Database Users

Phone keeps switching from 3G and HSPDA

I keep noticing the data status going from 3G and HSPDA every now and then even when I have full bars. This can't be good...
Anyone else experience this?
Is there a fix?

I also get the switching thing on my phone but only when the HSPA signal is weak and it's not that often. Is this affecting the battery life on your cell phone?

It's normal. If you have issues just set it to use 2g only mode as that saves a heap of power
Sent from my Apple Newton 2100

ickyboo said:
It's normal. If you have issues just set it to use 2g only mode as that saves a heap of power
Sent from my Apple Newton 2100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I set this? I checked in settings->wireless and network->mobile networks-> network mode, but see only an option for GSM only, WCDMA only.

If you're with Bell in Canada, there is no option for 2g only as there is no 2g network. Don't worry about the 3g/H switch, this is a common occurrence on most phones on most carriers. My GF's HTC Magic on Rogers did this too.

Gsm only is the 2g mode you want
Sent from my Apple Newton 2100

thanks! I see the option now.

GSM stands for 2G
HSPDA stands for 3G
when it changes between 2G/3G (G/H)[Automode] it's sort of Prefer 3G, fall back to 2G if 3G signal is weak.
you can easily change it off Settings > Wireless and Network > Mobile Network > Network Mode as you've said

actually my network doesnt support 2G (GSM). Like I said, it bounces between 3G and HSDPA (3.5G). Wonder what this does to battery life?

there is no problem, 3G is not as fast as HSPDA
in perfect reception you get 3.5G (HSPDA)
in not so good reception areas you get 3G
in very poor reception areas you are lucky to get 2G (EDGE)

ChiGGz said:
How do I set this? I checked in settings->wireless and network->mobile networks-> network mode, but see only an option for GSM only, WCDMA only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wtf.. when i go to settings->wireless and network->mobile networks i see "data roaming" "access point names" and "network operators".
i have a bell vibrant unlocked and on rogers and id LOVE to force gsm only.. are you running the updated firmware or something?

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.
Click to expand...
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.

Disable GSM, use LTE/WCDMA only

I tried searching however could not find anything. Perhaps I may be using the wrong wording.
What I am trying to accomplish is to disable the GSM mode. What I find is the phone likes to jump to the GSM network and with that the internet connection just doesn't move at all. If I force the phone to WCDMA mode it work just fine standing in the same spot, so the phone is still picking GSM over WCDMA even when there is a good signal for WCDMA.
Current modes:
LTE/WCDMA/GSM (auto connect)
WCDMA/GSM (auto connect)
WCDMA Only
GMS only
Is it possible to have a LTE/WCDMA option?

MrDerrickC said:
I tried searching however could not find anything. Perhaps I may be using the wrong wording.
What I am trying to accomplish is to disable the GSM mode. What I find is the phone likes to jump to the GSM network and with that the internet connection just doesn't move at all. If I force the phone to WCDMA mode it work just fine standing in the same spot, so the phone is still picking GSM over WCDMA even when there is a good signal for WCDMA.
Current modes:
LTE/WCDMA/GSM (auto connect)
WCDMA/GSM (auto connect)
WCDMA Only
GMS only
Is it possible to have a LTE/WCDMA option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I miss this option. The Xperia Z had this mode, I loved it. It was reachable via the common code *#*#4636#*#*. But this code doesn't work on the GT-I9505 with stock Samsung ROMs. But even with custom ROM, and working code. This special mode is missing. There are 2 switches for "LTE only" and "WCDMA only" but not both

Try this:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tapbase.LTEswitcher&hl=de

MrSpiceGuy said:
Try this:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tapbase.LTEswitcher&hl=de
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
App doesn't seem to work, when I hit "Select Radio Band" it comes up with "Set GSM/UMTS Band" and nothing else.

MrDerrickC said:
App doesn't seem to work, when I hit "Select Radio Band" it comes up with "Set GSM/UMTS Band" and nothing else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to use "prefered network type" as seen here
https://lh5.ggpht.com/y1CQbSg9Wf8J3q3klA3GNi_IgVtluML2jwhW38ldPpExSPTQ_SEu6iWJa3kRNaiSfcg
This should work

Here is my screenshot. It only has "LTE/CDMA", which only allows me to use LTE. There is no "LTE/WCDMA" option.
Perhaps, this might be an idea for rom creators?

also interested in this.

yes, please add this function LTE/WCDMA only into ROM CYANOGENMOD.
because LTE/GSM auto (PRL) connect to 2G/3G/4G, and i'm not interested for 2G.

Did anyone ever find a solution to this?

fergietime said:
Did anyone ever find a solution to this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Solution please ! I have the same problem also

True. I am able to use the following:
LTE/GSM (prl)
WCDMA (prl)
GSM Only (prl)
I am unable to use LTE/WCDMA/GSM
I am using XXUGNG8 modem, and I am unable to use 2G (network won't connect).
3G works in most cases, but it is still dropping. Only technology which works correctly is LTE...stable and fast.
I am unable to switch the network band to any other one. I tried it with service menu tool, but it does not work either (allows me to change to defined items above, and reverts back to LTE/GSM if I'll select anything else).
Is there a way to add support for more network modes? I am confident that my issues are not related to HW, as both bootloader, GSM modem and LTE modem are all of the same version - XXUGNG8, and I do have very good reception for whole band. I am just unable to switch over to 2G, and 3G is still dropping.
I live in Prague, Czech Republic, and I own GT-9505i variant

Any solutions guys?

any solution to this date? im interested in the same thing.

I finally found a solution that works on my Samsung Galaxy S5. Enter code *#2263# into your dialer. An option menu will open with "LTE/WCDMA Mode" only as an option. Works like a charm!

Wrong posted.

Hi,
Sorry to bump this but I have the same issue. I have a Galaxy S4 and it is very weird with its network selection.
The default setting is LTE/GSM auto, which I believe is LTE combined with the GSM Auto mode that everyone knows about - this being, prefer 2G instead of 3G in weak signal areas.
I have the following options:
LTE Only
LTE/GSM Auto
GSM Auto
WCDMA Only
GSM Only
WCDMA Preferred
Plus a load of other stuff about CDMA and EvDo (I'm sure that the GT-I9505 doesn't support CDMA or EvDo?).
The problem I am having is as follows:
Immediately when I got the S4, I realized that it was preferring GSM over WCDMA/HSPA. This was confirmed when compared with a Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus, on the same network, in the same location, and the Ace Plus (S7500) was choosing 3G, whilst the S4 chose 2G. Doing a bit of Googling led me to find the WCDMA setting, and after choosing that, the S4 chose 3G.
So all was good for the last 2 years, using WCDMA Only mode on my S4, as my mobile operator (Virgin Mobile) didn't have 4G access. Losing LTE wasn't a problem.
However, now I have switched to the EE network, I now face a problem. As mentioned above, there is the WCDMA Only mode, and the LTE Only mode - meaning that I am unable to have both 3G (WCDMA) and 4G (LTE) without also having GSM, and there is no way that I want to ever use GSM again, especially since that EDGE/GPRS are barely usable as data connections, GSM has sub-standard voice quality, and the S4 is choosing GSM over WCDMA.
A couple of examples, once on my way home, the S4 dropped from 4G to 2G and completely ignored 3G - despite being right next to a 3G mast operated by EE (albeit on the old Orange code). On WCDMA mode, the phone always connects to the Orange 3G mast. Thankfully, a bit later on, it did pick up 4G again, but if I was streaming Tunein Radio, that would have been a disaster (it would have dropped the stream).
A bit later on, on the same journey, the phone also went to 2G, from 4G - despite being in a reasonable signal area for 3G. Why didn't the phone choose 3G? I'd had enough by then and switched to WCDMA Only mode; result? 28% 3G signal (3 bars)!
It's also happened on my local mast, until a few weeks ago. The S4 was choosing 4G from a more distant mast (strength 50%), instead of 3G from the local mast (strength 60%). When I went downstairs, to the kitchen, the signal strength dropped and the phone went straight to GPRS! GPRS is likely to give about 30kbps max, so I don't know why the phone was doing this - although about 20-30 seconds later, it did then go to the 3G from the local mast.
I can't use LTE Only mode as (a) the 4G rollout isn't complete, and (b) the S4 does not support Voice Over LTE (VOLTE), meaning that in 4G only mode, I have no way of accepting or receiving calls.
I need a 3G/4G mode (LTE/WCDMA) on my S4, that doesn't use 2G at all, because 3G/4G signals are present virtually everywhere on the EE network, and it would stop the S4's crazy behavior.
Any suggestions to remedy this would be appreciated. I am not rooted, though if someone knew how to root the phone for me, it could be a possibility, as it is out of warranty.