Can different roms make a big difference in signal strength? - Verizon Samsung Galaxy S III

I am many times in hotel rooms without free wifi, so I rely on my 4g for internet. I assume that there would be differences between stock and aosp roms, but within each rom type is a big difference in signal strength possible? Sorry if newbish question.

Correct me anyone if I'm wrong but based on MY experience different ROMS should NOT make a differnce in signal quality/connection...however different kernels I believe can. The different kernels sometime handle the switch over from 3g to 4g better and/or help maintain that 4g connection better than others. Also the other determining factor on your radio signal is different radio software...search the forums for radios and I'm sure you'll find mention of vgl1 and/or f2 etc etc...these are different radio software and some people have better results with others. Its always best to simply try each rom/kernel even radio and see what works best for you. We all have galaxy s3's however that does not make them identical.
EI

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[Q] Which radio? (FAQ)

I do understand that every (base) ROM comes with its very own radio firmware.
And none, AFAIK, is modding it as it's tightly tied to the GSM/CDMA/3G stuff.
But which one is good for a v2.2.1 based ROM working in Europe?
Or, even better, why not adding some lean documentation to each RADIO?
There isn't really a best 'one size fits all' you have to try them all and see which one is best for you.
I've been flipping from .44 to .48 over the past few weeks, other people say .47 is the best, it really depends on your phone, ROM, service provider and their coverage etc.
It only takes a couple of minutes to flash a different radio so go flashing...!
beanbean50 said:
There isn't really a best 'one size fits all' you have to try them all and see which one is best for you.
I've been flipping from .44 to .48 over the past few weeks, other people say .47 is the best, it really depends on your phone, ROM, service provider and their coverage etc.
It only takes a couple of minutes to flash a different radio so go flashing...!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you are right.
I know that some radios come from other markets/areas and have never been pushed in Europe. And vice versa.
Moreover, testing that way takes much more time than the couple of minutes needed to flash them. You need to test handover among BTSs, roaming, Sim Toolkit stuff, incoming and outgoing SMSs and MMSs and so on. And in the meanwhile maybe you also need your phone.
For example, at the moment my radio (32.44.00.32U_5.09.05.30_2) is giving me troubles with my ROM (Froyo 2.2.1 - DeFrost 6.0a) in 3G, while works just fine in 2G.
Is there anyone with some good feedback for Europe/Italy with the various radios?
Uqbar said:
I don't think you are right.
I know that some radios come from other markets/areas and have never been pushed in Europe. And vice versa.
Moreover, testing that way takes much more time than the couple of minutes needed to flash them. You need to test handover among BTSs, roaming, Sim Toolkit stuff, incoming and outgoing SMSs and MMSs and so on. And in the meanwhile maybe you also need your phone.
For example, at the moment my radio (32.44.00.32U_5.09.05.30_2) is giving me troubles with my ROM (Froyo 2.2.1 - DeFrost 6.0a) in 3G, while works just fine in 2G.
Is there anyone with some good feedback for Europe/Italy with the various radios?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look, what beanbean50 said about radios is true - there really isn't a 'one-size-fits-all' radio. Some people, depending on their location (and network provider, signal strength and which wireless radios they use frequently), experience better battery life with different radios.
For example, I flashed the new 5.11.05.27 radio the yesterday, and my battery life dropped like a stone, but signal strength was amongst the best I have seen with different radios. To some people, signal strength is more important than battery life. To me, battery life is more important - so this new radio wouldn't do.
The radio you are using (32.44.00.32U_5.09.05.30_2) is the radio of choice for some, but if you are experiencing issues with it, i would recommend you try the 5.11.05.14, which is also recommended by many (including me) for its all round performance.
You were correct in suggesting that it takes longer than a couple of minutes to test a radio, but not everybody uses features such as SIM-Tooklit (me, for example). If SIM-Toolkit didn't work properly in a new radio, but everything else worked fine, it wouldn't matter to me - its all about preference.
The only way to find out the best radio for you is to try some different ones. What's the worst that could happen (assuming you follow the correct flashing procedures and minimize your chances of bricking)?
Josh.

ics, infuse, and modems

Which modems work with ICS on the Infuse? I read a post saying they all do, but then I tried flashing a couple older modems and they just flat out did not work at all, so I went back to the newer UCKL3 or such, and they seem to work fine.
Willing to sacrifice battery life for some better reception, any suggestions on which modem to try?
from what I read here in the forums, reception with different modem's will vary by your location, some work better in a particular area than others do.
I've used UCKI3, UCKL2, UCLB1, all with no problems

[Q] Best rom for service ONLY all other variables aside?

First off I apologize if there is another thread about this but all I found when searching was a general "best rom", and one related to battery life.
Personally I would like to know opinions on best rom for connectivity only. I live in a strong 4G area but whenever I am in my basement I get spotty connectivity, drop calls and such. I have been on the CM10 nightlies crack flashing since the boot-loader was unlocked. I love CM10 just wondering for basic call quality, does someone have a different rom preference for call quality?
Again mods I apologize if this is out there... but i couldn't find one for call quality. I realize this all depends on the baseband and such which Samsung is infamous for theirs. I just feel like even a slight better signal would make a big difference for me considering generally it's good connection.
Also my office is in my basement and I make a lot of calls and I'd prefer to keep it that way if possible.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
I'd actually like to know this as well. I recently switched from using an iphone to a Samsung Galaxy S3 and the difference with this phone is there are so many different roms available, I don't know which one is the best whereas with the iphone there is usually 1 main jailbreak and everything else is provided by cydia.
Like you said, this mainly is based on the radio and not on the Rom, but i agree there could be some minor differences. Your best bet would be to try a couple out and see how they work in your office. I personally am running jellywiz and my signal is rock sold and i work in low signal areas a lot.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
magus15 said:
I'd actually like to know this as well. I recently switched from using an iphone to a Samsung Galaxy S3 and the difference with this phone is there are so many different roms available, I don't know which one is the best whereas with the iphone there is usually 1 main jailbreak and everything else is provided by cydia.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you search the forum there is actually a main thread for best rom overall which may help you more since it doesn't seem your only concern is call quality. Sorry I don't have the thread name but I think if you do a forum search for "best rom" you should be able to find that thread.
kintwofan said:
Like you said, this mainly is based on the radio and not on the Rom, but i agree there could be some minor differences. Your best bet would be to try a couple out and see how they work in your office. I personally am running jellywiz and my signal is rock sold and i work in low signal areas a lot.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually planned on doing that and testing them out on my own, I was just hoping someone may have some tips on one they have used in areas such as a basement or a place they know they haven't always gotten good service but have found a rom that works great for them as far as call quality. Such as your example of jellywiz, I will certainly give that a try and see if I can hold a higher consistency for call quality. Thanks for your input!
There are definetly differences between ROMs relative to battery life... different versions of the same ROM can be quite different.
I've been using Jellywiz as my DD and it's been great. I really liked RLS4. I've updated to RLS5 this morning but my battery life has declined greatly. I've also gotten one reboot. I'm sure the dev will have it fixed in the next release (the Devs on the Jellywiz project are top notch).
I also liked Synergy quite a lot... It's not Jelly Bean, but the battery life was great and very stable!
The best thing you can do is try several different ones... Let the ROM settle for a good day or two before coming to any conclusions...
Good luck...
Dirty13ear said:
First off I apologize if there is another thread about this but all I found when searching was a general "best rom", and one related to battery life.
Personally I would like to know opinions on best rom for connectivity only. I live in a strong 4G area but whenever I am in my basement I get spotty connectivity, drop calls and such. I have been on the CM10 nightlies crack flashing since the boot-loader was unlocked. I love CM10 just wondering for basic call quality, does someone have a different rom preference for call quality?
Again mods I apologize if this is out there... but i couldn't find one for call quality. I realize this all depends on the baseband and such which Samsung is infamous for theirs. I just feel like even a slight better signal would make a big difference for me considering generally it's good connection.
Also my office is in my basement and I make a lot of calls and I'd prefer to keep it that way if possible.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Without getting too granular, stock based roms have the best reception. Rom's where the RIL has had to be tweaked, such as CM, MIUI, JellyBean ports, and cross carrier ports are more likely to have radio issues.
Then, there are different radios you could flash. In my experience with many devices, changing radios has never had much of an impact on radio reception. Different radio versions generally fix bugs, and things like 3g/4g switching. For instance the latest stock radio for our device (VRLG7) fixes the "no SIM" bug. I am using that and it has worked great for me.
Generally though, I don't think actual reception (mostly dependent on hardware) should vary too much. Usually it's reliability that can vary. "Bars" aren't always an accurate indicator of reception either, signal strength in dBm is.
bfs673 said:
There are definetly differences between ROMs relative to battery life... different versions of the same ROM can be quite different.
I've been using Jellywiz as my DD and it's been great. I really liked RLS4. I've updated to RLS5 this morning but my battery life has declined greatly. I've also gotten one reboot. I'm sure the dev will have it fixed in the next release (the Devs on the Jellywiz project are top notch).
I also liked Synergy quite a lot... It's not Jelly Bean, but the battery life was great and very stable!
The best thing you can do is try several different ones... Let the ROM settle for a good day or two before coming to any conclusions...
Good luck...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry... I got lost in an unrelated thought (battery life)....
The service side appears to be pretty sold from the ROMs that I've personally tried. Not sure you'll find a big difference here in real world performance.
CodefireX is getting me the best service I've ever had. Several other people in the thread seem to be experiencing the same thing.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
no 4g since flashing
turbosrrgood said:
Without getting too granular, stock based roms have the best reception. Rom's where the RIL has had to be tweaked, such as CM, MIUI, JellyBean ports, and cross carrier ports are more likely to have radio issues.
Then, there are different radios you could flash. In my experience with many devices, changing radios has never had much of an impact on radio reception. Different radio versions generally fix bugs, and things like 3g/4g switching. For instance the latest stock radio for our device (VRLG7) fixes the "no SIM" bug. I am using that and it has worked great for me.
Generally though, I don't think actual reception (mostly dependent on hardware) should vary too much. Usually it's reliability that can vary. "Bars" aren't always an accurate indicator of reception either, signal strength in dBm is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not seen the 4G indicator since flashing a week or more ago. I have tried aokp, cm10, and root66.
Not sure what to do. The phone works fine otherwise. All these are great but I would never have gone this route if I had any thought that wireless capabilities would be reduced. Any ideas on how to return to 4G would be greatly appreciated.
Out of all the 4.1 roms out there, JellyWiz's wifi/4G/3g is the most solid one. Very stable and good enough to be a DD.
Sent from my SCH-I585 using xda premium

[Q] Non-Open Source RIL/CSC for CM11?

MY QUESTIONS:
1) Is it possible to use the old Samsung RIL blob (not Replicant) with CM11? How would one go about doing that? The radios no longer include the RIL/CSC. Is there a version that does, that works with CM11?
2) Are there any ROM's that use the old/original RIL (not Replicant) while still keeping up with the latest Android versions ala CM? (Ie. KitKat)
Backstory:
Before I go barking up the wrong tree, hopefully someone with a little more knowledge can help me understand if what I would like is possible.
After upgrading to CM10.1, and ever since, I have had very poor reception (voice and data). Since moving to a new location, which should have had better reception, it has gotten bad enough that I started investigating things more deeply. The issue is that I will show 4 bars(-75-81db) then inevitably within a few minutes it would shoot down to -115, and then no service. Eventually it would come back. It was always really evident when trying to dial out too, either going into to no service from 4 bars while trying to dial, or within the first 30 seconds of a call.
It seems that with CM10.1 a new open source RIL was adopted (Replicant?). After hours of research, and trying new modems (UCMC1 & UXUMA7), old modems (and at one point thought I had lost my efs lol) that didn't work at all with 10.1+, I have found, as a few others have, that downgrading to CM10.0 dramatically improves reception (in service, instead of NO SERVICE) for those with marginal reception to begin with.
This is at home, usually with WiFi connected, so it is really about just having a working phone at home. I understand that it is possible that the WiFi might interfere with the cell service in some cases on this particular phone, but the dramatic difference (cell reception working vs not working) between CM10.0 and CM10.1+ with the same radio (UCMC1) for me leads me to believe that it CAN work with WiFi, at least.
slaingod said:
MY QUESTIONS:
1) Is it possible to use the old Samsung RIL blob (not Replicant) with CM11? How would one go about doing that? The radios no longer include the RIL/CSC. Is there a version that does, that works with CM11?
2) Are there any ROM's that use the old/original RIL (not Replicant) while still keeping up with the latest Android versions ala CM? (Ie. KitKat)
Backstory:
Before I go barking up the wrong tree, hopefully someone with a little more knowledge can help me understand if what I would like is possible.
After upgrading to CM10.1, and ever since, I have had very poor reception (voice and data). Since moving to a new location, which should have had better reception, it has gotten bad enough that I started investigating things more deeply. The issue is that I will show 4 bars(-75-81db) then inevitably within a few minutes it would shoot down to -115, and then no service. Eventually it would come back. It was always really evident when trying to dial out too, either going into to no service from 4 bars while trying to dial, or within the first 30 seconds of a call.
It seems that with CM10.1 a new open source RIL was adopted (Replicant?). After hours of research, and trying new modems (UCMC1 & UXUMA7), old modems (and at one point thought I had lost my efs lol) that didn't work at all with 10.1+, I have found, as a few others have, that downgrading to CM10.0 dramatically improves reception (in service, instead of NO SERVICE) for those with marginal reception to begin with.
This is at home, usually with WiFi connected, so it is really about just having a working phone at home. I understand that it is possible that the WiFi might interfere with the cell service in some cases on this particular phone, but the dramatic difference (cell reception working vs not working) between CM10.0 and CM10.1+ with the same radio (UCMC1) for me leads me to believe that it CAN work with WiFi, at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
honestly my first thought would be to ask about what carrier you have? does the issue happen on stock ROM? also I've never heard of a RIL helping aid with improving reception lol maybe you know something I don't.
The only time I've had your issue is when I'm in an LTE area with low LTE reception. My signal would jump from low LTE signal to 4 bars of H+ constantly trying to keep the weak LTE signal for some reason lol.
If that helps hit the like button!! :laugh:
Current ROM, kernel, radio, and recovery, what are you using.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk
TheCybertronian said:
Current ROM, kernel, radio, and recovery, what are you using.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what other info you would need. Currently CM10.0 works best (not perfect but usable), so I am using that. I've tried a number of different radios(UCMC1 is currently installed, but tried many others) and settings under network preferences (currently wcdma preferred is my setting). I used twrp 2.6ish up until I tried CM11, and had to revert to CWM to get that to install properly. So the latest CWM. CM kernel obviously(?).

Which radio and/or ROM gives you the best signal?

Hi there. I'm trying to see which ROMs give better signal (i.e. Sense rom vs. AOSP [lollipop]) and which radios work the best.
I'm on the newest radio and the newest GPE lollipop version but I'm curious as to which radio is the best and whether sense ROMs have a better signal (and speeds) than AOSP does.
Any help is appreciated
droidian1441 said:
Hi there. I'm trying to see which ROMs give better signal (i.e. Sense rom vs. AOSP [lollipop]) and which radios work the best.
I'm on the newest radio and the newest GPE lollipop version but I'm curious as to which radio is the best and whether sense ROMs have a better signal (and speeds) than AOSP does.
Any help is appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Contrary to popular belief, ROM/radio/firmware has little effect on cellular signal strength or dataspeeds. Certainly nothing measurable. Some might show more "bars" than others, but the raw signal strength doesn't change significantly.

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