Database Info

Sadly giving up on 4G for now...

I got the phone on day one. The first thing I noticed as I looked at the phone as I walked out the door to my car was the 4g icon. Yay, I am on 4g! Wait, where did the icon go? It's pretty much been that way since I have had it. I keep it on Wifi at home. To put it on 4g, pretty much kills having a MOBILE smartphone. Data is the lifeblood of a smartphone and if it is not there, what's the point.
I have tried every single fix read here (and other forums). Including:
Rev A fix
Hard Reset
Pulling Battery and Sim card and placing back in
I have tried everything but take the phone back and complaining (rooted it).
Per the Verizon coverage map, I am (my house) in a 4g area. On the map, they ask for your address and it say's "I am covered" for 4g. I will note there are a few pockets on the map near my home that is 4g extended. I had been thinking it's just my area. As I would drive around, it would seem to lock onto 4g. But lately, no matter where I go, 4g goes in and out.
When the 4g goes in and out, it is killing all data. It's not like it quickly finds the 3g and resumes data transfer, it just stops. Goes to 1x after a while mostley.
So where I am at right now is that I have forced 3g (using Phone Info app) and now can get reliable mobile data.
Should I be patience with the network and wait it out or should I take this back and ***** (possibly being the device itself)? When does one suppose a possible software fix will be put out for the Thunderbolt?

Hey Man,
I read your post and I am a little confused. In summary is your issue that you dont have great 4G coverage by your house and 3G isnt picking up when 4g drops off?
If thats the case I know you said you tried the Rev A fix but just to double check did you:
Use the ##778# menu (hit call after ##778#)-->password is 000000-->modem settings-->Rev A-->choose enable-->hit the menu button on the tbolt and commit changes
Also have you had verizon try to swap out your sim card and/or called them up and made sure your current sim card is provisioned correctly? If both of these are the case and you tried all the other standard stuff I would go get the phone swapped out for another new device before your time runs out. I had the same problem and the Rev A fix did it for me.
jvward

What city are you in?

psufan5 said:
What city are you in?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cincinnati area. Northern suburb. Close to towers and major highways.

Maybe return it and get a new TB?
I didn't have 4G in my home although Verizon's little "insert address" said I would. When I called, however, they said that I was on the border and it's a tough call for now.
When I started driving around to different areas, however, it picked up 4G signal just fine. When driving back into a 3G area it switched with no issue.

psufan5 said:
What city are you in?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And thats the right question to ask.
My 4G, in Los Angeles, is amazing. But Verizon is just starting to get 4G up and running in many cities right now, cant expect to have great coverage for many more months.

jvward said:
Hey Man,
I read your post and I am a little confused. In summary is your issue that you dont have great 4G coverage by your house and 3G isnt picking up when 4g drops off?
jvward
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When the 4g drops, data stops. No icon. Sometimes 3g shows up. Mostly 1x. Lately, nothing. No icon, no data.

jawa5636 said:
Cincinnati area. Northern suburb. Close to towers and major highways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in northern Cincinnati too. Contact me before you do anything.
Hey, I have had problems too. I work in the Tri-county area and have GREAT 4G coverage. If you look at the 4G map I am right on the cusp (Maineville) of coverage. In my house, it will rotate between 4g/3g/1x constantly. I downloaded the "LTE OnOFF" app from TeamAndIRC and will toggle 3G only when I'm at home. For some reason I STILL HAVE TO DO THIS even though I'm using wi-fi 100%. When I get to work I toggle to 4G. Doing this, my battery life is exceptional. Before I figured it out I was draining my battery overnight every night. I don't know why the wi-fi requires that 3G only be on but it works.

Almost, but hanging on by a thread....
I am new to Verizon and I picked this up the day after launch. My two weeks are up. I am not in the 4G area (home), but spend most of my waking moment in a 4G area (work). While the phone itself doesn't have a hard time switching between networks on the handheld (I've watched it go from 3 to 4G while driving, I can almost pinpoint the switching area), it does have a hard time when in WiFi Hotspot Mode.
Here's what I mean. I'll be on wireless tether in a 4G zone and then without notice, the phone reports (via Hotspot App) that there is no mobile network ready and there is no data connection icon on the top menu bar. My Xoom is much more reliable on maintaining a connection (3G of course).
This is my only complaint about the 4G network, but it's a small one. The handheld itself is wonderful. I'm keeping both for now.
Check out my speed test on WiFi tether.

Verizon confirmed on the phone with me that there is in fact a bug in HTCs software switching from 4G to 3G when coverage drops. It should be fixed... In the mean time make sure you are using an app from the market to switch to 3G only unless you need 4G.
Other than that, just return it and wait for something else.

ridobe said:
I'm in northern Cincinnati too. Contact me before you do anything.
Hey, I have had problems too. I work in the Tri-county area and have GREAT 4G coverage. If you look at the 4G map I am right on the cusp (Maineville) of coverage. In my house, it will rotate between 4g/3g/1x constantly. I downloaded the "LTE OnOFF" app from TeamAndIRC and will toggle 3G only when I'm at home. For some reason I STILL HAVE TO DO THIS even though I'm using wi-fi 100%. When I get to work I toggle to 4G. Doing this, my battery life is exceptional. Before I figured it out I was draining my battery overnight every night. I don't know why the wi-fi requires that 3G only be on but it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL. I live straight down 747 in Liberty Twp. (few miles up from Beckett Ridge). Driving around would get me a better connection (4g) at first but lately, as I drive around, it's all over the board. Most the time there is no data icon. I have another app (Phone Info) that has a toggle.
It gets frustrating in that I don't know if the issue is the phone, network or both. Hard to troubleshoot. I suppose I should mosey on down to the mall for anything and see what kind of 4g I get.

I am in almost the same situation as the OP, I have 4G everywhere but my home which I have confirmed with VZW is in a 4G coverage area, not an extended coverage area either. I have narrowed it down to my street exactly. Right after I turn down imy street I lose 4G.
I then once I am home and no I don't mean indoors just at my house I frequently go between nothing, 1x, and 3G(Very Weak) with sporadic data. Will not get 4G back unless I drive around. This is my second device, and second trouble ticket with VZW this time giving more detailed information.
I have also tried every possible solution but unfortunately switching to Rev. A is not a "solution" for me as I am in a 4G area and if I wanted 3G I probably would have just kept my Droid X.
I sure hope this bug if it is one in the software will be fixed with an update or VZW can sort it out if it is my network.

ridobe said:
I'm in northern Cincinnati too. Contact me before you do anything.
Hey, I have had problems too. I work in the Tri-county area and have GREAT 4G coverage. If you look at the 4G map I am right on the cusp (Maineville) of coverage. In my house, it will rotate between 4g/3g/1x constantly. I downloaded the "LTE OnOFF" app from TeamAndIRC and will toggle 3G only when I'm at home. For some reason I STILL HAVE TO DO THIS even though I'm using wi-fi 100%. When I get to work I toggle to 4G. Doing this, my battery life is exceptional. Before I figured it out I was draining my battery overnight every night. I don't know why the wi-fi requires that 3G only be on but it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Update:
Per my experience yesterday, if you are within the 275 loop, you are golden. Once I hit West Chester/Beckett Ridge, LTE started dropping. At my house, it is almost non-existent.

SERIOUS network issues

So I have seen other people with network issues about the phone switching from 3G to 4G and so on and I had some of them but never to this extent.
Normally my house is on the fringe of 4G so my phone will usually stay on 3G most of the time. Yesterday while I was at home I was getting 4G, strong 4G and I was pretty happy about this. When I left and went into a 3G area I no longer get 3G, at all. But when I go back into a 4G area I get it just fine, and im at work right now and have perfect 3G on my galaxy tab but no data at all on my charge, not even 1X. Has anyone else experienced this? I have tried forcing 3G only but nothing happens, its as if somehow my phone is only allowing 4G.....
BTW im on stock EE4 not rooted or anything
EDIT: Forgot to mention that I have had a problem in the past where it wouldnt pick up any network, so I would reboot and all would be well. I have rebooted countless times and it doesnt fix anything....

Its your sim card 100%. Get a new one.

I have my phone forced to 3g as there isn't any 4G around here and several times a day it will just drop 3g for 5-10 minutes for no reason at all. I still have good service but drops the data.
I don't have any solutions, but you're not alone!
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA Premium App

Ok I think ill go to verizon today to get a new sim card. Its been over 24 hours and now it has stopped connecting to 4G as well, I just went out to lunch to test it. Hopefully this will help!

Anyone having issues with signal constantly dropping to 2G?

My wife just upgraded from the MyTouch Slide 3G to the Slide 4G. The 4G is constantly dropping to 2G so obviously the data speeds are terrible. Her Slide 3G usually always stayed in 3G in the same areas the 4G is now dropping. Anyone else experiencing this?

Did experience something like this at a friend's house.

Sounds like the problem that the one of the reviewers of the Sidekick 4G was having (ping-ponging between 4G and 2G). Not everyone was having that problem in the wild, though. Could be a coincidence that two recent physical keyboard-based 4G phones are having trouble holding their T-Mobile HSPA+ connections and skipping the 3G alternative, though it could be a bug with T-Mobile's HSPA+ at the tower or phone level. I don't know know the protocol rules on the handoff between 3G and HSPA+. Some reviewers have reported lower data rates than expected with the Slide. The Sensation supposedly has a death grip issue, so maybe there's a variation of that with the Slide (due to a different landscape hand position using the physical keyboard) resulting in 2G connections. Could be temporary capacity issues with your wife's local 3G/4G towers. Is this a constant problem or worse at different times of the day? I remember a few years back reading a report on 3G mobile streaming usage experiments in Europe that it only took like 8 people streaming on the same tower to saturate the tower's 3G capacity. Of course, the number should be higher with HSPA+, but just wanted to point out it is possible for a tower to get overloaded. Keep us posted. This is the kind of stuff that will determine whether I get the Slide and stay with T-Mobile.

I'm in MD and I'm constantly having this issue in my apartment. One minute I have 4g and the next I have 2g and it wont switch back until I restart the phone. I wont even be holding it and i see the issue. Dunno, at least I have 14 days to bring it back.

Had same issue with my sensation. Try going into settings and switching to just wcdma as opposed to it picking between gsm/wcdma. It is under wireless and mobile settings. That is assuming you are in a good 4g area. It will not show 3g
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA Premium App

Well i saw this happening on the 1st floor of my house. But it was in a hallway away from the windows. but when i moved it came back to 4g and stays there. I think it has do more with the tower and whats available in your area.

Should I ever see 3G on the phone? Currently it is only ever in 4G or 2G. I notice the manual mentions 3G also though. I was assuming it always said 4G even if it was really 3G, but now I'm not sure. Has anyone seen 3G at all for their signal? I'm wondering if there is a setting wrong on the phone.

For those of you that don't have the network settings, go to the market and download an app called Network, it's free. Scroll down to set preferred network type and chose WCDMA only.

Randomocity812 said:
I'm in MD and I'm constantly having this issue in my apartment. One minute I have 4g and the next I have 2g and it wont switch back until I restart the phone. I wont even be holding it and i see the issue. Dunno, at least I have 14 days to bring it back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This issue is the phone itself. This is a verry buggy phone. Coming from a family g1 plan and were very excited but these phones have issues. Cant wait for root. Neways i know the 2g issue is that it gets stuck and u have to reboot. For ex. I tested in cordelane ID in near costco. Full 4g bars. Had 2 mt4gs's. One phone was in 4g and the other was stuck. I tried the old g1 trick they had in the beginning switching in and out of airplane mode. Did not work. Rebooted and it worked fine. Many other issues like all the time on both phones the widgets get stuck. U must slide to next screen than go back and widget works. Like i said i have 2 phones so i can troubleshoot and feel confident its not a glitch with a particular phone, etc. These phones suck.

How do I disable H+ for 3G only?

Really annoying when it switches from H+ to 3G and vice versa since it loses connection whenever it does.

Printerscape said:
Really annoying when it switches from H+ to 3G and vice versa since it loses connection whenever it does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what do you want to happen instead? I'm not sure why its annoying, it's something that the phone should do since its an indication of what network you're on. Whether your stock or rooted that would happen. I guess you can just open up the ROM you're using and just turn the 3G symbol into the H symbol or turn the H symbol into the 3G symbol. I'm not sure if that's gonna work though but worth a shot.

MMM-BACONSTRIPS said:
So what do you want to happen instead? I'm not sure why its annoying, it's something that the phone should do since its an indication of what network you're on. Whether your stock or rooted that would happen. I guess you can just open up the ROM you're using and just turn the 3G symbol into the H symbol or turn the H symbol into the 3G symbol. I'm not sure if that's gonna work though but worth a shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is annoying to some people because they are in an area where they are picking up two different towers and it is switching between towers, which means dropped calls. This is usually a problem if you are in a marginal area. This is what would be happening to me at home if I didn't have my microcell. The ideal fix for this, without the microcell, would be to be able to lock on to the the tower that is providing the 3G signal.
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using Tapatalk

fernandezhjr said:
It is annoying to some people because they are in an area where they are picking up two different towers and it is switching between towers, which means dropped calls. This is usually a problem if you are in a marginal area. This is what would be happening to me at home if I didn't have my microcell. The ideal fix for this, without the microcell, would be to be able to lock on to the the tower that is providing the 3G signal.
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What (s)he said. Also disconnects and stops videos I'm streaming, forcing me to begin at the beginning. Would prefer to just stick with the more widely available 3G.

fernandezhjr said:
It is annoying to some people because they are in an area where they are picking up two different towers and it is switching between towers, which means dropped calls. This is usually a problem if you are in a marginal area. This is what would be happening to me at home if I didn't have my microcell. The ideal fix for this, without the microcell, would be to be able to lock on to the the tower that is providing the 3G signal.
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You just really like to poke holes or come at me don't you? Annoying, okay fine. I see how that can be annoying for those in marginals areas, to each their own. I'm more of a function over form type of guy and when it comes down to it, I'd rather just deal with the switching to know what network I'm on rather then changing icons or disabling it from showing the change in networks. Again to each their own which is why I offered my help. You're right, locking on to only the cell tower with 3G would be ideal but without said microcell, I think the OP is SOL for now.
Again, to the OP and to answer his questions, I don't know of anyway to prevent the change. I don't know of anyway to keep just 3G on or turn off 4G so it doesn't change so much. Like I said, I think the work around here would be to just change icons so that even if it does switch you'll only see one icon and thus eliminating the change in the status bar. If that works, you can always check the network in the about phone section.

by default it will latch onto 4g even if its a weaker (but usable signal) im trying to find the build.prop setting that will make it pick the stronger signal over speed. i remember seeing that before.
i believe
ro.ril.hsxpa=2 should put it to 3g. i have no signal where i work so i cant test. backup, change it, reboot and see.

Darunion said:
by default it will latch onto 4g even if its a weaker (but usable signal) im trying to find the build.prop setting that will make it pick the stronger signal over speed. i remember seeing that before.
i believe
ro.ril.hsxpa=2 should put it to 3g. i have no signal where i work so i cant test. backup, change it, reboot and see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give this a whirl, completely forgot about the build.prop..since being on Abso I haven't had to mess with it in a while, I'll give this a whirl and let the OP know. Thanks Dar!
edit: just tried it, still sticking on H for me, but I believe it may be because of where I am located. I get 4G speeds/signal so it rarely needs to bounce to 3G, hope the OP can test this out.

as a super noob i was playing around in there not knowing what i was doing, and completely made it lock me to 3g/2g mode and i was rather upset lol.
thanks bacon!
---------- Post added at 10:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:49 AM ----------
heres a good read
http://forum.smartphonegeeks.in/index.php?topic=2414.0
edit: OP is using an older radio too i see, might be worth going to 26.10.04.03_M, IMO has worked perfect for any rom ive used even ics roms.

MMM-BACONSTRIPS said:
You just really like to poke holes or come at me don't you? Annoying, okay fine. I see how that can be annoying for those in marginals areas, to each their own. I'm more of a function over form type of guy and when it comes down to it, I'd rather just deal with the switching to know what network I'm on rather then changing icons or disabling it from showing the change in networks. Again to each their own which is why I offered my help. You're right, locking on to only the cell tower with 3G would be ideal but without said microcell, I think the OP is SOL for now.
Again, to the OP and to answer his questions, I don't know of anyway to prevent the change. I don't know of anyway to keep just 3G on or turn off 4G so it doesn't change so much. Like I said, I think the work around here would be to just change icons so that even if it does switch you'll only see one icon and thus eliminating the change in the status bar. If that works, you can always check the network in the about phone section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just giving info bro, especially since I have first hand experience with this. It was a problem for me even when it was switching between 3G and Edge, which is what prompted me to get the microcell. Not everyone's situation will be the same as yours. If you feel like that is poking holes, then so be it, but the holes already exist because of this. No poking needed. The icons displayed are really meaningless in comparison to the actual signal. If you were experiencing the constant drop calls, I feel you would think differently. The phone is switching due to the cellular signal, the data just switches along with. It would be more useful if the op could lock to a specific tower. This is why the microcell works. It is the strongest cell signal near the phone, so the phone stays locked to it as long as you are in the proper range.
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using Tapatalk

fernandezhjr said:
Just giving info bro, especially since I have first hand experience with this. It was a problem for me even when it was switching between 3G and Edge, which is what prompted me to get the microcell. Not everyone's situation will be the same as yours. If you feel like that is poking holes, then so be it, but the holes already exist because of this. No poking needed. The icons displayed are really meaningless in comparison to the actual signal. If you were experiencing the constant drop calls, I feel you would think differently. The phone is switching due to the cellular signal, the data just switches along with. It would be more useful if the op could lock to a specific tower. This is why the microcell works. It is the strongest cell signal near the phone, so the phone stays locked to it as long as you are in the proper range.
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im goin a lil offtopic, but i need more feedback to continue helping. anyways, how do you like the microcell? i been contemplating getting one where as if i sit down in my apartment i lose my calls and some rooms i get nothing. its annoying.

@ Darunion....I have had my microcell for a year and a half now and, while it has not worked flawless, it has worked good enough to be able to get rid of my home phone. I still get an occasional dropped call, but at least the cell phones in my home have been usable since getting it. I do recommend it in those really tough situations where there is lack of even a decent signal in one's area.
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using Tapatalk

fernandezhjr said:
@ Darunion....I have had my microcell for a year and a half now and, while it has not worked flawless, it has worked good enough to be able to get rid of my home phone. I still get an occasional dropped call, but at least the cell phones in my home have been usable since getting it. I do recommend it in those really tough situations where there is lack of even a decent signal in one's area.
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think that may be my next buy. tired of having to sit next to a window to even send a text. lol

Oh having it swap between signals will be a huge battery drain as it is always bouncing back and forth. There is an Something somewhere that should be able to stop it from trying to connect to the 3.5g network. ATT has no 4g. A seach will tell you what you want to know.

Verizon GS3 4g Connection Issues

Have any Verizon Wireless Galaxy S 3 users (besides myself) noticed the following symptoms:
1) Phone doesn't connect to 4g LTE until approximately 15 minutes later (even in an excellant 4g coverage area)
2) Phone connects to 4g LTE then disconnects approximately 15 minutes later and drops to 3g (even in excellent 4g coverage area).
3) Phone shows 4g LTE connection, but no data can be transmitted/received (tested with speedtest and a google search in the browser). This one is particularly bad, as there is currently no way I am aware of to turn off the 4g radio)
I've spoken with VZW technical support and they want me to replace the phone to see if things get better. I'm not quite sure it's a hardware problem.

mybook4 said:
Have any Verizon Wireless Galaxy S 3 users (besides myself) noticed the following symptoms:
1) Phone doesn't connect to 4g LTE until approximately 15 minutes later (even in an excellant 4g coverage area)
2) Phone connects to 4g LTE then disconnects approximately 15 minutes later and drops to 3g (even in excellent 4g coverage area).
3) Phone shows 4g LTE connection, but no data can be transmitted/received (tested with speedtest and a google search in the browser). This one is particularly bad, as there is currently no way I am aware of to turn off the 4g radio)
I've spoken with VZW technical support and they want me to replace the phone to see if things get better. I'm not quite sure it's a hardware problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know this sounds ridiculous to do with brand new phone but here is the truth. They factory flash those bad boys using octopuss strand array cables with one machine and sometimes they receive a bad flash from the factory. Try the following steps
1. Go to options>settings>mobile and wireless networks>mobile networks>toggle mobile network on and off. (is it acting better?) No? then..
2. Factory data reset the phone. (is it acting better now?) No? then..
3. Using odin reflash the stock ROM (is it acting bettery now?) No? then take it back.... your phone is officially broken.

mybook4 said:
Have any Verizon Wireless Galaxy S 3 users (besides myself) noticed the following symptoms:
1) Phone doesn't connect to 4g LTE until approximately 15 minutes later (even in an excellant 4g coverage area)
2) Phone connects to 4g LTE then disconnects approximately 15 minutes later and drops to 3g (even in excellent 4g coverage area).
3) Phone shows 4g LTE connection, but no data can be transmitted/received (tested with speedtest and a google search in the browser). This one is particularly bad, as there is currently no way I am aware of to turn off the 4g radio)
I've spoken with VZW technical support and they want me to replace the phone to see if things get better. I'm not quite sure it's a hardware problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you should search before posting, maybe someone else is having problems. maybe theres info that could help you.....

das7982 said:
I know this sounds ridiculous to do with brand new phone but here is the truth. They factory flash those bad boys using octopuss strand array cables with one machine and sometimes they receive a bad flash from the factory. Try the following steps
1. Go to options>settings>mobile and wireless networks>mobile networks>toggle mobile network on and off. (is it acting better?) No? then..
2. Factory data reset the phone. (is it acting better now?) No? then..
3. Using odin reflash the stock ROM (is it acting bettery now?) No? then take it back.... your phone is officially broken.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much for the tips. I searched prior to posting.There has been another post after mine with someone talking about similar issues.
Tried number 1 and 2. No dice.
I'm hesitant with 3 (although I've flashed/odined many times in the fascinate). Will refreshing stock up the flash counter? I may just swap out the phone in store. This would at least give me an account history showing issues.
When I have new info, I'll reply.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

i posted well before your thread, but in short......theres an update being pushed that addresses 4g issues

Very cool. Thanks.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

tillithz said:
i posted well before your thread, but in short......theres an update being pushed that addresses 4g issues
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really hope this update doesn't effect the kexec work that is already underway

Verizon LTE is fast but...
It sucks at connecting and at staying connected. My HTC Thunderbolt did this, my Droid Bionic does this, and my co-workers Razr does this. LTE is fast when it actually works properly.

I'm not able conenct to 3g or 4g. Without Wifi I'm getting no data services.

As promised, I have an update. I went to the VZW store and they swapped out my SIM card. No change. The same issues I described in the OP were encountered.
I've performed the following testing to help determine if my specific phone had an issue or whether it was just the LTE service in the area. This isn't the most extensive or scientific test, just a quick and dirty test.
The procedure was as follows:
-Compare phone signal strength in Settings -> About Device -> Status (within phones approximately 5 feet of each other)
-Compare speed test results using the SpeedTest.net app
My office:
1 person in my office also has a vzw galaxy s III. We are running the same stock system.img (I535VRALF2).
- On average, his signal strength was -88dbm, mine was -84dbm. Definitely within normal range for a decent LTE signal.
- His speed test results were similar to mine (within 10% for each direction)
1 person in my office has a Droid Razr (non MAXX) running ICS (important as ICS measures signal strength differently than GB).
- On average, his signal strenth was -95dbm, mine was -91dbm.
- His speed test results were very different than mine:
GSIII - 66ms ping, 8.5MBit down, 12.2MBit up
Razr - 61ms ping, 18.9MBit down, 9.1MBit up
A friend's house:
My friend also has a vzw galaxy s III. We are running the same stock system.img (I535VRALF2).
- On average, his signal strength was -104dbm, mine was also -104dbm. A fairly poor LTE signal.
- Our speed test results were similar (approx 4MBit down, upload was intermittent (would sometimes stall out) approx 0.5Mbit up)
VZW lists 4g coverage as "Verizon LTE (non-extended)" in both areas.
Conclusion:
The difference I encountered between my GSIII and the Razr was alarming, but again, this wasn't the most scientific test (and anyone familiar with the speed test app will tell you that it's usually best to run it several times (unfortunately, I was pressed for time). Just wanted to get an idea of encountered differences.
I can second what tillithz heard about an update being released to address the 4g connection issues. I heard the info from a VZW store employee (so take that with a grain of salt).
I'll be keeping my eyes open for details on the rumored update (and wether or not it breaks our current root/CWM/custom boot.img flashing abilities).

das7982 said:
I know this sounds ridiculous to do with brand new phone but here is the truth. They factory flash those bad boys using octopuss strand array cables with one machine and sometimes they receive a bad flash from the factory. Try the following steps
1. Go to options>settings>mobile and wireless networks>mobile networks>toggle mobile network on and off. (is it acting better?) No? then..
2. Factory data reset the phone. (is it acting better now?) No? then..
3. Using odin reflash the stock ROM (is it acting bettery now?) No? then take it back.... your phone is officially broken.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel like a tard aadmitting this but I can't figure out how to do/find step one
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Sounds like the issues I had with 5 (not exaggerating) GNexs before I gave up on the phone. It was a hardware issue. Hopefully Samsung didn't let this issue slip to the GSIII
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Guys I seriously think it's a Verizon issue. I don't know one person with an VZW LTE device that doesn't have problems connecting.

I had a Korean GNex that never dropped 4G. I had 5 Chinese models that never held a signal at all (non-data included) for over ten minutes. For once I don't think it was Verizon.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Same issues
I have not done anything to my phone. It is still stock. While using Google Maps, it has managed to reboot 3 times on me. It has also managed to lose service two times while using Google Maps before rebooting with the "Searching for GPS" message. The night before I could NOT send SMS/MMS messages. Had to resort to Google Voice. Any thoughts would be great. I don't believe I have been holding it incorrectly as I have a BT headset. I'm randomly getting searching for services also. I don't think it's VZW with my Rezound, I would never lose WIFI, 4G, or calling service. Just wondering if anyone else is having this problem?

I am coming from the Incredible so I have never tried 4G at my house before but 3G has always been strong. I picked up my S3 last night and only 3G will connect. According to Verizon coverage maps I am solidly in a 4G area. Not sure what's going on.

Piss-off Verizon!
So I am having the same issue on mine and my wife's phone. Both pre-ordered in June and received on the 9th.
I stream music in my car while I drive to and from work an hour away. This is extremely annoying as I have to constantly fiddle with my phone to get the data connection back while I'm driving to get my music back.
I called Verizon twice and had the SIM swapped out on mine to test if it fixed it. It fixed one issue of signal strength, but not the dropping of connections. Here's my problems:
- Going from a 3G to a 4G area, signal drops out to unknown in the About Phone > Status page for about 30 seconds or more
- Sometimes it just stays at 3G and never switches
- Going from a 4G to a 3G area, signal drops out to unknown in the About Phone > Status page for about 30 seconds or more
- While it claims I have 4G, there are many times where I cannot get any data connection at all where Facebook says network connection error or speed test doesn't work at all and web pages won't load
- One issue fixed after the SIM swap was that under Settings > More Settings > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names it is now switching from EHRPD and LTE more often. Still not perfect, but I'm assuming that it stays in EHRPD mode when in an extended 4G coverage area (not sure about this) but before it wouldn't use the LTE option no matter what
Before the SIM swap my data connection dropped out completely in the middle of a city known to have great 4G coverage and would not come back no matter what I did (airplane mode on/off, mobile data off/on, phone reboot)
Software reset didn't fix any of these issues either.
Here is what I've decided about some of the issues they are having based on my experiences driving around so much. It seems as if the phone cannot negotiate with the towers correctly. It's as if it needs to drop the 3G connection before it can negotiate a 4G connection, hence the 30 seconds of no data at all, and same for going from 4G to 3G, it seems it can't negotiate without first dropping your current connection. 3G to 1X and back has no issues.
I know this is long, but I want it detailed as much as possible. I had gotten the Bionic when it first came out and it did the same thing, where I could never get a 4G connection when it was supposed to or go back once acquired. The main difference is that my Galaxy S III has WAY better battery life than the Bionic had. So they seemed to have cured the battery drain when searching for a 4G tower. I'm still pissed at Verizon stating I'm in a 4G area and then never getting that connection at home, let alone barely getting a 1x connection. My dBm levels are usually in the -95 to -104 area when at home...I'm in a 4G area now and it's at -112 with an asu of 28 while at home it's usually 1 asu. Hope this helps someone else out. I don't know if a phone swap is going to fix these issues.
Verizon has told me that they are looking at a software update sometime in September...I'll believe it when I see it. In the mean time I have 7 more days to decide to keep the phone with no Verizon tech knowing what they are doing or able to troubleshoot their way out of a brown paper bag.

I am getting a new phone shipped out to me tomorrow. I will let you know if the same thing happens or it is Verizon.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium

mybook4 said:
Have any Verizon Wireless Galaxy S 3 users (besides myself) noticed the following symptoms:
1) Phone doesn't connect to 4g LTE until approximately 15 minutes later (even in an excellant 4g coverage area)
2) Phone connects to 4g LTE then disconnects approximately 15 minutes later and drops to 3g (even in excellent 4g coverage area).
3) Phone shows 4g LTE connection, but no data can be transmitted/received (tested with speedtest and a google search in the browser). This one is particularly bad, as there is currently no way I am aware of to turn off the 4g radio)
I've spoken with VZW technical support and they want me to replace the phone to see if things get better. I'm not quite sure it's a hardware problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had symptoms comparable to these, 4G stopped working in areas where it should. It would occasionally go back to 4g, only to not actually transfer any data. My phone was fine before this, and has been fine ever since. In my case I believe flashing CM9 for a bit could have triggered my problems. I have no explanation for why my phone randomly started working properly again.
I'm doubtful that this is a hardware issue, and I am hoping future updates may address radio issues.

Just an fyi, I have talked to multiple Verizon reps and changed sim cards to get nowhere. I'm at the point where I'm about ready to return it for another phone to see if that helps.
Verizon claims this is not a well known issue or widespread. I beg to differ. If it isn't widespread, then it must be a defective unit imo. I also think I got a retarded rep, he tried to tell me updates come straight from the manufacturers and we should see an update soon after a phones release haha. I asked for examples of phone release dates and the date of the first update...He couldn't provide me with any. I then asked why the nexus got the 4.0.4 update 2 months after every other carrier and he stated, well sir we don't release the updates until they're tested. Ah, so you do control the updates!
Needless to say, I'm getting tired of this crap. I'll let you know how the replacement goes.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app