Database Users

Reception/Modem/Baseband

Hello,
I recently upgraded from Xperia Arc S to Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505.
I bought my device from Hong Kong, with HK firmware. After I opened the package I put my SIM inside,
the reception was not very good. I was instructed by the company to use GSM only since there is no
LTE network in Israel as of today.
I flashed a couple of ROMs since and today I am on MIUI v5 which is my favorite, the reception remains
the same in all ROMs, quite bad compared to my old Xperia Arc S.
I was wondering about basebands and modems, I have been watching those two names floating around
the forums quite a bit and I never got around to playing with those.
So my questions are as follows:
1. Is there a different between modem and baseband or are these two just different words that refers to the same thing?
2. Does changing a baseband/modem can help get better reception?
3. If the answer to 2 is yes, which one should I get?
Thanks,
Oded

Yes modem/baseband are the same thing. Go to SamMobile website Google it, then go to the firmware section, choose the S4 find your carrier and see the latest rom for your carrier in the file name will be some letters and numbers like XXNA5 etc. This will give you a base to start with. Or tell me your operator and I can take a look.
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk

nikzDHD said:
Yes modem/baseband are the same thing. Go to SamMobile website Google it, then go to the firmware section, choose the S4 find your carrier and see the latest rom for your carrier in the file name will be some letters and numbers like XXNA5 etc. This will give you a base to start with. Or tell me your operator and I can take a look.
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick reply. How do I find out which firmware I need to download? Israel is not in the list. My carrier is called Orange. http://orange.co.il/
behind the battery it says:
GT-I9505
SSN: -I9505GSMH
RATED
Made by...
Imei...
S/N...
EDIT:
You didn't answer if the incorrect baseband can cause bad reception... it sounds to me like it does but I just want to make sure.
I also noticed that when I reboot my device it goes back to WCDMA only automatically so everytime I reboot/power off I need to reset it to GSM only using *#*#4636#*#*

BUMP

oded_sk said:
Hello,
I recently upgraded from Xperia Arc S to Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505.
I bought my device from Hong Kong, with HK firmware. After I opened the package I put my SIM inside,
the reception was not very good. I was instructed by the company to use GSM only since there is no
LTE network in Israel as of today.
I flashed a couple of ROMs since and today I am on MIUI v5 which is my favorite, the reception remains
the same in all ROMs, quite bad compared to my old Xperia Arc S.
I was wondering about basebands and modems, I have been watching those two names floating around
the forums quite a bit and I never got around to playing with those.
So my questions are as follows:
1. Is there a different between modem and baseband or are these two just different words that refers to the same thing?
2. Does changing a baseband/modem can help get better reception?
3. If the answer to 2 is yes, which one should I get?
Thanks,
Oded
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Same thing .
2. Yes.
3. You can check it from here that Base from your country/Provider . And you can download it from here

The problem is that Israel is not on that list, I think because we don't have LTE network and my device is LTE.
My carrier is using GSM network only.

Israel don't sell the I9505 officially, they have the I9500 available from your carriers.
Looking at the I9500 with Orange the latest I9500 modem is: I9500JKUEMJ9
Obviously do not flash the I9500 modem but you can try XXUEMJ9 from the I9505 instead.
From here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2192025
Download the modem and flash via Odin. You can any of the I9505 modems. Just try until you get a good one, and as for LTE it doesn't matter in the network settings you will obviously be choosing 3G option instead.

nikzDHD said:
Israel don't sell the I9505 officially, they have the I9500 available from your carriers.
Looking at the I9500 with Orange the latest I9500 modem is: I9500JKUEMJ9
Obviously do not flash the I9500 modem but you can try XXUEMJ9 from the I9505 instead.
From here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2192025
Download the modem and flash via Odin. You can any of the I9505 modems. Just try until you get a good one, and as for LTE it doesn't matter in the network settings you will obviously be choosing 3G option instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see, well, it didn't work, I flashed about 7 different modems and I still get bad reception indoors and good reception outdoors.
I will try to test other SIMs of other carriers on this device to see if reception improves.
Thank you very much for you help!

4.4.2
Anyone knows which modems can I flash in a stock i9505 4.4.2 rom?

Inamati said:
Anyone knows which modems can I flash in a stock i9505 4.4.2 rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any modem you want to flash. But try the 4.4.2 versions.
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk

nikzDHD said:
Any modem you want to flash. But try the 4.4.2 versions.
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? I ask this question because when flashing stock 4.4.2 I had to flash a specific modem otherwise it wouldn't work. If I flash another modem different from FNA5 won't it cause problems in the ROM?

Inamati said:
Really? I ask this question because when flashing stock 4.4.2 I had to flash a specific modem otherwise it wouldn't work. If I flash another modem different from FNA5 won't it cause problems in the ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends what bootloader your on, I'm assuming your on the new bootloader so you need to flash both the LTE and GSM modems. I'm on a GE 4.4.2 rom and old bootloader running on an older modem and not got any issues. Try it and see what happens you can always flash another after or go back to a 4.4.2 modem.

nikzDHD said:
Depends what bootloader your on, I'm assuming your on the new bootloader so you need to flash both the LTE and GSM modems. I'm on a GE 4.4.2 rom and old bootloader running on an older modem and not got any issues. Try it and see what happens you can always flash another after or go back to a 4.4.2 modem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK thanks a bunch. If not too much trouble can you point me to a list of the modems you speak of? And is there anywhere where it's detailed how to flash both modems? When I changed modem in the previous ROM's I only had to flash one.

Inamati said:
OK thanks a bunch. If not too much trouble can you point me to a list of the modems you speak of? And is there anywhere where it's detailed how to flash both modems? When I changed modem in the previous ROM's I only had to flash one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This thread has all the info you need:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2192025

A small tip to whom ever is reading this: If you have reception problems just go to someone with the same phone model and just write down the information in about phone section such as: baseband, core, build etc so you know which one works 100% if your phone is the same model.
Anyways, nikzDHD, I9505XXUEML6_MODEM worked best, I flashed 90% of the modems... took me forever :/

[Q] g900t-want to change the rom to g900w8

i have g900t i want to flash on it g900w8 rom(for hebrew language)
but the baseband need stay on g900t
look the result

how
someone can help me get into this sulution?

edvin26 said:
someone can help me get into this sulution?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey have you figured this out yet... I'm in sort of same situation I have a Sm-g900t but it's running a G900M stock rom, so I need to know how to keep my bootloader & modem and just flash a stock unbranded rom. I know I can flash custom roms through recovery but I want a stock to fall back on
*GALAXY S5*

edvin26 said:
someone can help me get into this sulution?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not clear what you hope to do. What you wrote is that you wanted to change you ROM to W8 while retaining your TMobile baseband. And your photo shows that you did just that.
But reading between the lines suggests that you were surprised to see that the baseband hadn't changed and are actually seeking the opposite of what you asked. You need to clarify your intent.
The result that you have is the expected situation. The baseband normally won't change, nor does it represent a problem. Your phone should work fine with the W8 ROM paired with the original baseband.
Aside from the fact that there is usually no need to change the baseband, how easy it is to do so depends on the carrier and how they sign their firmware. Odin won't change the baseband if the carrier decided to omit the requisite permission to do so. TMobile modems are invariably compatible with Canadian (W8) carriers, so pragmaticaly the easiest way to update a 900T modem, if you have a rationale for doing so, is to install a TMobile update. Then put the W8 ROM on top of that if you so wish.
.

[Q] SlimBean for i9505

Hi, I will probably be picking up an i9505 as a backup phone, and I'm actually really excited because it looks like I can put the final 4.3 build of SlimBean (build 2.2), which I ran on my S2 and it was honestly the most perfectly configurable rom I've ever run on a phone - as similar as a lot of the rom's that came out around that time were, that one had a couple options that I couldn't find on any others, and they made it exactly what I wanted. Anyway, so that I don't brick the phone the same day I get it, can someone confirm for me if the version listed as "jfltetmo" on the SlimRoms website is the corrrect one? This is the T-Mobile variant, but it's the only S4 listed there. The thread in the i9505 original development forum is closed, and the op lists it as being "jfltexx", but that doesn't exist on the SlimRoms site. It's baffling to try to figure out with so many different variants, so that's why I'm asking here, thanks to anyone that can help me!

shockwaverider said:
Hi, I will probably be picking up an i9505 as a backup phone, and I'm actually really excited because it looks like I can put the final 4.3 build of SlimBean (build 2.2), which I ran on my S2 and it was honestly the most perfectly configurable rom I've ever run on a phone - as similar as a lot of the rom's that came out around that time were, that one had a couple options that I couldn't find on any others, and they made it exactly what I wanted. Anyway, so that I don't brick the phone the same day I get it, can someone confirm for me if the version listed as "jfltetmo" on the SlimRoms website is the corrrect one? This is the T-Mobile variant, but it's the only S4 listed there. The thread in the i9505 original development forum is closed, and the op lists it as being "jfltexx", but that doesn't exist on the SlimRoms site. It's baffling to try to figure out with so many different variants, so that's why I'm asking here, thanks to anyone that can help me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, jfltetmo is T-Mobile. jfltexx is the international version of the S4. The one that's neverlocked, so to say.

GDReaper said:
Yes, jfltetmo is T-Mobile. jfltexx is the international version of the S4. The one that's neverlocked, so to say.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess my question is, are ROMs compatible between carrier-specific and unlocked variants?

shockwaverider said:
I guess my question is, are ROMs compatible between carrier-specific and unlocked variants?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course. It is the same phone after all. The only difference is the software. It also depends on the carrier. Some lock their bootloaders.

Before I Flash, I Just Have to Know

Will the i9505 stuff work on the SPH-L720T? It's the branded Sprint version of the i9505 and I don't want to brick the damn thing. If there is anything I need to know, now would be a good time to tell me. I will point out that I have the 4G version (I think that's the only version made for this model anyway) and it is unlocked to work on all networks. Will I loose that if I flash a custom ROM?
Secondly, I am looking for a ROM that is as close to the stock experience as possible but doesn't have all the issues of stock! But with fixed stagefright issues, the widget draw on Touchwiz UI, and better power saving features.
Thirdly, recovery: what is the best one to use? I was thinking TWRP since I already have experience with that. Do I also need to match up an Odin version for my device?
I think that's about it for now. Thank's for the help!

If the code was jfltexx, it's safe to flash. Just check the ROM's thread for any special guides if available.
For stock-based, no idea. I don't have an I9505.
Sent from my GT-I9500

Thanks. Where do I find the code to tell?

On any I9505 development thread with jfltexx on their supported device list.
Sent from my GT-I9500

It's a rebranded I9505. They have identical hardware.
Your phone has a tri-band something. I don't know what it does, but it seems to be carrier related. That's the only difference between the normal SPH-L720, I9505 and your model.

Quite confused for the consideration needed before flashing any Rom and Recovery!!

I am beginner in this rooting field.. And with less knowledge I now am attracted towards flashing different rom on my phone since I am influenced by others discussion in #XDA. But when I came to meet some people in social chats, when I asked them for the, what are the requisites to be fulfilled while flashing #safe_rom without any brick.. Some says search rom on Google of your phone model i·e (gt-I9505) when I searched it there again appeared the case of #baseband version,there "google" when I got the other rom of my phone below it was written only for baseband "XXUHOJ2" and it didn't matched with mine.. In some post rom for jflte, jfltexx, sprint, .... And m confused all... And my question is.. Should all of those match to flash custom rom?? Isn't gt-I9505 all same??? Why should we consider #baseband for flashing rom or latest firmware?? Why?? Why?? Plz help me!!
-Thank you!

No baseband update
Hello and thank you for using Q/A,
you don't need to update or flash a baseband, if you want to install a custom ROM or stock ROM.
Kind regards
Trafalgar Square

And what about jfltexx,jflte, sprint.. Some post says rom for jfltexx, some says for this baseband only,, what to do in this situtation??? Is there any #compulshory to match baseband in order to flash custom rom??

Hi,
I've an I9500 who has Indonesian base, and I've flashed many ROMs designed for my device and I never had any problem. Baseband doesn't matter, however, an EFS backup should be made to be safe, so you can restore it later if you miss your IMEI after doing flash a certain ROM.
Because you've an I9505, any jfltexx ROMs should fit on your phone. You'll have no problems as long as you follow instructions provided by the developer.
I9505 doesn't stand itself. Some variants are released by certain operators in certain regions, like SPH-L720, SGH-I337, SGH-I337m, SCH-R970, etc. All variants who are on I9505 family are able to install jfltexx ROMs, but with some notes that might be available for certain devices.
Sent from my GT-I9500

You should only care about the baseband if you have a phone from Verizon or T-Mobile, as they generally have locked bootloaders.
Basebands are updated almost monthly. There is no way to have them matched.
You only need to care about your phone model.

krasCGQ said:
Hi,
I've an I9500 who has Indonesian base, and I've flashed many ROMs designed for my device and I never had any problem. Baseband doesn't matter, however, an EFS backup should be made to be safe, so you can restore it later if you miss your IMEI after doing flash a certain ROM.
Because you've an I9505, any jfltexx ROMs should fit on your phone. You'll have no problems as long as you follow instructions provided by the developer.
I9505 doesn't stand itself. Some variants are released by certain operators in certain regions, like SPH-L720, SGH-I337, SGH-I337m, SCH-R970, etc. All variants who are on I9505 family are able to install jfltexx ROMs, but with some notes that might be available for certain devices.
Sent from my GT-I9500
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for info.. ??. I appreciate you!! Thanks

GDReaper said:
You should only care about the baseband if you have a phone from Verizon or T-Mobile, as they generally have locked bootloaders.
Basebands are updated almost monthly. There is no way to have them matched.
You only need to care about your phone model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you' phone model mean: only (gt-I9505) (gt-I9500) ya??

Athakuri700 said:
Thank you' phone model mean: only (gt-I9505) (gt-I9500) ya??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, mostly.