Hellos,
Was wondering and wanted to know from others, their experiences with using a D2G with different carriers/services.
I have a D2G on simple mobile currently. Switched from Sprint using an EVO 4G, data in my calling areas just stunk and never got better, forget ever getting a 4G signal..
But, it seems I am in an area between towers, because I seem to get the same result using Simple Mobile connected to Tmobile Towers. Signal drops from nothing to 3 bars if I turn around. And I only get an Edge data connection (I understand it's a frequency issue).
I was told by a Walmart Rep, that they use Family Mobile powered by Tmobile and don't have the throttle issue as with Simple Mobile, but 250mb data cap at the same $45/month as Straight Talk (even thought I'd be stuck at Edge with the D2G anyways) is too low a cap, especially if I were to switch phones later on.
So I recently read into Straight Talk as an option, after reading how bad H2O data is and that Simple Mobile's 3G is throttled to 119kbs (tested on a SK4G, yeap confirmed 119kbs max).
So I wanted to know from others, what kind of data rates they are getting on various providers using a D2G.
-CC
clockcycle said:
Hellos,
I was told by a Walmart Rep, that they use Family Mobile powered by Tmobile and don't have the throttle issue as with Simple Mobile, but 250mb data cap at the same $45/month as Straight Talk (even thought I'd be stuck at Edge with the D2G anyways) is too low a cap, especially if I were to switch phones later on.
So I recently read into Straight Talk as an option, after reading how bad H2O data is and that Simple Mobile's 3G is throttled to 119kbs (tested on a SK4G, yeap confirmed 119kbs max).
So I wanted to know from others, what kind of data rates they are getting on various providers using a D2G.
-CC
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Click to collapse
I would not know about Droid using 2G (on my old phones what I used as T-Mobile EDGE) or what I call "100K data" connection since I don't get it around here. I am sure that my data connection at times has degraded to 2G, but I have not noticed that as being the issue, so I have not been able to perform a speed test while in 2G mode.
Last June 2011 I used a Droid style phone on Virgin Mobile USA prepaid. That was the Motorola Triumph. I can't recall as a MVNO who was providing Virgin Mobile's signal, but I think it was Sprint by that point (Sprint bought Virgin Mobile USA prepaid). In any event, I was not pleased with the VM speeds (that is, if I was not using WiFi). My speeds were consistently about 300K to 700K.
Currently I use Straight Talk and I am VERY VERY pleased with the service. When I bought a phone and a Straight Talk SIM card I opted for GSM AT&T service since it had better GSM phones than T-Mobile did.
Since Straight Talk is an MVNO (buying its signal or "tower space" from other carriers and spectrum resellers) one's Straight Talk signal and data connection will only be as good as the provider you chose to use with your Straight Talk account. I assume the same principle applies to CDMA and Droid (Motorola) handsets.
Where I live in San Francisco I get a better signal from GSM-based AT&T than I did with T-Mobile GSM handsets, so on Straight Talk's SIM purchasing site I chose to buy an AT&T GSM SIM.
Whereas with T-Mobile 4G I would often get 2G in most parts of my residence, with AT&T 4G (again, this is with Straight Talk) using an Samsung Galaxy S II and ATT HTC Inspire, I consistently get a strong 4G signal (says "H+" on notification bar). And speed tests have been outstanding, (using speed test net 2286 kbps download, 1130kbps upload). Those speeds are in the "slower part of the house). This does not matter most of the time, however, since I use WiFi 90% of the time.
Bottom line: I suspect one's physical locale, handset model, and provider (CDMA, GSM, or specific carrier) all play an important part in the speed and quality of a data connection. In other words, everyone's experience may differ, even with someone who has the exact same setup as I, but who lives down the block.
Related
What do I need to know moving from a 3G phone to a 4G phone (HTC Inspire)? Will the SIM and everything work with the phone right out of the box? Will I be charged extra for being on 4G?
Switching sim cards is not an issue. 4G technically doesn't exist yet for the Inspire.
Sent from Desire HD or Inspire 4G or whatever this thing is called via premium XDA app.
I need to switch out my SIM card or it will work as I have it?
It will work just fine.
It should work just by swapping sim cards. Eventually you may have to get a new sim when HSPA+ rolls out.
Sent from Desire HD or Inspire 4G or whatever this thing is called via premium XDA app.
Sounds great...thanks guys.
There should be some clarification made here. The Inspire requires a 4G data plan code to be added to your account - and it does require a new SIM if you are in a 4G area. Most of the coastlines around the country are 4G already. Well... "4G" anyway - the maximum theoretical modem speed in the Inspire is 14.4Mbps/5.76Mbps, which is pathetic considering T-Mo's 21Mbps phones and their 40+Mbps network.
Verizon currently holds the speed crown overall in the country when it comes to 4G speeds but it really depends on your area. Here in Colorado, Sprint bested both Verizon and T-Mobile on "4G" speed (WiMAX in their case) by a good margin in random tests by an independent lab not hired by Sprint.
Either way, I've seen T-Mobile tests that have passed 25Mbps - no joke - and I've yet to see more than 10Mbps (this was a test on Sprint) or 7Mbps on Verizon but at&t struggles to get 2Mbps so its a huge upgrade anyway.
EtherealRemnant said:
There should be some clarification made here. The Inspire requires a 4G data plan code to be added to your account - and it does require a new SIM if you are in a 4G area. Most of the coastlines around the country are 4G already. Well... "4G" anyway - the maximum theoretical modem speed in the Inspire is 14.4Mbps/5.76Mbps, which is pathetic considering T-Mo's 21Mbps phones and their 40+Mbps network.
Verizon currently holds the speed crown overall in the country when it comes to 4G speeds but it really depends on your area. Here in Colorado, Sprint bested both Verizon and T-Mobile on "4G" speed (WiMAX in their case) by a good margin in random tests by an independent lab not hired by Sprint.
Either way, I've seen T-Mobile tests that have passed 25Mbps - no joke - and I've yet to see more than 10Mbps (this was a test on Sprint) or 7Mbps on Verizon but at&t struggles to get 2Mbps so its a huge upgrade anyway.
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According to several ATT corporate folks the 4G sim cards will probably not be required for some time. Its basically a new paint job on the old cards. And this is coming from the Dallas/Fort Worth area, aka Big Blues Backyard. Eventually 4G will he turned on. Then ATTs version of LTE. And it will be widely used & consumed. But until then its no real worry. Think about when 3G phones first started rolling out. We were still rocking our old sim cards for quite a while but there was an eventual need to change.
Sent from my Inspire using XDA Premium App
ryanmfraser said:
According to several ATT corporate folks the 4G sim cards will probably not be required for some time. Its basically a new paint job on the old cards. And this is coming from the Dallas/Fort Worth area, aka Big Blues Backyard. Eventually 4G will he turned on. Then ATTs version of LTE. And it will be widely used & consumed. But until then its no real worry. Think about when 3G phones first started rolling out. We were still rocking our old sim cards for quite a while but there was an eventual need to change.
Sent from my Inspire using XDA Premium App
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I got the information straight from a manager in business services. The new SIM cards that are being deployed with these phones are required, along with a new SOC code for "4G" internet service to work when it is deployed. If you go to at&t's website and look at their 4G map, it has been turned on in a very small number of places (Texas and Buffalo, NY to name two) and if you are using an old SIM, you will not get the faster speeds. I hate this SIM card business honestly. Coming from CDMA, it royally sucks when you have an issue and your cell is your only phone because of the fact that inactive SIMs cannot call 611. I went through that hell today. Inactive CDMA phones will still call customer service, giving you the freedom to get technical support without much of a fuss. I had to call at&t three times today because of provisioning issues with my Inspire and being unable to call from another phone.
In any case, if you are in a 4G area, you need a 4G SIM to be able to connect to the HSPA+ network, just like EDGE SIMs didn't connect to the 3G network when it FINALLY started to launch.
aaronv89 said:
I need to switch out my SIM card or it will work as I have it?
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Well when I bought mine they changed the sim I used to have in the iPhone 3G with a new one... So I guess you should to.. It's free so why not?
It's true the 4G it's more an 3 1/2 G but what is gonna happen when they actually enable it???
This is why I said you "may" need the card. At&T has been vague on this
Sent from Desire HD or Inspire 4G or whatever this thing is called via premium XDA app.
So my two year contract is up and I wanted to see what network was best to go with, my biggest concern is LTE and wich network is better that means T-mo is out, Sprint not ready in my area so that leaves AT&T and Verizon. Now I talked to reps at both AT&T and Verizon and nither one knew what they were talking about making outragous statements about why their LTE network was better than their compettitors. On my way out of the AT&T store the rep said one of their techs just came in and can explain it all to me. The tech seemed to know what he was talking about he showed me they are testing LTE in my area right now and showed me it was working on his phone. He told me if I got a LTE phone right now today I would get the fastest LTE around because no one is the network in the area right now unless they have an LTE phone already and have it turned on for LTE. He also told me once LTE is offically turned on here that I will lose LTE speeds because of all the other devices plugging into it but even with speeds being reduced after testing I would still get LTE speeds faster than Verizons LTE because LTE is a GSM technology and works better with GSM phones and GSM networks. Verizons network is CDMA and has to be reworked to make it compatable with LTE and right now isn't all that stable and it crashes all the time, and since the phones are set for CDMA/LTE the phone has to work harder causing more/faster battery drain. I forget all the technical words he used but the guy really seemed to know his stuff and did say that Verizon is working to make it's LTE stable and believes theyt would have everything fixed by the end of year but because it's CDMA/LTE it can never be as fast as GSM/LTE.
Anyway my question is Is he correct and AT&Ts LTE is faster than Verizons? or is that more BS with alot of technical terms thrown in?
For the most part, the number of devices connected to the network is the biggest factor. The more devices connected, the slower it will go.
There might be some truth to the fact that Verizon's LTE network is newer and therefore unstable (as we've seen in the past) but that doesn't mean it will be necessarily slower while it's working for that reason, and AT&T's LTE network is newer so I don't see how that would be a plus for them. It's true that AT&T phones are GSM, and LTE is based on GSM, but implying that strong UMTS/HSPA+ network coverage is going to magically supplement LTE coverage sounds like BS to me. This might make it easier for AT&T to roll out their LTE network for that reason, but that doesn't mean that they've even come close to meeting Verizon in coverage yet.
So, in a nutshell, there's some truth to it. It's faster for the time being since there's no one on it, but there's nothing technically BETTER about AT&T's LTE as far as I know. LTE is LTE; it just depends on the carrier's infrastructure (internet connections to towers, tower locations and coverage, etc) to determine the the quality and speed of connection.
Besides, if AT&T's abilities to keep up with new subscribers on their 3G network is any indication, it won't be long before their LTE networks is slower than Verizons
Thanks
Thank you for clearing this up for me so your saying there is no difference between Verizon and AT&Ts LTE other than Verizon having a Larger Network right now.
I thought I would bring this up.
I have the T-Mobile US One S carrier unlocked and I have used it both on ATT and Tmobile.
With all the network flopping going on I noticed something between the two. When i use the phone on ATT, I rarely see 3G. It's always H. And the speeds reflect that.
When I use the phone on T-Mobile, it's always on 3G. I only see the H when the phone needs to do something data intensive. For instance, I start a speed test.. It will start 3G and flop to H for the test. I can sit with the screen on playing around with the phone and it will not switch H at all. I am in a good 4G coverage area.
I know many users are looking for a update to fix the flopping. However, to me it seems more like a power management thing and perhaps on Tmobile's network side.
Just a thought.
I was wondering if you've been able to use AT&T's network with your T-Mobile sim? I haven't, but I thought the Roaming agreement was all set. Am I wrong?
Droidificator said:
I was wondering if you've been able to use AT&T's network with your T-Mobile sim? I haven't, but I thought the Roaming agreement was all set. Am I wrong?
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According to the coverage maps, postpaid and prepaid are identical. However, I have seen this as well. I can have full ATT coverage and zero T-Mobile coverage.
I have an LG Nitro HD, and I'm loving it, but I'm still on my prepaid Go-Phone plan from AT&T that I got 4 years and 3 phones ago. I want to upgrade to the cheapest plan I can with mobile data (so I can use my fancy-pants GPS apps,) which turns out to be T-Mobile's $2/day plan, because you only pay on days you use the phone, and I'm being a chatterbox if I make more than a call per week.
The road bump that's keeping me from switching right now is that the 2/day plan only offers the 2G network, and even if I go with the $3/day plan that includes 4G unlimited data, my local area (and in fact most of my home state) is only covered by 2G or a service partner according to their coverage map. I don't know if that means 2G speeds, or if it's literally a 2G network, but either way, it makes me nervous to buy.
Anyway, my big question is if I can use GPS on this 2G network. My Nitro has all the bells and whistles, so it can deal with GPS and data up to 4G speeds, but can I actually use it with the network available to me?
Hey folks, well i'm with metropcs currently and thinking of switching to cricket - metropcs offers a 60/month unlimited data plan, cricket offers 60/month with 10 gigs high speed. i am wondering, after one has used their allotted 10 gigs high speed, how slow is the data throttled, can anyone report? Metropcs would be ok but the signals not too good where i live, among other factors.
thanks!
leopard_fist said:
Hey folks, well i'm with metropcs currently and thinking of switching to cricket - metropcs offers a 60/month unlimited data plan, cricket offers 60/month with 10 gigs high speed. i am wondering, after one has used their allotted 10 gigs high speed, how slow is the data throttled, can anyone report? Metropcs would be ok but the signals not too good where i live, among other factors.
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2G speed
if you currently have unlimited connection even with "not that good" coverage, it's not a good idea to change to cricket
and please try finding a more relevant thread to post your question at
I live in Georgia and cricket is a good service. I can get signal almost everywhere that my Verizon gets and plus with the new Verizon teer plans this is prolly a better deal.
I have a friend who uses Cricket. He uses it because he's in a large city and gets decent reception, but as someone else mentioned, the data speeds are not that great. I don't know if they're 2G or what, but he is always complaining that his phone is taking forever to load. So it all depends on what you're using the phone for mostly. If you NEED fast data, might need to look elsewhere.
As far as I know, new Cricket plans use the AT&T network. I seem to recall reading they cap 3G at 4mps and LTE at 8mps within your data allowance, and drop you to 2G speeds when it's up. New MetroPCS activations use T-mobile, and I don't know anything about throttling practices. I know nothing about either the old Cricket or MetroPCS CDMA networks or plans. If you do have a CDMA device on Metro, it will stop working soon if it hasn't already as T-mobile decommissions the CDMA network.