Mobile network signal issue - Ornate TrueSmart

So almost after 3 weeks of getting the TS I decided to put in my AT&T SIM. I was reluctant to use that tiny bastard screw driver but I did it anyways. I have noticed that the network signal strength of my watch is almost non-existant. It will get cellphone signal at only certain place. With the same sim card on my phone (Nexus 5), I get good cell reception.
How are others doing in this department? How's the cellphone signal? Is there anything I can do to improve the mobile network signal. Currently I am on stock with Loki's security patch.
I am not sure if this is a hardware issue or software issue. I remember someone opening the TS and checking the antenna. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.
Some information on my TS -
North American 1/8
Stock ROM with Loki's patch.

Ok here is my observation:
I could not get signal inside my office, home and costco
I did get signal once I get out of my office - full signal bars with H+. I made a short trip from office to costco and home and back to office. It was able to get signals when I was driving but in some areas where I used to get 2-3 bars in my phone, TS did not pick at any signal at all. So mobile network signal is working but it is pretty weak compared to my phone.
May be it needs some tune up 

i have the same problem,the signal is low and TS really has a hard time to find one,if its lost
can we do something about this ?

I opened mine just to have a look and found one of the connectors lose, took a bit of fiddling to get it back on but my network signal seems as good as my note3.

I don't know why, but after installing this app.https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.misonicon.signalbooster3g4g
The signal works perfectly, I didn't believe in this apps but now I don't know what to say
At least it works

Mobile frequency fluctuates on my end too, made sure APN settings are listed exactly like they say here on the forums, maybe I should change to another GSM 3G SIM card?

Related

[Q] Not able to connect to Internet

Wondering if you can help me.
In my office my colleuge and I have an hd2 on UK o2 pay monthly. Untill about a month a go we were getting HSPDA internet access. Now we are only getting EDGE. I contacted o2 and they stated that the area is a very high coverage area and we should be getting HSPDA.
What makes matters more interesting is two other colleuges in my department in the same building, one has an iphone 3 and the other has an iphone 4, both guys are on uk 02 pay monthly and are getting full 3g access. I am getting 3g and hspda in other areas.
Does anybody know why we are getting edge instead of at least 3g?
thanks.
I had a very simillar issue, so perhaps the solution I found will work for you. A co-worker of mine bought an HD2 (immediately after seeing mine). In many areas at work the reception was terrible. I also noticed that at home, when I first had the phone I got 3G often, but after a few weeks I was suddenly stuck on the EDGE network (If I got any reception at all). Since messing around with the Android port I was forced to flash a new Radio ROM and it seems that was my problem all along. At home I now get constant full bars HSPDA. At work I get reception in places that I never did before. My coworker (still using stock radio) is having the same reception issues I used to have.
So my advice is try a few different radios and see if that helps.
Faelok said:
I had a very simillar issue, so perhaps the solution I found will work for you. A co-worker of mine bought an HD2 (immediately after seeing mine). In many areas at work the reception was terrible. I also noticed that at home, when I first had the phone I got 3G often, but after a few weeks I was suddenly stuck on the EDGE network (If I got any reception at all). Since messing around with the Android port I was forced to flash a new Radio ROM and it seems that was my problem all along. At home I now get constant full bars HSPDA. At work I get reception in places that I never did before. My coworker (still using stock radio) is having the same reception issues I used to have.
So my advice is try a few different radios and see if that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea we did try that the other night thinking it might be a radio issue we went from 2.5 up to 2.12. What rom / radio did you use if you dont mind me asking?
Does anybody else have any ideas? This is happening with two ok uk hd2's in the office! My colleuge and I have tried multiple rom and radio upgrades but nothing is working but my other colleuge on iphone can get 3g sitting beside me
ive had this issue too, never knew how to fix it :/
AGHHHHHHHHHHHH Going to call o2 tomorrow and tell them I want to swap for a new phone, I am not getting the service I should be!!!
Ive tried just about everything I can think of. Ive tried updating the ROM, Radio, rilphone.dll - also tried going back to stock rom, yet my colleuge sits on his iphone right beside me on 3g its madness!
have you tryed puting your phone into flight mode then .ack on again let thephone pick the strongest hsdpa mast signal up. welcome to tbd way o2 works lol we get it all the time in york and leeds
That is a very interesting idea. I will try and report back thanks man!
I am really getting no ware with this. Phoned O2 and they tested phone in my network said that I should be ok I should have full hspda access, my colleuge is sitting on iphone with ull 3g and has a o2 dongle which has hspda access. I am getting fulll signal strength, changed the sim card and tried multiple radio and dll file combos and this is driving me nuts. Any help would be appreciated.
I have been doing some further testing and found something interesting. When I am at home and can connect to HSPDA. I went into the base band and changed it to WMCDA got full access. I then changed it to GSM band and got Edge. I then went into work to test it and tried to force it to WMDCDA but it wouldn't even connect at all no coverage.
I tried it back on GSM and full coverage but only edge support. Any ideas?

[Q] Losing signal through call

I am losing a signal half way through a conversation and i get cut off ,i have checked it a few times today by calling mates when the phone strength is 2-3 bars ,after a few minutes i get cut off and the phone has lost signal .
Any help with this please ?
I have looked at radio codes and flashing roms but unsure as to what they mean or do ,i am on O2 and the signal is ok where i live and worked ok on my last phone SE k800i ,just seems as though the hd2 is constantly losing the signal and trying to find it but them comes up with 2-3 bars
I am new to all this stuff so please explain it to an idiot in simple terms
If you are having signal issues, flashing a new radio could do a lot of good. The radio ROM is the software that controls how your phone connects to the various network signals. You may have to experiment with several different radios before you find one that works well in your area. Read THIS thread for more information on it.
Another possibility is if you are only experiencing signal problems during calls, it may be that you are holding the phone in a way which degrades the reception of your antenna. Some users have reported that holding the phone tightly at the bottom (where the antenna is located) causes a slow loss of signal. If this is the case, try gripping your phone nearer to the camera at the top.
Cheers for the link ,will have a read through
+1 faelock. if you hold the phone with the bottom pressed flat into your palm it can make a difference of as much as 2-3 bars.
Does anyone know if these make a difference ,as i have trouble with signal around the house but full signal while outside
http://www.chargerstore.co.uk/Froogle/samsung-dvf-mobile-sig.html
jasext said:
Does anyone know if these make a difference ,as i have trouble with signal around the house but full signal while outside
http://www.chargerstore.co.uk/Froogle/samsung-dvf-mobile-sig.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen those sold for years, but I really don't know if the boost signal. I used 1 once that came with a combo thing I bought on ebay, but didn't have signal problems to begin with.
You could look for signal repeaters that can be purchased that boost signal in the house. Over here in the usa, I know that sprint and at&t have them and you can get them free if you complain about signal strength in your house.
Those "signal boosters" are about as effective as kinoki foot pads and ionic bracelets. I had the same problem when I frist bought my phone. No signal or 1 bar in my bedroom but walk outside the door and I got 2-3 bars. After flashing a new radio I now have full bars everywhere in my house; so that would be my suggestion. If you're nervous about flashing and would rather go with a signal booster than check out THESE ones that apparently work.
Thanks for the reply guys
Faelok said:
Those "signal boosters" are about as effective as kinoki foot pads and ionic bracelets. I had the same problem when I frist bought my phone. No signal or 1 bar in my bedroom but walk outside the door and I got 2-3 bars. After flashing a new radio I now have full bars everywhere in my house; so that would be my suggestion. If you're nervous about flashing and would rather go with a signal booster than check out THESE ones that apparently work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not nervous about flashing a radio just a bit unsure as there seem to be so many to chose from ,are there any specific ones i should be looking at ?
Checked the prices on the signal boosters you mentioned and over here in the uk they are a lot more expensive than in the usa
jasext said:
Thanks for the reply guys
Not nervous about flashing a radio just a bit unsure as there seem to be so many to chose from ,are there any specific ones i should be looking at ?
Checked the prices on the signal boosters you mentioned and over here in the uk they are a lot more expensive than in the usa
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the best way is to just test them out. What works for me, might not work for you. Since you have the Euro HD2, I'm pretty sure you can use any of the radios out, .50 and .51 radios.

[Q] 3G Reception Thread

How is your 3G reception on the Vibrant? I just purchased a Vibrant as a replacement for my aging and bluetooth handicapped G1 and I am disappointed with the 3G reception.
T-Mobile's coverage in my area is moderate, and the G1 has been able to hold on to a 3G signal in most locations. Typically, at home the G1 will hold on to 2-3 bars of 3G, and at work I am lucky to get 1 -- usually camps out on 2G with 4 or 5 bars.
The Vibrant pretty much always shows 0 bars of 3G while indoors, and may even flop back to 2G. It is fairly consistently on 2G in my home at 2 bars and at work I can only get 1 bar of 2G with this phone and spend the majority of the time with no signal at all.
I sat down and did some comparison between the Vibrant and the G1 and have found the following:
1. *#*#4636#*#* menu shows significantly worse signal levels on the Vibrant than on the G1, often times showing 0db and 0asu in the same location I am seeing -89db to -101db 3G on the G1.
2. The service menu on the Vibrant indicates a signal level which on 3G is fairly consistently 8db better than the one shown on the info menu. Interestingly, 2G signal levels as shown on the service menu seem fairly spot on with those shown from the info menu in Android.
3. The service menu 3G signal levels on the Vibrant seem consistent with those that I see on the G1 with a variation of perhaps only a couple of decibels.
That said, it seems interesting that battery usage on the Vibrant seems to indicate nearly 60% of its time with no service under cell standby when I get 0% in the same location with the G1. I am wondering if the time being recorded here is in fact the time spent with 0 bars being displayed even if the phone does, in fact, have a signal.
It is apparent that there is at least a software issue with the display here, as has been concluded in prior threads. However, ignoring the bar display I am wondering what others feel of the signal coverage with their Vibrant versus their old phone?
Does anyone have any experience with any of Samsung's other phone offerings? Do you think Samsung will post a radio update for this phone or possibly release one along with the GPS Fix/Froyo update in September?
I work in a position which requires me to be on-call a certain times during the year, and I can't really afford to have a phone that camps out at 60% no signal. I am really looking for reasons to keep this phone, as I like it otherwise, but practically, I need a phone that is going to receive phone calls. Any objective indications anyone can give that Samsung will continue to support this device may help sway my decision to keep it. My 14 days will be up on Thursday, so I need to make a final decision about keeping this phone before then.
Also, do any developers think that modifying the handling of the signal display in Android will cause a change in the amount of time the phone spends acquiring signal between 3G and 2G, or is this something that is purely handled within the radio firmware? If this is changeable, is this something that can be included in a future custom rom?
No coverage issues with mine.matches my mt3g in pretty much every location.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
I made a call in the BOONDOCKS of NC, in an old river mill with 22 inch brick walls... NOBODY else was able to place a call other than me (all the big networks and nice phones).
I have pretty crappy 3g service here in new rochelle when at home the phone keeps fluctuating between 0-4 bars for 3G and the data speeds very inconsistent. Sometimes it even falls back to EDGE! This is pretty lame, i called t-mobile about it and they said there nothing they can do! If i am unhappy i should return the phone.
I live in NYC...
That is really all I have to say.
3-5 up speeds
constant 3g connection
The bars on the phone are funky though they look like there are none but you can still make calls. Its just the software is off just like the battery percentage.
Rishikesh said:
I have pretty crappy 3g service here in new rochelle when at home the phone keeps fluctuating between 0-4 bars for 3G and the data speeds very inconsistent. Sometimes it even falls back to EDGE! This is pretty lame, i called t-mobile about it and they said there nothing they can do! If i am unhappy i should return the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're at home why aren't you on WiFi?
Seriously it's the most puzzling thing ever. 3G or not, I wouldn't be using it at home. Are you trying to replace your ISP with your phone or something?
You should do a search. Are you aware of the fact that -0dBm is impossible? The bars are off on this phone and the G1 is mediocre overall. It can hold on to a 3G signal for longer because your hand isn't blocking the antenna but the antenna itself is truly mediocre in fringe areas. Move your hand away from the bottom hump on the Vibrant. A lot of questions you're asking.. you're answering yourself.
I am not all too impressed with 3G coverage here at my home, but I mostly blame the network at my location and not necessarily the phone. TMO has spotty coverage near my house....period, and I live less than a mile from the tower. I have a Blackberry 9700 and it has similar issues with 3G. I've called and complained and they give me the usual "you're green on the map...return the phone....blah blah". I was closer to downtown Dallas yesterday and the phone had full bars and never got higher than -80dbm. Speedtest app showed about 3mbps downloads on average. I wouldn't say it was stellar but it's nothing like at home either. Only thing is my phone never automatically drops from 3G to E unless I am making calls. Once again the Blackberry 9700 does the same thing.
However, I am not completely convinced the phone isn't to blame either. I had a week with the new Motorola XT720, aka AWS Motoroi/Milestone that Magenta is/was rumored (who knows?) to get, and if Moto hadn't skimped on the CPU/RAM/screen/app memory of that phone I would have kept it instead of this Vibrant. That phone seemed to get much better 3G signal and HSPA was excellent compared to the Vibrant. I'm lucky if the Vibrant gets HSPA here at all. Overall network performance just seemed faster. It was quite obvious when I powered up the Vibrant the first time that 3G coverage is going to be an issue at my home with this phone.
FWIW my wife has an iPhone 3G which gets great 3G coverage here at the house on ATT. So I borrowed her SIM to test after I unlocked the Vibrant and it didn't make much difference. It did get 3G which I didn't think was technically possible until I saw that this phone has 1900 3G support as well as AWS. I do think the bars and definitely the battery indicators are not accurate whatsoever. I use Battery Indicator Pro and it's definitely obvious Samsung needs a software re-work.
Just because you live within 1 mile of a tower doesn't mean it's 3G or that there isn't something in the way of it's signal and your house.. I live within 1 mile of a tower and it's not 3G. It's supposed to get 3G soon.
heygrl said:
If you're at home why aren't you on WiFi?
Seriously it's the most puzzling thing ever. 3G or not, I wouldn't be using it at home. Are you trying to replace your ISP with your phone or something?
You should do a search. Are you aware of the fact that -0dBm is impossible? The bars are off on this phone and the G1 is mediocre overall. It can hold on to a 3G signal for longer because your hand isn't blocking the antenna but the antenna itself is truly mediocre in fringe areas. Move your hand away from the bottom hump on the Vibrant. A lot of questions you're asking.. you're answering yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I don't have WiFi in my house?
Maybe I would love to reduce my monthly expenditures by the $60 I throw away to Comcast?
I am well aware of the fact that -0dbm is impossible. This is simply what the phone is displaying. I also agree that the G1's reception is mediocre, but this phone seems worse than the G1. Blocking the antenna with my hand doesn't seem to make much difference on either the Vibrant or the G1.
I asked for objective answers to my questions which basically boil down to the following:
1. Do you think Samsung will provide support for the software on this phone (including the radio) over the long term ie. do you think there will be upgrades in this department?
2. Do you think this is something custom rom developers can address purely via modifying the OS?
Thanks for your snarky comments, but if you haven't got any objective input into the situation maybe this thread is not for you.
equid0x said:
Maybe I don't have WiFi in my house?
Maybe I would love to reduce my monthly expenditures by the $60 I throw away to Comcast?
I am well aware of the fact that -0dbm is impossible. This is simply what the phone is displaying. I also agree that the G1's reception is mediocre, but this phone seems worse than the G1. Blocking the antenna with my hand doesn't seem to make much difference on either the Vibrant or the G1.
I asked for objective answers to my questions which basically boil down to the following:
1. Do you think Samsung will provide support for the software on this phone (including the radio) over the long term ie. do you think there will be upgrades in this department?
2. Do you think this is something custom rom developers can address purely via modifying the OS?
Thanks for your snarky comments, but if you haven't got any objective input into the situation maybe this thread is not for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're asking questions that we can't answer. Do we work at Samsung? No. Would stock Android fix this? Maybe.
It seems worse than the G1 because based on your comments the bars are having an affect on what you deem to be "worse". I've had tons of T-Mobile phones including the G1 and the Vibrant is not considerably worse than any. INFACT it will hold on to a 3G signal for longer than most. My CLIQ displayed 3 bars as -105dBm. Accurate? NO.
has been able to hold on to a 3G signal in most locations. Typically, at home the G1 will hold on to 2-3 bars of 3G, and at work I am lucky to get 1 -- usually camps out on 2G with 4 or 5 bars.
The Vibrant pretty much always shows 0 bars of 3G while indoors,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where is the antenna on the G1? If you're telling me you're putting your hand over it and not having any disconcernable change you're not doing it right
If you don't have WiFi at your house you need to get some.
heygrl said:
You're asking questions that we can't answer. Do we work at Samsung? No.
It seems worse than the G1 because based on your comments the bars are having an affect on what you deem to be "worse". I've had tons of T-Mobile phones including the G1 and the Vibrant is not considerably worse than any. INFACT it will hold on to a 3G signal for longer than most. My CLIQ displayed 3 bars as -105dBm. Accurate? NO.
Where is the antenna on the G1? If you're telling me you're putting your hand over it and not having much of a change at all you're lying or not doing it right.
If you don't have WiFi at your house you need to get some.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that nobody here is working for Samsung but there are plenty of people here who have developed for Android, and the question I am posing is if this is something that can be addressed in a custom rom.
I think my original post makes it clear that there is obviously a software issue with bar display, but I am wondering if this software issue is also causing the Android OS to force a switch to 2G in an instance where the G1 with a properly functioning display would keep 3G. ie, the phone is switching to 2G early because it thinks it only has -111dbm when it in fact still has -103dbm. I am not clear on whether this functionality is performed within the OS itself or purely within the radio firmware.
My hands are rather large, so holding the G1 basically covers the entire rear of the phone. The antenna is near the top of the phone whereas the antenna on the Vibrant seems to be on the bottom. Though holding both phones in various positions seems to have little effect on the received signal strength so far as I can tell.
The time spent without signal in cell standby I believe to be erroneous. I think it is tallying up that time any time there are zero bars, even if the phone still has a signal. This makes it very difficult to objectively compare the 2 phones. If the OS is in fact driving the switch from 3G to 2G this may explain my poor access in fringe areas as the phone will be constantly flapping between the two. If the functions that drive this behavior are within the AOSP source this could easily be something we can fix in a custom rom even without Samsung's help, even if a radio update would be ideal.
heygrl said:
Where is the antenna on the G1? If you're telling me you're putting your hand over it and not having any disconcernable change you're not doing it right
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can wrap my hand around the phone (Vibrant), either top, center or bottom and I do not see any change in either reception, call quality, network throughput or number of bars.
heygrl said:
If you don't have WiFi at your house you need to get some.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is perfectly understandable that if he has good reception with a G1, an older phone, he expects at least a similar level or reception with a newer, higher end phone. WiFi would be considered a workaround.
I just received my Vibrant on Monday and it's sadly replacing my amazing Nexus One. I've noticed that the Vibrant antenna is AWFUL. Where I received 4-5 bars on the N1, I'm getting 1-3 bars now and it even goes down to Edge once every few hours.
Like the OP, I've been monitoring the db levels and they're frequently around -95 through -107. While my calls don't actually drop, the quality does get worse. I'm also getting many 3G connection errors when trying to browser or download apps from the Market. It's quite disappointing. The phone is made of plastic as well, so I'd imagine that the antenna reception should be better.
Being that there are only 2 pages on this particular thread, does this mean it's a fluke and others' phones are ok?
allen099 said:
I just received my Vibrant on Monday and it's sadly replacing my amazing Nexus One. I've noticed that the Vibrant antenna is AWFUL. Where I received 4-5 bars on the N1, I'm getting 1-3 bars now and it even goes down to Edge once every few hours.
Like the OP, I've been monitoring the db levels and they're frequently around -95 through -107. While my calls don't actually drop, the quality does get worse. I'm also getting many 3G connection errors when trying to browser or download apps from the Market. It's quite disappointing. The phone is made of plastic as well, so I'd imagine that the antenna reception should be better.
Being that there are only 2 pages on this particular thread, does this mean it's a fluke and others' phones are ok?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4-5 bars on a phone with a 4 bar scale?
Stop looking at -dBm on the Vibrant, it's not accurate.
If you don't want the phone to switch to EDGE lock it on 3G.
heygrl said:
4-5 bars on a phone with a 4 bar scale?
Stop looking at -dBm on the Vibrant, it's not accurate.
If you don't want the phone to switch to EDGE lock it on 3G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you lock it on 3G?
javacody said:
How do you lock it on 3G?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This worked for me (copy/paste and remove spaces in http):
h t t p://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=7438987&postcount=7
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=7438987&postcount=7
Thanks. 3G is spotty at best in the Des Moines Area, so I'll leave well enough alone.
So, in follow up to this, I had downloaded and installed RF signal tracker from the market and went driving around until I found a tower. It seems that via Android OS the best signal strength received was -81dbm and that was sitting right next to the tower. The phone stayed locked at -81dbm for a few miles down the road so I suspect this is peak signal on this phone which should really be something like -65dbm. I think this pretty much confirms that there is indeed a software issue with the signal display.
I also took some time looking at Android code and found that the bars are driven on GSM/UMTS by asu as follows:
if (asu <= 2 || asu == 99) iconLevel = 0;
else if (asu >= 12) iconLevel = 4;
else if (asu >= 8) iconLevel = 3;
else if (asu >= 5) iconLevel = 2;
else iconLevel = 1;
So figuring up the dbm values from these, I went ahead and created a new asu scale which is adjusted -8dbm from "normal" since this seems to be the worst case of the mismatch between the phone firmware and what Android is reporting and applied that within the market app Real Signal to try and get an apples to apples comparison of signal bars between this phone and the old G1. Unfortunately, the degree if miscalibration means we can't set a negative ASU so we don't get any meaningful display on Real Signal until we hit the 3rd bar. In doing this if I go to a moderate overage area I am seeing the bars I would expect.
After my little drive with RF Signal Tracker its actually pretty clear that discrepancy is really more like -15dbm, which adjusting the figures should mean that this phone in reality gets slightly better reception than the old G1.
It seems we should be able to workaround this in a custom ROM by doing one of the following:
1. Modify getGsmSignalStrength() to add the -15dbm to the returned signal strength value(hackish).
2. Modify the vendor RIL to compensate for the -15dbm offset when on UMTS. (Probably the proper solution).
I'm not clear on whether the vendor RIL code gets posted to AOSP...
equid0x said:
How is your 3G reception on the Vibrant? I just purchased a Vibrant as a replacement for my aging and bluetooth handicapped G1 and I am disappointed with the 3G reception.
T-Mobile's coverage in my area is moderate, and the G1 has been able to hold on to a 3G signal in most locations. Typically, at home the G1 will hold on to 2-3 bars of 3G, and at work I am lucky to get 1 -- usually camps out on 2G with 4 or 5 bars.
The Vibrant pretty much always shows 0 bars of 3G while indoors, and may even flop back to 2G. It is fairly consistently on 2G in my home at 2 bars and at work I can only get 1 bar of 2G with this phone and spend the majority of the time with no signal at all.
I sat down and did some comparison between the Vibrant and the G1 and have found the following:
1. *#*#4636#*#* menu shows significantly worse signal levels on the Vibrant than on the G1, often times showing 0db and 0asu in the same location I am seeing -89db to -101db 3G on the G1.
2. The service menu on the Vibrant indicates a signal level which on 3G is fairly consistently 8db better than the one shown on the info menu. Interestingly, 2G signal levels as shown on the service menu seem fairly spot on with those shown from the info menu in Android.
3. The service menu 3G signal levels on the Vibrant seem consistent with those that I see on the G1 with a variation of perhaps only a couple of decibels.
That said, it seems interesting that battery usage on the Vibrant seems to indicate nearly 60% of its time with no service under cell standby when I get 0% in the same location with the G1. I am wondering if the time being recorded here is in fact the time spent with 0 bars being displayed even if the phone does, in fact, have a signal.
It is apparent that there is at least a software issue with the display here, as has been concluded in prior threads. However, ignoring the bar display I am wondering what others feel of the signal coverage with their Vibrant versus their old phone?
Does anyone have any experience with any of Samsung's other phone offerings? Do you think Samsung will post a radio update for this phone or possibly release one along with the GPS Fix/Froyo update in September?
I work in a position which requires me to be on-call a certain times during the year, and I can't really afford to have a phone that camps out at 60% no signal. I am really looking for reasons to keep this phone, as I like it otherwise, but practically, I need a phone that is going to receive phone calls. Any objective indications anyone can give that Samsung will continue to support this device may help sway my decision to keep it. My 14 days will be up on Thursday, so I need to make a final decision about keeping this phone before then.
Also, do any developers think that modifying the handling of the signal display in Android will cause a change in the amount of time the phone spends acquiring signal between 3G and 2G, or is this something that is purely handled within the radio firmware? If this is changeable, is this something that can be included in a future custom rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't done any detailed tests but I can state that in real world use, I am not happy with my Vibrant's reception. My G1 was very noticeably better at getting and holding 3G and Edge connections in the same locations where my new Vibrant won't.
Next to a tower on GSM(GSM/GPRS/EDGE) you should see -51dBm at the most with Android. W-CDMA is different because they really don't use -dBm to determine signal quality. They use power/noise.

HTC Titan II drops cellular data connection randomly

Curious issue with my Titan II. Cellular data connection just fails at random intervals. Cycling airplane mode or rebooting the phone is the only way to get it back. HTC blames it on AT&T and AT&T blames it on HTC. I've spent hours on the phone with each. Even got a new Titan II from AT&T, but it went into this constant reboot loop, so I went back to the first unit.
Now comes the interesting part: I live in Detroit and have been traveling to FL quite a bit, this year.. and the issue DOES NOT HAPPEN IN TAMPA. Phone runs perfectly well, there. Here in Detroit, cellular data "up" time ranges from 5 minutes to 14 hours when static. 2 minutes to 20 minutes when driving around town. Drops are less frequent when streaming something.
HTC Titan II stock (FW: 2180.0400.118011.502)
Windows Phone 7.5 (7.10.8112.7)
4G SIM card (3rd one)
Appropriate data plan
Serious thanks for any ideas anyone has. Do I add an APN, throw the phone against the wall, or what? Please do not suggest I change to a different phone as that is not an option.
DrDon995 said:
Curious issue with my Titan II. Cellular data connection just fails at random intervals. Cycling airplane mode or rebooting the phone is the only way to get it back. HTC blames it on AT&T and AT&T blames it on HTC. I've spent hours on the phone with each. Even got a new Titan II from AT&T, but it went into this constant reboot loop, so I went back to the first unit.
Now comes the interesting part: I live in Detroit and have been traveling to FL quite a bit, this year.. and the issue DOES NOT HAPPEN IN TAMPA. Phone runs perfectly well, there. Here in Detroit, cellular data "up" time ranges from 5 minutes to 14 hours when static. 2 minutes to 20 minutes when driving around town. Drops are less frequent when streaming something.
HTC Titan II stock (FW: 2180.0400.118011.502)
Windows Phone 7.5 (7.10.8112.7)
4G SIM card (3rd one)
Appropriate data plan
Serious thanks for any ideas anyone has. Do I add an APN, throw the phone against the wall, or what? Please do not suggest I change to a different phone as that is not an option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I'm facing the same issue.
It seems something related to wifi sleeping when the phone goes stand by and the solution could be keeping it alive in some way....like streaming..
I hope this will be fixed with AT&T Tango 8773 Update (Once it finally come....)
DrDon995 said:
Curious issue with my Titan II. Cellular data connection just fails at random intervals. Cycling airplane mode or rebooting the phone is the only way to get it back. HTC blames it on AT&T and AT&T blames it on HTC. I've spent hours on the phone with each. Even got a new Titan II from AT&T, but it went into this constant reboot loop, so I went back to the first unit.
Now comes the interesting part: I live in Detroit and have been traveling to FL quite a bit, this year.. and the issue DOES NOT HAPPEN IN TAMPA. Phone runs perfectly well, there. Here in Detroit, cellular data "up" time ranges from 5 minutes to 14 hours when static. 2 minutes to 20 minutes when driving around town. Drops are less frequent when streaming something.
HTC Titan II stock (FW: 2180.0400.118011.502)
Windows Phone 7.5 (7.10.8112.7)
4G SIM card (3rd one)
Appropriate data plan
Serious thanks for any ideas anyone has. Do I add an APN, throw the phone against the wall, or what? Please do not suggest I change to a different phone as that is not an option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure you aren't hitting "black spots" on your network? If you have random connection drops in only particular area it is likely the masts and AT&T issue. I've swapped my provider from the one which did 2G/3G signals to 3G only provider. 3G only has better coverage and lesser black spots on the network and hence I hardly see any drops in connectivity. Don't hard reset or anything, it will only make you re-do the whole phone, won't help the cause.
Have you checked if two golden pins on the back cover are making good contact with phone?
drupad2drupad said:
Are you sure you aren't hitting "black spots" on your network? If you have random connection drops in only particular area it is likely the masts and AT&T issue. I've swapped my provider from the one which did 2G/3G signals to 3G only provider. 3G only has better coverage and lesser black spots on the network and hence I hardly see any drops in connectivity. Don't hard reset or anything, it will only make you re-do the whole phone, won't help the cause.
Have you checked if two golden pins on the back cover are making good contact with phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to rule all of that out as it doesn't happen at all in Tampa. I can drive from Ybor City to Clearwater and back and never need to reset the phone. Here at home, I have four bars and will lose cellular data with the phone in a static location. Driving around in Detroit is guaranteed to make it drop cellular data even with the phone lit up and active. I can have Navigator running and it'll just quit loading maps and giving directions until I cycle Airplane Mode. In Tampa, this doesn't happen.
In Tampa, I've gone the whole week without any need to reset the phone. I can't walk from the gate to baggage claim in Detroit before it loses its data connection.
DrDon995 said:
Have to rule all of that out as it doesn't happen at all in Tampa. I can drive from Ybor City to Clearwater and back and never need to reset the phone. Here at home, I have four bars and will lose cellular data with the phone in a static location. Driving around in Detroit is guaranteed to make it drop cellular data even with the phone lit up and active. I can have Navigator running and it'll just quit loading maps and giving directions until I cycle Airplane Mode. In Tampa, this doesn't happen.
In Tampa, I've gone the whole week without any need to reset the phone. I can't walk from the gate to baggage claim in Detroit before it loses its data connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
UPDATE: Cellular data connection is a little better with WiFi turned off. It won't lose it as quickly in a static location, but still loses it as I move between towers. Also had to reinstall a couple of apps that had stopped launching.
Is forcing Tango an option?
I have the same problem,
I live north of detroit.
my phone has been in to htc repair 3 times, i think they have replaced every part in it, the last time i got it back it held connectivity for 11 minutes.
this is on my home tower as well as several towers around me.
Normally all testing was done with wifi off, on towers where the lumia 900 and my wifes iphone have never lost data.
i have been waiting a week for a htc level 2 rep to call me.
we shall see
Keep me posted. Last time I spent time with HTC, they decided that - since the issue only happens in Detroit - that it was AT&T's problem. AT&T, naturally, claims that the problem doesn't appear on any other device, so it must be the device.
Can't wait for Windows 8 phones. I'm getting one.. ANY one.. the first day they go on sale.
Well I just got off of the phone with a level 2 rep from HTC, who seemed pretty confident that the problem is the rear cover. He is sending one out, and says if that doesn't fix it then it will be a phone replacement.
jjmorgan64 said:
Well I just got off of the phone with a level 2 rep from HTC, who seemed pretty confident that the problem is the rear cover. He is sending one out, and says if that doesn't fix it then it will be a phone replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While entirely skeptical, I certainly hope it works. PLEASE post your results.
DrDon995 said:
While entirely skeptical, I certainly hope it works. PLEASE post your results.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm more skeptical than you, trust me, but it would explain how so many people get the same problem with replacement handsets, as that piece is often not replaced
So, I'm in Florida for the week and noticed something.
In Detroit, the status bar says "4G"
In Tampa, the status bar says "LTE"
As before, I have not lost cellular data connection since I landed in FL. Kind of rules out the battery cover as the issue is gone, here. It appears the issue goes away in LTE areas while it's present in areas yet to get LTE. Detroit's LTE rollout hasn't happened, yet. So, it appears I've got another month of suffering before the problem is rectified.
One other note. With Internet Sharing set to ON...
In Detroit, my wife's laptop connects to the phone and can get internet.
In Tampa, my wife's laptop connects to the phone, but cannot get internet. It gets the error msg: "your computer is trying to use a dns server that is incorrect or doesn't exist"
My laptop works flawlessly connecting to the phone's Internet Sharing both in Detroit and Tampa. For the life of me, I can't find anything different in her settings over mine. Both are Win7. Hers upgraded from Vista, mine x64 and new this fall. Also, two internet-capable televisions connect to the phone and get to the internet flawlessly. But something with LTE doesn't like my wife's computer. Odd.
Honestly, I adore everything about this phone except for the data connection issue in Detroit (and a few other areas, it seems).
There HAS to be a setting or SOMEthing I can tweak to get this thing to work in Detroit.
Check battery cover, radio negotiation, firmware of radio
DrDon995 said:
So, I'm in Florida for the week and noticed something.
In Detroit, the status bar says "4G"
In Tampa, the status bar says "LTE"
As before, I have not lost cellular data connection since I landed in FL. Kind of rules out the battery cover as the issue is gone, here. It appears the issue goes away in LTE areas while it's present in areas yet to get LTE. Detroit's LTE rollout hasn't happened, yet. So, it appears I've got another month of suffering before the problem is rectified.
One other note. With Internet Sharing set to ON...
In Detroit, my wife's laptop connects to the phone and can get internet.
In Tampa, my wife's laptop connects to the phone, but cannot get internet. It gets the error msg: "your computer is trying to use a dns server that is incorrect or doesn't exist"
My laptop works flawlessly connecting to the phone's Internet Sharing both in Detroit and Tampa. For the life of me, I can't find anything different in her settings over mine. Both are Win7. Hers upgraded from Vista, mine x64 and new this fall. Also, two internet-capable televisions connect to the phone and get to the internet flawlessly. But something with LTE doesn't like my wife's computer. Odd.
Honestly, I adore everything about this phone except for the data connection issue in Detroit (and a few other areas, it seems).
There HAS to be a setting or SOMEthing I can tweak to get this thing to work in Detroit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hum.. that's curious. I had the original titan with similar issues.
I disabled wifi when not connected. I replaced battery cover also. The titan2 supposedly fixed that issue with the battery cover because it was a design flaw.
The radio supports 2G, 3G/4G/H and LTE. You may want to check it. You can set the radio it uses and not let the firmware decide which radio to use. You can check the service menu, I forgot the code. Just search for it.
If you use 2G, data and voice are not supported simultaneously. Check and make sure the contacts on the battery cover and on the phone are clear of debris. Use a solution to clean the contacts on the phone.
In the past I manually set the radio to 3G (HSPA and HSPA+) [HTC Pure, HTC HD2 on at&t]. The 3G radio is mature and should have less issues with the radio negotiation.
BTW, there is a keep alive wifi app also.
Thanks. I'll have to look for the codes. It's pretty obvious after going back and forth so much that the Titan II has a flaw with the way it handles AT&T's 4G. Scanning the maps from others who have had problems all show that they're in areas with 4G but without LTE.
Yeah, if I could force this thing to do LTE or 3G I think we'd be fine. It's the Best Phone Ever so long as it gets LTE, 3G or Edge. Anything else and it's crap.
Yes, back connector is okay and I've done this every way one can think of and kept notes. WiFi doesn't matter. On or off, the T2 will lose cellular data connection randomly in 4G areas. NOT in LTE areas. I'm only unable to test it on other carriers.
Similar problem with data
So I have had a similar problem -
I had a Samsung Focus, great phone, but I wore out the USB port - wouldn't charge consistently or sync. I figured I might as well use the insurance I had been paying. They sent me a Titan I - it had the bad microphone issue. So after some messing around they sent me a Titan II.
It has never had consistent data connection. I am in an area where I get the 4G icon (not LTE).
My experience tells me that if I move around and change cell, or lose signal in the cell I am in for any reason, then the phone will NOT connect back to data. It can (almost always) still get phone calls and send/receive texts and so on, but no data. Toggle airplane mode always fixes the problem, until the next time.
Originally HTC wanted to send me a new back cover - AT&T have been completely useless, they have no idea. Eventually after messing around with factory resets, powering on and off continuously, another new SIM card, HTC decided they want the phone repaired or replaced (level 2).
It is still inside the 30 day limit for exchanges from Assurion (AT&Ts insurance carrier) so it's getting replaced. I'll let you know if it fixes the issue, but I haven't been in an LTE area so I can't check that.
Personally I think it is a problem with handing off/reconnecting to 4G tower service - we'll see......
Anyone have the radio codes?
I've had the same problem since I got the device as well; but have noticed that it doesn't happen in all areas around me. My house is one of those areas though that I always lose connections. I've tried every APN / idea I've found on the internet with no luck. It's clearly something to do with AT&T towers. The only think I've not been able to try is a different SIM card in the same phone since it requires a '4G' sim card to even work at all. However the same SIM does work fine in '3G' only phones.
Going with the radio idea, does anyone have the codes to turn off the LTE radio? I just saw the list saying this phone will be long gone before AT&T ever gets LTE in Colorado so maybe just turning it off would help. Every code i found was for the T1 though and it didn't work on my phone.
jjmorgan64 said:
I'm more skeptical than you, trust me, but it would explain how so many people get the same problem with replacement handsets, as that piece is often not replaced
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
UPDATE: HTC insisted on sending me a new SIM card cover (since it contains the radio's antenna). Despite my argument that the fact it works in Florida negates antenna as a suspect, they sent it along, anyhow. Naturally, there is no change. It still randomly drops cellular data. And now, I've picked up another spot on the freeway where my calls get dropped. Granted, it happened ONCE, so that could be any number of things. Long story short, it's not the antenna.
Next idea?
Well, I'm in Florida and found a spot where the phone fell back to 4G from LTE. Data issue returned. So, that takes geography out of the equation. The phone can't hold a data connection when using 4G. So, should I go for a fourth unit?
My addition:
AT&T recently rolled out LTE to my area in CT. I never had the problem before on straight 4G. Now, when I go from LTE to 4G (my drive every morning) data just stops working. I push it in to airplane mode and back out again and it works.
BTW - I am running Tango, so that is not likely to be a fix unless a radio update is released with it.
N!njaDuck said:
My addition:
AT&T recently rolled out LTE to my area in CT. I never had the problem before on straight 4G. Now, when I go from LTE to 4G (my drive every morning) data just stops working. I push it in to airplane mode and back out again and it works.
BTW - I am running Tango, so that is not likely to be a fix unless a radio update is released with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T just switched on LTE metro-wide, last night. Now, the Titan 2 performs just as it does when I'm in Florida. It's nice having a data connection that'll stay good all over town, again.
I have spent some time discussing this with HTC and AT&T. Actually just got off the phone with HTC level 2.
I too have gone through all the options - new phone, new cover, new SIM card (you can just go into AT&T and ask for one, no charge), hard reset, everything.
From the information in this thread, and elsewhere I can say that the phone drops data on one of two things happening:-
- connection to tower is interrupted in current cell, but is re-acquired
- connection is handed off to adjacent tower as you travel to a new cell
Both these things will drop data IN 4G AREAS ONLY. If you are lucky enough to have consistent LTE in your area, you shouldn't have any problems.
Right now I'm working on getting the service menu codes so we can play with the radio settings. It sounds like HTC support reps have been forbidden to give these to end users on windows phone devices (I wonder why??!!).
If I get this information and it provides a fix for this issue, I will (obviously) post it, and I imagine HTC will as well. Here's hoping.....
Andy

poor signal reception?

Had my x1 for a couple of days now and lots to like about it however I have noticed that it seems to have a very weak phone signal reception.
I am on three in the UK and in the normal areas I travel I have never noticed an issue on my other phones with it struggling to hold on to signal bars.
Anyone else have this?
Signal bars mean absolutely nothing. Many oem even show full bars even when there is actually no signal.
Better install cellmapper app that will exactly show and record the signal where you travel.
Also, do you have 3uk volte working?(calls over 4g network)
Well all I can say is that I live less than a mile from the nearest mast and would nearly always have full signal bars on other phones yet on this phone it drops on and off 1 bar.
I will download the app you mentioned and see what that shows
I've had this problem with numerous Sony phones over the years, always poor signal compared to Sammy's, Pixel's and iPhones that I've had. Same issue with the X1 I have now, always on WiFi calling and no signal, my Pixel 3 XL would be happily sitting on 4G.
andybg40 said:
I've had this problem with numerous Sony phones over the years, always poor signal compared to Sammy's, Pixel's and iPhones that I've had. Same issue with the X1 I have now, always on WiFi calling and no signal, my Pixel 3 XL would be happily sitting on 4G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad it's not just me then.
I do remember having this issue on a previous Sony phone also but can remember the model now. It's been a long time since I had a Sony but thought this one was going to tick every box which it almost does apart from having reliable signal reception which is really should be a must!
Is there anyway they can improve this with software of are we stuck with it due to hardware issues?
I'm in my 14 days returns periods at the moment and like everything about this phone apart from what it should do first and foremost
I am having the same problem, I'm on EE and my LTE keeps dropping from 4 bar's to 1 bar then nothing which causes me to lose data connection. It then jumps to 4 bar's again and then repeats this over and over. This is happening at home where I always have full reception. I have tested my sim in 5 different phones all have full reception and don't lose connection only my Xperia 1 does! Any help would be appreciated.
Same problem for me. I switched my SIM from Galaxy S8 to X1. S8 has 4 to 5 bars while X1 struggles with getting one bar at home.
Ffs... The bars mean nothing. Sony phones take into consideration RSRQ(signal quality) and SINR(s noise) values of the signal. Other oem don't. The actual signal power RSRP (do not confuse it with bars) is same or better on Sony.
Xperia 1 has most advanced modem and antenna setup of any 4g phone. 4x4 mimo even on low bands (first to have it).
3uk and ee are special in the sense that they need phone to support volte to get access to their low band spectrum(band 20).
So make sure you have volte aka 4g calling enabled and check with apps like Netmonster or Cellmapper the band and RSRP of the signal. Then compare it with other phones at the same place.
VeixES said:
Ffs... The bars mean nothing. Sony phones take into consideration RSRQ(signal quality) and SINR(s noise) values of the signal. Other oem don't. The actual signal power RSRP (do not confuse it with bars) is same or better on Sony.
Xperia 1 has most advanced modem and antenna setup of any 4g phone. 4x4 mimo even on low bands (first to have it).
3uk and ee are special in the sense that they need phone to support volte to get access to their low band spectrum(band 20).
So make sure you have volte aka 4g calling enabled and check with apps like Netmonster or Cellmapper the band and RSRP of the signal. Then compare it with other phones at the same place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's as simple as that why is it not enabled on this phone already?
I think what you seem to be over looking is the fact that I and others here have said that yes the bars are lower than other phones and flutter slot but also to the point where they drop completely and give no reception at all. A situation not faced on other phones.
Can you explain how we enable this missing band so that the phone can provide a more reliable/stable reception
Does your phone have 3uk volte(4g calling) enabled? Phone should stay in 4g during call. If not then you are out of luck.
ee users can install EE firmware to get Volte working if it's not already . newflasher on xda helps to change firmware.
And please compare signals with abovementioned apps.
hpsauce37 said:
Glad it's not just me then.
I do remember having this issue on a previous Sony phone also but can remember the model now. It's been a long time since I had a Sony but thought this one was going to tick every box which it almost does apart from having reliable signal reception which is really should be a must!
Is there anyway they can improve this with software of are we stuck with it due to hardware issues?
I'm in my 14 days returns periods at the moment and like everything about this phone apart from what it should do first and foremost
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're having signal drops / dropped phone calls etc... I get it. But Sony is historically notorious for showing lower signals than others on those bars. However, as stated, the bars are pretty meaningless. I've owned many Sony's, and while the bars are lower (sometimes all empty), I still have signal in all the places I should. YMMV.
VeixES said:
Does your phone have 3uk volte(4g calling) enabled? Phone should stay in 4g during call. If not then you are out of luck.
ee users can install EE firmware to get Volte working if it's not already . newflasher on xda helps to change firmware.
And please compare signals with abovementioned apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't honestly know. My phone was purchased sim free from carphone warehouse and I use it on 3 network. The phone just set itself up. How would I check this? Is it something listed under network settings?
It's so frustrating as I'm really loving a lot about this phone but just want it to be comparable at least with my other phones I've used with call reception
those who are having signal problem, are you using EE network?
I saw lots of people with EE reporting this issue on official sony forum.
Got mine yesterday from Vodafone and signal is perfect !
XSIIS said:
those who are having signal problem, are you using EE network?
I saw lots of people with EE reporting this issue on official sony forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes
I also have only 1 bar... Orange.
If you are EE UK user, then you need EE firmware on your Xperia 1 to get best network compatibility(Volte and low band support because of it).
3UK users probably need also 3UK firmware but that does not seem to exist yet.
This weirdness of low band access is specific to two UK operators. Everywhere else the device is fully capable of best 4g experience.
Wait Next update
Enviado desde mi G8141 mediante Tapatalk
So for those of us on three network but purchased the phone sim free are stuck with the problem as three do not sell this handset themselves so unlikely to release any firmware for it.
That does not look good for me so I think I will need to return within my 14 days.
Shame.
There's definitely a network connectivity issue with the XP1 right now though. This seems to affect only XP1's on the EE network, which were *not* bought from EE direct, i.e. ones with stock firmware. (e.g. mine!)
The symptoms are that periodically, first the 4G symbol disappears, then the signal goes to zero and you've lost the internet. Then it reconnects back onto 4G again. Sometimes this repeats 3 or 4 times in succession. The whole thing takes from 5 seconds to maybe 30 seconds depending on how many re-tries.
You can go for maybe an our or so without a problem, or sometimes it happens like every 10 minutes.
And here's the key part: this happens wherever you are, even on a full strength signal. As far as I can make out, this affects ALL XP1s with stock firmware on EE. EE say it's a Sony problem. Sony say it's a network issue. So we are all stuck.
Does anyone know of a suitable network logging app, which will log 4G disconnects and signal loss, so we can provide evidence to EE and Sony?
More info here:
https://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xperia-1/Issue-with-network-dropping/td-p/1376332/highlight/false
(My phone is fine with a Vodafone sim. There's something specific to the phone firmware/config - timers, buffer sizes, packet sizes - whatever - and the EE network. But right now, on EE, it's unusable.)

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