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T-mobile (USA) 3G

Hello, I am having trouble getting 3G working on my x10i. I have read through these forums and tried every apn settings I could find but still it only uses edge. T-mobile customer service tells me i have great 3g coverage in my area but that since its a non-tmobile phone it will not use 3G. Is this true or can anyone help? Right now im using epc.tmobile.com as my apn, data roaming on, and MMS & data turned on. Need more info just let me know.Thx for any help

check your sony ericsson xperia x10 box on the side, see if it said UMTS is saying "AWS1/AWS4/AWS8" if you are missing AWS4, then you will not be able to use T-mo USA 3G because T-mobile UMTS (3G) bandwidth frequency is 900 (AWS1) / 1700 (AWS4) / 2100 (AWS8)

i had a similar problem when my T-Mobile 3G constantly switched to Edge even when i had good coverage, i found this solution somewhere and it helped me, since then i was never dropped from 3G unless i had no bars... i would give this a try for your problem too.
1) enter in dialer the following: *#*#4636#*#*
2) select phone Information
3) press the menu button (left bottom hard key)
4) Select Radio Band
5) Select USA Band
6) Reboot Phone
This will narrow down your phone to USA 3G only, (if leaving the country you should switch back to automatic to get international 3G coverage), i found this also helpful for 3G speed and battery performance.

check your sony ericsson xperia x10 box on the side, see if it said UMTS is saying "AWS1/AWS4/AWS8" if you are missing AWS4, then you will not be able to use T-mo USA 3G because T-mobile UMTS (3G) bandwidth frequency is 900 (AWS1) / 1700 (AWS4) / 2100 (AWS8)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx for your replies , yes it says "UMTS/HSPA band 1/4/8" So should be possible.

1) enter in dialer the following: *#*#4636#*#*
2) select phone Information
3) press the menu button (left bottom hard key)
4) Select Radio Band
5) Select USA Band
6) Reboot Phone
This will narrow down your phone to USA 3G only, (if leaving the country you should switch back to automatic to get international 3G coverage), i found this also helpful for 3G speed and battery performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thx for your reply, I tried this and i still see the E for edge. Could it have something to do with the fact that where i live is actually using a different tower than tmobile?

thx for your reply, I tried this and i still see the E for edge. Could it have something to do with the fact that where i live is actually using a different tower than tmobile?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt cause tmobile told you that your coverage is okay, it might be that you have an old sim card with no support for 3G, or Would say your phone is defective…
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Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App

try go to setting --->wireless controls --->Mobile Networks ----> Network mode
and select WCDMA only
see if it go back to 3G signal. For my area sometimes i stay on edge due to signal blocked by building walls....
by the way, will you get 3G signal when you are outside of your house or in a wide open area?

When i choose WCDMA i lose my cell signal completely. I have tmobile service but In my area it is always using centennial wireless towers for my signal, centennial was bought out by AT&T which have not yet switched their new towers to 3G yet. Could this be the problem? Thx

devilleather said:
When i choose WCDMA i lose my cell signal completely. I have tmobile service but In my area it is always using centennial wireless towers for my signal, centennial was bought out by AT&T which have not yet switched their new towers to 3G yet. Could this be the problem? Thx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you found the issue. If WCDMA only shows no signal at all, it means you do not have T-Mobile 3G in your area (I suspect the 1700 spectrum).
It looks like there is a roaming agreement in which T-mobile can "borrow" the AT&T tower. So, all you get is the GSM signal. Don't bother to wait for AT&T to get the tower to 3G...because, you know, it won't be the same 3G signal as T-mobile. AT&T operates 3G on 850 and 1900.
If that is the issue, maybe you have to switch to a X10a.

When i choose US band it says its unsuccessful? any ideas why???

Preferred Network Type?

I'm curious what everyones Preferred Network Type is on their G2.
You get there by...
Go to "Phone"
Type *#*#4636#*#* (Don't hit send, you will see a screen appear)
Click "Phone Information"
Scroll down until you see "Set Preferred Network Type" and post what it says
The reason I want to know is because I did this and my phone's preferred network type says "WCDMA perferred".
Does anyone know if changing this value to GSM Prl will be more suitable for this GSM phone or does it not matter?

I switched mine to GSM Preferred PRL and I seem to get better battery life. It has a higher threshold before it switches from E to H. In places with good H signal it doesn't seem to make a difference.
I'm happy with it this way.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

From the N1 thread I used to lurk in religiously.
WCDMA preferred - The GSM phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 3G is favored more.
GSM only - The GSM phone is capable of using only 2G data communication. When the 2G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
WCDMA only - The GSM phone is capable of using only 3G data communication. When the 3G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
GSM auto (PRL) - The GSM phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more. This one is a bit confusing to me since PRL is associated mostly with CDMA technology and not GSM technology.
CDMA auto (PRL) - The CDMA phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more.
CDMA only - The CDMA phone is capable of using only 2G data communication. When the 2G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
EvDo only - The CDMA phone is capable of using only 3G data communication. When the 3G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
GSM/CDMA auto (PRL) - Some phones are equipped with both GSM and CDMA capabilities. This setting appears to just have the phone attempt to stay connected to the data communication type that works the best. (Maybe the Samsung Galaxy S will take advantage of this???)
Unknown - If none of the above fit or the phone is acting weird as far as connecting to the carrier, you will see your preferred network type is set to this.
Also, WCDMA uses more power because it is constantly scanning for connections and will always prefer 3G connections; have a lower threshold to use 3G.
GSM AUTO PRL has a higher threshold for 3G, generally about 2 bars or slightly lower so far I've noticied.

i cannot change network type. default is wcdma preferred. i click gsm only or wcdma only and it defaults back to wcdma preferred. Help! I cannot save the setting. I have galaxy note i717.

[Q] Option to use only 3G NOT HSPDA

HI all!
Right now I am using [Build][10.12.2010][NexusHD2-FRG83D V1.8 PPP+RMNET][Kernel: hastarin r8.5.3_oldcam] and that is quite ok for me.
However I havent found anywhere on that build an option to disable HDSPA speed.
What I would like is accept 3G but disable HSPDA. Now I only have a change to disable 3G totally and only get 2G. Basicly area where I live is keeping me a situation that phone is very often trying to connect HSPDA but then changes is 3G speed. It causes me time&battery drain.
I have found a solution to force phone only use 3G but that is what I wanted. 2G and 3G are ok but I want to disable HSPDA.
Anybody could help me?

Up, Up... anybody have same kind of need?

i also need same help regarding this, reason is my data plan only use 3g (umts) and not 3.5g (hsdpa)... but my android always switch 3g to hsdpa back and forth and drain battery much faster
is there any tweak/program/widget/application that can enable 3g (umts) only?
windows doenst have this problem cause in winmo i can switch the option easily (enable/disable hspa)... but android dont have this kind of thing

I have the same problem. I don't even have HSPDA where I live, yet it tries to connect, fails, and then connects to 3G. It's a very time consuming processor to wait for the phone to do this when I am just trying to load a website.

Yes.. maybe it will not drain much memory but.. who wouldn't want a fast internet..

Afaik Hsdpa uses the same radio towers (or whatever the name is) as Umts... just different software. so there should be no battery drain caused by this.

This mite help you
1. Go to your dialer
2. Dial *#*#INFO#*#*
3. Click 'Phone information'
4. Scroll down to the first dropdown selection and set according to your preference below...
For simplicity, there are two main types of cell carriers, GSM and CDMA.
The following popular data communication technology is associated with each cell carrier type:
GSM = GPRS (2g), EDGE(2g), UMTS(3g), WCDMA(3g), HSDPA(3g) {Cell Carrier examples: AT&T and T-Mobile}
CDMA = CDMA*(2/3g) EV-DO(3g) WiMax(3/4g) {Cell Carrier examples: Verizon and Sprint}
Now that the general stuff is out of the way, here's my take on the Preferred Network types:
WCDMA preferred - The GSM phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 3G is favored more.
GSM only - The GSM phone is capable of using only 2G data communication. When the 2G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
WCDMA only - The GSM phone is capable of using only 3G data communication. When the 3G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
GSM auto (PRL) - The GSM phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more. This one is a bit confusing to me since PRL is associated mostly with CDMA technology and not GSM technology.
CDMA auto (PRL) - The CDMA phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more.
CDMA only - The CDMA phone is capable of using only 2G data communication. When the 2G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
EvDo only - The CDMA phone is capable of using only 3G data communication. When the 3G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
GSM/CDMA auto (PRL) - Some phones are equipped with both GSM and CDMA capabilities. This setting appears to just have the phone attempt to stay connected to the data communication type that works the best. (Maybe the Samsung Galaxy S will take advantage of this???)
Unknown - If none of the above fit or the phone is acting weird as far as connecting to the carrier, you will see your preferred network type is set to this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source http://www.google.ie/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=6a327a95211ac789&hl=en

domenukk said:
Afaik Hsdpa uses the same radio towers (or whatever the name is) as Umts... just different software. so there should be no battery drain caused by this.
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Click to collapse
uhh... maybe you dont catch what us mean....
when umts change to hspda (icon change from 3g to H) then it use battery power.. in my case i use 3g (umts and not 3.5g or hspda )data plan only... but android keep searching hspda signal and THIS is when battery used the most (the process) and EVEN when my area have 3.5g covered but because i use 3g only data plan... then the back and forth process (3g<->H) will kep coming and rdrain my battery fast
so... we look for any kind of workaround so our android keep stay in 3g (umts) and not drain any unnecessary battery power searching for hspda
btw sorry for my english

agarp said:
This mite help you
1. Go to your dialer
2. Dial *#*#INFO#*#*
3. Click 'Phone information'
4. Scroll down to the first dropdown selection and set according to your preference below...
Source http://www.google.ie/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=6a327a95211ac789&hl=en
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i use this thing before and no luck
i use "wcdma only" as the option and android still process 3g and 3.5 back and forth, maybe android "thinks" 3g/umts and 3.5/hspda as the same?? android categorize umts and hspda as one big fat 3G network
i wonder why newer os like android doesnt have this kind of feature in winmo there is an option :
disable hspa = so hspda disabled.. AKA 2G or UMTS only
enable hspa = enabled hspda, hspa, hsupa etc.. AKA 2G, UMTS and HSPDA

try this settings
CDMA auto (PRL) - The CDMA phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more.

agarp said:
try this settings
CDMA auto (PRL) - The CDMA phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
isnt cdma auto (prl) used exclusively for cdma phones? (those phones with evdo and wimax thing) and not used for our hd2 (GSM)???

C'mon how this is impossible with newer phone software??
This feature has been in WinMo and Symbian in many years!!
It is really frustrating that almost every time my phone is trying to make HSPDA connect and then decide 3G is enough and possible. It causes some delay and sometimes also timed out errors.

agreed
my android keep going back and forth between umts 3G and hspda 3.5G like some clueless kid while 2 experienced guy (symbian & winmo) laugh at him

i know this is a old topic
i have still this issue
my phone is switching to hsdpa an back to 3g after a few seconds
when the phone is connected to my slow wifi connection everything works fine and i can use it for 3 day's
when it is connected to hsdpa my battery is empty after 15 hours and the voip connection is not working properly (i need to start a ping to some server first to keep the connection alive so i can call with voip)

I just came upon this thread, but I don't have this problem, so I can't really test it out this theory. But my thought was, what if you just went into the build.prop file and edited the ro.ril.hsxpa.category settting from ro.ril.hsxpa.category=2 to ro.ril.hsxpa.category=0. I just tested it out and it never jumped from 3g to H. My only concern is that you wouln't get the fastest speed you could be getting. Test it out and let me know though.

at this moment it is not posible to root my phone (SE Xperia pro with latest firmware)
so i am afraid we need to wait to test this
but thanks for the hint

Network dies when I turn off 2g

Anyone have this problem? It happens ever time
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

Hmm.... seems like your phone might be in WCDMA mode only... It should be in WCDMA-Preferred since you plan on using 3G and 2G
Go to your phone dialer and dial *#*#4636#*#*
and Diagnostics Menu should come up..... Go to PHONE INFORMATION.... Scroll down and Set Network Type to: WCDMA Preferred
see if that helps...

Thanks for the reply i am on tmobile and it is defaulted to GSM. Will changing it be any different than GSM?

my phone does that as well right now at home even though i have it on WCDMA preferred, t-mo has been having issues with their 4G towers and their DNS servers lately that has been affecting many people with newer phones/SIM cards and in 4G areas, t-mo has not released an ETA on a fix but i have been dealing with it for a month now at my home and i am about ready to switch carriers

tvdang7 said:
Thanks for the reply i am on tmobile and it is defaulted to GSM. Will changing it be any different than GSM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, it'll still be the same. WCDMA-Preferred means that then phone will Prioritize 3G/4G signal over an EDGE signal. So If you are in a decent 4G/3G coverage the phone will set itself into 3G/4G mode... and when you move into an area where you have a weaker 3G/4G signal...t han the phone will be in EDGE mode.

Keep in mind that if you're referring about using WCDMA Preferred in a 3G/4G coverage area - but only 2G works - then you have a network issue. This isn't so much a device issue as it is a MSISDN issue on the network or a potential tower issue.
If you get no signal on 3G/4G and signal is there on 2G - check your coverage first - then if coverage shows you should have 3G/4G, call TMO and let them know, they'll need to do a service request or trouble ticket based on the location and breadth of the issue you're having.

[Q] Bizarre signal issue (AT&T)

So my fiance's Nexus 4 is having a weird signal issue where she works. I have had her try different settings and this is what she's seeing:
WCDMA preferred: No signal at all
GSM auto (prl): No signal at all
GSM only: She gets Edge or "G" and 4 bars
So here's the thing - my understanding is that WCDMA preferred and GSM auto (PRL) will use both 2G and 3G with slight differences (WCDMA prefers 3G, GSM auto (PRL) prefers 2G). She is not getting 2G or 3G with either of these. If she uses GSM only she gets a 2G signal.
Anyone have any idea what's up? This doesn't seem normal to me. It was working correctly before, then when she had issues she called and they told her that they were doing some work on the tower near her - but they claim that it's been fixed.

kimboinatl said:
So my fiance's Nexus 4 is having a weird signal issue where she works. I have had her try different settings and this is what she's seeing:
WCDMA preferred: No signal at all
GSM auto (prl): No signal at all
GSM only: She gets Edge or "G" and 4 bars
So here's the thing - my understanding is that WCDMA preferred and GSM auto (PRL) will use both 2G and 3G with slight differences (WCDMA prefers 3G, GSM auto (PRL) prefers 2G). She is not getting 2G or 3G with either of these. If she uses GSM only she gets a 2G signal.
Anyone have any idea what's up? This doesn't seem normal to me. It was working correctly before, then when she had issues she called and they told her that they were doing some work on the tower near her - but they claim that it's been fixed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you have the correct apn for att? you would have to enter the apn in manually. main settings, more, mobile networks, access point names. by default, it comes ready for tmobiles network out of the box, but you would have to set up the apn for att(which is why you would get a 2g/g signal).

simms22 said:
do you have the correct apn for att? you would have to enter the apn in manually. main settings, more, mobile networks, access point names. by default, it comes ready for tmobiles network out of the box, but you would have to set up the apn for att(which is why you would get a 2g/g signal).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally didn't think about the APN settings - mostly because she's getting HSPA+ here at the house. I set it up using the new AT&T APN, we'll see how it goes. Thanks a bunch!