I am looking for a way to update the "Phone Settings Network" dialog on my new Advantage 7501 to include the features I have on my HP ipAQ 6945. On my iPAQ have options to do a Manual Network Selection where it will find all the available networks in range, not just the AT&T ones. Why is this important to me? Well I live in an area where the nearest Cingular/AT&T tower is over 15 miles away, however I am in what they call a "Partner" coverage area where I can connect to a Cellular One tower that is about 4 miles away. This way I can get 4 bars signal inside my home where if I can try to connect to the AT&T net using typical cell phones, I get 2 bars to none. Since both these devices are made by HTC there must be a way I can move the needed code off my iPAQ to the Advantage. The iPAQ with this manual net selection is the only phone I can use at home. I was hoping the Advantage would include a similar capability.
Can anyone point me the right direction?
daveheine said:
I am looking for a way to update the "Phone Settings Network" dialog on my new Advantage 7501 to include the features I have on my HP ipAQ 6945. On my iPAQ have options to do a Manual Network Selection where it will find all the available networks in range, not just the AT&T ones. Why is this important to me? Well I live in an area where the nearest Cingular/AT&T tower is over 15 miles away, however I am in what they call a "Partner" coverage area where I can connect to a Cellular One tower that is about 4 miles away. This way I can get 4 bars signal inside my home where if I can try to connect to the AT&T net using typical cell phones, I get 2 bars to none. Since both these devices are made by HTC there must be a way I can move the needed code off my iPAQ to the Advantage. The iPAQ with this manual net selection is the only phone I can use at home. I was hoping the Advantage would include a similar capability.
Can anyone point me the right direction?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to Start/setting/personal/phone, and go to the network tab. There you can manually select your preferred service provider.
Is this what you are looking for?
No, the display shows Current Network: AT&T and only a "Find Network" box. There is no option to look for anything else but AT&T. Maybe this is limitation arising from the AT&T SIM card I am using.
My iPAQ screen gives me a Network Selection box with "Automatic" and "Manual" options. If I select "Manual" and "Find Network" I get a list of all available cell towers within range, and then can pick one. Where I am I see "Cingular" and "Cell One DCS". I pick the Cellular One tower as it is a partner site and there are no roaming charges even thought the little roaming symbol ( a pyramid) shows up at the top.
I'll try switching SIM cards and see if that makes a difference. Well changing SIM cards made no difference except that it lists "Cingular" instead of "AT&T"
The Network Selection box with auto and manual options is there on my 7501 too. I didn't think that would be affected by your sim card.
Hey, just a thought -- did you switch to true VGA, and is the box just not showing up because of that?
I tried a Hard Reset and still do not get a network selection option. It may be due one of the CAB files that is run during the device setup that changes the US version. I'll try calling HTC Support.
Called HTC and was told that the AT&T SIM locks out the option to do a Network Selection. He tried a T-Mobile SIM in his Advantage and it came up with the Network Selection option. He "hinited" that I would have to do a CID unlock perhaps to get around AT&T's SIM restrictions, but couldn't tell me to do it would as it void the warranty.
I tried the HTC Network Wizard (Google for it) and it only allows you to set up your phone for a couple of possible providers.
We both agreed that I probably have files on my iPAQ 6945 that if I could identify them and transfer them to my Advantage I might get around this restriction.
He said he would contact AT&T and see if they have any way to get around this. What happens if you travel outside the US and try to use the phone on another network (huge roaming charges!!!) in an emergency?
I don't quite have the courage to try the CID unlocker on my brand new Advantage yet. Has anyone done this?
daveheine said:
Called HTC and was told that the AT&T SIM locks out the option to do a Network Selection. He tried a T-Mobile SIM in his Advantage and it came up with the Network Selection option. warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ATT sims do LOCK that option. All other att phones like 8525, 8125, blackjack, etc are missing that option too.
daveheine said:
He "hinited" that I would have to do a CID unlock perhaps to get around AT&T's SIM restrictions, but couldn't tell me to do it would as it void the warrabty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was under the impression that CiD unlock would fix that too but that's not true.
It's just that Some (Unofficial) Roms ignore that but most of official roms like yours dont.
daveheine said:
I tried the HTC Network Wizard (Google for it) and it only allows you to set up your phone for a couple of possible providers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Network wizard will not affect that option.
daveheine said:
We both agreed that I probably have files on my iPAQ 6945 that if I could identify them and transfer them to my Advantage I might get around this restriction.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dont know what u mean.
daveheine said:
He said he would contact AT&T and see if they have any way to get around this. What happens if you travel outside the US and try to use the phone on another network (huge roaming charges!!!) in an emergency?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Att doesn't have this restriction on all the networks. This restriction is based on the country codes. Att has restriction on US, canada, and mexico.
So if you are not in those countries you will have that option available to you.
daveheine said:
I don't quite have the courage to try the CID unlocker on my brand new Advantage yet. Has anyone done this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont because it wont help.
To be quite honest with you I dont know how you could do it on your previous phone because Att blocks that option on the network side. Even if you did change your network succesfuly on the phone, it'd still be rejected by the network.
The only thing that I can think of is that your Ipaq couldn't find a good ATT signal and connected to a patner's tower instead.
And your Advantage either gets a better gsm signal or gets a decent umts signal and connects to cingular 3g.
Try forcing the phone to operate only on the gsm network from under the band tab see if that makes a difference.
and also what is your zip code?
You can enable "Find Network" by changing the following registry key.
HKLM\Security\Phone\ManualDisable=0
That will display the network selection option and you wont void your warranty or anything like that.
It just goes away after a soft reset.
Check this thread here for more info on that.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=284201&highlight=manual+network+selection
Thanks for your response. The registry edit did indeed turn on the Network Selection. Going to Manual selection it finds "Cell One DCS" just like my iPAQ does, but when I select it I get the message "Cannot register on selected network. Choose another network, or disconnect your data connection and try again."
I have been connecting for over a year with my iPAQ to "Cell One DCS" with NO roaming charges. I guess AT&T doesn't want me to use the partner network. My ZIP is 76692 and I am located near the bridge over Lake Whitney.
There is obvious a difference in the software on the iPAQ and Advantage that is causing this to happen. I just checked the latest AT&T coverage maps and see they don't show a Partner coverage anymore.
I have installed an outside yagi antenna and signal repeater at my home so I do get a signal sometimes, but not a reliable signal.
We travel a lot so I still find AT&T coverage to be good in most places, and my iPAQ still works here now.
That's strange.
I got an ipaq 6915 from cingular and with cingular sims it pretty much does the same thing and disables network selection.
Do you have a custom rom on your 6945?
When you boot it up do you get the cingular logo?
Plus at your zip code it seems like you are far away from any cingular towers.
The only thing that I can think of is that your ipaq just doesn't find a good cingular signal, and connects to a different network.
When you do a network search on your ipaq does it actually detect Cingular as an available network? When you connect to cingular from your ipaq how many bars do you get?
I've always thought there nothing special about my 6945, but I guess there is! When I do a Network Selection on it I see both the Cingular tower AND the Cellular One tower signals. I have tried this in other locations and see several different networks (e.g., T-Mobile, and five digit numbers).
I've tried both my old Cingular SIM and a new AT&T SIM, and they both work the same in my iPaq 6945. Interesting!!! But neither will allow me to select the Cellular One tower on my new Advantage.
You are probably right about country codes for on recent cruise with stops in Grand Cayman and Cozumel the Advantage would show networks other than Cingular.
I am sorry I didn't reply earlier, but I was visiting family in Virginia this weekend. It was neat to see an "H" connection appear while sitting in DFW. Only get "E" connections out in the sticks where I live.
Dave
Oh, I should have mentioned that the 6945 is an unlocked phone from HP and is not customized for Cingular. As far as signal strength I have a cell repeater installed in my home so I get anywhere from no bars to 4 bars on that Cingular tower that is at least 15 miles away. My Cellular One is consistently 4 bars. I live in a steel framed home with a metal roof. Before I got the repeater I was using a booster amp and plugging an external antenna into my iPAQ and RAZR V3 to get a usable signal. This kept me tethered in my computer room (ugh!). When I got the 6945 and found I could manually select the Cellular One tower I then had a phone I could use throughout my home.
Several years ago I started with a simple Nokia phone before Cingular had a tower in the area, and always connected "Cingular Extend" which I now know was the near by Cellular One tower. As soon as Cingular put up their tower I have been unable to connect with the Nokia, Razr V3, and new Motorola V577.
Some of my neighbors have terminated their Cingular service because of this lack of connected to the so call "Partner" coverage.
Hello guys, I'm looking for software that is able to tell me
comes strong when the signal received from any cells.
Basically I need to know if it comes in a flat
stronger the signal of 4 UMTS mobile operators (TIM - VODAFONE --
THREE - WIND) ...
If I try the network I see all 4 operators but I do not know how
strong come ...
Is there some software way to know?
Thank you
I live in the UK (GSM) and have poor signal where I live. GSM phones can camp on to other operator's networks when the registered network is unavailable. There is also a 'scanning mode' to try and register on available networks (intended for manually connecting to a roaming partner).
So, has anyone come across an app that can report the signal level on ANY GSM network (even not the operator you are with or one of their roaming partners). I don;t mind if I have to disconnect from my normal operator when I run a test to get the other signal levels.
This would be good when trying to select what operator to move to (one with a better signal)
I'm looking to change my mobile provider (in the UK), but want to check the relative signal strengths of each network provider accessible from my house, to avoid choosing a provider that has poor reception when I'm at home. Can anyone recommend an app that will scan for all cell/3G signals in the area and show (a) who the provider is and (b) how strong the voice and data signals are?
I've got access to coverage maps but they seem to be notoriously inaccurate/unreliable, and also don't give specific information for an exact location (i.e. a specific premises).
itm said:
I'm looking to change my mobile provider (in the UK), but want to check the relative signal strengths of each network provider accessible from my house, to avoid choosing a provider that has poor reception when I'm at home. Can anyone recommend an app that will scan for all cell/3G signals in the area and show (a) who the provider is and (b) how strong the voice and data signals are?
I've got access to coverage maps but they seem to be notoriously inaccurate/unreliable, and also don't give specific information for an exact location (i.e. a specific premises).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your phone is unlocked you can go into network settings and scan for all available networks, this will at least give you an indication of who is available, however, I do not believe an app exists that can give you specifics about any network other than the one you are on.
If you look online, most of the operators are offering free PAYG sim cards, perhaps you could send off for these and try each one in your phone to see who gives best reception, they should all register on the network even if they have no credit on them, at least that's my understanding.
Hi !
I recently purchased a S5, SM-G900F model, i'm in europe and i'm using Vodafone as a mobile carrier.
today i saw that i was only getting 1 bar and sometimes didn't show any bar at all,I went to settings and my signal strenght was at -122dbm 22 ASU, connection type as LTE, my mobile data was off.
i was afraid i had no connectivity at all and i picked another phone and i voice called my S5, i was able to make the voice call successfully and my bars went from almost none to 4-5 bars, signal strenght was at -79dbm and surprisingly it didn't drop to HSPA or UMTS.
I thought the most common behaviour for the instantly signal boost was to drop to 3G, but it didn't happen, connection type was at LTE and for long time.
I must say i was at the same place from almost an hour and it didn't boost until i made the voice call.
My question is, can a carrier be able to "keep" a mobile phone at small amount of cell towers and boost signal up with some voice call activity or mobile data traffic ?
Thanks and sorry for my poor english
Albef said:
Hi !
I recently purchased a S5, SM-G900F model, i'm in europe and i'm using Vodafone as a mobile carrier.
today i saw that i was only getting 1 bar and sometimes didn't show any bar at all,I went to settings and my signal strenght was at -122dbm 22 ASU, connection type as LTE, my mobile data was off.
i was afraid i had no connectivity at all and i picked another phone and i voice called my S5, i was able to make the voice call successfully and my bars went from almost none to 4-5 bars, signal strenght was at -79dbm and surprisingly it didn't drop to HSPA or UMTS.
I thought the most common behaviour for the instantly signal boost was to drop to 3G, but it didn't happen, connection type was at LTE and for long time.
I must say i was at the same place from almost an hour and it didn't boost until i made the voice call.
My question is, can a carrier be able to "keep" a mobile phone at small amount of cell towers and boost signal up with some voice call activity or mobile data traffic ?
Thanks and sorry for my poor english
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1- 3G signal and LTE signal are different and separately. Some reasons that may keep your phone not drop to 3G:
a) 3G signal at that time is weaker than LTE
b) Your carrier can set a policy/algorithm of how a phone switch between 3G/LTE signal
c) Check your network settings in Settings > More networks > Mobile networks > Network mode?
2- Regarding to your question, I can say that the carrier can not have such ability.