I have a dreaded Verizon. For the time being, I really only need to alter the radios to tune for Tmobile frequencies. No one seems to advertise or understand this but since the S4 is fully capable of nearly every frequency world wide, and I get next to no signal when on T mobile, I believe Verizon purposely only turned on frequencies that they use.
So, unless someone else has a slick work around for the time being, I will have to figure out a root procedure for this configuration. I looked at this late last year and seemed to be a big hurdle.
King root seems to be inconsistent. What are my options for this?
cobra112 said:
I have a dreaded Verizon. For the time being, I really only need to alter the radios to tune for Tmobile frequencies. No one seems to advertise or understand this but since the S4 is fully capable of nearly every frequency world wide, and I get next to no signal when on T mobile, I believe Verizon purposely only turned on frequencies that they use.
So, unless someone else has a slick work around for the time being, I will have to figure out a root procedure for this configuration. I looked at this late last year and seemed to be a big hurdle.
King root seems to be inconsistent. What are my options for this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not possible
sorry
the only way it could work is that if you had a i545 running a MDK which lets you run custom kernels
as of now there is no way to flash non-verizon modems to the device
Mobile Networks> Network Mode>
select UTS/GSM is about all you can do
verizon even remove the service menu that shows the available bands
Wow, Verizon must have done their homework on locking down phones. That boot loader is hosery. I consider this much like the government forcing them to give the keys, but did not say they had to put air in the tires. Without the ability to run or select alternate frequencies, service is a no-go
I am mostly in desktop computers but curious why these phones are not being wipes and reloaded with a new OS from scratch? Why all the work arounds and hacks? What am I missing? Does Android have all this on lock down?
cobra112 said:
Wow, Verizon must have done their homework on locking down phones. That boot loader is hosery. I consider this much like the government forcing them to give the keys, but did not say they had to put air in the tires. Without the ability to run or select alternate frequencies, service is a no-go
I am mostly in desktop computers but curious why these phones are not being wipes and reloaded with a new OS from scratch? Why all the work arounds and hacks? What am I missing? Does Android have all this on lock down?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its entirely samsung and verizon's doing
S4 Is a terrible device you would be better off with something like a huawei honor or moto g or moto X
I am curious about your phone selections. My basic needs are only a high end device with good signal, mic, speaker, display, battery life, and memory capacity. However, I really felt I MUST have a phone with SD card ability but I really don't remove it, I don't take many pictures, and probably don't need that feature.
What I DON'T want is a device that is HUGE. I like the size of the S4. T mobile felt sorry for my phone issues and gave me an LG Leon. I simply hate it.
I should mention that I later intend to consider writing some custom apps for basic wifi and blue tooth functions so I want a playground that affords me some latitude.
cobra112 said:
I am curious about your phone selections. My basic needs are only a high end device with good signal, mic, speaker, display, battery life, and memory capacity. However, I really felt I MUST have a phone with SD card ability but I really don't remove it, I don't take many pictures, and probably don't need that feature.
What I DON'T want is a device that is HUGE. I like the size of the S4. T mobile felt sorry for my phone issues and gave me an LG Leon. I simply hate it.
I should mention that I later intend to consider writing some custom apps for basic wifi and bluetooth functions so I want a playground that affords me some latitude.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
then the honor x5 is what you want its slightly wider then the s4 5.64 5.53 has sd dual sim dual radio and a factory unlockable bootloader
http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_honor_5x-7590.php
remember huawei is the OEM for google meaning they designed and manufactured the nexus 5x and 6p
Thank you! I find phone shopping to be rather daunting. I see a lot of developers using the Nexus product but also see a lot of people using Samsung due to all their included gadgets on board.
One thing that may be handy is the IR emitter. Is there a site that compares different products well? I do notice the honor does not get high marks for their display performance.
As well, due to using T mobile, I am unsure on compatibility. I need to know if the boot loader is responsible for toggling certain bands on/off? If I buy an honor for ATT, I assume it will be toggled for ATT frequencies? Since the BL is unlocked, can I toggle other bands to ensure I get the best service possible?
cobra112 said:
Thank you! I find phone shopping to be rather daunting. I see a lot of developers using the Nexus product but also see a lot of people using Samsung due to all their included gadgets on board.
One thing that may be handy is the IR emitter. Is there a site that compares different products well? I do notice the honor does not get high marks for their display performance.
As well, due to using T mobile, I am unsure on compatibility. I need to know if the boot loader is responsible for toggling certain bands on/off? If I buy an honor for ATT, I assume it will be toggled for ATT frequencies? Since the BL is unlocked, can I toggle other bands to ensure I get the best service possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
click the compare button on gsm arena
idk why you said the honor doesn't get high marks 1080p ips is pretty dam good
tho I guess some `review sites`
having a 2 or 4k display on your phone does no good if the gpu can't drive it
it will look real pretty but real world performance will suffer
different phones vs different carriers e.g CDMA phone like the i545 verizon s4 can not be used on GSM carriers such as ATT and Tmobile
read here for more info on that http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407896,00.asp
a unlocked bootloader grants you the ability to run custom roms and flash certain portions of the phone that are normally inaccessible
the bootloader has nothing todo with radio bands
the honor or any other factory unlocked phone should work on your carrier without issue
Thank you! I guess my only real requirement in the display is having one I can actually see outdoors! Amazing how poor the screen is on this old LG leon.
Maybe you can help me better understand how the bands are configured and/or locked on a phone? The reason I ask is the Verizon Galaxy S4 is technically capable of all bands that Tmobile uses yet I see poor functionality with it, indicating tome it is not picking up certain frequencies. I made the assumption the boot loader would be isolating the bands? Is this software controlled? Or not at all? Which would leave me wondering.
For reference, the Verizon S4 DOES work on Tmobile though. It holds 4GLTE signal but texts will not go out because I believe Tmobile is using 2G or 3G for that.
The way I assumed this worked is the phone is capable of a WIDE range of bands and frequencies, but the service provider would invoke only certain frequencies that they use?
cobra112 said:
Thank you! I guess my only real requirement in the display is having one I can actually see outdoors! Amazing how poor the screen is on this old LG leon.
Maybe you can help me better understand how the bands are configured and/or locked on a phone? The reason I ask is the Verizon Galaxy S4 is technically capable of all bands that Tmobile uses yet I see poor functionality with it, indicating tome it is not picking up certain frequencies. I made the assumption the boot loader would be isolating the bands? Is this software controlled? Or not at all? Which would leave me wondering.
For reference, the Verizon S4 DOES work on Tmobile though. It holds 4GLTE signal but texts will not go out because I believe Tmobile is using 2G or 3G for that.
The way I assumed this worked is the phone is capable of a WIDE range of bands and frequencies, but the service provider would invoke only certain frequencies that they use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if its holding lte then all you need todo is change the APN to point to t-mobiles servers (store should have offered todo this for you)
t mobile uses slightly differing frequencies depending on your area you are lucky enough to be in one of the area's that use the higher bands
instructions are here https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-2090
this will not change the fact that you may or may not get data signal depending on where you are connecting too
I would install textra from the playstore and set it as your mms app it has some over-rides for the apn settings if it won't let you change it via the system UI
alt instructions use the`fast` for lte
http://www.4gtricks.com/2013/04/t-mobile-4g-apn-t-mobile-4g-apn-settings.html
Right now the S4 indicated locked to 4GLTE but signal is -90dbm, 50asu. I tested data and I am able to use it though it is slow. I, however, still cannot send an sms. I am able to edit settings for the APN but have verified all settings are per tmobile specs. Any ideas where to go from here?
In the network modes, I am able to chose, 1) global, 2)LTE/CDMA 3) LTE/GSM/UMTS
I have it on LTE/GSM/UMTS right now. IIRC, the GSM is the 2G/3G for sms and voice?
Is it possible that the I545 is trying to operate on the Verizon 750mhz instead of the 700mhz of Tmobile?
cobra112 said:
Right now the S4 indicated locked to 4GLTE but signal is -90dbm, 50asu. I tested data and I am able to use it though it is slow. I, however, still cannot send an sms. I am able to edit settings for the APN but have verified all settings are per tmobile specs. Any ideas where to go from here?
In the network modes, I am able to chose, 1) global, 2)LTE/CDMA 3) LTE/GSM/UMTS
I have it on LTE/GSM/UMTS right now. IIRC, the GSM is the 2G/3G for sms and voice?
Is it possible that the I545 is trying to operate on the Verizon 750mhz instead of the 700mhz of Tmobile?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.simplyadvanced.ltediscovery&hl=en\
should tell you what band its connecting on
install textra and go into its options and enable the 't mobile fix'
OK, I loaded Textra and LTE recovery. I honestly am not certain of what I am looking at on the LTE app but looks like I am connecting to band 4 LTE. At that time, I could not and still cannot send a text. However, at some point, it switched over to a UMTS connection and I was able to fire off texts normally so I know my APN settings are right and there is something odd going on. Textra did nothing different and there is no setting for tmobile other than a wifi setting.
I have read many other people having this exact problem which hovers around those using a verizon S4 on tmobile and upgrading to 5.0 OS.
What I need to figure out, and maybe an area that would require another thread but I need to learn if I may need to reflash the modem to function properly on tmobile and if that can even be considered on an unrooted, boot loader phone? If not, what are the best options? Just dump the phone and get something else? I read of a few roots on the OC1 platform but not sure on that.
If I knew my efforts would work and I knew what I needed to do to fix this issue, I would. I almost just upgraded to the latest revision hoping for a patch in there but not sure I should do that if I want to root? Is OC1 and above all the same for rooting issues?
you don't even have to root to work around this. you can downgrade modem to MDK build. Then use QPST/QXDM to change item 6828 to value 4096
Sins07, I am very interested in the modem mods you suggest as I also came to the conclusion the modem is the issue.
Would I out of line to ask if you can dumb this down a little for a newbie? You mention downgrading the modem only and was not aware you could do that. Can you explain how this modem issue is occuring and how the modem mods will fix it?
Related
Ok, just a disclaimer (I am well-aware of my n00b status here)... I spent quite a few hours already on this site and on the Android forums, and on Google searching for answers to this... Not to mention time at the AT&T store and chatting w/some other phone reps (including Samsung tech support and AT&T tech support)... And while I've made some progress, I still can't get any definitive answers here.
So... that being said, first (and big 'sigh' I'm sure to many) is that I'm using a South Korea Note - the SHV-E160S. I know this is the I717 forums, but before I get flamed and booted, let me explain...
Well, I am on AT&T. No problems with calls or texting (minus the annoying 80-character limit, but anyways)... However, I have a BIG problem with the LTE. I'm on the LTE data plan, however, I cannot access any data network other than GPRS. Yes, my pings take about 533ms. My download speeds are about 53kb/s. This sucks, quite a lot. Esp when compared to my fiance's Note, which side-by-side gets about 13mb/s on the LTE network.
So... Did some research, and got the run-around... Less all the crap I heard from AT&T reps... It seems that the antenna for my Note is set to LTE850/LTE1800, and the actual AT&T SGH-I717's antenna is set to LTE700/LTE1700/2100. My sources for this come from PDAdb.net (I'd hyperlink, but my post count is not high enough to do that, yet).
So... Here come the questions. First... Is the antenna frequency tuning something built-into the hardware, or is it something that can be tuned via software?
-If it's in the hardware, would it be possible to buy an AT&T-spec LTE antenna? Which antenna gets replaced (from what I understand, there are two, and I can't find a legit source that tells me which is which), and where could I buy such a thing?
-If it's in the software, what would I have to do to re-tune the antenna? My phone is rooted with the latest Gingerbread Tegrak kernel.
Lastly... Though there is a difference between the LTE antennas... I still cannot access any network other than GPRS. I should at least be able to access EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA and HSPA+ as well, but I can't.
If ALL else fails, I guess I could get a portable tethering device with a contract... But that'd be oh-so-annoying to have to carry around all the time, and I'd like to avoid that option as much as possible. I'm paying $30/mo for LTE service on my phone already!
Anyways... Any thoughts or advice would be very appreciated, and my apologies if anything here is out-of-place. Thanks in advance!
U have the international note. Doesn't have late chip in it. But ur note has better CPU then the att note. The international note CPU is not comparable with att lte chipset that's y Samsung use 2different CPU. Yes u should be able to get 3g. Reset your apn. And search around. To find the code to reset your apn. I forgot. Its something like *2260*
I had an international first, had to rest everything to get data. But after few days. I return it cos I prefer to have lte speed more then CPU speed. And I found out the u can just over clock att note to 1.85 instead of stock 1.5. So now I am very happy with my att note.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Hmm I'm not sure if this method works with the International Note but it's worth a try. You need to get into ServiceMode. On your phone dialer keypad type *#2263# and choose 2 WCDMA Band Preference and select (6) WCDMA all.
Reply with your findings.
babymatteo said:
Hmm I'm not sure if this method works with the International Note but it's worth a try. You need to get into ServiceMode. On your phone dialer keypad type *#2263# and choose 2 WCDMA Band Preference and select (6) WCDMA all.
Reply with your findings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip, but all I get is an error: "Connection problem or invalid MMI code."
:\
Maybe the issue is your kernal and/or radio? Isn't the Tegrak kernal Korean? Most likely your radio is also. That is probably your issue. The way I see it you have 3 choices: Live with it, Sell it and buy an I717 variant, Take the risk and at least flash the ATT Gingerbread radio.
home screen/ menu/ system settings/ more/ mobile networks/ access point names/ AT&T
Do all your entries match these? Write down your current ones before changing or take screen shots. You must use the menu key and save changes. Also make sure that is the APN checked after rebooting.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7226/7298567918_306aaab920.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7236/7298567982_82c3b41861.jpg
chak29 said:
U have the international note. Doesn't have late chip in it. But ur note has better CPU then the att note. The international note CPU is not comparable with att lte chipset that's y Samsung use 2different CPU. Yes u should be able to get 3g. Reset your apn. And search around. To find the code to reset your apn. I forgot. Its something like *2260*
I had an international first, had to rest everything to get data. But after few days. I return it cos I prefer to have lte speed more then CPU speed. And I found out the u can just over clock att note to 1.85 instead of stock 1.5. So now I am very happy with my att note.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
he doesn't have the international note(n7000) he has the South Korea Note - the SHV-E160S (he says it in OP), which it has the same processor as ours but some minor diferences in other things.
To the OP, why do you have a korean Note when from your avatar you're in the US?, I'm sure there's your problem, that note is set to use bands in korea and not in US, so the data is going to be crap, and for you to attempt to swap out the antenna is risking braking the phone because you run a chance after swapping it, not working and not having a working phone anymore.
aj_vogtman said:
home screen/ menu/ more/ mobile networks/ access point names/ AT&T
Do all your entries match these? Write down your current ones before changing or take screen shots. You must use the menu key and save changes. Also make sure that is the APN checked after rebooting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I matched the APN settings of my fiancee's LTE Note first, and that did not work... It's pretty much exactly what you have posted. However, there are a couple things of note (bad pun, sorry). I do not have a 'APN enable/disable' or 'Bearer' field... However, everything else is set the same.
roloracer said:
To the OP, why do you have a korean Note when from your avatar you're in the US?, I'm sure there's your problem, that note is set to use bands in korea and not in US, so the data is going to be crap, and for you to attempt to swap out the antenna is risking braking the phone because you run a chance after swapping it, not working and not having a working phone anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Korean Note because I was living in Korea for a while, and I just got back to the US last week.
As in my OP, I found that the LTE bands are different; however, I can't even get on any other data networks other than GPRS. I've tried some APNs for HSPA+, and the results are the same.
Swapping the antennas shouldn't be THAT big of a deal if I had to... I'm pretty mechanically inclined. Obviously, I need to know if it would provide the intended results or not first.
Pscheoverdrive said:
I have a Korean Note because I was living in Korea for a while, and I just got back to the US last week.
As in my OP, I found that the LTE bands are different; however, I can't even get on any other data networks other than GPRS. I've tried some APNs for HSPA+, and the results are the same.
Swapping the antennas shouldn't be THAT big of a deal if I had to... I'm pretty mechanically inclined. Obviously, I need to know if it would provide the intended results or not first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply, was just wondering where you got a Korean note. hope you can figure it out and good luck.
Sent from my CM9 Note.
Background: Work bought me an S4, but they use Verizon...I use T-Mobile. I must solve this issue. (Plus it's been so long that since I've even opened my QXDM/QPST that I almost...almost forgot how to use it, man, I miss it)...
This is more of a running log to potentially help others in their endeavors. This is an advanced topic...by today's standards. There is a LOT you need to know before just jumping in on this...unless you're like me and don't mind bricking a device for the sake of learning...then, carry on.
BTW, As you can clearly tell..I don't do super formatted frilly assed colorful posts...
ONWARD!!
What is known so far:
1. The modem MDM9615m is capable of anything...(Maybe even making you tea).
2. Using either 2009031920090615 or 2010031619780721 as the 16 digit PW in QXDM allows you to use "Software Backup" to backup and restore QCN files...(Both work, only one puts the phone offline)
4. The AWS band method that is floating around here (337_aws.qcn) doesn't work...it actually breaks the phone. (more on that later)
5. Putting your backup on again leaves whichever fields the 337 file had intact...so say you put the 337_aws.qcn file onto the phone, it stops working...however, you restore your backup...and the phone starts working again but all the fields of the NV that were written by the 337 file remain. Though phone functionality is restored.
6. MDK or ME7...doesn't matter at this point...no effect on functionality.
7. Flashing an MD1 modem/NV Backup from a T-Mobile Note II (which also has the 9615 doesn't seem to work...yet)...It actually kills the phone...I'll update when/IF I revive it...
8. You can Odin your modem back...whew!
What needs to be explored:
1. Whether or not flashing (shoehorning) another carriers radio will help (or if it's even an option)...this would probably have to be a regional carrier or maybe an international (non US) carrier's radio. Usually the bigger carriers can tell the manufacturer what to leave out/put into their phone...
2. Which NV Items need to be modified in order to get AWS (maybe even LTE) working.
3. Can a backup of another phone....let's sayyyy a T-Mo S4...be made and dumped onto the i545.
4. What complications are there? Is this permanent, can the phone be put back to "normal"? etc. etc.
5. If, as a last resort, we can edit the current parameters that are in the NV of a stock i545 to simply "reroute" (work with me here)...what bands it uses for which function...(this is the most tedious...but most undoable method...that I can think of....so far).
Troubles I've already ran into:
As mentioned before...after you write the 337_aws.qcn file to the phone it's pretty much set in stone...for now. When this happens, the modem starts boot looping...I'm sure this is due to bad parameters since the 337_aws.qcn file was probably from a 9215, i545 uses a 9615...you will not be able to access it again in QPST/XDM...
You'll have to get into Settings, More Networks, Mobile Networks, Network Mode, and select GSM/UMTS...this will keep the modem alive for you to be able to play with it again.
So far that's it. I've only been able to start messing with this phone in the past day or so...so, I'm sure this thread will be my dumping ground for my progress/findings/ideas...etc. Again, I encourage anyone that wants to help....to do so. I'm always open for collaboration.
This is where I start filtering down and organizing what I'm doing.
I believe that the best course of action right now is to utilize the 9615m radio from a Note 2...and perhaps a ROM from a T-Mo S4...
The main reason is because when you flash the 9615 modem but still use a VZ Rom...it tries to force it into a "WCDMA Preferred" selection. Which as we know...isn't an option in the menu. However, it's still trying...but I think the ROM doesn't know what to do at that point (could be way off here). I'm thinking that there has got to be a specific combination that needs to be used....for example...a Note 2 modem with a Tmobile ROM and NV backup? or that...but with a VZ NV backup...
I'm not a programmer/rom guy, (I'm more RF engineering etc...), so I don't know if there are things in the ROM itself that dictate which options are available and how the modem is used...
More exploration to be done...
Build.prop indicates to the system what network options should be available
Tmo rom looks like the way to go
On these newer phones the modem dictates pretty much everything else network-wise
CNexus said:
Build.prop indicates to the system what network options should be available
Tmo rom looks like the way to go
On these newer phones the modem dictates pretty much everything else network-wise
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's good information....I tried running Paranoid Android but it wouldn't boot and any other rom told me that the device ID was wrong. I'm going to look into bypassing that check and try some more...
It hasn't been fully proven/disproven but it seems that there may be a "hard" block for US CDMA devices to use US GSM.
It can certainly see it but won't connect based on the threads I read.
But I don't think anyone has documented it in thorough detail what has and has not been tested.
Now if that setting is in NV data and can be modified... you may have a shot.
But if it's something hard coded and/or physical (QFuse) it may not be possible.
Q: Would it not be easier to find someone to swap with you? Or sell the device and get a Tmo?
garwynn said:
Q: Would it not be easier to find someone to swap with you? Or sell the device and get a Tmo?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, leaps and bounds! easier, but what's the fun in that? How will we learn what can and can't be done if we take the easy way? Plus...maybe someone runs into a stellar deal and can't afford a full priced S4...they might nab a VZ one for cheap...this could potentially help a lot of people...
This is more to learn than anything...
Any progress?
Any progress with this? I'm in the same boat.
Thats a shame. Would be nice to have found out if a CDMA S4 could be fully used with GSM network.
blackhand901 said:
Any progress with this? I'm in the same boat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---------------------------------------------
ThunderBob
Galaxy S4 SGH-M919 - GoldenEye 8.0 - XXUDMI1
HTC One - Stock
blackhand901 said:
Any progress with this? I'm in the same boat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been stalking the internet for weeks to try and see if i can pick up all of T-Mobile's hspa frquencies in my area cause I'm tired of edge and I know the hardware is there i just don't want a brick. would rather 2g over a brick.
I have been on tmobiles 4g network with my i545 for 2 weeks now... I have had zero issues.
You an only get
justda said:
I have been on tmobiles 4g network with my i545 for 2 weeks now... I have had zero issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HSPA on this divi e. Not LTE.
It makes me confused that band 4 LTE is locked on the phone
I always thought verizon had the open access regulation from FCC and that's the reason all verizon LTE phones are gsm unlocked
in fact some posts indicates it's CDMA unlocked also. Some CDMA carriers use R-uim card such as China telecom,and people were able to insert the ruim and have cdma working.
From this post, it seems verizon only had the regulation on LTE 700 band 17, not AWS band 4?
or is it just because verizon hasn't really deployed AWS LTE yet, so the relative software hasn't been released yet?
michael3770 said:
It makes me confused that band 4 LTE is locked on the phone
I always thought verizon had the open access regulation from FCC and that's the reason all verizon LTE phones are gsm unlocked
in fact some posts indicates it's CDMA unlocked also. Some CDMA carriers use R-uim card such as China telecom,and people were able to insert the ruim and have cdma working.
From this post, it seems verizon only had the regulation on LTE 700 band 17, not AWS band 4?
or is it just because verizon hasn't really deployed AWS LTE yet, so the relative software hasn't been released yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just for clarification, Verizon uses LTE 700 B13 not B17. According to Samsung and some other website Verizon S4 support LTE B4 and B13. and according to the guy in this post http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=44206677&postcount=20 he is using or have used VZW S4 on T-mobile LTE.
This is one of the oddest things I've ever run into.
I can put a T-Mobile Sim in the phone and it works almost like it was a Verizon Sim with the exception of needing to switch it to global mode when prompted.
If I stick a GSM Metro PCS Sim that I am currently using on the M919 it wont connect to anything except Wifi.
I hate locked bootloaders.
What about with custom roms?
dennis5pia said:
just for clarification, Verizon uses LTE 700 B13 not B17. According to Samsung and some other website Verizon S4 support LTE B4 and B13. and according to the guy in this post http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=44206677&postcount=20 he is using or have used VZW S4 on T-mobile LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry that was a typo, yep att use b17 and vzw use b13
Verizon is going to deploy a second LTE network using AWS spectrum in congested areas
Why you guys don't install "android data tool" to be able to enter the *#*#4636#*#* menu so you could set LTE only to see if Verizon S4 pick up T-Mobile LTE?
If you are rooted and have access to write system data you could edit the "sale_code.dat" file under system/csc and change from VZW to SPR, AWS or any other code, so you can have more network mode options under mobile network settings.
Just for some clarification... This is done on Stock Touchwiz rom or is the device rooted and / or rommed and loki-d
Thanks,
Eric
So I can put a verizon sim card in my tmobile Gs4?I thought Verizon didnt use sim cards like tmobile and at&t.my tmobile Gs4 is unlocked so basically I just need a Verizon sim card and a Verizon plan. Thanks!!!
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
I don't think that works that way. Verizon is a CDMA carrier and T-Mobile a GSM carrier. Verizon sim card is for LTE only (LTE is GSM based technology). Voice works over CDMA radio which T-Mobile S4 lack of it. T-Mobile sim works on Verizon S4 because Verizon S4 is CDMA/GSM/LTE capable.
xda23 said:
So I can put a verizon sim card in my tmobile Gs4?I thought Verizon didnt use sim cards like tmobile and at&t.my tmobile Gs4 is unlocked so basically I just need a Verizon sim card and a Verizon plan. Thanks!!!
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
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Can this be done? I ask because I am using the T-Mobile version on AT&T. LTE reception is not bad, it just can be better, especially in low signal areas? Does anyone have any information flashing the G900A modem for T-Mobile? I have searched and can't seem to find anything on this.
Radio and antenna wise, I believe they are the same device specs, so not like a number of years ago where there were antenna differences between them. T-Mobile radio supports all of T-Mobile and AT&T, AT&T radio however only partially supports T-Mobile (NO 4G AWS band, more limited LTE)
There are a number of people that have compared the two variants and no significant reception differences have been found
MattMJB0188 said:
Can this be done? I ask because I am using the T-Mobile version on AT&T. LTE reception is not bad, it just can be better, especially in low signal areas? Does anyone have any information flashing the G900A modem for T-Mobile? I have searched and can't seem to find anything on this.
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risestar2 said:
Radio and antenna wise, I believe they are the same device specs, so not like a number of years ago where there were antenna differences between them. T-Mobile radio supports all of T-Mobile and AT&T, AT&T radio however only partially supports T-Mobile (NO 4G AWS band, more limited LTE)
There are a number of people that have compared the two variants and no significant reception differences have been found
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Right. I understand that. But what I was asking if we could extract the AT&T modem from the G900A (AT&T Branded S5) and flash it on the T-Mobile S5 (G900T). That way the frequencies would be better optimized.
Now my T-Mobile S5 did pick up Band 4 LTE on AT&T and reception was excellent. This is mostly due to the fact that T-Mobile natively uses band 4 for LTE.
MattMJB0188 said:
Right. I understand that. But what I was asking if we could extract the AT&T modem from the G900A (AT&T Branded S5) and flash it on the T-Mobile S5 (G900T). That way the frequencies would be better optimized.
Now my T-Mobile S5 did pick up Band 4 LTE on AT&T and reception was excellent. This is mostly due to the fact that T-Mobile natively uses band 4 for LTE.
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I doubt that has any effect at all. Frequencies don't get optimized at least not on your end. I think the phone does have a priority list for which bands to use but it automatically switches when one is better than the other.
Sent from my One using Tapatalk
luigi311 said:
I doubt that has any effect at all. Frequencies don't get optimized at least not on your end. I think the phone does have a priority list for which bands to use but it automatically switches when one is better than the other.
Sent from my One using Tapatalk
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I don't know about that. Perhaps it is not "optimizing" but carriers definitely do something to their modems on smartphones to make them work best with their networks. While the T-Mobile S5 works almost flawlessly on AT&T, the AT&T S5 still gets better reception. Perhaps the difference is negligible, but its there.
MattMJB0188 said:
I don't know about that. Perhaps it is not "optimizing" but carriers definitely do something to their modems on smartphones to make them work best with their networks. While the T-Mobile S5 works almost flawlessly on AT&T, the AT&T S5 still gets better reception. Perhaps the difference is negligible, but its there.
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have you compared both side by side?
kawaiichi said:
have you compared both side by side?
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I am comparing my signal with the T-Mobile S5 from what I experienced on the AT&T S5. While signal difference in good reception areas is not noticeable, signal in lower reception areas is much weaker. The AT&T S5 would send texts messages almost 95% of the time at my work. With the T-Mobile S5, I am getting about a 10% success rate on text messages being sent.
slimc84 said:
I am comparing my signal with the T-Mobile S5 from what I experienced on the AT&T S5. While signal difference in good reception areas is not noticeable, signal in lower reception areas is much weaker. The AT&T S5 would send texts messages almost 95% of the time at my work. With the T-Mobile S5, I am getting about a 10% success rate on text messages being sent.
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Yeah that's what I mean. But nonetheless, I still love the phone and this really isn't an issue the majority of the time. Hopefully soon, we can flash an AT&T modem.
MattMJB0188 said:
Yeah that's what I mean. But nonetheless, I still love the phone and this really isn't an issue the majority of the time. Hopefully soon, we can flash an AT&T modem.
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The only way I have been able to increase texts going through successfully is by toggling airplane mode. I guess we will have to use that as a work around.
Having an AT&T modem on the Tmobile variant will make the device better handle connecting to LTE/HSPA networks and the phone will switch between frequencies them more efficiently. Now, I don't know if that's possible without bricking the phone.
daraj said:
Having an AT&T modem on the Tmobile variant will make the device better handle connecting to LTE/HSPA networks and the phone will switch between frequencies them more efficiently. Now, I don't know if that's possible without bricking the phone.
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I think some guy did it with the Note 3. But thing is, the AT&T modem on the S5 has not been extracted.
MattMJB0188 said:
I think some guy did it with the Note 3. But thing is, the AT&T modem on the S5 has not been extracted.
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Extracting the AT&T modem is not a problem I can get it quickly using the stock firmware file. But, still i think it will brick your tmobile s5.
daraj said:
Extracting the AT&T modem is not a problem I can get it quickly using the stock firmware file. But, still i think it will brick your tmobile s5.
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How so? Would it be the same as flashing a T-Mobile modem?
slimc84 said:
I am comparing my signal with the T-Mobile S5 from what I experienced on the AT&T S5. While signal difference in good reception areas is not noticeable, signal in lower reception areas is much weaker. The AT&T S5 would send texts messages almost 95% of the time at my work. With the T-Mobile S5, I am getting about a 10% success rate on text messages being sent.
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There's your answer right there. T-Mobile released a patch today to deal with poor SMS/MMS or texting issues. Doubt it has anything to do with signal.
Flash the latest T-Mobile update and then see it perform as you'd expect.
SeaFractor said:
There's your answer right there. T-Mobile released a patch today to deal with poor SMS/MMS or texting issues. Doubt it has anything to do with signal.
Flash the latest T-Mobile update and then see it perform as you'd expect.
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MattMJB0188 said:
How so? Would it be the same as flashing a T-Mobile modem?
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Well i was looking to this this with my t mobile s5 with no luck. like another guy said, in good signal areas signal doesnt change but i am in a bad signal area a lot and my phone jst doesnt switch frequecies like it should. I been using att on t mobile phones for a while and installing the att modem but with this one im having some trouble. i have the att modem.bin but when flashing it i get a bootloader response error
You're lucky to get an error and the bin file didn't flash! Please read and search more. There are many threads on xda about similar attempt types. Device-specific modem files cannot and should not be flashed on other devices. They are hardware specific and will cause your phone to stop working if you manage to get it to flash.
Setting up ATT APN settings will suffice for those using att Sim in a sm-g900t.
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA Free mobile app
Commodore 64 said:
You're lucky to get an error and the bin file didn't flash! Please read and search more. There are many threads on xda about similar attempt types. Device-specific modem files cannot and should not be flashed on other devices. They are hardware specific and will cause your phone to stop working if you manage to get it to flash.
Setting up ATT APN settings will suffice for those using att Sim in a sm-g900t.
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA Free mobile app
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Yes i realize the risk, and I'm actually not too worried about them. I don't at all think the phone will stop working, however I still can't get the modem on here anyway. I have tried the tar, and bin with no luck. If anybody is willing to put something together I'm willing to test it out. Fortunately in my line of work, it wouldn't be a big deal to get another S5.
---------- Post added at 08:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:03 AM ----------
Jtrain88 said:
Yes i realize the risk, and I'm actually not too worried about them. I don't at all think the phone will stop working, however I still can't get the modem on here anyway. I have tried the tar, and bin with no luck. If anybody is willing to put something together I'm willing to test it out. Fortunately in my line of work, it wouldn't be a big deal to get another S5.
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Commodore 64 said:
You're lucky to get an error and the bin file didn't flash! Please read and search more. There are many threads on xda about similar attempt types. Device-specific modem files cannot and should not be flashed on other devices. They are hardware specific and will cause your phone to stop working if you manage to get it to flash.
Setting up ATT APN settings will suffice for those using att Sim in a sm-g900t.
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA Free mobile app
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I have made all the proper backups. Not to mention I'm not a noob to this, having built a few Roms myself.
Jtrain88 said:
Yes i realize the risk, and I'm actually not too worried about them. I don't at all think the phone will stop working, however I still can't get the modem on here anyway. I have tried the tar, and bin with no luck. If anybody is willing to put something together I'm willing to test it out. Fortunately in my line of work, it wouldn't be a big deal to get another S5.
---------- Post added at 08:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:03 AM ----------
have made all the proper backups. Not to mention I'm not a noob to this, having built a few Roms myself.
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If it's not taking in Odin, then I really don't think its going to work. Odin is like the master of all things Samsung for end users. The S5 has a lot of tampering prevention measurements made by Samsung. It wouldn't surprise me if the bootloader is doing a reference check with the modem to see if the modem matches the bootloader.
Also, I wouldn't go about flashing full ATT tar files to the T-Mobile S5. The partition tables are now different in the Galaxy S5 variants when in previous models they were the same. So flashing the ATT full tar could lead to your download mode being wiped.
What exactly is your problem? When you say "not switching frequencies" what exactly do you mean? Like going from LTE to HSPA+ or HSPA+ to LTE etc.
I have created an xposed module for myself that allows me to quickly switch my network preference at ease using a widget. I may share that once I tidy it up a bit. If your issue is being able to switch between HSPA+ LTE 2G etc then the widget should help you. I only use it to force 4G when in a low 4G environment or to force LTE when in low LTE environment.
BTW: What line of work do you do that you can simply get another S5? I'm jealous
elesbb said:
If it's not taking in Odin, then I really don't think its going to work. Odin is like the master of all things Samsung for end users. The S5 has a lot of tampering prevention measurements made by Samsung. It wouldn't surprise me if the bootloader is doing a reference check with the modem to see if the modem matches the bootloader.
Also, I wouldn't go about flashing full ATT tar files to the T-Mobile S5. The partition tables are now different in the Galaxy S5 variants when in previous models they were the same. So flashing the ATT full tar could lead to your download mode being wiped.
What exactly is your problem? When you say "not switching frequencies" what exactly do you mean? Like going from LTE to HSPA+ or HSPA+ to LTE etc.
I have created an xposed module for myself that allows me to quickly switch my network preference at ease using a widget. I may share that once I tidy it up a bit. If your issue is being able to switch between HSPA+ LTE 2G etc then the widget should help you. I only use it to force 4G when in a low 4G environment or to force LTE when in low LTE environment.
BTW: What line of work do you do that you can simply get another S5? I'm jealous
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Yes I definitely wouldn't go as far as flashing att tar.... And sometimes when I lose signal it takes a heck of a lot longer to gain it back ad t mobile basebands as opposed to art ones. I get another phone about every month and a half to two months so I've definitely tested around on and and also yes when it switches from lte to hspa+ etc it doesn't switch it like any att phone I've had. Takes longer.
And as far as my line of work goes I just mean that I would be able to afford another one if this one broke.
Jtrain88 said:
Yes I definitely wouldn't go as far as flashing att tar.... And sometimes when I lose signal it takes a heck of a lot longer to gain it back ad t mobile basebands as opposed to art ones. I get another phone about every month and a half to two months so I've definitely tested around on and and also yes when it switches from lte to hspa+ etc it doesn't switch it like any att phone I've had. Takes longer.
And as far as my line of work goes I just mean that I would be able to afford another one if this one broke.
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Might be taking longer due to the different radios. Weird though cause if it has an ATT sim and ATT APN configuration, it shouldn't have any delay and function like an ATT phone.
And yeah I'm jealous you can afford a new one if you broke this one takes me a year to save up in order to buy my next upgrade.
I'm sorry if this has been asked before, and if so i haven't been able to find it. This may seem like a stupid question, but I'm still pretty new to unlocking and rooting, ect. Now my question is, since the Sprint Galaxy S5 already has gsm network capabilities, why wouldn't it be possible to just download a different radio, and install that to unlock it for domestic gsm networks? I am asking because i have a Sprint S5 that i would like to use with T-mobile.
It might be that way if such an universal radio existed. But it doesn't. So moot point.
Interestingly, the S5 hardware is almost certainly capable of operating on all GSM and LTE bands. But artificial firmware limitations restrict your handset to only the frequencies that Sprint uses, plus a bare minimum of the most popular roaming bands.
Moreover, the Sprint version of the S5 is arguably the most restrictive variant. It simply isn't going to work on most TMB bands. You might find a NV hack to add a single AWS band. But in practical terms it won't work well on TMB.
Samsung and carriers structure it this way deliberately to discourge you from changing carriers. And to make it more likely that you need to buy a new phone if you do.
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Ok, I was really mainly just curious, like I said I am new to this kind of thing, thanks for your response. I guess I will just wait to see if someone manages to domestically unlock it and post it, and then Ill give it a shot and see how well it works. I mainly use wifi at home for anything with the internet and downloads, I just need to get it to work for calls and texts.
kyleliamharris said:
I'm sorry if this has been asked before, and if so i haven't been able to find it. This may seem like a stupid question, but I'm still pretty new to unlocking and rooting, ect. Now my question is, since the Sprint Galaxy S5 already has gsm network capabilities, why wouldn't it be possible to just download a different radio, and install that to unlock it for domestic gsm networks? I am asking because i have a Sprint S5 that i would like to use with T-mobile.
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It used to be that easy. Things have become quite more difficult with secured bootloaders and verification checks. I think a lot of the international unlock voodoo lies in the NV items for Sprint devices. Unlocking it domestically can be done almost the exact same way as the L720 HOWEVER you will ONLY be domestically unlocked AFTER you internationally unlock it. If you domestic unlock first you'll have wasted your time.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using XDA Free mobile app
Does anyone out there have the IMAN i3 from China working with AT&T? We were able to get the phone working with voice/text with no issues, but the data will not flow. Not really sure what the problem is. We've tried manually programming the APN to get it to work and it doesn't seem to help. Any advice would be great. Even if it's an APN you know works. Thanks guys!
According to the specs of the phone, it will not get 3G here in the US. It is odd that Edge isn't working though. I'm assuming you did make sure that data is enabled? (sorry, but it's been known to happen...) The tricky thing is that there are a handful of different APN configurations out there and some work better on certain devices and/or updates than others and maybe even location dependent for some. Check out this thread to see what I mean:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2172110
I would try some of those and see what happens...
es0tericcha0s said:
According to the specs of the phone, it will not get 3G here in the US. It is odd that Edge isn't working though. I'm assuming you did make sure that data is enabled? (sorry, but it's been known to happen...) The tricky thing is that there are a handful of different APN configurations out there and some work better on certain devices and/or updates than others and maybe even location dependent for some. Check out this thread to see what I mean:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2172110
I would try some of those and see what happens...
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Yeah, data was enabled. I even swapped out with a T-Mobile SIM, which at least get Edge service, and it worked. I tried a few different APN configurations and it finally at least got Edge. That sucks we can't get 3G though. I take it that this is going to be the case for most phones coming out of China?
ljzrelak said:
Yeah, data was enabled. I even swapped out with a T-Mobile SIM, which at least get Edge service, and it worked. I tried a few different APN configurations and it finally at least got Edge. That sucks we can't get 3G though. I take it that this is going to be the case for most phones coming out of China?
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Yes. As they use different bands for data then in the states.
zelendel said:
Yes. As they use different bands for data then in the states.
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True, but there are plenty of Chinese companies that have expanded their offerings to include phones that can get HSPA here.
OP: When you are searching for phones, the main thing you need to check for for data compatibility is that the phone uses the 1900 Mhz freq for WCDMA or HSPA. Pretty much every phone will say that it uses 1900, but you have to check to see if it is only listed for 1900 under GSM (which will be the 2g or Edge data) or if it's listed there and for 3g/WCDMA/HSPA/UMTS (these are often used interchangeably on many sites).
Take for instance, the lineup of phones from the company BLU (they rebadge some Chinese phones to sell in North and South America and add a few of their own touches). They have 2 series for each line of phones - one ending in "i" and one in "a". Same phone, just have different data bands enabled. "i" is for International and "a" is sold in the States and gets our type of 3g.
ljzrelak said:
Does anyone out there have the IMAN i3 from China working with AT&T? We were able to get the phone working with voice/text with no issues, but the data will not flow. Not really sure what the problem is. We've tried manually programming the APN to get it to work and it doesn't seem to help. Any advice would be great. Even if it's an APN you know works. Thanks guys!
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Hi friend! do u have stock firmware? I need very much!