Database Info

a few questions

i have a few question. i just bought my sensation. i would like to know if tmobile is going to charge extra for 4g usage conserding im using a 3g sim card. i read somewhere that 4g phones have different plans.
2nd is tethering free on the sensation and if not is there a way to make free (rooting or something)
3rd is there a way to disable 4g to improve battery

ariel123 said:
i have a few question. i just bought my sensation. i would like to know if tmobile is going to charge extra for 4g usage conserding im using a 3g sim card. i read somewhere that 4g phones have different plans.
2nd is tethering free on the sensation and if not is there a way to make free (rooting or something)
3rd is there a way to disable 4g to improve battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should be able to stick with your current plan. That's what they did for me, and many other posters.
Are you actually seeing a 3G icon? What UL/DL speeds are you getting?
There's currently no way to disable 4G and force 3G. You can disable WCDMA, but that will force 2G only.

Tmobile's 4G is actually just 3G plus great marketing. You can disable 3G to help your battery but then you'd be down to just EDGE.

I am getting 4g service I was just wondering wether there was a 4g sim cand or something that would improve the spewed cause honestly its only a little faster. Also for some reason my Yahoo mail won't sync any sugggestions. And btw I'm loving this phoon coming from the hd7

xnifex said:
Tmobile's 4G is actually just 3G plus great marketing. You can disable 3G to help your battery but then you'd be down to just EDGE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, to clarify, are you saying there's no protocol difference between TMO's 3G and "4G"? Is the TMO 4G just an upgrade in speed of the same 3G data connection? Since it seems there are 4G SIMs, and the IMEI needs to be registered as 4G, and the phone needs special HW and SW for 4G, I was under the impression that TMO's 4G is actually a different protocol.
I understand TMO's 4G does not meet the speed definition of true 4G, but it could still be using a separate data format and protocol than 3G.

On my phone so I really can't provide all the links and stuff but tmobile's
4G is hspa+ which is 3G tech. You can research more about it if you want.
sent from HTC Sensation

[Q] Why does my Sensation only show 4G and 2G?

Hey guys,
I have a T-Mobile Sensation 4G and was wondering why does the phone only show 4G, 2G, and G as a my service? I used to have the Samsung Vibrant and I would get 3G, Edge, and G. Does this mean everytime there is no 4G I automatically go down to 2G? Does the Sensation not support 3G? Is there a way to change this?
Thanks for your help guys. Hoping to figure this out.

Mine does the same. It's perfectly normal too since t-mobile's "4G" is technically just a beefed up 3G which means you're connected to the same towers that you were before with your old phone. If you have 4G in your area it means that your 3G towers are your new 4G towers. So if you have no 4G then you literally have no 3G and with switch to 2G. Make sense?

snarestud940 said:
Hey guys,
I have a T-Mobile Sensation 4G and was wondering why does the phone only show 4G, 2G, and G as a my service? I used to have the Samsung Vibrant and I would get 3G, Edge, and G. Does this mean everytime there is no 4G I automatically go down to 2G? Does the Sensation not support 3G? Is there a way to change this?
Thanks for your help guys. Hoping to figure this out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me go a step further to describe/explain our new signal layout.
4G = 4G, H or 3G
2G = Edge
G = 1G, 1x
I hope that makes it a bit easier to understand,.

How to disable HSDPA on Nexus S

Any tips on disabling HSDPA on the stock Rom? I know the Galaxy S and S2 have a simple dial code menu to do this, however an easy way on the Nexus S still eludes me.
Thanks in advance.

Why not just tick the "Use 2G only" in wireless settings?

cabstrak said:
Why not just tick the "Use 2G only" in wireless settings?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I want to use 3G, just not HSDPA+

I'm dying to know why.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

matt2053 said:
I'm dying to know why.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There appears to be an issue with Samsung GS2 and Nexus S and my ISP, see: http://community.vodafone.com.au/t5...Galaxy-S-II-Internet-Problems/m-p/24265#M1553
I suspect the issue has to do with this "lock/test/switch" to hsdpa, and I would like to test that theory out

xyzulu said:
No, I want to use 3G, just not HSDPA+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus S doesn't have HSPA+...

You are right, disregard that +

I'm also interested in finding a way to disable HSPA on my Nexus S. For anyone who's interested in knowing why, it's because of a long-standing, infuriating and utterly ridiculous Android bug that supposedly leads to the watchdog service to think that the PDP context has gone down, causing it to ask for a new one. Naturally, the 3G network doesn't allow it, and all hell breaks loose.
How they manage to miss crap like this, I'll never know. The Android kernel source code in question even has a comment in it identifying it as a kludge.

xyzulu said:
You are right, disregard that +
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that's only partially true. NS caps at 7.2mb's while a myTouch 4G caps at 11.something. Anyways, they both still use the same HSPA+ network. My friends NS gets about 4-5mb's down, which is about the same that I get on my myTouch 4G in Los Angeles.
So I think the NS still gets HSPA+, it's just capped lower than TMO's 4G phones that's all.

mackster248 said:
I think that's only partially true. NS caps at 7.2mb's while a myTouch 4G caps at 11.something. Anyways, they both still use the same HSPA+ network. My friends NS gets about 4-5mb's down, which is about the same that I get on my myTouch 4G in Los Angeles.
So I think the NS still gets HSPA+, it's just capped lower than TMO's 4G phones that's all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the ns gets hspa not hspa+. it uses the hspa+ network, but is still hspa.

No offence, but how is any of this related to the issue at hand?

I think you have to disable the data connection altogether or go back to 2G

Unfortunately that's not an option. I still need a data connection, but my carrier has extremely poor 2G coverage in my area. I've read that it is possible to modify the build.prop file to disable HSPA while leaving 3G active, but as I understand it this requires your phone to be rooted. Can anyone clarify on this?

TeraByte911 said:
Unfortunately that's not an option. I still need a data connection, but my carrier has extremely poor 2G coverage in my area. I've read that it is possible to modify the build.prop file to disable HSPA while leaving 3G active, but as I understand it this requires your phone to be rooted. Can anyone clarify on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hspa is 3G

Have we not already had this debate? 3G is WCDMA, which is not HSPA. HSPA is 3.5G.

[Q] Sensation cant connect to 3g

Hello all,
I recently bought the HTC sensation with tmobile service. Im having a problem with the phone connecting to 3g service. It will connect to 4g then in the same location within my house it will drop to 2g. When i have 4g the signal strength is very low around 1 bar. I understand that it would go to a lower speed when it loses the connection but shouldn't it go to 3g before going to 2g? I used to have the HD2 (screen sensor broke) and it always had a strong 3g signal so i do have 3g coverage in my area. When the phone goes down to 2g it has full bars but as you probably know 2g is practically worthless when using the internet.
I talked to tmobile and they said the recent software update fixed some connectivity issues but after installing it, i still have the same problem and now tmobile is saying they dont have any further troubleshooting ideas. So i thought i would turn the the real experts at xda. Thanks in advance for your response!

I'm not even sure if the Sensation has a 3G option?

Nope only 4g and 2g buddy. 3g does happen but no icon for it. I know stupid!!!!!
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e

Yea that is stupid. How hard would it be to add that? Thanks for your help!

brentr678 said:
Yea that is stupid. How hard would it be to add that? Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well if you flash a euro rom you get an h for high speed and thats your 4g and a 3 thats 3 g and then an e for 2g i believe.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e

I guess its really not that big of a deal. I actually turned off the 2g capability so it always gets 4g. sometimes its only 1 bar but thats much better then 5 bars of 2g. I guess if i go outside the 4g range ill have to turn it back on but hopefully they will have an update when i do.

[Q] Is there a way to switch between 3G and 4G?

Hey is there a way to switch between using 3G and 4G? I know there is a use only 2G networks option but what about 3G/4G? Thanks

I don't think so...
To my understanding, T-Mobile uses the same network technology for both 3G and 4G (HSPA+) so turning off 4G would also turn off 3G. And if that isn't the case, it still wouldn't make sense to turn it off. It's only affect would be slower internet speeds. I could be wrong here though, lets see what the other posts say.

BioRivet said:
To my understanding, T-Mobile uses the same network technology for both 3G and 4G (HSPA+) so turning off 4G would also turn off 3G. And if that isn't the case, it still wouldn't make sense to turn it off. It's only affect would be slower internet speeds. I could be wrong here though, lets see what the other posts say.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're right BioRivit. Unlike the switch between 2G and 3G, which involved totally different frequencies and underlying technology, 4G is basically the same technology as 3G, except with a few modifications that allow a faster speed.

XD
andrewNY said:
I think you're right BioRivit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's been a long time since I last heard that... Lol

Ok thanks guys. I guess my real question was supppsed to be how do you tell if you are on tmobile's 3G or "4G". I feel like I've never seen a 3G icon in the status bar, only 4G. Thoughts?

T-Mobile uses the 3g network to transmit 4g. Unlike Verizon or Sprint which have a structural difference between 3g and 4g, T-Mobile is using the 3g network with data compression. This is how they expanded from 3g to 4g instantly, no change in network structure. You won't see 3g again if you have a 4g phone like the G2x. You can only use Edge (2g) or 4g. Hope that helps.

Alright thanks guys