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Hi everyone,
It's my first post here - most likely not to be my last. Oh, and i know i spelt HSDPA wrong in the title!
I very very recently (yesterday in fact) managed to get hold of my T-Mobile Hermes (one of the .37 batch) and am having no problems whatsoever with the phone, the only problem i am having is getting any web download speeds faster than around 40kbps?
I phoned T-Mobile yesterday and after being on hold twice and explaining myself many times i think i got HSDPA enabled as the lady (who was very nice) said she promises it has been enabled for me. I tried half hour later and sure enough, i used www.dslreports.com/mspeed and could now download at around 800kbps - perfect! Unfortunately i tried again this morning and it says 40kbps again
Is there any way to tell whether HSDPA has been enabled on my phone before i call T-Mobile again? Does HSDPA just run over 3G? I haven't got a brilliant signal where i am - usually 1 or 2 bars, could this be what is affecting my download speed? I need some help!
Just realised i have spelt HSDPA wrong in the thread title - never mind! Can anyone help?
Have you read this dude?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=276154&page=5
Theres a couple of files you can check you have i believe, also the Fit4cat program is worth downloading.
40kbps is GPRS data speed. Even without HSDPA you should get 300kbps on UMTS.
Your phone will show a U or a G depending on which network you are on.
It shows a "G" all the time in a little white block next to the signal bar, and sometimes the signal bar shows an antenna and sometimes a "G" also - does that mean when im on the "G" ill be on HSDPA and when im on the antenna (if i cant get 3G) ill be on GPRS 40kbps?
If so that makes a lot of sense as the signal is not brilliant round here, i went shopping in a much bigger town this afternoon and tested again -> full signal and downloading at around 1200kbps! Obviously it is enabled, think its just down to my signal....
Does that sound about right?
RTFM, the G is for GSM ie data will be GPRS.
You will either have a 3G or U depending on what ROM you're running for 3G/UMTS/HSDPA .
I'll be honest i only got half way through the quick start guide before i started playing with it. So, if my phone is always on "G" i'll assume i need to try and unlock it using the fit4cat thing? As T-Mobile have said they have enabled HSDPA on my account?
How did i get 1200kbps on GPRS by the way? It definately said "G" when i was connected and did the speed test...?!
I just ran the fit4cat Hermes tweaker and still no luck, it only connects to "G" rather than "3G", 3G is apparently available in this area so why does it only connect to G? Im confused and would really appreciate some advice...
Well if you probably didn't notice the U (or whatever) when you got 1mbps once it. This means that HSDPA is enabled on your phone and SIM.
The fit4cat tweaker only (dis)enables HSDPA but that isn't an issue because even without HSDPA you would be getting UMTS speeds.
One thing you could try is. Go to Start->Settings->Phone->Band set GSM/UTMS to GSM900+1800 + UMTS2100
You could also try a manual search for networks from Start->Settings->Phone->Networks->Find Network
Finally you can also disable GSM totaly using network type in the band selection and see if you get a steady 3G signal.
Thanks for your suggestions, here are my findings:
kevino said:
Well if you probably didn't notice the U (or whatever) when you got 1mbps once it. This means that HSDPA is enabled on your phone and SIM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point, i have a long drive home tonight so will check when going through built up areas to see if it connects to 3G or U then.
kevino said:
One thing you could try is. Go to Start->Settings->Phone->Band set GSM/UTMS to GSM900+1800 + UMTS2100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried this, and phone disconnected then reconnected but still said "G" when connecting to Internet. Set back to "Auto".
kevino said:
You could also try a manual search for networks from Start->Settings->Phone->Networks->Find Network
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did this also, it pops up with the message "Registering on the network" and disappears and thats it, nothing happens.
kevino said:
Finally you can also disable GSM totaly using network type in the band selection and see if you get a steady 3G signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cannot find an option to disable GSM in the Band tab, i have the following:
Select your network type.
__Auto
__GSM
Select your GSM/UMTS band.
__GSM(900+1800)+UMTS(2100)
__GSM(1900+850)+UMTS(1900+850)
and thats about it. Cannot find anything that would let me not use GSM whatsoever? I appreciate your help so far
It may be the case that your reception for 3G just isnt adequate enough to work where you live, O2 states there is reception in the area where i live but i only tend to get UMTS upstairs....just one of those things....here at uni i get FULL UMTS reception anywhere.
richieboy said:
I cannot find an option to disable GSM in the Band tab, i have the following:
Select your network type.
__Auto
__GSM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the dopod ROM it has a WCDMA option too. No big deal !
Seting the band was just so that the phone doesn't bother looking for bands that are not available in this country. To try and encourage it to check the correct UMTS band more quickly.
My suggestion to use find network (you need to select manual search) in Networks wasn't too helpful anyway as it doesn't list the band. So no use unless you can disable GSM.
Of course you may have got a spurious speed test result. How old is your SIM? It needs to be a USIM
Yes firstly is your SIM card a USIM....or is it a SIM card from an old handset?? I think youve already said you have had the 'U' appear on your TyTN at some point.....so again im going with the assumption you just dont have adequate UMTS reception for it to work....hence why you are only seeing 'G'.
So, funny story...
It seems where i was over the weekend (girlfriends) is borderline, so as mentioned aboved i can get 3G upstairs but not downstairs - i decided to drive around and got 3G all over the place...the best news is i get 2/3 bars of 3G at home too!
Problem solved, im an idiot - but hey, it doesn't hurt to ask right?
680kbps! Woo
richieboy said:
So, funny story...
It seems where i was over the weekend (girlfriends) is borderline, so as mentioned aboved i can get 3G upstairs but not downstairs - i decided to drive around and got 3G all over the place...the best news is i get 2/3 bars of 3G at home too!
Problem solved, im an idiot - but hey, it doesn't hurt to ask right?
680kbps! Woo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
girlfrends! Woo
Hi, i currently live in toronto, canada, and i use rogers as my provider. when i put my sim card (from rogers) and turn on the phone, the phone says that it the network cannot find something (provider i think), and i should update my software. it then takes me to the "network connections" where i choose my country, and my provider. i notice that Canada is not in that drop down box. can someone please tell me how i can go about choosing Canada, or do i have to flash with a modded firmware instead of an original firmware? please answer!
Shaolyn said:
Hi, i currently live in toronto, canada, and i use rogers as my provider. when i put my sim card (from rogers) and turn on the phone, the phone says that it the network cannot find something (provider i think), and i should update my software. it then takes me to the "network connections" where i choose my country, and my provider. i notice that Canada is not in that drop down box. can someone please tell me how i can go about choosing Canada, or do i have to flash with a modded firmware instead of an original firmware? please answer!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same thing happened here, I live in Brazil and it is not in the drop down list. I just choose dismiss (or something like that) as soon as the first message appears, followed by "do now show message again" (or smth like that).
Been using the phone without any problems so far.
oh yea? ok t hats cool. do you think you can help me out then..
i dont understand what 3G EDGE GPRS are.. like because im with the provider, i do not want to be charged more than just calling people.
when i plug in my sim card, do you know what is supposed to be displayed on the top of the dopod, near the Signal strength?
and could you tell me what each of those three mean? thankss
Shaolyn said:
oh yea? ok t hats cool. do you think you can help me out then..
i dont understand what 3G EDGE GPRS are.. like because im with the provider, i do not want to be charged more than just calling people.
when i plug in my sim card, do you know what is supposed to be displayed on the top of the dopod, near the Signal strength?
and could you tell me what each of those three mean? thankss
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Answer:
3G-Video calling using the secondary camera (which we can't use yet in canada)
EDGE- Basically high speed data transfer (since you are with rogers, I believe there are data plans that support that feature)
GPRS-Never use it, cuz it charges on your airtime using the towers
dms182 said:
Answer:
3G-Video calling using the secondary camera (which we can't use yet in canada)
EDGE- Basically high speed data transfer (since you are with rogers, I believe there are data plans that support that feature)
GPRS-Never use it, cuz it charges on your airtime using the towers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok, but then if i were to use roger, what should i be seeing near or beside my signal strength? i notice your using fido. what do you see there, because i was thinking of fido as well
Shaolyn said:
ok, but then if i were to use roger, what should i be seeing near or beside my signal strength? i notice your using fido. what do you see there, because i was thinking of fido as well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In Calgary downtown Rogers services, my CHT9100 can get 3G signal (showed small 3G icon on the top); other places alway has EDGE signal (showed small E icon instead).
watchsat said:
In Calgary downtown Rogers services, my CHT9100 can get 3G signal (showed small 3G icon on the top); other places alway has EDGE signal (showed small E icon instead).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and for those you do not get charged right?
Shaolyn said:
and for those you do not get charged right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really, the data(3G/EDGE) services in Canada is way too pricy yet, I change the default setting to "disable" the connections...
watchsat said:
Not really, the data(3G/EDGE) services in Canada is way too pricy yet, I change the default setting to "disable" the connections...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok, then normally if i dont want to be charged with anything other than having signal strength and making calls, what normally shows near the signal strength? i guess my question really is: if i dont want EDGE, 3G or UTMS or anything, what should i be seeing beside the signal strength?
Shaolyn said:
ok, then normally if i dont want to be charged with anything other than having signal strength and making calls, what normally shows near the signal strength? i guess my question really is: if i dont want EDGE, 3G or UTMS or anything, what should i be seeing beside the signal strength?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can call Rogers and tell them you don't want any data services, then you should see a X icon right beside your signal strength level...
Ok when i put it in it says:
Network Wizard
Your current operator (30272) is not supported. You should obtain an update from your device vendor.
Would you like to select another network provider?
I want to put canada in it.. if anyone knows how to do it please post!!
watchsat said:
In Calgary downtown Rogers services, my CHT9100 can get 3G signal (showed small 3G icon on the top); other places alway has EDGE signal (showed small E icon instead).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same happen to my P3600 in calgary too. does i didnt know rogers offer 3G service
gwmkwan said:
same happen to my P3600 in calgary too. does i didnt know rogers offer 3G service
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rogers will provide 3G services in late July, I think what we got is testing signal...
watchsat said:
Rogers will provide 3G services in late July, I think what we got is testing signal...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh really?? Is that the 3G will be available to all Canada customers or just a few cities only?
But I cannot see this announcement in the Rogers website though.
Shaolyn said:
Hi, i currently live in toronto, canada, and i use rogers as my provider. when i put my sim card (from rogers) and turn on the phone, the phone says that it the network cannot find something (provider i think), and i should update my software. it then takes me to the "network connections" where i choose my country, and my provider. i notice that Canada is not in that drop down box. can someone please tell me how i can go about choosing Canada, or do i have to flash with a modded firmware instead of an original firmware? please answer!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running original HTC WM5 firmware with the GPS it works great on Rogers =/
3G was available in Toronto since early 2007, but at the prices Rogers charges, they can go and **** themselves with a large steel pipe.
sniperess said:
I'm running original HTC WM5 firmware with the GPS it works great on Rogers =/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i see i see.. but when i put the sim card in, i notice i dont have a full signal.. theres like only 2/4 signal strength. is there any way to make it a full signal strength?
yegor said:
3G was available in Toronto since early 2007, but at the prices Rogers charges, they can go and **** themselves with a large steel pipe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i called fido, and apparently (the perosn on the phone told me) that one of the two (3G or EDGE) is not charged. he said something about a price/kb for one of the two, and that the other one doesnt have a charge..
yegor said:
3G was available in Toronto since early 2007, but at the prices Rogers charges, they can go and **** themselves with a large steel pipe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. I disabled all data way back when I had a regular phone. I kept getting random data charges when I never loaded my browser so I just disabled it. Anyway, I get the 3G logo, however, I haven't tested out the transfer rates or anything like that. I don't know if you can boost the signal or anything, I manage to make calls (which are surprisingly perfectly clear) with 1 bar.
I get the Edge logo on my phone in vancouver. I do know that they charge for Edge usage here and there was a big promo for unlimited Edge usage for about $40 bucks per month posted on craigslist.com. I know 3G network has been built, but probably a few good years before it's affordable to use.
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…
-------------------------------------
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???
I received the Samsung Focus 2 weeks ago today. After I post this I will be heading over to Amazon Wireless to make return arrangements.
I come from a Windows Mobile (Tilt 2) and I don't think I am yet ready to transition to this type of phone. I depend too much on Pocket Informant and I couldn't find any app to replace that. Actually this is not really the reason I gave up. This is the reason that kept me on the fence.
At my work I have a very poor 3G signal indoors. The signal fluctuates between 2 bars to no signal indication and sometimes switching to Edge. With the Tilt 2 I turn off 3G and that keeps the phone happy. Several times I found the Focus showing no signal (small crossed out circle at the top left). Even after I went to an area with good 3G signal the Focus did not change from its no signal status. I had to actually turn it off and back on (soft reset, I guess) to get a strong 3G signal.
Searching on Google for means to turn 3G off in the Focus showed that only a few months ago there was such an option Settings | Cellular. Apparently now it is removed.
With 3G trying desperately to hang in there instead of just giving up and letting Edge take over, this phone is useless to me 8 to 12 hours a day. The Tilt 2 had a similar issue before I tweaked it to give me the band switch. However the Tilt 2 did not get stuck in the no signal state. I wish AT&T did not remove this from settings.
So long, Focus.
Um... there's totally still an option called Cellular in Settings. Whatever, though. If you don't enjoy the phone, there's no reason for you to keep it. However, there's equally no reason for you to share this information with us, since a large part of your issue is born of ignorance of the OS (not finding a setting that is clearly there) and your lack of enjoyment of the phone should have no effect on anyone who owns one.
FishFaceMcGee said:
Um... there's totally still an option called Cellular in Settings. Whatever, though. If you don't enjoy the phone, there's no reason for you to keep it. However, there's equally no reason for you to share this information with us, since a large part of your issue is born of ignorance of the OS (not finding a setting that is clearly there) and your lack of enjoyment of the phone should have no effect on anyone who owns one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the Cellular option is still there, in Settings. However, unlike screen shots or pictures I saw during my search (see this sample), I do not have the option to turn off 3G.
If your phone has it, good for you. Mine does not. Hardly a reason to call me ignorant for this though.
That's strange. My Focus appears to have better reception than my Tilt 2.
Actually, the 3G only setting is under the diagnostic menu I believe. The should have a thread in this forum on it.
Update
I checked and its under the test menu
*#32489#
Back
Back
[7] Network control
[2] Band Setting
This may help you.
Tempest790 said:
That's strange. My Focus appears to have better reception than my Tilt 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, side by side, the 2 phones had a similar reception. The Tilt 2 got an extra bar or 2 when I forced it to Edge. However, the Tilt 2 did not get stuck with the no signal indication.
Actually, the 3G only setting is under the diagnostic menu I believe. The should have a thread in this forum on it.
Update
I checked and its under the test menu
*#32489#
Back
Back
[7] Network control
[2] Band Setting
This may help you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While at this moment I do not have the phone with me, I just looked in the PDF I downloaded from that other thread (the PDF shows [2] Band Selection) and I remember that I was in that area and when I tried to make a change I got a message saying something about the selection or option being restricted. Sorry, but I do not remember the exact words. I guess I could try again later tonight after I get home. Thank you.
Tempest790 said:
Update
I checked and its under the test menu
*#32489#
Back
Back
[7] Network control
[2] Band Setting
This may help you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I select "[2] Band Selection" the exact message is:
"RAT Selection option is restricted".
Yeah, that's what I got. I also got my phone from freaking Amazon.com and didn't work right. Had do alittle talking around but they me exchange it at the Att Wireless Store. Have you actually tried any other Samsung Focus Phones to see if its just the phone itself?
I got mine from att store, I'm using the org diagnostic app version, I get same error message.
Seed 2.0 said:
I got mine from att store, I'm using the org diagnostic app version, I get same error message.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would switch phones then. The phone has to be unlocked to switch bands, even turning off 3G. That's stupid, I know. I have a Dell Venue Pro sitting here that can switch bands but that phone is VERY buggy.
Fuzzy John said:
Yes, the Cellular option is still there, in Settings. However, unlike screen shots or pictures I saw during my search (see this sample), I do not have the option to turn off 3G.
If your phone has it, good for you. Mine does not. Hardly a reason to call me ignorant for this though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FWIW: 3G = "Data Connection" on the Focus' settings menu. As far as I know, 3G has nothing to do with voice calls. I suspect that the name of that switch was changed with an eye toward future data options on cell phones. I hope that helps. (Even the person who posted that picture notes that they modified the label to be "Cellular Data". You can see that in the comments area of the image/post that you listed. )
GrayWolf is correct
These are GSM phone and voice only works on 2G.. data on 3G and Edge if necessary. that is why you can talk and use the internet at the same time. You turning 3G off does nothing for your call reception what so ever. When you turn off the Celluar data you turn off both 3G and edge. Also I believe the bars are only for the voice service.
ITDRAGON said:
GrayWolf is correct
These are GSM phone and voice only works on 2G.. data on 3G and Edge if necessary. that is why you can talk and use the internet at the same time. You turning 3G off does nothing for your call reception what so ever. When you turn off the Celluar data you turn off both 3G and edge. Also I believe the bars are only for the voice service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This might very well be correct, however on my Tilt 2 I have to turn off 3g in order to get full voice bars back in the location where my room is in my house. It doesn't seem to make any sense; why would the phone's 3g connection interfere w/ the 2g voice? Yet it seems like this is the case.
ITDRAGON said:
GrayWolf is correct
These are GSM phone and voice only works on 2G.. data on 3G and Edge if necessary. that is why you can talk and use the internet at the same time. You turning 3G off does nothing for your call reception what so ever. When you turn off the Celluar data you turn off both 3G and edge. Also I believe the bars are only for the voice service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry. I may have used the wrong terms. After all I admit I am not really familiar with all the terminology. I am more like a user. Anyway, on my Tilt 2 phone I have a switch which turn off 3G. This puts the phone in Edge mode. Gives me a lot better reception in areas where the 3G signal is flaky. True, I cannot talk and do data at the same time. Also true that my data rate is slower. But I can receive and make calls while I am in that area.
ITDRAGON said:
GrayWolf is correct
These are GSM phone and voice only works on 2G.. data on 3G and Edge if necessary. that is why you can talk and use the internet at the same time. You turning 3G off does nothing for your call reception what so ever. When you turn off the Celluar data you turn off both 3G and edge. Also I believe the bars are only for the voice service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. Both voice and data work on 3G if it is available. You can tell this by the fact that once your phone is on 3G, you will not encounter the annoying speaker buzz from GSM phones.
The switch in the settings are for cell data connection. If you turn it off, it turns off the data connection, 2G or 3G. There is no separate setting to turn off 3G data only (a commonly requested feature but non-existent on all AT&T phones). You will always have to access the secret menu to select your band (WCDMA or GSM).
The bars are for signal strength, not just for vocie service.
EDIT: rjohnstone
foxbat121 said:
Nope. Both voice and data work on 3G if it is available. You can tell this by the fact that once your phone is on 3G, you will not encounter the annoying speaker buzz from GSM phones.
The switch in the settings are for cell data connection. If you turn it off, it turns off the data connection, 2G or 3G. There is no separate setting to turn off 3G data only (a commonly requested feature but non-existent on all AT&T phones). You will always have to access the secret menu to select your band (WCDMA or GSM).
The bars are for signal strength, not just for vocie service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
<snipped my "you're wrong" message, but leaving my other data here.>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3G contains the following quote:
"The UMTS system, first offered in 2001, standardized by 3GPP, used primarily in Europe, Japan, China (however with a different radio interface) and other regions predominated by GSM 2G system infrastructure. The cell phones are typically UMTS and GSM hybrids. Several radio interfaces are offered, sharing the same infrastructure"
<snipped my "you're wrong" message, but leaving my other data here.>
http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=2877
"Modes GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
WCDMA 850 / 1900 / 2100"
Those are the GSM and 3G bands that the Samsung Focus uses. <snipped my "you're wrong" message, but leaving my other data here.>
I'm always willing to accept that I can be wrong (EDIT: and it seems that I was). I'm only human after all. If I'm the one who's somehow misunderstanding, then I would be open to having some information shared so that I can learn more about it. Would you have any links to back your claim up?
GrayWolf said:
I'm sorry to say that you've misunderstood how AT&T's network is set up. 3G + GSM = Data + Voice. Not 3G = Voice & Data.
contains the following quote:
"The UMTS system, first offered in 2001, standardized by 3GPP, used primarily in Europe, Japan, China (however with a different radio interface) and other regions predominated by GSM 2G system infrastructure. The cell phones are typically UMTS and GSM hybrids. Several radio interfaces are offered, sharing the same infrastructure"
To further back the position that our phones do not use 3G to carry voice data:
"Modes GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
WCDMA 850 / 1900 / 2100"
Those are the GSM and 3G bands that the Samsung Focus uses. GSM for voice traffic, WCDMA (3G) for data.
I'm always willing to accept that I can be wrong. I'm only human after all. If I'm the one who's somehow misunderstanding, then I would be open to having some information shared so that I can learn more about it. Would you have any links to back your claim up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T sends both voice and data traffic over the 3G connection when in a 3G area.
The GSM radio only comes into play when the data connection falls back to EDGE (i.e., 3G signal is too weak or not present).
This is why your call drops when you switch from a 3G area to a GSM/EDGE area.
It's a hard hand off to the next tower.
rjohnstone said:
AT&T sends both voice and data traffic over the 3G connection when in a 3G area.
The GSM radio only comes into play when the data connection falls back to EDGE (i.e., 3G signal is too weak or not present).
This is why your call drops when you switch from a 3G area to a GSM/EDGE area.
It's a hard hand off to the next tower.
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Thanks - would you happen to have any links that explains this in any detail?
I looked around after you mentioned it and found that I should have ran a few more keyword searches before posting. So far, the best explanation that I've found seems to be here:
"3G or Non 3G-that is the question"
http://forums.wireless.att.com/t5/G...at-is-the-question/m-p/1544262/highlight/true
The specific/relevant portion that I'm referring to is:
Yea 3G is amazing. It's the replacement for GSM. It's a completely seperate network. When in 3G at present signal in some area's might seem a bit more week than GSM because in some area's it runs on the 1900mhz frequency which has less penetration. But AT&T has plans of phasing out GSM in the future for 3G on the GSM frequency.
But 3G on the W-CDMA side handles call's and data, GSM also does handle voice and data. But the two networks are seperate. For example. If your phone is in 3G then the 3G network is handling the call and not transmitting anything to do with GSM at all. But if you travel to a non 3G area while in the call then your phone will hand off to the GSM network to continue the voice call and the call quality will get that crackly raspy phenomenom. Hope this helps!
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Now that's another person's statement on a forum and, like rjohnstone's post, makes logical sense. I'd love to read a bit more about this, if there are any useful links out there?
GrayWolf said:
Thanks - would you happen to have any links that explains this in any detail?
I looked around after you mentioned it and found that I should have ran a few more keyword searches before posting. So far, the best explanation that I've found seems to be here:
"3G or Non 3G-that is the question"
The specific/relevant portion that I'm referring to is:
Now that's another person's statement on a forum and, like rjohnstone's post, makes logical sense. I'd love to read a bit more about this, if there are any useful links out there?
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Graywolf,
My friend is a tower manager for T-Mobile.
He helped setup the initial GSM/EDGE network for Cingular back when they leased tower time from T-Mobile while they were making the transition from TDMA devices from the old AT&T network.
He explained how the call handlers worked and how the air interface works when handing off from UMTS/HSPA over to the GSM/EDGE network.
All of AT&T's handsets are programmed to use either GSM/EDGE or UMTS/HSPA, not both at the same time.
The point is, a handset can't have a GSM voice call and an HSPA data session occurring at the same time. The radios are not configured to allow it.
Many towers run both GSM/EDGE radios and UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ radios.
Mainly to support legacy devices.
You will also notice that the old network is still there when you turn of the 3G radio in an iPhone or any other handset that permits it.
Yes, AT&T is working to decommission the older GSM/EDGE towers all together to recover the 850Mhz frequencies for use with HSPA+. This will give them better building penetration in large metropolitan areas.
Right now, AT&T does use the 1900MHz band for HSPA, and as the residence of NY will tell you, it sucks at going through walls.
You will have to do some digging for old AT&T press releases, but the info is out there.
Gotta give credit where it's due. I appreciate the technical detail combined with layman phrasing. I'll do more digging later but you've given me a nice high-level view of things. I did have a suspicion that my understanding was flawed somehow. Thanks for taking the time to share, rjohnstone!
Yep your right I typed it wrong.. voice and data both work on 2G and 3G, but I know I'm in a 3G area only and when I turn data off 3G goes out. Now that doesn't mean I'm only making or recieving calls on the 2G band. It just mean 3G data is off. So if you want to turn off 3G all together, I don't see it on these phones yet. When I turn the celluar data back on, the 3G symbol comes back on, because it would be pretty dumb for the 3G to be controlled by turning data on and off.
So I've been using this Omnia 7 for a while now. Fantastic phone. I bought it from a dealer in the UK and have been using it in Canada.
The phone works great with my carrier, but it drops signal every few minutes and refuses to get it back for a while. It's on the latest version of Mango Zune finds. If I leave it sitting in a spot, it gets full 3G+, is blazing fast, sends and receives texts instantly. But if I'm on the move, it's constantly dropping signal.
Anyone have any idea how I could fix this? It's becoming really annoying.
I know it's not the phone's hardware - I sent in the previous one because I thought it might be, and I had the exact same issue.
don't know what frequency your carrier uses but on att in US it doesn't support all the bands.. it's usually good for me though but some areas I have to disable 3g and I get better and consistent signal on edge. needs to be unlocked use samsung tools to enable 3g toggle
My carrier supports tri-band HSPA (900/1900/2100) and GSM. I regularly get 3G+ or full-strength 3G around the city - however, it seems that if I move around it drops signal right away.
For the 3G toggle, do I have to do a Chevron unlock? Or is there a simpler way?
I've had this problem for a long time and there simply doesn't appear to be a fix.
Oh, man. That really saddens me. I love this phone, and it's perfect when it works!
Cuddlesy said:
My carrier supports tri-band HSPA (900/1900/2100) and GSM. I regularly get 3G+ or full-strength 3G around the city - however, it seems that if I move around it drops signal right away.
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interesting, I've never had a connection problem like that even when driving on the highway
For the 3G toggle, do I have to do a Chevron unlock? Or is there a simpler way?
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yes you need chevron unlock to install the xap, it will add the toggle to your "cellular" settings menu
DatDereX1 said:
interesting, I've never had a connection problem like that even when driving on the highway
yes you need chevron unlock to install the xap, it will add the toggle to your "cellular" settings menu
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It's bizarre, truly. My city isn't that big, and my provider has a pretty good network. There are moments where I'm on the road and I have blazing-fast 3G+, then the next second no signal at all, repeat. I know it's not the carrier, because my old phone (using the same SIM) had no such issues, and I know it's not the hardware, because this is the second Omnia to do this. Gah!
I'm wary of Chevron unlock because everything already sort-of works, and I already have a Data toggle... I don't want to make it work less, especially because I have no idea what firmware I would restore to if I mess up.
Cuddlesy said:
My carrier supports tri-band HSPA (900/1900/2100) and GSM. I regularly get 3G+ or full-strength 3G around the city - however, it seems that if I move around it drops signal right away.
For the 3G toggle, do I have to do a Chevron unlock? Or is there a simpler way?
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what's your carrier?
what's your nationality?
it is a secret??
DJBlaster-303 said:
what's your carrier?
what's your nationality?
it is a secret??
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Manitoba Telecom Services in Canada. I checked, and they have the exact same network type as T-Mobile Germany, which is where this phone originally came from. It should work fine but it doesn't!
strange issues, sorry but i believed you were from Europe, anyway the phone should automatically switch to E (dge) when it's not covered by 3G+, at least this is what happens to me, but i'm on different carrier
DJBlaster-303 said:
strange issues, sorry but i believed you were from Europe, anyway the phone should automatically switch to E (dge) when it's not covered by 3G+, at least this is what happens to me, but i'm on different carrier
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I think it's just low signal strength - it's typically out of reception in buildings, tunnels or basements, even though my old phone had reception there.
I live in London, I am on T-Mobile, with a T-Mobile branded handset which i chevronned to Mango.
I have lots of signal problems, which I posted about previouslty.
Would love some help - generally my signal either gets stuck on GPRS, or zero. I rarely see 3G in places I used to get full 3G+
help