hold this phone without making the signal drop? The bigger problem for me is that I'm on Wind Mobile, which does not have an EDGE network. So if I lose 3G, I lose my signal alltogether.
I could buy a Motorola XT720... But the screen is just incomparable to the Vibrant
Faruk88 said:
I really want to buy this phone... But when I google around, I find tons of forum threads like this and youtube videos like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsEnYzEjjwM
Not too encouraging....
heygrl, you seem to be the only one here who is extremely happy with your reception, so it's hard for me to take your word for it!
Is there any natural way to hold this phone without making the signal drop? The bigger problem for me is that I'm on Wind Mobile, which does not have an EDGE network. So if I lose 3G, I lose my signal alltogether.
I could buy a Motorola XT720... But the screen is just incomparable to the Vibrant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you read the poll 6 people suggested that the OP try a different firmware. Listed in the JI6 bug fixes
http://ars.samsung.com/customer/usa...ID=2&PROD_SUB_ID=557&PROD_ID=560&AT_ID=341559
Radio: 3G antenna bar patch
SNS Sync: The interval value for synchronizing has been changed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering the fact that this thread has low replies after the JI6 firmware has dropped and the fact that it sounds like a problem with this particular device, This thread proves much of nothing. The only people that have problems are the ones that complain.
Believe me, I'd be happy to buy this phone if I knew for sure that reception wouldn't be a problem... But seriously, 3g antenna bar patch? That's so Apple-esque. It does nothing to fix the underlying issue that people are having, which is a 20dBm drop in signal when holding the phone at the bottom.
Edit: 30dBm in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYzI2j3A78E (-81dBm to -111dBm)
It seems hard to believe that Samsung could have let something like this slip...
Faruk88 said:
Believe me, I'd be happy to buy this phone if I knew for sure that reception wouldn't be a problem... But seriously, 3g antenna bar patch? That's so Apple-esque. It does nothing to fix the underlying issue that people are having, which is a 20dBm drop in signal when holding the phone at the bottom.
Edit: 30dBm in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYzI2j3A78E (-81dBm to -111dBm)
It seems hard to believe that Samsung could have let something like this slip...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem was with the bars. It reflected a much poorer level of service. It's hard to tell someone that has no idea how the signal is measured why their service isn't gone or bad because you have "0 bars". The Vibrant only went to -81dBm and that was obviously wrong because the Android system should reflect -dBm up until -51. -0dBm is an amazing signal, which we'll never see on any phone. It would often bounce between -111dBm and -0dBm when it showed no bars of coverage. I don't know how many more times I have to explain this.
The bars WE'RE wrong. People took this to mean that their reception was bad when in reality there was nothing wrong with it. You can't explain this to everyone because they won't understand it or care. You could go into Samsung's service menu to see actual -dBm reception because the bars we're broken and so was the Android readout.
Yes I'm an engineer so I know that 0dBm is a gain of 1 and therefore an amazing signal. However, Android just displays 0dBm when it loses service, NOT when it has a perfect signal (obviously this is technically incorrect, but this is what they chose for whatever reason).
And why was it wrong that the Vibrant in the video started off at -81dBm? That's a pretty reasonable value to have indoors.
But even if it should have started off at -51dBm instead of -81dBm, it doesn't matter because that can easily be fixed with a software patch. What CAN'T be fixed with a software patch is the 20-30dBm DROP in signal when the phone is held. So instead of my phone dropping from -81dBm to -111dBm, it will drop from -51dBm to -81dBm. Are you telling me that's supposed to be a good "fix"?
What's more concerning of course, is in low signal environments, where you can lose service alltogether. Sometimes I pull my Samsung phone out of my pocket and it shows "No Service" for a few seconds, until it gets connected to the network again. (what I'm trying to say is that it loses service in my pocket)
If I don't hear anything more convincing, I'm probably gonna go ahead and order a cheap MyTouch Slide... Way inferior to this phone, but at least it's nearly half the price and I can be confident about my reception.
I do not know why but i get extremely poor signal with my new vibrant and T-mobile at my house. Outside the house and inside it is averaging - 110 db. My work is 1.5 miles away and I get 4-5 bars and excellent signal and 3G. T-mobile store is 1 mile away and i get excellent service there... Even 4G is offered in my area.
I called tech support, first they told me i had an old sim card, so today I changed the sim, but that did not help. I called them again, all they did is take me off the system and add me back on, did a test call, i received the call and that was it. Am I stuck with poor service or it is the the vibrant that is too sensitive.
I am looking at the signal strength at work now, and again, I work 1.5 miles away from my house, literary straight down the road.. I am getting -65 to -75 db with full 5 bars. When I hold it with my left hand supposedly blocking the antenna, I get a drop of -5 db, but it still stray very strong..
So I guess, it is not a phone issue. It is definitely Tmobile and their crappy signal!
azsamsancho said:
I do not know why but i get extremely poor signal with my new vibrant and T-mobile at my house. Outside the house and inside it is averaging - 110 db. My work is 1.5 miles away and I get 4-5 bars and excellent signal and 3G. T-mobile store is 1 mile away and i get excellent service there... Even 4G is offered in my area.
I called tech support, first they told me i had an old sim card, so today I changed the sim, but that did not help. I called them again, all they did is take me off the system and add me back on, did a test call, i received the call and that was it. Am I stuck with poor service or it is the the vibrant that is too sensitive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
azsamsancho said:
I am looking at the signal strength at work now, and again, I work 1.5 miles away from my house, literary straight down the road.. I am getting -65 to -75 db with full 5 bars. When I hold it with my left hand supposedly blocking the antenna, I get a drop of -5 db, but it still stray very strong..
So I guess, it is not a phone issue. It is definitely Tmobile and their crappy signal!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you want XDA crew come and hug you?
Which baseband are you running? JFD, JI2 or JI6?
azsamsancho said:
I am looking at the signal strength at work now, and again, I work 1.5 miles away from my house, literary straight down the road.. I am getting -65 to -75 db with full 5 bars. When I hold it with my left hand supposedly blocking the antenna, I get a drop of -5 db, but it still stray very strong..
So I guess, it is not a phone issue. It is definitely Tmobile and their crappy signal!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what rom are you running? What you're describing seems to be similar to what happened with the original vibrant radio.
Group hug aside
The above comments are excellent. Check what radio you are running. Then, check your tower locations
I am on an Island and there are places that every carrier has problems covering here. Not sure why it is that way but, that is the way it is. T mobile is pretty good on a whole compared to ATT and the others.
lqaddict said:
Which baseband are you running? JFD, JI2 or JI6?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was running stock at first, and then I upgraded to JI6 as it supposedly improves the signal.. i seem to have had some improvement but still extremely poor service at or around my house. last night as a test, I called my work and left a voicemail. When I got to work, I saw a missed call, but no voicemail!
The scary part is reliability, not being able to rely on important calls/voicemails to my phone. I tried to use google voice at least the voicemails to be covered, but I found out that google voice is not reliable either, a couple of times already it tells 'Cannot leave a voicemail servers are busy" something like that.. It is insane, and I have 4G in my area!
Have you tried another phone?
lqaddict said:
Have you tried another phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not because I do not have another T-mobile phone. I used to be with AT&T for years and I never ever had a an issue with reception.
azsamsancho said:
I have not because I do not have another T-mobile phone. I used to be with AT&T for years and I never ever had a an issue with reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it could be that your place is under a sub-optimal coverage for TMO.
Without a second phone to try there is little you can do to confirm or deny it.
azsamsancho said:
I have not because I do not have another T-mobile phone. I used to be with AT&T for years and I never ever had a an issue with reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol isn't obvious to you yet that AT&T network has wider coverage than T-Mobile? T-Mobile is still building out their 3G network, they still don't have the type of coverage AT&T have. I suggest you unlock you Vibrant and go back to AT&T if your not on a contract. Otherwise you will just have hope T-Mobile cares about coverage than SPEED.
I love T-Mobile but their coverage have me on the edge at times.
ram130 said:
lol isn't obvious to you yet that AT&T network has wider coverage than T-Mobile? T-Mobile is still building out their 3G network, they still don't have the type of coverage AT&T have. I suggest you unlock you Vibrant and go back to AT&T if your not on a contract. Otherwise you will just have hope T-Mobile cares about coverage than SPEED.
I love T-Mobile but their coverage have me on the edge at times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unlocked the phone, but I can't go back to AT&T right, I will have to cancel the 2-year Tmobile contract and return the phone as well..
azsamsancho said:
I unlocked the phone, but I can't go back to AT&T right, I will have to cancel the 2-year Tmobile contract and return the phone as well..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I guess you have some bad luck. Looks like your stuck until T-Mobile does something, which can take upto two years either way...I wish you luck.
Have tried switching to EDGE?
I had the same signal quality problems and switched to att as a result. Problems resolved and I still have my beloved Vibrant.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
ram130 said:
lol isn't obvious to you yet that AT&T network has wider coverage than T-Mobile? T-Mobile is still building out their 3G network, they still don't have the type of coverage AT&T have. I suggest you unlock you Vibrant and go back to AT&T if your not on a contract. Otherwise you will just have hope T-Mobile cares about coverage than SPEED.
I love T-Mobile but their coverage have me on the edge at times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry, but that's the stupidest generalization i've seen here in a long time.
While T-Mobile is building out coverage, there are many areas that they serve and ATT doesn't (cheyenne, wyoming), and where TMO brought 3g first (peoria, IL; manhattan, ks).
If you don't like their coverage, then switch. But don't make silly generalizations based upon talking points from 5 years ago. Coverage is ALWAYS subjective.
I usually sit around -105dBm and I'm in Sacramento where supposedly HSPA+ was just rolled out (I know I can't get HSPA+, but I thought it was supposed to improve the network here )
So I feel your pain...
reuthermonkey said:
I'm sorry, but that's the stupidest generalization i've seen here in a long time.
While T-Mobile is building out coverage, there are many areas that they serve and ATT doesn't (cheyenne, wyoming), and where TMO brought 3g first (peoria, IL; manhattan, ks).
If you don't like their coverage, then switch. But don't make silly generalizations based upon talking points from 5 years ago. Coverage is ALWAYS subjective.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey it's the facts..t-mobile network is still "spotty"...stop making them seem like god, they cover 96% while AT&T has 97%,,We don't even want to mention Verizon..but hey, nothing is perfect, it's just what's best in your area.
ram130 said:
Have tried switching to EDGE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I did experiment with EDGE (GSM only) setting. It seems to be a bit better -100 dB (compared to the -110 dB I get on 3G).
I know Tmobile has less than perfect coverage, but I think it is extremely unfortunate that a mile from my house networks are blazing fast. My 3G is super fast and internet pages load very, very quickly. I do not live in a mountain area either..
I guess I will have to live with it. Use hands free to talk when I am at home so antenna is not blocked.. and use google voice for voicemail so important calls are not lost. if gogole voice fails, at least ppl won't be able to leave voicemail, and thus forcing them to call me back..
azsamsancho said:
Yes, I did experiment with EDGE (GSM only) setting. It seems to be a bit better -100 dB (compared to the -110 dB I get on 3G).
I know Tmobile has less than perfect coverage, but I think it is extremely unfortunate that a mile from my house networks are blazing fast. My 3G is super fast and internet pages load very, very quickly. I do not live in a mountain area either..
I guess I will have to live with it. Use hands free to talk when I am at home so antenna is not blocked.. and use google voice for voicemail so important calls are not lost. if gogole voice fails, at least ppl won't be able to leave voicemail, and thus forcing them to call me back..
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Funny, I use Google Voice for all my voicemails and never got the error you had..oh well..i wish you luck
You may try returning it for a G2. TMo is supposed to release Wifi calling for it soon. It's probably coming to the Vibrant too, but I doubt before 2.2 is released.
Kubernetes said:
You may try returning it for a G2. TMo is supposed to release Wifi calling for it soon. It's probably coming to the Vibrant too, but I doubt before 2.2 is released.
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I am still within my 14-days (until tomorrow), but the problem is I did not buy directly from Tmobile. I bought from online retailer so I cannot just go and swap phones I think. I think if I can back out of the contract and keep the phone and go to AT&T might be a good option (not sure how good the 2 GB data limit is)..
Just moved to a rural area and the Verizon map shows I should have either 3g or 4g (right on the edge of the line between the two) in my location. But if I hold my tongue just right, at best I may get 1 bar of 3g. And if I'm indoors, forget it. Not even voice calls or texts. Any apps to try for this? I guess I kind of doubt it.
My main question is, has anybody tried any of the signal boosters? Not the ones that use wifi, because I don't get that in my rural area either. It seems I just bought a place in an infamous dead spot. I'm talking about one of the tower mounted "repeaters" like the ones at Wilson Electronics. There is a local company that sells and installs them, for $1800! Yikes! I'm wondering if they could possibly work THAT well? Anybody have any experience with these?
Edit:
I've sort of resolved this, in case anybody runs across this thread. Not the resolution I was looking for, but something is better than nothing. I wound up having to get a local "wireless" internet connection. Instead of broadband, its an antenna that goes on the roof, and a modem that looks like it was made in the 80's that goes inside. Verizon hooked me up with a Samsung booster and it actually seems to work really well. I've only had it for a day, but so far, no dropped calls, no crackling, great sounding calls and immediate text deliveries. Oh, and the internet is rated at 4mbps in case anybody is shopping around to fix a similar problem. Wish I had more info on the Wilson, non-wifi boosters. Maybe in the future...
scott_65 said:
Just moved to a rural area and the Verizon map shows I should have either 3g or 4g (right on the edge of the line between the two) in my location. But if I hold my tongue just right, at best I may get 1 bar of 3g. And if I'm indoors, forget it. Not even voice calls or texts. Any apps to try for this? I guess I kind of doubt it.
My main question is, has anybody tried any of the signal boosters? Not the ones that use wifi, because I don't get that in my rural area either. It seems I just bought a place in an infamous dead spot. I'm talking about one of the tower mounted "repeaters" like the ones at Wilson Electronics. There is a local company that sells and installs them, for $1800! Yikes! I'm wondering if they could possibly work THAT well? Anybody have any experience with these?
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I have no idea about signal boosters but you can try different modems and see if that helps, if you haven't already. Just put your phone in download mode and flash thru odin. You may need to be rooted if you aren't. Not 100% on being rooted to flash modems but I would be rooted to make sure. I'm on NC2 leak and that modem was awful for me. Now I'm on NC2 with the NC4 modem and it's been lovely.
Link : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=47400062&postcount=1
Thats good to know, thanks! I'm having horrible luck on NC2 as well. But my wife is using my old note 2 running an old jb rom I had on it (I think maybe cleanrom). She's having the same problems. So I know its not just the phone, it is the actual signal at this location. But I will try the modem change, since my signal has suffered everywhere else too.
Would still like info on boosters if anybody else has used them, thanks
scott_65 said:
Thats good to know, thanks! I'm having horrible luck on NC2 as well. But my wife is using my old note 2 running an old jb rom I had on it (I think maybe cleanrom). She's having the same problems. So I know its not just the phone, it is the actual signal at this location. But I will try the modem change, since my signal has suffered everywhere else too.
Would still like info on boosters if anybody else has used them, thanks
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Okay, then maybe my info won't help if you're wife's phone signal is sucking too, but I tried.
Sorry man, wasn't trying to be rude at all, your info was much appreciated! I just downloaded and installed the NC4 modem, I'm using it as we speak. I appreciate any help that anybody on these forums offers me. Your knowledge will undoubtedly help out my situation.
That being said, I'm also looking for information from anyone that has used one of these boosters for this other particular reception problem that I'm having. I was merely stating that, while your solution will likely help my phones individual signal strength, my location is requiring a little more effort than just a phone enhancement. Sorry if I came across rude or offended in any way. Its never my intentions
You weren't rude at all dude, sorry if I gave you that impression. We're good.....
Do you have land-line phone service? I'm thinking of getting one from best buy that costs about $300. It does not use the phone line, per se. It just uses the wiring as the antenna and boosts 4g. Don't remember the name. . .
LeftyGR said:
Do you have land-line phone service? I'm thinking of getting one from best buy that costs about $300. It does not use the phone line, per se. It just uses the wiring as the antenna and boosts 4g. Don't remember the name. . .
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I don't have the service, but the old house I bought does still have the wires in it. Same thing I suppose, unless it uses the voltage thats in the wires... Good idea, I'll look into it as well. Thanks!
If you want cell phone voice coverage get a verizon network extender if you have home internet. Otherwise use a wilson electronics db pro 4g or dt4g amplifier system. Amazon sells them at a decent price