Hi, I have an HTC Sensation. I live in Cleveland, OH, and went with a friend about 70 miles east towards Warren OH, mainly on Rt 422. He has Revol, which I assume is like Cricket, he had reception all the way. My service completely dropped about 15 miles east of Cleveland (South Russell - rural after that), with an X instead of any bars, till I got back about only 15 miles away again. I did get 1 bar off and on at Mosquito Lake where our cookout was, but only when right near the water, otherwise an X. I just looked up on T-Mo's website, and I should have had at least "good" to "moderate" service that whole trip. I just noticed under (Android) "Network Mode", my phone was set to "WCDMA Only". I thought this only affected data. Does this also affect voice range? I tried Googling, but couldn't really find an answer, except some sites saying WCDMA is better for rural areas, not what I really wanted to hear, given no rural reception on my phone. My other two choices are GSM Only, and GSM/WCDMA Auto, which I checked now. I don't know when I'll be out that way again, but that kind of worries me, as I just signed a new 2 year contract with T-Mo (for buying the Sensation), and I may be going out that way more, and have no service. Thanks.
WCDMA most certainly relates to voice as well as data. The only places I'd leave it on WCDMA only are metro areas and places where T-Mobile has indicated strong 4G/HSPA coverage, else always leave it on GSM/WCDMA auto or you'll be sorely lacking on reception.
T-Mobile uses WCDMA bands 1700/2100Mhz AWS for their 4G/HSPA, voice and data are combined regardless if you're on HSPA or GSM.
GSM bands are also much stronger and more effective at penetrating buildings and foliage. T-Mobile uses 850Mhz and 1900Mhz for GSM, also know as EDGE in data terms. This also means that if you happen upon an area where T-Mobile has a roaming agreement with At&t, you'll be able to get reception in those areas as well (e.g. T-Mobile has no coverage but At&t does, note this only applies in certain areas where AT&T has an agreement with T-Mobile)
EDGE/GSM is a 2G signal, so data speeds will be significantly slower in those areas. When you leave your device on GSM/WCDMA auto, it will select the optimal signal based in your location and reception quality and you'll see it change from 'H' or '4G' to 'E' often on your device.
This is normal, T-Mobile isn't going to invest HSPA in non-metropolitan areas.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
Thank you, TheMan42, I know now to keep it at the auto setting, as I only thought it affected data.
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A
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Has anyone successfully used a tri-band phone (specifically 900/1800/1900) on the Cingular AT&T network for long periods, and found all of the points below to be true?
1. Good phone (voice) coverage (Subjective yes, but I'm looking to know if not having 850Mhz causes considerable problems with voice quality and/or dropped calls).
2. No roaming charges due to your phone using the T-Mobile tower instead of an AT&T tower if for instance the T-Mo 1900 signal was stronger where you might be standing, than the signal coming from the nearest AT&T tower.
3. Ability to move about in a 200 mile radius and still not incur roaming charges. (In either case if you'd like to share your general location I would appreciate knowing.)
This is not about 850/1800/1900 tri-band phones. What I'm trying to learn is whether or not phones like the O2 Flame would work for me in the US on the AT&T network. And work well enough to provide good coverage without attaching to the T-Mobile towers on a regular basis.
I am not interested in data, just voice.
Thanks!
Tref said:
Has anyone successfully used a tri-band phone (specifically 900/1800/1900) on the Cingular AT&T network for long periods, and found all of the points below to be true?
1. Good phone (voice) coverage (Subjective yes, but I'm looking to know if not having 850Mhz causes considerable problems with voice quality and/or dropped calls).
2. No roaming charges due to your phone using the T-Mobile tower instead of an AT&T tower if for instance the T-Mo 1900 signal was stronger where you might be standing, than the signal coming from the nearest AT&T tower.
3. Ability to move about in a 200 mile radius and still not incur roaming charges. (In either case if you'd like to share your general location I would appreciate knowing.)
This is not about 850/1800/1900 tri-band phones. What I'm trying to learn is whether or not phones like the O2 Flame would work for me in the US on the AT&T network. And work well enough to provide good coverage without attaching to the T-Mobile towers on a regular basis.
I am not interested in data, just voice.
Thanks!
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Click to collapse
depends on where you are...
at some places with good coverage..you dont miss the 850 band
at others they have predominantly 850 towers..
i am not sure about roaming...though you can manually set the operator to at&t only
i'm in florida and both t-mobile and cingular service is crappy here
So how do you manually set it to at&t only? I've looked but have not found that option. If I could do that I might take a chance on buying an unlocked device.
Thanks
1) How can I tell if my phone is running on a 3.5G network? I am on T-Mobile in Virginia Beach, VA.
2) I know there are different bands out there for different carriers, so can I change to a band that can get me better 3G coverage? I have slooooow 3G coverage where I am right now.
Any help in the right direction would be awesome, and don't be afraid to dumb it down for me. I am getting pretty savvy on all this phone stuff, but bands still elude me.
Hi
until recently, 3.5G was known as HSPA7.2. If your device shows "H", then your device can use the HSPA (real) speeds.
If so, and your browsing is slow, then this is mainly due to saturation and low signal strength, but exists more factors.
To use another bands, you must change the service provider (and change your device). No manually way to do it.
Best regards
iusauser said:
Hi
until recently, 3.5G was known as HSPA7.2. If your device shows "H", then your device can use the HSPA (real) speeds.
If so, and your browsing is slow, then this is mainly due to saturation and low signal strength, but exists more factors.
To use another bands, you must change the service provider (and change your device). No manually way to do it.
Best regards
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Click to collapse
I recently visited Jacksonville Florida where my CM7 Rom showed me I was running on 4g. When I came back home to Virginia Beach it is showing me a H. Stock rom shows me as 4g but CM7 still shows me as H (HSPA). Is this truly telling me that I am operating on 3.5G network here in Virginia Beach?
So I know all the issues with older 2g sims affecting speeds, I called tmobile, and they said that I was in fact registered with a 2g sim, so I had them activate the sim that came in the box, but I have no improvement in speed. I'm still getting nowhere above 2mbps, most of the time around 1. I know I have a 4g data plan, they added that when I got the phone for immediate activation, not next billing cycle. Even in areas where my old mytouch 3G slide got 4 mbps on the 3G HSPA network, I can't get much above 2 on the HSPA+ network. What gives? If the new 4g sim and data plan aren't working, what's the issue here? Anyone else having issues?
Are you sure that you're connected to HSPA+? And, even if you are connected with good reception to a HSPA+ tower, that doesn't mean that the tower has good bandwidth backhaul. If its a low traffic tower, T-Mobile might not want to pay for a large amount of bandwidth for it.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using xda premium
I suppose I can't be positive, but the icon says 4G. Although I've never seen a 3G icon, only G, 2G, and 4G, meaning they probably just replaced the 3G icon with the 4G icon since the phone can't technically display a different icon for HSPA and HSPA+, can it? I've never seen a 3G icon so I might just be connected to 3G. But even in populous areas, like downtown, at night, I top out at 4, MAYBE 5 mbps. I've heard people getting 4 or 5 on a bad day, 7-8 average and 10-12 if they're lucky. I'm wondering where that's at, maybe it's a flaw in the stock rom and an AOSP or other custom rom would be better. I seem to remember having bad speeds on sense on my Slide too.
During data transfer, I went to the about phone>network menu, and mobile network type reads HSDPA and then reverts to UMTS after a period of inactivity. It does not specify HSDPA+ though, it just says HSDPA. I understand that the 3g and 4g networks on tmobile are technically one and the same, HSDPA+ is just an advancement of the 3G technology, but I'm wondering if something just isn't clicking and the phone isn't taking advantage of HSDPA+. I checked the coverage map, and the entire region I live in, minus a few rural areas, are supposed to be covered by 4G data.
Does TMobile not have a 3G speed?
Im always on EDGE unless I go Downtown. Then its HSPA+
Its never HSPA.
Verizon has 3G AND LTE coverage? wtf
BUMP.
I really want to know the reason for the issue
T-Mobile's '4G' network is just an enhanced version of their 3G network. So when you see 4G in some areas, you might actually be running on 3G speeds.
aNYthing24 said:
T-Mobile's '4G' network is just an enhanced version of their 3G network. So when you see 4G in some areas, you might actually be running on 3G speeds.
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Click to collapse
I know that much,
but I never get HSPA (3G) unless Im directly under HSPA+(4G)
Basically I am always on EDGE unless I'm downtown.
Other TMO phones and VErizon have 3G coverage nearly everywhere..they never drop to EDGE or 2G
Correct me if I'm wrong, but t mobile does not have true 4g. When you get the 4g icon on your phone, that's just their enhanced 3g. So you are getting 3g. From what I've read i think they just upgraded their 3g towers with hshpa+ which only hsdpa+ enabled phones like the sensation 4g can take advantage of. What you're really missing is true 4g
burnie022 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but t mobile does not have true 4g. When you get the 4g icon on your phone, that's just their enhanced 3g. So you are getting 3g. From what I've read i think they just upgraded their 3g towers with hshpa+ which only hsdpa+ enabled phones like the sensation 4g can take advantage of. What you're really missing is true 4g
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Click to collapse
I feel as no one is fully understanding what I'm trying to say.
I know 4G is really an overmarketed 3G+
Now, Tmobile phones and other services receive 3G where I only receive "2G" .
But I do receive HSPA+ when I go downtown.
Why dont I receive normal 3G speeds like other devices?
Its either EDGE or HSPA+
Never an inbetween
Check T-Mobile's website, where you live probably doesn't have or hasn't been upgraded to the 3G/4G service yet. Layman's term; the towers around your house don't support 3G/4G. Call T-Mobile and have them check.
This is common in a lot of suburbs that have a low population. Like you mentioned when you go downtown, you'll have 3G but not at home.
xdviper said:
Check T-Mobile's website, where you live probably doesn't have or hasn't been upgraded to the 3G/4G service yet. Layman's term; the towers around your house don't support 3G/4G. Call T-Mobile and have them check.
This is common in a lot of suburbs that have a low population. Like you mentioned when you go downtown, you'll have 3G but not at home.
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Hopefully your right. Hate it to be a problem with my SIM or phone.
I dont live but 5minutes from downtown.
Very residential but still out of the way, so like i said hopefully your right
I can directly relate to your problem. First off, I didn't know that T-Mobile's 4G is just 3G+, but that's good to know. I've had the HTC Sensation 4G for over 3 months, and I've travelled all over LA and the only services I've seen are 4G, 2G, & G. I've yet to see 3G.
I'll see my Sensation jump between "H" and "3G" all the time - essentially the same thing, as noted.
(in case this was part of your question) "Standard 3G" (such as what AT&T offers) isn't available on TMOUS because they missed out on buying part of the "standard 3G" spectrum.
Before my Sensation I had a Legend (still do actually) - it's a "standard GSM/3G" phone. Without the TMOUS-specific radio, best data I could get was EDGE. (though if I went to UK and used a local SIM, I'd get 3G just fine due to compatibility with their 3G nets)
Hi everyone. Quick question. I searched but didn't find much, but I was wanting to use LTE only (*#*#4636#*#*, Phone, LTE Only), and it does work but on Sprint, it disables 1x and pretends like the phone has no coverage and then does the "Searching for Service" and the battery drains like crazy. Any ideas?
MrObvious said:
Hi everyone. Quick question. I searched but didn't find much, but I was wanting to use LTE only (*#*#4636#*#*, Phone, LTE Only), and it does work but on Sprint, it disables 1x and pretends like the phone has no coverage and then does the "Searching for Service" and the battery drains like crazy. Any ideas?
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Click to collapse
That mode disables all voice and texting abilities, I don't think you can use that on a phone, especially not a phone on Sprint.
turn it back, if the phone doesn't think it has a good enough signal to use LTE, trust it and drop to 3G you'll be better off.
Use global setting for Sprint
Sent from my Nexus 5
I don't want 3g though because my phone has the power to get a signal but if it gets down to 1 bar roughly (driving between towers and I'm in a fairly big city so it's not a coverage/reception issue) and it drops to 3g, despite the fact that it'll get stronger if it waits 5 more seconds.
you can not get/make phonecalls on lte only, period. its for data only.
indeed. setting it through the dialer to lte only, makes that lte data channel the only channel, it kills the ehrpd / 1x cdma 200 ip hand-off needed for voice paging to & from the network..
but NOW i know WHY you were forcing lte only via the dialer (didn't know at 1st)
but where you are (if you're on srpint) this is what' was reported happening -
Sprint used to have "same-as-native" 3G service in the western half of Kansas via those carriers, and even used to show it as Native on their coverage maps. Then it changed to Off-Network roaming a couple years ago. They even stopped Native service along I-70 through most of Kansas and eastern Colorado. Sounds like some of those carriers aren't being too accommodating to Sprint nowadays.
via the HoFo App
i didn't know, the hometown of sprint, was having such a hard time covering, it's own home state..
j'vai said:
indeed. setting it through the dialer to lte only, makes that lte data channel the only channel, it kills the ehrpd / 1x cdma 200 ip hand-off needed for voice paging to & from the network..
but NOW i know WHY you were forcing lte only via the dialer (didn't know at 1st)
but where you are (if you're on srpint) this is what' was reported happening -
Sprint used to have "same-as-native" 3G service in the western half of Kansas via those carriers, and even used to show it as Native on their coverage maps. Then it changed to Off-Network roaming a couple years ago. They even stopped Native service along I-70 through most of Kansas and eastern Colorado. Sounds like some of those carriers aren't being too accommodating to Sprint nowadays.
via the HoFo App
i didn't know, the hometown of sprint, was having such a hard time covering, it's own home state..
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Click to collapse
That's inaccurate for me as I'm in central KS. That only applies for west KS. I'm in a native market with LTE, NV, and band 25 and 26.
MrObvious said:
I don't want 3g though because my phone has the power to get a signal but if it gets down to 1 bar roughly (driving between towers and I'm in a fairly big city so it's not a coverage/reception issue) and it drops to 3g, despite the fact that it'll get stronger if it waits 5 more seconds.
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Click to collapse
ok.. central ks..
what were your settings prior, to lte only?
Just LTE/CDMA. There are times I want to set LTE only so I don't drop 4g. Of course I have service with that setting.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
you know, that going via the keypad to set LTE only you'll kill the fall back bridge to 1xrtt voice & evdo 3g, right?
& every time you want to have voice service you'd have to do the toggle to undo LTE only , then when you want it back LTE only ..
you say "you don't want evdo 3g" but the devil in the details are, you'll not have voice service ither, that way..
is it worth that trouble?