I just switched from Galaxy S3 on ATT to Droid Turbo on Verizon.
Signal outside was fine (on par with ATT), but today I went to work, I work in office area that is located in the middle of one story warehouse/production line environment., with ATT I was getting 4G LTE with 3 to 5 bars, now with Verizon i'm getting 3G with 1-2 bars, but when you try to do anything, nothing works, from time to time it even switches to something called 1x. what the hell is 1x?
whats the point of droid turbo large battery when its draining fast because poor thing can't get signal.
People always assume that because Verizon is the biggest that it covers every square inch of the United States. This of course, is not true. There are going to be areas where you have crappy signal or no signal at all. There are quite a few places in California where I have no signal but someone with AT&T does. It's just the way it is. I would check with Verizon and make sure you're covered in that area. If you're not. You might want to consider going back to AT&T
Many things factor into signal, as well. Different carriers use different frequencies and wavelengths, and different things impact the reception of those frequencies differently. I worked in a building where Sprint signal was 100% all the time, but Verizon was crap. They had film on the windows (the help block sun and keep AC costs down) that didn't play well with VZW. When the company started moving to VZW for their company provided phones, it became a real issue (personal phones didn't really matter to them), and the film was changed.
Stucco/cement buildings aren't great for phone reception of any kind, but for all you know, there could have been an AT&T tower very near you, and the VZW tower is simply further away. Going inside the building further impedes that signal, so you get less of it on VZW.
To answer your other question, 1X is 2G service, and the slowest speed that Verizon has. 1X/2G, 3G and 4G LTE. It (usually) means that it is the best signal available and your phone is using it for a constant connection, vs. spotty 3G/4G. Again, this can be based on frequencies and bands within the VZW spectrum, and shouldn't really be compared to another phone on another carrier.
zathus said:
People always assume that because Verizon is the biggest that it covers every square inch of the United States. This of course, is not true. There are going to be areas where you have crappy signal or no signal at all. There are quite a few places in California where I have no signal but someone with AT&T does. It's just the way it is. I would check with Verizon and make sure you're covered in that area. If you're not. You might want to consider going back to AT&T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon has by far the best and most uniform coverage nationwide, but no US carrier is excellent, and every carrier has their strong spots and their weak spots, necessitating - unfortunately - choosing a carrier based on your location.
It sounds like where you work is a Verizon weak spot, and an AT&T strong spot.
Essentially, if you were to choose a random spot - any spot - within the U.S., and do this a hundred to a thousand times, Verizon would - on average - perform better than anyone else, but in any given spot, Verizon could suck, and someone else could be better.
Not sure how it is these days, but back in the day of iPhone exclusivity on AT&T, AT&T was pretty much unusable in all of New York City.
I switched from AT&T to Verizon 2-3 years ago (giving up my unlimited data in the process) because here in Boston I was simply getting too many dropped calls on AT&T. Verizon was a clear improvement, but still not perfect.
generally around here in the greater Boston area the consensus is:
Verizon > AT&T >> TMobile > Sprint > those other nobodies.
nekrosoft13 said:
I just switched from Galaxy S3 on ATT to Droid Turbo on Verizon.
Signal outside was fine (on par with ATT), but today I went to work, I work in office area that is located in the middle of one story warehouse/production line environment., with ATT I was getting 4G LTE with 3 to 5 bars, now with Verizon i'm getting 3G with 1-2 bars, but when you try to do anything, nothing works, from time to time it even switches to something called 1x. what the hell is 1x?
whats the point of droid turbo large battery when its draining fast because poor thing can't get signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your title is a little mis-leading.
In any given location, any particular carrier may have more or less signal coverage than any of the other carriers. Sounds like you just happen to work in a place where AT&T coverage is better. That doesn't mean that Verizon's coverage is "horrible", because NO carrier can state that they work everywhere.
If it's that bad, you may want to consider returning the phone and switching back.
while I understand what all of you are saying.
but this is not one of those cases.
I stepped outside the back of the building, I stepped out the front of the building and I get 4-5 bars 4G LTE with 25-35Mbps transfer speed, sounds perfect...
I go back In the building I get 3G with 1-2 bars that don't work, or some 1x bull****.
Its not the "area" its the building, and this seems to fit with what some people (engineers/including people that are experts in RF and other radio frequencies) been telling me, CDMA has trouble travelling through thick walls.
ATT GSM didn't have that problem.
nekrosoft13 said:
while I understand what all of you are saying.
but this is not one of those cases.
I stepped outside the back of the building, I stepped out the front of the building and I get 4-5 bars 4G LTE with 25-35Mbps transfer speed, sounds perfect...
I go back In the building I get 3G with 1-2 bars that don't work, or some 1x bull****.
Its not the "area" its the building, and this seems to fit with what some people (engineers/including people that are experts in RF and other radio frequencies) been telling me, CDMA has trouble travelling through thick walls.
ATT GSM didn't have that problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you're not losing your CDMA signal, you're losing your LTE signal. It's just the tower, or the frequency Verizon has there. Maybe Verizon has high frequency at your location and therefore it can't penetrate the building. Use LTE discovery to find out which band you have.
current connection eHRPD/1x
is not even listing any LTE frequencies....
****ing verizon bull****....
on the signal tab, now its showing connecting...... 10 second later, connected, 5 seconds later connecting... great service!
nekrosoft13 said:
while I understand what all of you are saying.
but this is not one of those cases.
I stepped outside the back of the building, I stepped out the front of the building and I get 4-5 bars 4G LTE with 25-35Mbps transfer speed, sounds perfect...
I go back In the building I get 3G with 1-2 bars that don't work, or some 1x bull****.
Its not the "area" its the building, and this seems to fit with what some people (engineers/including people that are experts in RF and other radio frequencies) been telling me, CDMA has trouble travelling through thick walls.
ATT GSM didn't have that problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3g is CDMA. 4G which you say you lose is GSM
Jweimn said:
3g is CDMA. 4G which you say you lose is GSM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not quite, 4G is LTE. LTE is more similar to GSM than it is to CDMA, but it is not GSM.
Verizon uses 700, 850, 1700, and 2100MHz for LTE. ATT uses 700, 850, 1700, 1900, and 2100MHz for LTE. In the case of both carriers, there are generally not more than 1 or 2 of those frequencies in any given area and they are not always the same ones for both carries. Some areas have the lower frequencies which allows the signal to pass through buildings more easily, other areas have the higher frequencies which allows the signal to be bounced off of buildings which results in poorer building penetration, but can result in increased signal outside due to the signal being bounced off of surrounding surfaces. In your case you are almost definitely in a low frequency ATT and high frequency Verizon area. It is also possible that your work has a signal booster for ATT, but not for Verizon and that may be why you see dramatically better ATT signal there. No carrier is best everywhere, but Verizon is best in more places than any other US carrier. If you live/work in an area that ATT is better you should probably just go back to them.
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Free mobile app
Verizon used to be better for me. I notice a pattern now where upon arrival to my house my signal goes from 3 to 5 bars of LTE to two or 1 or drops to 3g. Not only at my current residence but my last one as well. Like throttled down at home. I live in a flat city that should not have dead zones.
I live in a city with full coverage from all the carriers, but Verizon is the only carrier that keeps me connected from Philly to AC and back.
cstone1991 said:
Not quite, 4G is LTE. LTE is more similar to GSM than it is to CDMA, but it is not GSM.
Verizon uses 700, 850, 1700, and 2100MHz for LTE. ATT uses 700, 850, 1700, 1900, and 2100MHz for LTE. In the case of both carriers, there are generally not more than 1 or 2 of those frequencies in any given area and they are not always the same ones for both carries. Some areas have the lower frequencies which allows the signal to pass through buildings more easily, other areas have the higher frequencies which allows the signal to be bounced off of buildings which results in poorer building penetration, but can result in increased signal outside due to the signal being bounced off of surrounding surfaces. In your case you are almost definitely in a low frequency ATT and high frequency Verizon area. It is also possible that your work has a signal booster for ATT, but not for Verizon and that may be why you see dramatically better ATT signal there. No carrier is best everywhere, but Verizon is best in more places than any other US carrier. If you live/work in an area that ATT is better you should probably just go back to them.
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
its funny that you mention signal boosters, actually its opposite, my work has no boosters for ATT and has couple for Verizon.... the problem is that they boosters they have bought go thought internet connection, the internet connection is a standard T1 line shared by about 500-700 workers some with workstations and smartphones on wifi and some with both.
When I was outside work, I was on LTE band 4.
inside work I have 3G with one-two bars that every 20+ minutes disconnect and drop to 1x, the sucky thing is that even when those 1-2 bars are present data doesn't work.
and WiFi is so saturated and its useless too....
Before someone says that the trouble is caused by Verizon boosters, before the boosters were put in place, there was zero Verizon signal inside the building, again outside was fine.
nekrosoft13 said:
... from time to time it even switches to something called 1x. what the hell is 1x?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So this is what it's come to.... :'( In some remote way this makes me feel old.
nekrosoft13 said:
I just switched from Galaxy S3 on ATT to Droid Turbo on Verizon.
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Click to collapse
I'm not going to rehash all of what has been said, but there are two items you need to keep in mind.
First, you should check to see if you are in an XLTE area. XLTE makes use of the AWS spectrum and will do a better job of penetrating buildings.
Second, and most important .... If you have both a regular Verizon signal AND a Verizon Network Extender signal, the radios are designed to latch onto the Network Extender assuming that it will provide the best cell reception. The network extender is designed to make sure PHONE CALLS get through, and nothing more. The first and second generation Network Extenders provided only 1x data, while the latest generation Network Extenders provide 3G. There are no 4G LTE Network Extenders. As long as you are latching onto a network extender, you will NOT have good data. Period. You'll have great phone calls though. The "bars" reflect DATA coverage, not voice coverage. Phone calls will be fine even with zero bars. Data will be slow no matter what.
Again, the network extenders are meant to make certain people can make and receive PHONE CALLS (it is a cell phone after all) and not data.
Also, band 4 is the highest frequency that VZW uses for LTE and therefore the worst at penetrating buildings.
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cstone1991 said:
Also, band 4 is the highest frequency that VZW uses for LTE and therefore the worst at penetrating buildings.
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so basically Verizon sucks In the area where my work is. why would they use a band that is worse at penetrating buildings since this is mostly industrial park with warehouse like buildings and buildings with thick concrete walls.
nekrosoft13 said:
so basically Verizon sucks In the area where my work is. why would they use a band that is worse at penetrating buildings since this is mostly industrial park with warehouse like buildings and buildings with thick concrete walls.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Basically yeah. The boosters that your work uses aren't helping either when it comes to data, they actually probably make the problem even worse as another person pointed out. The carriers own licenses for different bands or spectrums in different areas. They can only use the ones that they own in the areas that they own them. There are many reasons why a carrier may purchase higher frequencies in some areas, but the main one is that they just have to buy what is available and that's probably what happened in that area. In some scenarios the higher frequencies do perform better, building penetration just isn't one of the things that they do well.
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cstone1991 said:
Basically yeah. The boosters that your work uses aren't helping either when it comes to data, they actually probably make the problem even worse as another person pointed out. The carriers own licenses for different bands or spectrums in different areas. They can only use the ones that they own in the areas that they own them. There are many reasons why a carrier may purchase higher frequencies in some areas, but the main one is that they just have to buy what is available and that's probably what happened in that area. In some scenarios the higher frequencies do perform better, building penetration just isn't one of the things that they do well.
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought that VZW had band 13 everywhere they have LTE. I thought they just started adding Band 4, so if you connect to Band 4 then 13 is present. Otherwise, all the old VZW phones would not get LTE at all.
there are other people in the office that have verizon and same ****ty service.
we are looking into purchasing this for work, http://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/wilson-ag-pro-4g-70db-amplifier-kit-461104/
just not sure how this will play with current 3G repeaters that are in the building.
Related
T-Mobile in my area is shown as the best they have on their coverage map, but my calls always get dropped
I'm still under my 30 days and I want them to somehow boost up my reception because I seriously want to keep the HD2.
It might just be me, but when I turn off my 3G signal, my 2G coverage is almost perfect, but I still get occasional dropped calls. Is it just me?
And also, do any of those signal booster stickers work? Should I try foil?
I am open to all comment and suggestions..thanks
i usually leave my phone on GSM (2g) through the band properties because it saves battery, and yes i do get more bars. in some locations my 3g or H connection is just as strong.
Not sure about boosters, i heard that the antenna is located at the base of the phone though.
stickers are a scam.
I can't believe those stickers are still available.
Dropped Calls are almost inevitable with today's technology.
2G and 3G coverage are different. if you have trouble with 3G at your location, simply turn it off in order to ensure a stronger connection and more stability during phone calls.
where do you turn off your 3G on a stock HD2?
adamhlj said:
where do you turn off your 3G on a stock HD2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
settings-->wireless controls-->click phone(not on/off)-->band-->choose gsm
Tmobile is still rolling out it's 3g coverage, so it makes sense that their 3g is not nearly as available as 2g.
Furthermore, Tmobile's 2G frequencies are lower than 3G so they penetrate better.
Svegetto said:
Tmobile is still rolling out it's 3g coverage, so it makes sense that their 3g is not nearly as available as 2g.
Furthermore, Tmobile's 2G frequencies are lower than 3G so they penetrate better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lawl.....I am so tempted to use the internet meme here but.....ah well.
Svegetto said:
Furthermore, Tmobile's 2G frequencies are lower than 3G so they penetrate better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you elaborate on that? Curious about the science behind "higher" and "lower" frequency penetration on the different bands...
htc707 said:
T-Mobile in my area is shown as the best they have on their coverage map, but my calls always get dropped
I'm still under my 30 days and I want them to somehow boost up my reception because I seriously want to keep the HD2.
It might just be me, but when I turn off my 3G signal, my 2G coverage is almost perfect, but I still get occasional dropped calls. Is it just me?
And also, do any of those signal booster stickers work? Should I try foil?
I am open to all comment and suggestions..thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Call them and tell them your problem. T-Mobile's help desk has always been amazing for me and perhaps they know something that you don't.
If all else fails, you can use the call to drop your contract without penalties. I'd much rather have an older phone that works than a new one that doesn't!
Snarksneeze said:
Could you elaborate on that? Curious about the science behind "higher" and "lower" frequency penetration on the different bands...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's just the basic physics of RF signals...the lower the frequency, the higher the penetration capability (as a general rule of thumb). Same generally holds true for sound frequencies as well.
I don't get dropped calls at all on T-Mobile here in NY (AT&T is a different story).
However, especially indoros, 2G signal is generally stronger than 3G.
Snarksneeze said:
Could you elaborate on that? Curious about the science behind "higher" and "lower" frequency penetration on the different bands...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to give you some very simple insight (you can always google it if you'd like detail explanation; it's actually quite simple, I just don't want to have to type all of it). In simplest terms, Tmobile 3g runs on 1700 and 2100 which is much higher then its 2g which runs on 850. Lower frequencies don't go as far, but have better penetration.
If you'd like another way to think about it, think of when you hear someone playing music from a good stereo system in a building. You'll likely only be able to hear/feel the bass because it's able to penetrate the walls and you won't hear the the actual lyrics/treble because that's higher frequencies.
Hope this helps
T-Mobile 2G runs on PCS, always has and always will.
The reason for 3G not being as strong can be a number of things, the reception on the HD2 really doesn't seem to be good and the 3G network buildout is incomplete at the moment as mentioned before in this thread.
gsvnet said:
I don't get dropped calls at all on T-Mobile here in NY (AT&T is a different story).
However, especially indoros, 2G signal is generally stronger than 3G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only dropped calls when in my poor reception apartment. It seems to be worse at keeping a signal than my HTC Dream.
However it still bugs me that the HD2 doesn't scan or update quick enough when I exit the metro. It might say I have full 3g, but it won't let me call for a few minutes. Sometimes it will decide to disconnect from the signal and reconnect even when I haven't moved to a weaker area and it's still full 3g bars. I'm also in NYC/Manhattan.
update
The data services with this phone are also going under maintenance soon, basically the software of the phone has a defect within the radio, HTC is releasing an update on May 17th to help fix this, you might see some luck having a better connection this way, but everyone is right about the different types of signals, the fact lies that there are 2 towers for each spot, the 2G network is more established where the 3G towers might not have as good of a penetration because they use a higher frequency.
Confirmation
My apartment has terrible reception. My signal will go out for about 5 mins then come back with only 1-2 bars. I turned off 3G and now my 2G signal remains around 1-3 bars with no blackouts so far (3 days).
Its just a minor hassle to remember to switch back to 3G when I go out.
firedragon64 said:
The data services with this phone are also going under maintenance soon, basically the software of the phone has a defect within the radio, HTC is releasing an update on May 17th to help fix this, you might see some luck having a better connection this way, but everyone is right about the different types of signals, the fact lies that there are 2 towers for each spot, the 2G network is more established where the 3G towers might not have as good of a penetration because they use a higher frequency.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you find this out? I really want an update, the hardware is great, but the phone quality is horrible sometimes due to all my daily location (and reception) changes.
aceo07 said:
Where did you find this out? I really want an update, the hardware is great, but the phone quality is horrible sometimes due to all my daily location (and reception) changes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
This would be great news if it's true (and actually addresses the issues)....has the date (or even the release itself) been substantiated at all?
My samsung vibrant on t mobile
Vs
My wife's samsung fascinate on the nations largest 3G network.
Both pics were taken around the same time and right next to each other, I took the pc of mine from my wife's fascinate, and the pic of hers on my vibrant.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
only see one pic.
My wife's fascinate
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Cool Did you say where you live?
i was pulling down 6Mbps the other night
suck it, verizon
this is the reason i ditched verizon. most places i was hitting .6-.8 mbps and i almost hit 5mbps with tmo on my vibrant.
Verizon's service was a lot slower at times, but I REALLY miss having 3g literally EVERYWHERE
T-Mobile 3G isn't even in every major city here in Northwest Arkansas....let alone the rural areas
Tmobile has the fastest 3g around hands down. I have tried sprint and att. Both are slower, noticeably slower and the thing is t-mobile hasn't even started 4g or lte lol
Sent from my Samsung Vibrant
Tmo does have hspa+ though which can have an impact on data speeds depending on where you live
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Tmo will beat everyone on speed but man good luck on finding it. Sprint was slower but everywhere
T-Mobile is the fastest 3G carrier in the US right now IF you live in a HSPA+ area.
The real question is why does your wife have the outrageously high priced verizon while you sport the more economical t-mobile? Business issued?
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There are two main reasons Tmo typcially tops in speed:
Tmo has the fastest hardware right now. This will change, of course, seeing as both ATT and Verizon are working on their 4G networks and Tmo has no plans to go to 4G for the next two years. It is worth noting ATT and Verizon will have LTE not WiMax.
Tmo has a lot less customers so there is less demand on their towers. Less demand means faster speeds for those that do have Tmo.
T-Mobile is increasing 3G coverage a bunch recently. They just gave Puerto Rico 3G coverage and I've been hearing of other places getting 3G recently.
Verizon 3G is much slower here, you can hit 1.9Mbps but you're usually under 1Mbps like T-Mobile 3G before HSPA+. 3G coverage isn't all that either, EV-DO drops out sometimes at my house but I can't complain.
3G is also slightly on JI2 now that the -dBm reading is more accurate within the Android system. The Vibrant grabs onto a 3G signal much better than ANY phone I've had on T-Mobile. (G1, CLIQ, myTouch, TM506, TouchPro2, Nuron).
This is what I typically see with T-Mobile. Data speed is much better than all 3 of the carriers combined here for me. Still needs work in some areas though! Not going to lie.. but overall, it's better.
You would be lucky to get 500Kbps with AT&T or Verizon during peak hours. The Sprint EV-DO network is taking a huge hit due to the new smartphones on their network. It went from being underutilized to being over used.
As a former verizon/sprint/att/and uk versions f#ckee, ive never been more happy with a carriers service/price.
Tmo Hpsa ftw ..see sig
98classic said:
Tmo will beat everyone on speed but man good luck on finding it. Sprint was slower but everywhere
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sad but true. I'm TM all the way, but F#$#, I hate how it's so limited still to a small area. Granted they are still expanding...Anyway, here's my pictures below...
I wouldn't quite knock Verizon...they'll kill TM on coverage on the mainland...but in some areas TM kicks @$$ over all....
Here's the true coverage ranking, hate it or love it, it's real:
1. Verizon
2. AT$T
3. Sprint
4. T-Mobile
Don't get me wrong, I get sick speeds...super fast...but only in certain areas...
My speed test pic is below...
Sprint coverage is way below T-Mobile coverage. 3G yes but I'd like to keep my calls.
heygrl said:
Sprint coverage is way below T-Mobile coverage. 3G yes but I'd like to keep my calls.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a trucker having gone through all 48 states with both carriers this is just not true
Well maybe in WU tmo might have slight better coverage
98classic said:
As a trucker having gone through all 48 states with both carriers this is just not true
Well maybe in WU tmo might have slight better coverage
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Roaming on Verizon in most of those states no?
When you lose the signal in a big city you can't just roam the rest of the time because the phone will try to pick up the weakest bit of Sprint signal. Sprint drops out often here. Deadzones in stores where T-Mobile manages a good usable signal? Check. Signal drop outs when driving down the road? Check. Lesser amount of coverage overall? Check. Dropped calls when signal fades and roaming switches over? Check.
heygrl said:
Roaming on Verizon in most of those states no?
When you lose the signal in a big city you can't just roam the rest of the time because the phone will try to pick up the weakest bit of Sprint signal. Sprint drops out often here. Deadzones in stores where T-Mobile manages a good usable signal? Check. Signal drop outs when driving down the road? Check. Lesser amount of coverage overall? Check. Dropped calls when signal fades and roaming switches over? Check.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol must be the vibrant that sucks then cuz in a 1000 mile stretch of road I might get 3g 3 times for a few minutes, and speed is the worse while moving,. Just last night in portland, stopped, in the driver seat I had 3g, if I moved back to the sleeper 3 feet away it dropped to edge. Might be the phone that only gets 3g in wide open spaces like a satellite
This is my first phone with T-Mobile and I discovered that the when I'm indoors anywhere, my signal drops down to 1 bar and to no bars at time. Eespecially when I go into my basement, I get no service at all. But when I go outside I get about 3-4 bars.
Do anyone know of any ideas on how to get better signal when indoors, signal boosters etc?
Have anyone used any type of signal boosters and if so which one and did they solve your issue?
That's T-Mobile. I get the service for free otherwise id never use it.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
cpcrazyfly said:
That's T-Mobile. I get the service for free otherwise id never use it.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to get rid of it but I like the phone itself a lil too much . I'm going to call them up to see if they recommend something.
I have an Evo too and my wife has a Optimus with Sprint. I know one time I called Sprint to complain about a problem on my line, they sent me this device..that's similar to that of a router and makes you have a better signal at home. They even waived the monthly price for it. I really didn't need it because my signal was great already...so I sent it back.
But I'm wondering if t-mobile has a similar device.
Nothing you can do because t-mobile's 3g frequencies have poor building penetration compared to lower bands such as ATT 850mHz 3g. A repeater or micro cell is the only option, and I'm not sure t-mobile has those. Verizon and ATT sell them I know.
RogerPodacter said:
Nothing you can do because t-mobile's 3g frequencies have poor building penetration compared to lower bands such as ATT 850mHz 3g. A repeater or micro cell is the only option, and I'm not sure t-mobile has those. Verizon and ATT sell them I know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh ok...thanks for helping me out.
So does T-mobile have poor building penetration everywhere or is it a very isolated problem.
Tmobile is coming out with repeater router thingies in 3g/4g flavors soon
RogerPodacter said:
Nothing you can do because t-mobile's 3g frequencies have poor building penetration compared to lower bands such as ATT 850mHz 3g. A repeater or micro cell is the only option, and I'm not sure t-mobile has those. Verizon and ATT sell them I know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
slowz3r said:
Tmobile is coming out with repeater router thingies in 3g/4g flavors soon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get a multi-band repeater that will at least less voice calls come inside (GSM bands), and EDGE data will come as well on those, but I've only seen one current option that supports T-Mobile's 1700/2100 AWS service, and it isn't cheap ($450).
I purchased one for about $250 with voice support only (on T-Mo), just go to Amazon and search on cellular repeater, you'll see plenty of options.
Since where ever you are that you would be able to install one of these you most likely have WiFi for data anyways, not sure it's worth a premium to get the AWS service, unless you're using the phone to replace cable/dsl data lines.
plmiller0905 said:
Oh ok...thanks for helping me out.
So does T-mobile have poor building penetration everywhere or is it a very isolated problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well their entire 3g network uses frequencies with poor building penetration. But I'm sure some areas they build towers close enough together to reduce this problem. But we know how hard it is getting towers up as it is.
A rough estimate shows that twice as many towers are needed to match the same performance of a lower band frequency. Example 1900 could need twice the amount of towers to provide the same coverage as 850mHz. Makes it difficult for carriers like t-mobile, who use high bands 1700/2100, to provide good indoor coverage without repeaters everywhere.
I'm getting 0-1 bar or no service inside buildings.
Will tmobile provide me with free signal booster or do i have to get one?
do they even work?
Or anyother service have $50 unlimited data plan?
right now getting 500min unlimited text and data for $50 on tmobile.
Everybody works with me with tmobile is having same problem.
This happens sometimes in certain areas/buildings. It hasn't been a huge problem for me though, particularly in NYC where T-Mobile has really strong signal.
Based on what I'm read, you can try emailing [email protected] - not sure how much luck you'll have with this though.
I have this problem in my apartment and at school (though school eats every carrier's signal, and eats wifi, too... lots of metal in that building). T-Mobile's spectrum isn't good at going through walls. I get no HSPA but 4 bars of EDGE in my apartment, so I can make calls, and I just use wifi for internets since it's faster anyway.
AT&T people get 3G internets in my school, which completely kills me or leaves me with 1 bar on EDGE. Verizon and Sprint users suffer the same no-signal problems I have.
microwave
Microwave signals have hard time travelling through building materials. I would recommend going by a window.
synaesthetic said:
I have this problem in my apartment and at school (though school eats every carrier's signal, and eats wifi, too... lots of metal in that building). T-Mobile's spectrum isn't good at going through walls. I get no HSPA but 4 bars of EDGE in my apartment, so I can make calls, and I just use wifi for internets since it's faster anyway.
AT&T people get 3G internets in my school, which completely kills me or leaves me with 1 bar on EDGE. Verizon and Sprint users suffer the same no-signal problems I have.
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Yeah, AT&T's 3G bands penetrate buildings better, but Verizon and Sprint use the same bands (850MHz), so it's only T-Mobile that gets bad signal in buildings. xD
I used to suffer like that with T-Mobile, but you really do notice a 3G difference with AT&T.
Also, your school may be coated in paint that blocks signal, because I know that exists.
I don't think they have EM-opaque paint, because I can still get signal in some parts of the building. The deeper I go inside, though, the worse my signal gets. I think it's just a lot of metal in the buildings combined with T-Mobile's high frequencies.
Want to switch to T-Mobile from VZW at end of my Verizon billing cycle around Nov4 (anywhere before that maybe like 2-3 days)
How is signal treating you guys without band12?
I will be joining my friends plan he has 2 lines for 100 unlimited everything so my line will be +40
I understand on 5.1.1 there is no wifi calling on Moto X but that might change in 6.0 and maybe with 6.0 they will add band12?
One place I travel to frequently has very bad tmo signal inside the building nothing has changed since year ago when I tested tmobile otherwise everywhere I go signal is always great (while I tested)
I'm guessing that you're on the East Coast, in the NY area (based on the screenshot of your Speedtest results). I'm also there, and I recently switched from Verizon to Ting (which runs on the T-Mobile network).
What can I say? Verizon is king when it comes to coverage, signal strength, and network speed. Absolutely unbeatable anywhere along the Northeast Corridor (Boston to Washington DC). If you are highly mobile for work in remote areas (e.g. upstate New York), then you'll want to stick with Verizon purely for coverage reasons.
T-Mobile coverage and signal strength is going to be lower than Verizon in most areas, but will still retain acceptable signal strength in most areas that aren't rural. Network speeds on LTE are acceptable (around 8Mbps - 12Mbps downstream, and 1.0Mbps upstream).
If you spend most of the time on your smartphone near WiFi, you'll be fine switching to TMobile to save yourself some money.
kent1146 said:
I'm guessing that you're on the East Coast, in the NY area (based on the screenshot of your Speedtest results). I'm also there, and I recently switched from Verizon to Ting (which runs on the T-Mobile network).
What can I say? Verizon is king when it comes to coverage, signal strength, and network speed. Absolutely unbeatable anywhere along the Northeast Corridor (Boston to Washington DC). If you are highly mobile for work in remote areas (e.g. upstate New York), then you'll want to stick with Verizon purely for coverage reasons.
T-Mobile coverage and signal strength is going to be lower than Verizon in most areas, but will still retain acceptable signal strength in most areas that aren't rural. Network speeds on LTE are acceptable (around 8Mbps - 12Mbps downstream, and 1.0Mbps upstream).
If you spend most of the time on your smartphone near WiFi, you'll be fine switching to TMobile to save yourself some money.
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I am mostly in the city though and on Verizon I am out of contract but I am just sick of this company (Wireless part) right now around 45$ 30GB to share+2GB free for 3 months vs T-Mobile same price everything unlimited.
What does your usage look like (minutes, text, data GB) per month, as a typical month of usage on VZW?
kent1146 said:
What does your usage look like (minutes, text, data GB) per month, as a typical month of usage on VZW?
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Last month was a round 5k texts 5.6GB and around 500 min just for my line.
I like to watch soccer games on my phone and always have to watch it in lowest quality instead of HD and listen to spotify everyday at highes quality as well.
So many reasons to want tmobile lol
Wow. That's a whole lot of usage.
So yeah, go with T-Mobile's unlimited plan. You'll be better off with that.
kent1146 said:
Wow. That's a whole lot of usage.
So yeah, go with T-Mobile's unlimited plan. You'll be better off with that.
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Yea man that's what the plan is. The one place I spend a lot of time has weak service otherwise everywhere I am is great signal so I am silently hoping that either 6.0 or moto releases new radio fast with band12 support so I can dump Verizon forever and ever lol
By the way were you receiving calls from winback team from Verizon? just wondering I don't have contract anymore so it wouldn't matter and they would not be able to offer me anything anyway but for people who were on contract they would cancel your contract if you came back and all that sort of stuff
I moved from Verizon to T-Mobile a few years back with no issues. I would double check if the location your referring to has any type of WiFi close by. Keep in mind Motorola has really good antennas so if you tested it a year ago on a different phone (Samsung or Nexus 5) it might hold a signal better. At one point I had a Nexus 5 and MotoX 2013 and one of the main reasons I kept the MotoX was due to significantly better signals in the same place.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
SymbioticGenius said:
I moved from Verizon to T-Mobile a few years back with no issues. I would double check if the location your referring to has any type of WiFi close by. Keep in mind Motorola has really good antennas so if you tested it a year ago on a different phone (Samsung or Nexus 5) it might hold a signal better. At one point I had a Nexus 5 and MotoX 2013 and one of the main reasons I kept the MotoX was due to significantly better signals in the same place.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
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I tested few weeks ago AS well but on droid turbo not moto x, and yeah they have time Warner and soon fios so fast internet is not an issue. Are you able to use Wi-Fi calling AS IF now ?
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I've never had to use WiFi for anything lol
Nexus 6 has had it for a while, I remember testing it, didn't care for it, haven't had a need to use it yet. It's not available yet for the MotoX but it's expected (not sure if confirmed) to be activated with marshmallow. I will state that marshmallow has a new toggle for it so I wouldn't be surprised if every phone has it at some point.
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SymbioticGenius said:
I've never had to use WiFi for anything lol
Nexus 6 has had it for a while, I remember testing it, didn't care for it, haven't had a need to use it yet. It's not available yet for the MotoX but it's expected (not sure if confirmed) to be activated with marshmallow. I will state that marshmallow has a new toggle for it so I wouldn't be surprised if every phone has it at some point.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
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Yea there is only one place with bad signal where i spent a lot of time but band12 is in this area just not yet with moto hopefully soak test will add it.
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You can see if Band 12 is in a particular area with this: http://www.spectrumgateway.com/t-mobile-700a-spectrum . Combined with T-Mobile official coverage map, you should be able to get a good idea of the T-Mobile coverage of an area.
It looks like T-Mobile is using Band 12 to fill out national coverage gaps. That's a good thing IMO, if Band 12 has reach/penetration like they say it does. (I live where there is no Band 12 yet, so I haven't tested it.) There are maps floating around (see tmonews.com for example) of the national coverage that T-Mobile plans by end of the year, this planned coverage looks like a blanket similar to Verizon, I think much of this will be the added Band 12 areas. Based on T-Mobile track record, I believe they will get there, if not by end of year then not long after that.
I bought the MXPE counting on Motorola to update it with Band 12 /VoLTE support in the near future, with the idea that it will support it by the time Band 12 is deployed where I need it. The LTE Discovery app is a good tool to see what LTE Band (or other) the phone is using in a particular area, too.
There are still gaps in the T-Mobile national coverage where Verizon has decent coverage while T-Mobile does not. I traveled through one a few days ago, in a rural area about 15 miles from my house. Verizon phone had decent signal, but T-Mobile phones (MXPE and iPhone 6s) had no signal. Since iPhone 6s has robust wireless support including Band 12 /VoLTE, the fact that it had no signal there means there was no T-Mobile signal.
So you just have to look at the maps and see if T-Mobile has coverage where you want coverage. That and actual testing. (If I was on Verizon considering T-Mobile, I would probably buy a month of prepaid T-Mobile or MetroPCS service, pop the T-Mobile SIM in the XT1575, and just try it. "One proper test is worth a thousand expert opinions".)
One thing adding even more wrinkles to all this is the increasing number of LTE roaming arrangements between the tier 1 carriers...
Tinkerer_ said:
You can see if Band 12 is in a particular area with this: http://www.spectrumgateway.com/t-mobile-700a-spectrum . Combined with T-Mobile official coverage map, you should be able to get a good idea of the T-Mobile coverage of an area.
It looks like T-Mobile is using Band 12 to fill out national coverage gaps. That's a good thing IMO, if Band 12 has reach/penetration like they say it does. (I live where there is no Band 12 yet, so I haven't tested it.) There are maps floating around (see tmonews.com for example) of the national coverage that T-Mobile plans by end of the year, this planned coverage looks like a blanket similar to Verizon, I think much of this will be the added Band 12 areas. Based on T-Mobile track record, I believe they will get there, if not by end of year then not long after that.
I bought the MXPE counting on Motorola to update it with Band 12 /VoLTE support in the near future, with the idea that it will support it by the time Band 12 is deployed where I need it. The LTE Discovery app is a good tool to see what LTE Band (or other) the phone is using in a particular area, too.
There are still gaps in the T-Mobile national coverage where Verizon has decent coverage while T-Mobile does not. I traveled through one a few days ago, in a rural area about 15 miles from my house. Verizon phone had decent signal, but T-Mobile phones (MXPE and iPhone 6s) had no signal. Since iPhone 6s has robust wireless support including Band 12 /VoLTE, the fact that it had no signal there means there was no T-Mobile signal.
So you just have to look at the maps and see if T-Mobile has coverage where you want coverage. That and actual testing. (If I was on Verizon considering T-Mobile, I would probably buy a month of prepaid T-Mobile or MetroPCS service, pop the T-Mobile SIM in the XT1575, and just try it. "One proper test is worth a thousand expert opinions".)
One thing adding even more wrinkles to all this is the increasing number of LTE roaming arrangements between the tier 1 carriers...
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I actually have a friend who works at tmo he even typed the address and showed me all types of signal available to me and band12 was all over it. I hope that soak test brings b12.
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T-Mobile for data hogs like me is great. Unlimited data for $30, I used around 10GB a month alone. But that is the only reason I use T-Mobile. Coverage pretty much sucks. If I am in the Bay Area CA its fine great signal. As soon as I leave the area I'm lucky if I get 3G speeds let alone a signal. Indoors is even worse. Went to the movies the other day, phone was dead inside no signal at all. My friend who is on At&t got a full 4 bars of LTE. T-Mobile is great for data and coverage in the cities, you leave those cities and you'll be lucky to even get a signal...
falcon26 said:
T-Mobile for data hogs like me is great. Unlimited data for $30, I used around 10GB a month alone. But that is the only reason I use T-Mobile. Coverage pretty much sucks. If I am in the Bay Area CA its fine great signal. As soon as I leave the area I'm lucky if I get 3G speeds let alone a signal. Indoors is even worse. Went to the movies the other day, phone was dead inside no signal at all. My friend who is on At&t got a full 4 bars of LTE. T-Mobile is great for data and coverage in the cities, you leave those cities and you'll be lucky to even get a signal...
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I mainly spend time in the city Brookyln & Queens so I don't think it should be an issue but one place where I spend a lot of time otherwise everywhere else it's pretty good when I tested it.
Cell Spot
If there is one place you work or live with poor coverage, T-Mobile also has a couple of options that are basically either a range extended or an internal "tower" so you can use your phone inside where you don't get coverage.
https://support.t-mobile.com/community/coverage/personal-cellspot/4g-lte-signal-booster
Ugh. In principle, I'm not a fan of that at all.
T-Mobilr is basically telling cuatomers to buy hardware, install it themselves, possibly connect it to their home internet networks (and use your bandwidth), for potentially multiple people that don't live in your household.
All of this, because T-Mobile didn't invest in building out network infrastructure like Verizon did.
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ExDis said:
If there is one place you work or live with poor coverage, T-Mobile also has a couple of options that are basically either a range extended or an internal "tower" so you can use your phone inside where you don't get coverage.
https://support.t-mobile.com/community/coverage/personal-cellspot/4g-lte-signal-booster
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Yea I am still staying with VZW for now. But there are 2 places that I spend time that have weak service one has no cable internet so that won't do any good even verizon there has weak service 3G and 1 weak bar of lte.
So I am testing tmobile in some place I mainly spend 2 time in 2 places , 1 there is edge and weak LTE -116 around that,I just can't do anthing for the phone to pick up band12 signal. I am running true-pure-x MM
always band4 or HSPA/+ or EDGE.