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I recently purchased a used Samsung Vibrant. Returning it is not an option at this point. Suffice to say, its not stolen, I've paid my idiot tax, and now I want to move on and try to make someting of the money I 've already wasted. If I had to do it over again, I'd buy a new one.
Basically, the phone unable to show enough signal strength to make a phone call or data connection. Now and then it may show one bar, most of the time no bars or a blue circle/slash icon. AFAIK, even without a SIM the phone should still connect for 911 service. After checking the phone and reading this forum I can verify the phone is running the stock firmware, is not currently rooted or unlocked. As I see it have the following options;
1. Attempt some of the firmware options I find available in this forum. I'm fairly experienced with flashing HTC phones, especially the Touch Cruise, with various radios and Android builds. There seem to be many choices, I'm not sure which to start with but prefer stability over bleeding edge.
2. Contact Samsung support for possible repair, either warranty or at cost. If this is a know simple issue and would cost around $100 or so I'd considering it worth it.
3. Take it to T-mobile and see if I missed something obvious.
4. Slap my self on the back of the head for a bone-head choice, and use my repair money toward a mytouch. At least its Android.
Any helpful suggestions?
Thanks,
Nomedias
New JI6 OTA fixes signal problems
Also avoid palming the phone in left hand on a weak signal, covering the bottom left corner your signal strength drops.. Ive personally only seen this effects data not voice
demo23019 said:
New JI6 OTA fixes signal problems
Also avoid palming the phone in left hand on a weak signal, covering the bottom left corner your signal strength drops.. Ive personally only seen this effects data not voice
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Click to collapse
I followed the directions at forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=732458 to update to JI6 update. The problem is still there. FYI, the only 512.pit I can find is the one included with the stock ROM. Is that good or is there a more recent one I couldn't find mention of?
you dont need to update pit file. its the same that you already have
demo23019 said:
you dont need to update pit file. its the same that you already have
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Click to collapse
Thanks, that makes sense.
An update on the issue. I changed the screen timeout to 10 minutes, then set it down. After a couple minutes it might get 2-3 bars (-95 to -105 dBm), but the moment I pick it up it drops to nothing. And no I'm not using a deathgrip, and other phones I have get a solid signal, also on T-mobile. I'm thinking I gonna contact Samsung tomorrow and see what repair options I have, if any.
Thanks for the assist.
Nomedias said:
Thanks, that makes sense.
An update on the issue. I changed the screen timeout to 10 minutes, then set it down. After a couple minutes it might get 2-3 bars (-95 to -105 dBm), but the moment I pick it up it drops to nothing. And no I'm not using a deathgrip, and other phones I have get a solid signal, also on T-mobile. I'm thinking I gonna contact Samsung tomorrow and see what repair options I have, if any.
Thanks for the assist.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't have to be death grip it happens just by covering the bottom left side...like i said in my OP just palming in left hand can cause this.
This only happens when you're on a weak signal.
I have this problem even on JI6 you have to hold phone certain way so you're not blocking antenna with hand.
This happens to me at home but noticed when i get real strong signal on the road or at girlfriends house it doesn't happen
I'm pretty sure nothing is wrong with your phone i think its just a design flaw on the vibrant
BTW here is an old post i made few weeks back before understanding what was actually going on
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=791058
EDIT
hey if you do find a solution with Samsung over the phone could you give me a heads up/PM on what they had you do?
demo23019 said:
......
This only happens when you're on a weak signal.
......
hey if you do find a solution with Samsung over the phone could you give me a heads up/PM on what they had you do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that also follows. FYI, I get a strong signal with other phones at my location using my SIM, even on unlocked AT&T phones. However the Vibrant never gets better than -95 dBm.
I've already sent an email to Samsung support. I'll post an update once that is resolved.
Nomedias
Nomedias said:
Yeah, that also follows. FYI, I get a strong signal with other phones at my location using my SIM, even on unlocked AT&T phones. However the Vibrant never gets better than -95 dBm.
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Click to collapse
I agree with you my nexus and diamond never had this problem.
What i was getting at is the vibrant antenna is **** or just a bad designed flaw.
and requires "stronger" signal
Anyways from my understanding there still isn't a real solution for this... but i know JI6 helps
but now battery drains faster because of the new JI6 modem
demo23019 said:
I agree with you my nexus and diamond never had this problem.
What i was getting at is the vibrant antenna is **** or just a bad designed flaw.
and requires "stronger" signal
Anyways from my understanding there still isn't a real solution for this... but i know JI6 helps
but now battery drains faster because of the new JI6 modem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you talking about? The Nexus One and ESPECIALLY the Diamond has typical HTC garbage cell reception. My Vibrant has excellent reception, better than the new G2 with it's antenna at the top (don't cover it, you'll switch over to EDGE) If there is something wrong with yours you should get that checked out!
heygrl said:
What are you talking about? The Nexus One and ESPECIALLY the Diamond has typical HTC garbage cell reception.
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Click to collapse
Yea ok what ever you say
heygrl said:
If there is something wrong with yours you should get that checked out!
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Click to collapse
There is nothing wrong with mine, like i said before ...
This happens to me at home but noticed when i get real strong signal on the road or at girlfriends house it doesn't happen
its a known issue with vibrant phones..even yours
Just not as noticeable the closer you're to cell towers
demo23019 said:
Yea ok what ever you say
There is nothing wrong with mine, its a known issue with vibrant phones..even yours
Just not as noticeable the closer you're to cell towers
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Click to collapse
You know this because?
1) No, I am NOT near any cell towers
2) Took my Vibrant out to the interstate, had EXCELLENT reception - better than my other T-Mobile phones.
3) Like I said, next to the G2 the Vibrant reports a far better signal
4) if it's not reporting anything higher than -95dBm you have a serious problem. That's probably why it was for sale. Lots of people like unloading junk. It's still under warranty, get a new one from T-Mobile.
this is my 2nd phone not for that reason but old one did same, my friends does same when tested in same spots..ect my phone is fine
considering im in a spotty 3g area even states this on tmobile site on map..
Im talking about about data here not voice...i drop to Edge 3-4 bars when i cover the bottom left i dont lose signal completed. I think there is miss communication between us
=
demo23019 said:
this is my 2nd phone not for that reason but old one did same, my friends does same when tested in same spots..ect my phone is fine
considering im in a spotty 3g area even states this on tmobile site on map..
Im talking about about data here not voice...i drop to Edge 3-4 bars when i cover the bottom left i dont lose signal completed. I think there is miss communication between us
=
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what does spotty 3G coverage have to do with the phone?
OMG forget it
UPDATE...
Called Samsung support today. The phone is still under warranty, so they issued an RMA number and sent me a UPS label via email. I'll ship it to them and as long as it isn't due to physical damage, it will be covered at no cost to me.
As expected I had to go through the usual steps such as making sure I had a good signal where I was on another phone. Once it was clear it was either a hardware issue or a problem with the software I can't resolve, they had no problem with an RMA. FYI, I was up front about it being purchased from another T-mobile customer, but this did not appear to be an issue.
This is my first time dealing with Samsung support, and all things considered I'm feeling very positive right now. I deal with tech support lines alot in my job and so far I'm happy. Will update when I get the phone back.
Nomedias
I really want to buy this phone... But when I google around, I find tons of forum threads like this and youtube videos like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsEnYzEjjwM
Not too encouraging....
heygrl, you seem to be the only one here who is extremely happy with your reception, so it's hard for me to take your word for it!
Is there any natural way to hold this phone without making the signal drop? The bigger problem for me is that I'm on Wind Mobile, which does not have an EDGE network. So if I lose 3G, I lose my signal alltogether.
I could buy a Motorola XT720... But the screen is just incomparable to the Vibrant
Faruk88 said:
I really want to buy this phone... But when I google around, I find tons of forum threads like this and youtube videos like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsEnYzEjjwM
Not too encouraging....
heygrl, you seem to be the only one here who is extremely happy with your reception, so it's hard for me to take your word for it!
Is there any natural way to hold this phone without making the signal drop? The bigger problem for me is that I'm on Wind Mobile, which does not have an EDGE network. So if I lose 3G, I lose my signal alltogether.
I could buy a Motorola XT720... But the screen is just incomparable to the Vibrant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you read the poll 6 people suggested that the OP try a different firmware. Listed in the JI6 bug fixes
http://ars.samsung.com/customer/usa...ID=2&PROD_SUB_ID=557&PROD_ID=560&AT_ID=341559
Radio: 3G antenna bar patch
SNS Sync: The interval value for synchronizing has been changed
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Click to collapse
Considering the fact that this thread has low replies after the JI6 firmware has dropped and the fact that it sounds like a problem with this particular device, This thread proves much of nothing. The only people that have problems are the ones that complain.
Believe me, I'd be happy to buy this phone if I knew for sure that reception wouldn't be a problem... But seriously, 3g antenna bar patch? That's so Apple-esque. It does nothing to fix the underlying issue that people are having, which is a 20dBm drop in signal when holding the phone at the bottom.
Edit: 30dBm in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYzI2j3A78E (-81dBm to -111dBm)
It seems hard to believe that Samsung could have let something like this slip...
Faruk88 said:
Believe me, I'd be happy to buy this phone if I knew for sure that reception wouldn't be a problem... But seriously, 3g antenna bar patch? That's so Apple-esque. It does nothing to fix the underlying issue that people are having, which is a 20dBm drop in signal when holding the phone at the bottom.
Edit: 30dBm in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYzI2j3A78E (-81dBm to -111dBm)
It seems hard to believe that Samsung could have let something like this slip...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem was with the bars. It reflected a much poorer level of service. It's hard to tell someone that has no idea how the signal is measured why their service isn't gone or bad because you have "0 bars". The Vibrant only went to -81dBm and that was obviously wrong because the Android system should reflect -dBm up until -51. -0dBm is an amazing signal, which we'll never see on any phone. It would often bounce between -111dBm and -0dBm when it showed no bars of coverage. I don't know how many more times I have to explain this.
The bars WE'RE wrong. People took this to mean that their reception was bad when in reality there was nothing wrong with it. You can't explain this to everyone because they won't understand it or care. You could go into Samsung's service menu to see actual -dBm reception because the bars we're broken and so was the Android readout.
Yes I'm an engineer so I know that 0dBm is a gain of 1 and therefore an amazing signal. However, Android just displays 0dBm when it loses service, NOT when it has a perfect signal (obviously this is technically incorrect, but this is what they chose for whatever reason).
And why was it wrong that the Vibrant in the video started off at -81dBm? That's a pretty reasonable value to have indoors.
But even if it should have started off at -51dBm instead of -81dBm, it doesn't matter because that can easily be fixed with a software patch. What CAN'T be fixed with a software patch is the 20-30dBm DROP in signal when the phone is held. So instead of my phone dropping from -81dBm to -111dBm, it will drop from -51dBm to -81dBm. Are you telling me that's supposed to be a good "fix"?
What's more concerning of course, is in low signal environments, where you can lose service alltogether. Sometimes I pull my Samsung phone out of my pocket and it shows "No Service" for a few seconds, until it gets connected to the network again. (what I'm trying to say is that it loses service in my pocket)
If I don't hear anything more convincing, I'm probably gonna go ahead and order a cheap MyTouch Slide... Way inferior to this phone, but at least it's nearly half the price and I can be confident about my reception.
I do not know why but i get extremely poor signal with my new vibrant and T-mobile at my house. Outside the house and inside it is averaging - 110 db. My work is 1.5 miles away and I get 4-5 bars and excellent signal and 3G. T-mobile store is 1 mile away and i get excellent service there... Even 4G is offered in my area.
I called tech support, first they told me i had an old sim card, so today I changed the sim, but that did not help. I called them again, all they did is take me off the system and add me back on, did a test call, i received the call and that was it. Am I stuck with poor service or it is the the vibrant that is too sensitive.
I am looking at the signal strength at work now, and again, I work 1.5 miles away from my house, literary straight down the road.. I am getting -65 to -75 db with full 5 bars. When I hold it with my left hand supposedly blocking the antenna, I get a drop of -5 db, but it still stray very strong..
So I guess, it is not a phone issue. It is definitely Tmobile and their crappy signal!
azsamsancho said:
I do not know why but i get extremely poor signal with my new vibrant and T-mobile at my house. Outside the house and inside it is averaging - 110 db. My work is 1.5 miles away and I get 4-5 bars and excellent signal and 3G. T-mobile store is 1 mile away and i get excellent service there... Even 4G is offered in my area.
I called tech support, first they told me i had an old sim card, so today I changed the sim, but that did not help. I called them again, all they did is take me off the system and add me back on, did a test call, i received the call and that was it. Am I stuck with poor service or it is the the vibrant that is too sensitive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
azsamsancho said:
I am looking at the signal strength at work now, and again, I work 1.5 miles away from my house, literary straight down the road.. I am getting -65 to -75 db with full 5 bars. When I hold it with my left hand supposedly blocking the antenna, I get a drop of -5 db, but it still stray very strong..
So I guess, it is not a phone issue. It is definitely Tmobile and their crappy signal!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you want XDA crew come and hug you?
Which baseband are you running? JFD, JI2 or JI6?
azsamsancho said:
I am looking at the signal strength at work now, and again, I work 1.5 miles away from my house, literary straight down the road.. I am getting -65 to -75 db with full 5 bars. When I hold it with my left hand supposedly blocking the antenna, I get a drop of -5 db, but it still stray very strong..
So I guess, it is not a phone issue. It is definitely Tmobile and their crappy signal!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what rom are you running? What you're describing seems to be similar to what happened with the original vibrant radio.
Group hug aside
The above comments are excellent. Check what radio you are running. Then, check your tower locations
I am on an Island and there are places that every carrier has problems covering here. Not sure why it is that way but, that is the way it is. T mobile is pretty good on a whole compared to ATT and the others.
lqaddict said:
Which baseband are you running? JFD, JI2 or JI6?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was running stock at first, and then I upgraded to JI6 as it supposedly improves the signal.. i seem to have had some improvement but still extremely poor service at or around my house. last night as a test, I called my work and left a voicemail. When I got to work, I saw a missed call, but no voicemail!
The scary part is reliability, not being able to rely on important calls/voicemails to my phone. I tried to use google voice at least the voicemails to be covered, but I found out that google voice is not reliable either, a couple of times already it tells 'Cannot leave a voicemail servers are busy" something like that.. It is insane, and I have 4G in my area!
Have you tried another phone?
lqaddict said:
Have you tried another phone?
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Click to collapse
I have not because I do not have another T-mobile phone. I used to be with AT&T for years and I never ever had a an issue with reception.
azsamsancho said:
I have not because I do not have another T-mobile phone. I used to be with AT&T for years and I never ever had a an issue with reception.
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Click to collapse
it could be that your place is under a sub-optimal coverage for TMO.
Without a second phone to try there is little you can do to confirm or deny it.
azsamsancho said:
I have not because I do not have another T-mobile phone. I used to be with AT&T for years and I never ever had a an issue with reception.
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Click to collapse
lol isn't obvious to you yet that AT&T network has wider coverage than T-Mobile? T-Mobile is still building out their 3G network, they still don't have the type of coverage AT&T have. I suggest you unlock you Vibrant and go back to AT&T if your not on a contract. Otherwise you will just have hope T-Mobile cares about coverage than SPEED.
I love T-Mobile but their coverage have me on the edge at times.
ram130 said:
lol isn't obvious to you yet that AT&T network has wider coverage than T-Mobile? T-Mobile is still building out their 3G network, they still don't have the type of coverage AT&T have. I suggest you unlock you Vibrant and go back to AT&T if your not on a contract. Otherwise you will just have hope T-Mobile cares about coverage than SPEED.
I love T-Mobile but their coverage have me on the edge at times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unlocked the phone, but I can't go back to AT&T right, I will have to cancel the 2-year Tmobile contract and return the phone as well..
azsamsancho said:
I unlocked the phone, but I can't go back to AT&T right, I will have to cancel the 2-year Tmobile contract and return the phone as well..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I guess you have some bad luck. Looks like your stuck until T-Mobile does something, which can take upto two years either way...I wish you luck.
Have tried switching to EDGE?
I had the same signal quality problems and switched to att as a result. Problems resolved and I still have my beloved Vibrant.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
ram130 said:
lol isn't obvious to you yet that AT&T network has wider coverage than T-Mobile? T-Mobile is still building out their 3G network, they still don't have the type of coverage AT&T have. I suggest you unlock you Vibrant and go back to AT&T if your not on a contract. Otherwise you will just have hope T-Mobile cares about coverage than SPEED.
I love T-Mobile but their coverage have me on the edge at times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry, but that's the stupidest generalization i've seen here in a long time.
While T-Mobile is building out coverage, there are many areas that they serve and ATT doesn't (cheyenne, wyoming), and where TMO brought 3g first (peoria, IL; manhattan, ks).
If you don't like their coverage, then switch. But don't make silly generalizations based upon talking points from 5 years ago. Coverage is ALWAYS subjective.
I usually sit around -105dBm and I'm in Sacramento where supposedly HSPA+ was just rolled out (I know I can't get HSPA+, but I thought it was supposed to improve the network here )
So I feel your pain...
reuthermonkey said:
I'm sorry, but that's the stupidest generalization i've seen here in a long time.
While T-Mobile is building out coverage, there are many areas that they serve and ATT doesn't (cheyenne, wyoming), and where TMO brought 3g first (peoria, IL; manhattan, ks).
If you don't like their coverage, then switch. But don't make silly generalizations based upon talking points from 5 years ago. Coverage is ALWAYS subjective.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey it's the facts..t-mobile network is still "spotty"...stop making them seem like god, they cover 96% while AT&T has 97%,,We don't even want to mention Verizon..but hey, nothing is perfect, it's just what's best in your area.
ram130 said:
Have tried switching to EDGE?
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Click to collapse
Yes, I did experiment with EDGE (GSM only) setting. It seems to be a bit better -100 dB (compared to the -110 dB I get on 3G).
I know Tmobile has less than perfect coverage, but I think it is extremely unfortunate that a mile from my house networks are blazing fast. My 3G is super fast and internet pages load very, very quickly. I do not live in a mountain area either..
I guess I will have to live with it. Use hands free to talk when I am at home so antenna is not blocked.. and use google voice for voicemail so important calls are not lost. if gogole voice fails, at least ppl won't be able to leave voicemail, and thus forcing them to call me back..
azsamsancho said:
Yes, I did experiment with EDGE (GSM only) setting. It seems to be a bit better -100 dB (compared to the -110 dB I get on 3G).
I know Tmobile has less than perfect coverage, but I think it is extremely unfortunate that a mile from my house networks are blazing fast. My 3G is super fast and internet pages load very, very quickly. I do not live in a mountain area either..
I guess I will have to live with it. Use hands free to talk when I am at home so antenna is not blocked.. and use google voice for voicemail so important calls are not lost. if gogole voice fails, at least ppl won't be able to leave voicemail, and thus forcing them to call me back..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny, I use Google Voice for all my voicemails and never got the error you had..oh well..i wish you luck
You may try returning it for a G2. TMo is supposed to release Wifi calling for it soon. It's probably coming to the Vibrant too, but I doubt before 2.2 is released.
Kubernetes said:
You may try returning it for a G2. TMo is supposed to release Wifi calling for it soon. It's probably coming to the Vibrant too, but I doubt before 2.2 is released.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am still within my 14-days (until tomorrow), but the problem is I did not buy directly from Tmobile. I bought from online retailer so I cannot just go and swap phones I think. I think if I can back out of the contract and keep the phone and go to AT&T might be a good option (not sure how good the 2 GB data limit is)..
So I got the Nexus S yesterday and LOVE everything about it.
I'm unable to get any acceptable reception inside my apartment (on the lowest level of a three story complex thats surrounded by other apartments).
I live in Hermosa Beach, CA and TMO says I have good coverage here... and they're right... because once i walk outside I'm blazing... like literally once I'm outside my door... what gives??? How can I go from 3G 4 bars lit up in green to that stupid EDGE with one bar... lucky to be green... or no reception at all.
Will I be stuck with not being able to use my phone inside my apartment? I called TMO and they are sending someone out here to check the reception I guess... but I'm stuck using WiFi inside my apartment without being able to use the phone.
Anyone else experience similar issues like that? My sprint phone never did this.
look into getting a signal repeater or something
T-Mobile definitely has issues penetrating buildings, in my opinion. Both my home and one of the two work-sites I frequent are almost dead-zones on T-Mo.
I purchased one of those zBoost cell repeaters for my home, which greatly improves reception, but you need to be able to run a cable to an outside antenna for best results.
Here's an Amazon link for a starting point to different models: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=mobile&field-keywords=zboost+tmobile&x=0&y=0
That said, it's ridiculous to have to pay $250 to get your cell signal. I only did it because the one I got does both AT&T and T-Mo frequencies (not T-Mo 3G, though) and my AT&T phones can get signal inside the house, but just barely.
I too have issues in buildings not necessarily my house but businesses
This is a T-Mobile issue. Not a nexus issue. Also is not a new issue.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
cpcrazyfly said:
This is a T-Mobile issue. Not a nexus issue. Also is not a new issue.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically correct, but if the Nexus S is your first T-Mobile phone, you might not know this. It would be easy to think the NS has a poor antenna. It's a valid question to ask, in my opinion.
redhatyellow said:
So I got the Nexus S yesterday and LOVE everything about it.
I'm unable to get any acceptable reception inside my apartment (on the lowest level of a three story complex thats surrounded by other apartments).
I live in Hermosa Beach, CA and TMO says I have good coverage here... and they're right... because once i walk outside I'm blazing... like literally once I'm outside my door... what gives??? How can I go from 3G 4 bars lit up in green to that stupid EDGE with one bar... lucky to be green... or no reception at all.
Will I be stuck with not being able to use my phone inside my apartment? I called TMO and they are sending someone out here to check the reception I guess... but I'm stuck using WiFi inside my apartment without being able to use the phone.
Anyone else experience similar issues like that? My sprint phone never did this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is just a fundamental issue with the frequencies t-mobile uses for their 3g network, 1700 and 2100mHz. Those have poor building penetration vs for example lower bands like the 850mHz on ATT which penetrates buildings much stronger. It requires them to build towers closer together but that isn't always possible, its hard enough to get towers up as it is.
This is one reason I've tried to stay on ATT 3g as their 3g band performs much better in these situations, when its available.
distortedloop said:
T-Mobile definitely has issues penetrating buildings, in my opinion. Both my home and one of the two work-sites I frequent are almost dead-zones on T-Mo.
I purchased one of those zBoost cell repeaters for my home, which greatly improves reception, but you need to be able to run a cable to an outside antenna for best results.
Here's an Amazon link for a starting point to different models:
That said, it's ridiculous to have to pay $250 to get your cell signal. I only did it because the one I got does both AT&T and T-Mo frequencies (not T-Mo 3G, though) and my AT&T phones can get signal inside the house, but just barely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you think TMO will provide this for me? Have people got TMO to do this before?
And yeah, I know this isn't a NS issue... I LOVE THE NS -- MY FAV PHONE OF ALL TIME!!, but i am new to TMO and love them as well EXCEPT for inside my house !!
Has anyone ever got TMO to provide better reception inside their home?? You would think they would provide people with like wireless routers for their homes!
I had the G1, Nexus One, G2, and MT4G before the Nexus S and have to say that the Nexus S gets hands down the best reception in my apartment.
The G1 was worthless, the N1, G2, and MT4G were pretty much on par but only got reception in certain parts of the apartment which means I couldn't move very much when on the phone (unless when on wifi calling of course).
The Nexus S has reception everywhere in my apartment with superior call quality throughout. Very impressed with it so far. T-mobile still sucks inside buildings but you're better off with the Nexus S than other T-mobile devices.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
find another place lol
why you are living deep down under. afraid of nuke or something ?
Also, I live in Los Angeles and we've been having lots of rain here... will that affect reception at all?
And what about femtocell technology? Does TMO use it??
redhatyellow said:
Also, I live in Los Angeles and we've been having lots of rain here... will that affect reception at all?
And what about femtocell technology? Does TMO use it??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im about an hour away from you and the rain is horrible but i havent had any issues...
and I dont think they do
LOL! I cannot stop laughing reading this comment
ll_l_x_l_ll said:
find another place lol
why you are living deep down under. afraid of nuke or something ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rain seems to be affecting my T mobile service, I'm in the valley and areas I normally get 3g on have been edge or no service since the rain storms began.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Hopefully someone will port the tmobile wifi app to the nexus s. I may return mine and wait for it because I don't want to keep switching phones at home because one has the ability for wifi calling and the other doesnt.
Also I have tried sip calling to no avail on both nexuses.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Rain is known to sometimes cause interference with reception; I notice this as well in NYC. I have noticed that the Nexus S is pretty good at keeping the signal alive, certainly better than my N1 or Vibrant.
To improve your reception, set the phone to airplane mode and then turn it off a few seconds later to get the closest towers. Also call 611 and ask them to reset your phone on the network from their end. Surprisingly, this sometimes does help. As someone said previously, the higher the band (2100 mhz for Tmo 3G), the worse penetration is unfortunately. I think Tmo stopped selling their repeaters earlier this year or last year (hotspot @ home).
I tweeted on Sunday my dissatisfaction with T-Mobile service. I was 75' outside one of their own stores in an area marked as 3G on their maps, couldn't get data at all inside another store, couldn't get better than EDGE outside in the parking lot.
Their reply was to try a new SIM. The SIM I have is from my N1 original, it's not even a year old. Anyone think it's worth the effort swapping? Do SIMS actually "wear out" that fast?
I suspect that's one of those "we don't really have an answer or fix, but give the customer something to try so we look proactive" kind of answers. LOL
have you tried setting up SIP + GVoice over Wifi?
This doesn't resolve the tmobile issue, but at least you can make and receive calls on wifi without eating up your minutes...
It's not ideal, but it works.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=877879
My friend had this problem with his ATT phones. He contacted them, *****ed, and they set up one of those repeaters in his apartment. He's the only one that could log into it and set up a filter to use only phones he registers. Maybe you can talk to Tmobile about this, though I'm not sure if they're eager to give everyone these things (or if Tmobile even gives them).
Hey everyone and tnx for reading this.
I am experiencing some reception problems with my play today.
Just started to happen today.
Here is wat happens. Out of no where (and i really mean out of nowhere!) the phone has no more reception or connection to 3G or wats so ever. Ithe icons show a diff story. The reception level is full and then internet is showing 3G as normal. But i think they hang. Cuz when i use data the 3G icon changes to H.
anyways this has happened over 10-15 times during the past ten hrs or so. My friends are saying ur phone was off or out of service and im at home where i always have perfect reception.
I didnt install or remove any app.
I didnt play with settings.
I try putting it in and out of flight mode. Sometime it worked. Not everytime tho.
I tried restartung the phone. Reinserting sim and batt. Also tried searching for network manually. But i keep losing reception. Any idea?
Thanks
Sent from my R800a using XDA App
Who is your provider? Sorry still getting used to all the providers.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
mamallica said:
Hey everyone and tnx for reading this.
I am experiencing some reception problems with my play today.
Just started to happen today.
Here is wat happens. Out of no where (and i really mean out of nowhere!) the phone has no more reception or connection to 3G or wats so ever. Ithe icons show a diff story. The reception level is full and then internet is showing 3G as normal. But i think they hang. Cuz when i use data the 3G icon changes to H.
anyways this has happened over 10-15 times during the past ten hrs or so. My friends are saying ur phone was off or out of service and im at home where i always have perfect reception.
I didnt install or remove any app.
I didnt play with settings.
I try putting it in and out of flight mode. Sometime it worked. Not everytime tho.
I tried restartung the phone. Reinserting sim and batt. Also tried searching for network manually. But i keep losing reception. Any idea?
Thanks
Sent from my R800a using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
G is slow speed.
E is medium speed.
H is broadband speed.
Go to wireless and networks to change to GSM only (permanently slow but better reception) or WCDMA only (permanently fast but probably worse reception based on how developed your carriers communication infrastructure is).
Legato525 said:
Who is your provider? Sorry still getting used to all the providers.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its rogers. Im in canada. Its not the network. I have been with them for years and i have had the Xperia play for over a month now. Never ever had a problem with reception. In fact its amazing.
As a matter of the fact u kno this is the problem from my phone. Which is most lijely software since i had my friend sitting next to me with his Bb he is also with rogers. He was fine bue wen he tried calling me mine said its out of service. Also i couldnt make a call to him. A few mins later everything got fixed and again it got messed up. As i said at all time the reception bar is full! But its not real since i jave no rec.
Any ideas?
Sent from my R800a using XDA App
dsswoosh said:
G is slow speed.
E is medium speed.
H is broadband speed.
Go to wireless and networks to change to GSM only (permanently slow but better reception) or WCDMA only (permanently fast but probably worse reception based on how developed your carriers communication infrastructure is).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tnx for ur advice. But i have had this phone for a month and i have been with rogers for yrs. So this is something happening now. Most likely software based.
I will however try wat u said
Sent from my R800a using XDA App
mamallica said:
Tnx for ur advice. But i have had this phone for a month and i have been with rogers for yrs. So this is something happening now. Most likely software based.
I will however try wat u said
Sent from my R800a using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GSM and WCDMA work differently and independantly. Your old Rogers phone probably worked using GSM.
WCDMA is not as well supported and could be considerably worse reception even though it is with the same carrier.
Go GSM only and note if the reception is better.
dsswoosh said:
GSM and WCDMA work differently and independantly. Your old Rogers phone probably worked using GSM.
WCDMA is not as well supported and could be considerably worse reception even though it is with the same carrier.
Go GSM only and note if the reception is better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand what you are saying. but as I said I have had this phone for a month and it worked perfectly. amazing reception and super fast data transfer. but its beeen 1-2 days that I am approaching such problem.
so its a software problem....
mamallica said:
I understand what you are saying. but as I said I have had this phone for a month and it worked perfectly. amazing reception and super fast data transfer. but its beeen 1-2 days that I am approaching such problem.
so its a software problem....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ye i understand. I'm just trying to throw some idea in the air to help you. I can understand how much of a frustrating problem it could be.
Lets' clarify -
1) You bought Xperia Play, worked perfect
2) After a month, your phone shows a good signal, but when friends telephone you it goes to answer machine as if you had 0 signal?
3) Basically all reception is lost and you have no signal, but sometimes it shows you do, even though you dont.
Here's some things to try -
1) Put your sim card in another phone and note the behaviour. Does it stay a strong signal? If yes, then it has got to be the Xperia Play at fault.
2) Put another sim card into your Xperia Play. Does it stay a strong signal? If yes, then it is actually your network provider at fault. If no, then the phone is at fault.
3) Try resetting the whole phone to default. Does the problem persist? If yes, then it is a hardware fault. If no, then problem solved.
dsswoosh said:
Ye i understand. I'm just trying to throw some idea in the air to help you. I can understand how much of a frustrating problem it could be.
Lets' clarify -
1) You bought Xperia Play, worked perfect
2) After a month, your phone shows a good signal, but when friends telephone you it goes to answer machine as if you had 0 signal?
3) Basically all reception is lost and you have no signal, but sometimes it shows you do, even though you dont.
Here's some things to try -
1) Put your sim card in another phone and note the behaviour. Does it stay a strong signal? If yes, then it has got to be the Xperia Play at fault.
2) Put another sim card into your Xperia Play. Does it stay a strong signal? If yes, then it is actually your network provider at fault. If no, then the phone is at fault.
3) Try resetting the whole phone to default. Does the problem persist? If yes, then it is a hardware fault. If no, then problem solved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot. I did restart it to factory defult yesterday! didnt help! I even reinstalled the whole software using SEUS. nothing is changed.
I know the service provider is fine since my friend sitting next to me had perfect signal. he is also using the same network as i do.
now I am jus waiting for my brother to come home. he has the arc. same network. im gonna double check the sim cards and if its the phone i will send it for repair!
I am having the same problem with mine and reception, I don't know if 85dbm is supposed to be good but I am used to having full bars in my house. I only get about 2 now.
Reception for me is terrible. Used to be a lot better on my crappy old samsung gravity.
Drops to zero bars constantly, and often says no service when inside the house.
My wifi stops working the second I'm out the front door too. Wifi works fine across the street for all my other devices, including a laptop and a samsung captivate.
This leads me to believe the radio transmitter is a defective design. I'll be calling my provider tomorrow.
Edit: wifi doesn't work now at all.
The phone's wifi icon shows it as connected, but theres no transfer of data, router doesn't see the device as logged in.
Some google searches have revealed this to be a common defect. I for one am not pleased.
Sent from my R800a
Just holding the device lowers signal!!!!
I know that sounds like crap but in the instruction manual it says not to cover the back fo the phone as it affects the signal.
No two ways around it, the phone has issues. I have taken it to carphone warephone and shown them it going from 4 bars to 1/0 bars just buy holding it. As it is over 14 days I am screwed. Whats worse it tha that had stop selling the phone to new customers as it has so many issues.
If you look at your battery life, then click on it you get the graph which shows signal. On mine were it say awake / screen on. i.e. you are holding it, the colour goes from bright green to dull green in perfect unison.
I am currently on my 2nd phone, the first one had 5 different faults. I now have 4 batteries due having to use moxier mail as the stock mail is sh1t. unhappy times
nelly_boy said:
I know that sounds like crap but in the instruction manual it says not to cover the back fo the phone as it affects the signal.
No two ways around it, the phone has issues. I have taken it to carphone warephone and shown them it going from 4 bars to 1/0 bars just buy holding it. As it is over 14 days I am screwed. Whats worse it tha that had stop selling the phone to new customers as it has so many issues.
If you look at your battery life, then click on it you get the graph which shows signal. On mine were it say awake / screen on. i.e. you are holding it, the colour goes from bright green to dull green in perfect unison.
I am currently on my 2nd phone, the first one had 5 different faults. I now have 4 batteries due having to use moxier mail as the stock mail is sh1t. unhappy times
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4 bars for me.
Cover the back with my hand.......yep still 4 bars.
If the phone was bad I would of had a **** load of problems too right?
Phone has worked perfect for me in the 2 months I have owned it.
nelly_boy said:
No two ways around it, the phone has issues. I have taken it to carphone warephone and shown them it going from 4 bars to 1/0 bars just buy holding it. As it is over 14 days I am screwed. Whats worse it tha that had stop selling the phone to new customers as it has so many issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just take it back.. Demand they fix it or give you a new one... Itll still be under warranty
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App
Hi guys!
I'm sorry to hear about your problems with Xperia PLAY.
I would suggest that you try some things before considering leaving it into your retailers for a check by a service technician.
Double check that the problem is not caused by an old SIM card. Old SIM's and new phones can sometimes cause troubles. So please try with a later SIM card if possible.
If that doesn't make any difference you could reinstall the phone software or update to Android 2.3.3 which is under launch right now. When the update becomes available for your device differs from market to market and is also depending on operator customization.
BR
Johan
Sony Ericsson
Johan-SEAnswers said:
Hi guys!
I'm sorry to hear about your problems with Xperia PLAY.
I would suggest that you try some things before considering leaving it into your retailers for a check by a service technician.
Double check that the problem is not caused by an old SIM card. Old SIM's and new phones can sometimes cause troubles. So please try with a later SIM card if possible.
If that doesn't make any difference you could reinstall the phone software or update to Android 2.3.3 which is under launch right now. When the update becomes available for your device differs from market to market and is also depending on operator customization.
BR
Johan
Sony Ericsson
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a warning, if you unlocked Bootloader ! using FOTA or SEUS very likely will result in a non-usable handset (bricked) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Johan-SEAnswers said:
Hi guys!
I'm sorry to hear about your problems with Xperia PLAY.
I would suggest that you try some things before considering leaving it into your retailers for a check by a service technician.
Double check that the problem is not caused by an old SIM card. Old SIM's and new phones can sometimes cause troubles. So please try with a later SIM card if possible.
If that doesn't make any difference you could reinstall the phone software or update to Android 2.3.3 which is under launch right now. When the update becomes available for your device differs from market to market and is also depending on operator customization.
BR
Johan
Sony Ericsson
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did all that. Except the update. Actually I just realized its the network. All my frind have the problem. Rogers confirmed. Play has a nice reception. It was the network! Thanks for all ur help.
Sent from my R800a using XDA App
captain67 said:
Reception for me is terrible. Used to be a lot better on my crappy old samsung gravity.
Drops to zero bars constantly, and often says no service when inside the house.
My wifi stops working the second I'm out the front door too. Wifi works fine across the street for all my other devices, including a laptop and a samsung captivate.
This leads me to believe the radio transmitter is a defective design. I'll be calling my provider tomorrow.
Edit: wifi doesn't work now at all.
The phone's wifi icon shows it as connected, but theres no transfer of data, router doesn't see the device as logged in.
Some google searches have revealed this to be a common defect. I for one am not pleased.
Sent from my R800a
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was having trouble with that also.
I changed my router to 802.11G only. I have devices that do not support n so i went with G. it took a day or two but but it fixed it.
to get it working when it does that you have to disconnect and then reconnect.
So I've been having this problem for a while now. I've tried contacting T-Mobile about it but they've been completely useless. Basically, I'll lose service randomly and it won't come back for hours (sometimes it'll be gone the whole day). And I mean I can't make a phone call type of lose service. I live in a semi rural area, but there are still plenty of areas that have HSPA/HSPA+. I've tried new SIM cards, going back to complete stock ROM, no root. I'm at a loss at this point. Has anyone had this problem? If anyone cares, I'm currently on PA 3.15, .48 radio and latest boot loader.
Edit: Stock APN settings as well. And when I go to choose a network operator, both T-Mobile and AT&T show up, so I assume it's picking up some sort of signal, it just doesn't want to connect...
Red Dragons!!!
rickyg946 said:
So I've been having this problem for a while now. I've tried contacting T-Mobile about it but they've been completely useless. Basically, I'll lose service randomly and it won't come back for hours (sometimes it'll be gone the whole day). And I mean I can't make a phone call type of lose service. I live in a semi rural area, but there are still plenty of areas that have HSPA/HSPA+. I've tried new SIM cards, going back to complete stock ROM, no root. I'm at a loss at this point. Has anyone had this problem? If anyone cares, I'm currently on PA 3.15, .48 radio and latest boot loader.
Edit: Stock APN settings as well. And when I go to choose a network operator, both T-Mobile and AT&T show up, so I assume it's picking up some sort of signal, it just doesn't want to connect...
Red Dragons!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get this sometimes. Sometimes a power off/on works. Other times it doesn't. It's never been for hours, only about 10-15 minutes total but it's really unnerving because it could happen at the worst possible moment. I think I've had this happen to me 3 times since I got my N4.
Would it comfort you to know that its not a error on your part but rather T-Mobile's?
Jsparta26 said:
Would it comfort you to know that its not a error on your part but rather T-Mobile's?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha! I figured it was, just seeing if anyone had heard anything from T-Mobile about it or if there was a fix. Thinking of switching to AT&T because of this tbh
Red Dragons!!!
rickyg946 said:
Haha! I figured it was, just seeing if anyone had heard anything from T-Mobile about it or if there was a fix. Thinking of switching to AT&T because of this tbh
Red Dragons!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would do the same thing if I was in your shoes.
Memnoch30 said:
I get this sometimes. Sometimes a power off/on works. Other times it doesn't. It's never been for hours, only about 10-15 minutes total but it's really unnerving because it could happen at the worst possible moment. I think I've had this happen to me 3 times since I got my N4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I'll constantly lose signal and that normally works but occasionally I'll get it to where nothing works and I'm stuck with a paperweight for the rest of the day (today being one of those unfortunate days)
Red Dragons!!!
Jsparta26 said:
Would it comfort you to know that its not a error on your part but rather T-Mobile's?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know anything more than that? Is this some sort of handshake issue between our radio and their cell towers? My wife is on T-Mobile and she doesn't have the issue so I presumed it was my phone.
My signal drops out a lot but I only pay 30$ a month so what can you expect
Sent from my Nexus 4 @1.72 GHz on Stock 4.2.2
IRX120 said:
My signal drops out a lot but I only pay 30$ a month so what can you expect
Sent from my Nexus 4 @1.72 GHz on Stock 4.2.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're a customer, you should expect good service no matter what you pay.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
My signal dropped one time but didn't ever do it again I'm also I the 30 dollar plan
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
I was having this issue as well. I would lose service for hours at a time on random days for like a month and a half. I found out that they were doing tower upgrades to get lte up and running (I'm in the north jersey/NYC area). Now my service is alot stronger and rarely ever lose service.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Henrock11 said:
I was having this issue as well. I would lose service for hours at a time on random days for like a month and a half. I found out that they were doing tower upgrades to get lte up and running (I'm in the north jersey/NYC area). Now my service is alot stronger and rarely ever lose service.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the suburbs of Detroit (White Lake for anyone who cares). I kind of doubt lte will get here any time soon but here's to hoping that's what they're doing, lol.
Red Dragons!!!
Thinking I might try to get a replacement phone actually. My roommate has a nexus 4 as well and he's had no problems whatsoever. Hmm... the plot thickens...
Red Dragons!!!
rickyg946 said:
Thinking I might try to get a replacement phone actually. My roommate has a nexus 4 as well and he's had no problems whatsoever. Hmm... the plot thickens...
Red Dragons!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been having the same issue with both the original and replacement phone. I've changed SIM card too, it still happens. Each times it lasts for a few hours before starting receive signal again. So you are definitely not alone here.
whohasaquestion said:
I've been having the same issue with both the original and replacement phone. I've changed SIM card too, it still happens. Each times it lasts for a few hours before starting receive signal again. So you are definitely not alone here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea it sucks but it's definitely nice to know it's not just me. Too bad T-Mobile and Google just point fingers at each other as opposed to finding an actual solution...
Red Dragons!!!
Update: So I went ahead with an RMA and already I think I made the right choice. I'm getting 3-4 bars of H+ in my living room where I used to struggle to get a bar of 3G. So, I apologize to anyone who thought this was a waste of a thread and just cluttered up the N4 forums (God knows this forum needs to get decluttered), but if my experience helps at least one person out, then I guess it wasn't such a waste after all. Moral of the story, if your signal sucks just get it over with and go through an RMA (Google made it super easy and painless):good: