This could help everyone who has weak signal at home. My SGS3 was constantly switching LTE 3G 1X and sometimes loses connection completely when sitting downstairs. Even when it had reception call quality was terrible. Upstairs I got solid -99dBm LTE so that's fine. In the same time and place my old Fascinate has solid 3G or 1X and never loses connection or has problems with call quality. So I've called vzw and they offered me network extender. The problem was they wanted me to pay $150 for it ($250MSRP - $100 discount) even that I'm their customer for almost 10 years and pay $200/month for 4 lines. So I filed a claim with FCC but actually I wasn't hoping for anything. 10 days later I got surprise call from vzw and got brand new network extender shipped 2nd fedex for free. It helped a lot but it's still not 100% perfect. My phone still connects to LTE even it's only at -120dBm and then jumps to 3G extender when LTE is lost completely. So it won't help battery drain when switching bands but I don't lose connection and don't have problems with call quality anymore so that's better than it was before. So my advice for everyone having the same issues: spend some time filing a claim.
Give us the complaint details. Might help me
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
More details would be great
Sent from my VZW GS3 running Synergy/Trinity/Dark Horse Rises
http://www.fcc.gov/complaints
Wireless Telephone - Billing, Service, Privacy, Number Portability and other issues
File form 2000B with your details. I basically put exactly what vzw customer service rep told me as comments. So that my home location has "marginal" coverage and I could get network extender for $150 even that I'm paying $200/month for service that I don't get. I've also included comment about well known reception problems with new S3. That was enough apparently.
btw. I think that you should call customer service first before filing any claim. Ask them to put some notes about your reception issues on your account. And ask about network extender also. Maybe you will be lucky and they will offer extender for free without any claim.
Have now 3 recorded signal complaints with Verizon, tried replacement devices etc. This is fantastic, I literally was going to invest in one of these myself (verizon didn't even mention it to me, found out from an at&t user).
Thanks man
Sent from my VZW GS3 running Synergy/Trinity/Dark Horse Rises
Last year I called cust. service and complained about the crappy signal at my parents house. They shipped out a free network extender no questions asked. I guess it just depends who you talk to, but they do have the authority to give you one.
I'm happy for you, but I would like to play devils advocate for a moment and make the argument they should have made.
Why do you complain about having marginal service in one place in your house now when you've been a customer for 10+ years? There are plenty of other carriers that may offer better service in your usual hangouts, but you have decided to stay with a company that cannot provide adequate coverage for a long time.
I may give this a try. I was looking at network extenders online and saw a lot of mixed reviews, so I haven't taken the plunge. My street in general is a 2 bar 1x deadzone. Thanks for the info!
While I am happy for you...it seems to me that this was not truly VZW's problem and is not something they should have had to fix unless we want everyone that works inside a building to get range extenders as well, for example. It appears as though you are a victim of great customer service to begin with (a $100 discount), and you simply got more oil because of being a squeaky wheel. There's nothing wrong with that, but VZW went out of their way to help you as far as I'm concerned.
Regardless, congratulations on your improved coverage! Does it work with Wi-Fi or 1X as well, or is it just 3G and 4G LTE? It'll last you a couple years at least as I don't see VZW upgrading radios for quite some time. How does it work? Does it just amplify the weak signal or do you have to have relays set up?
stargate125645 said:
While I am happy for you...it seems to me that this was not truly VZW's problem and is not something they should have had to fix unless we want everyone that works inside a building to get range extenders as well, for example. It appears as though you are a victim of great customer service to begin with (a $100 discount), and you simply got more oil because of being a squeaky wheel. There's nothing wrong with that, but VZW went out of their way to help you as far as I'm concerned.
Regardless, congratulations on your improved coverage! Does it work with Wi-Fi or 1X as well, or is it just 3G and 4G LTE? It'll last you a couple years at least as I don't see VZW upgrading radios for quite some time. How does it work? Does it just amplify the weak signal or do you have to have relays set up?
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Yeah this is what I forgot to put in my post, is it just for phone calls or does it have internet enhancing capabilities as well? Furthermore, I know companies share hardware to some extent, any clue if it would boost t-mobile as well?
I'm tired of paying for data when I feel forced to be on wifi all the time
Did last 2 posters actually read my first post? It's not that Verizon coverage was always that bad for me. My previous phone Samsung Fascinate that I'm still using on another line works just fine in the same place. I've also had numerous of other phones in the same place before (motorola razr 2 and motorola razr maxx was last 2) and none of them had problems with calls quality. So it's clearly S3's poor antenna what's causing reception problems for me. Verizon sold me not fully functional Samsung’s product and I've signed new 2 year agreement when got S3 and have to pay for service so they have to provide me what I'm paying for. They could try to replace my S3 with another one but everybody knows that it wouldn't help. They could send technicians to check signal in my area (that was first suggestion from rep) but that would probably not make any difference either or take another couple of months. They have network extender available for problems like that but why would I have pay to get it if I pay for service each month? That’s not my fault that they sold me product that cannot give me proper access to their service in the same place where other phones are working just fine.
SotYPL said:
Did last 2 posters actually read my first post? It's not that Verizon coverage was always that bad for me. My previous phone Samsung Fascinate that I'm still using on another line works just fine in the same place. I've also had numerous of other phones in the same place before (motorola razr 2 and motorola razr maxx was last 2) and none of them had problems with calls quality. So it's clearly S3's poor antenna what's causing reception problems for me. Verizon sold me not fully functional Samsung’s product and I've signed new 2 year agreement when got S3 and have to pay for service so they have to provide me what I'm paying for. They could try to replace my S3 with another one but everybody knows that it wouldn't help. They could send technicians to check signal in my area (that was first suggestion from rep) but that would probably not make any difference either or take another couple of months. They have network extender available for problems like that but why would I have pay to get it if I pay for service each month? That’s not my fault that they sold me product that cannot give me proper access to their service in the same place where other phones are working just fine.
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Did you read my post? I didn't say anything about your previous phone. I only pointed out that VZW did what they were not obligated to do. By virtue of the fact that you get service upstairs, your basement is the problem and not VZW.
Guys you should read what Network Extender is.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/device/network-extender
It's not cellular amplifier. It uses your internet connection to make and receive calls. So basically it's VoIP device with built in 3G signal antenna.
stargate125645 said:
Did you read my post? I didn't say anything about your previous phone. I only pointed out that VZW did what they were not obligated to do. By virtue of the fact that you get service upstairs, your basement is the problem and not VZW.
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First of all it's not a basement, it's ground level (2 level townhouse). Second, my other phones are working fine in the same spot and never lose connection or get poor call quality. So it's not fully functional device that they sold me.
btw. I love my S3 and would not replace it for any other vzw current phone
SotYPL said:
Did last 2 posters actually read my first post? It's not that Verizon coverage was always that bad for me. My previous phone Samsung Fascinate that I'm still using on another line works just fine in the same place. I've also had numerous of other phones in the same place before (motorola razr 2 and motorola razr maxx was last 2) and none of them had problems with calls quality. So it's clearly S3's poor antenna what's causing reception problems for me. Verizon sold me not fully functional Samsung’s product and I've signed new 2 year agreement when got S3 and have to pay for service so they have to provide me what I'm paying for. They could try to replace my S3 with another one but everybody knows that it wouldn't help. They could send technicians to check signal in my area (that was first suggestion from rep) but that would probably not make any difference either or take another couple of months. They have network extender available for problems like that but why would I have pay to get it if I pay for service each month? That’s not my fault that they sold me product that cannot give me proper access to their service in the same place where other phones are working just fine.
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Click to collapse
You never mentioned your quality over time, only your reception discrepancy between phones. You also left your internet situation somewhat ambiguous, only mentioning that it switches between radios even with the extender. I understand your argument is that its a less desirable antenna in the GS3 than your previous phone, was just trying to get you to say more about your extender while taking a friendly poke at Verizon's usual lack of customer service.
I tend to use google voice when I'm at home through my computer, its just nice to know my phone actually HAS service in case of an emergency or if somebody important calls, or Jesus comes back etc.
The verizon variant of the S3 has considerably less radio power than other verizon devices. It's a known issue with Verizon, and it's up to them to remedy it, as the same device from Sprint gets better reception. I proved that with a coworkers sprint s3 + mine at work. His made calls, mine didn't.
Until they fix the radio issue, things like this may need to be implemented. Awesome original post, thanks again for the info.
Sent from my VZW GS3 running Synergy/Trinity/Dark Horse Rises
Still, if you can get reception elsewhere, it is not necessarily VZW's responsibility. Otherwise, they'd need to supply everyone who works in a building that limits signal, etc. I'm just saying VZW went out of their way. If your house is within the 4G LTE map coverage boundary, and you couldn't get coverage even on your highest floor, I could see what Verizon did as required. Verizon cannot control the configuration and construction of your house, after all. It is of no consequence regardless and Verizon doesn't lose money on the deal if it is assumed you would switch service providers had they not helped out so you've nothing to defend. I'm simply saying I, personally, don't think you were entitled to the signal booster to the point that an FCC complaint was warranted. A $100 discount would have been more than enough - in my opinion.
annoyingduck said:
The verizon variant of the S3 has considerably less radio power than other verizon devices. It's a known issue with Verizon, and it's up to them to remedy it, as the same device from Sprint gets better reception. I proved that with a coworkers sprint s3 + mine at work. His made calls, mine didn't.
Until they fix the radio issue, things like this may need to be implemented. Awesome original post, thanks again for the info.
Sent from my VZW GS3 running Synergy/Trinity/Dark Horse Rises
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What? How does that prove anything? The towers would have to be in the exact same spot, have the exact same output, hardware, design, etc., for that to even come close to proving anything. I'm not saying there isn't a problem, but simply that you didn't prove anything.
Boston area dude, no issues network wise here. The vzw s3 doesn't hold a card to vzw droids or HTC devices signal wise. There is little or no difference in this area between the carriers.
Sent from my VZW GS3 running Synergy/Trinity/Dark Horse Rises
---------- Post added at 11:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:07 PM ----------
Plus both s3 devices registering an approximate -100 to 110db signal, vzw has 2 bars, sprint full bars.
Sent from my VZW GS3 running Synergy/Trinity/Dark Horse Rises
stargate125645 said:
Still, if you can get reception elsewhere, it is not necessarily VZW's responsibility. Otherwise, they'd need to supply everyone who works in a building that limits signal, etc. I'm just saying VZW went out of their way. If your house is within the 4G LTE map coverage boundary, and you couldn't get coverage even on your highest floor, I could see what Verizon did as required.
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Actually looking at vzw's website coverage maps my house is in the middle of full LTE coverage. Marginal coverage was rep's word. Maybe they have more detailed maps for internal use. But LTE was not a issue for me. I don't need data at home cause I always use wifi. Problem with making and receiving calls was the problem. It is fundamental future of the phone and S3 is still a phone right?
stargate125645 said:
Verizon cannot control the configuration and construction of your house, after all.
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Correct but they can control what they sell. So if they sell not fully functional phone they have to back it up and do whatever it's needed to make it work right. My other phones were always working fine in the same spot and even in the worst spot of the house where Fascinate would switch to 1X it never lost reception completely and never had problems with call quality. It is clear for me that Galaxy S3 hardware/software is the problem not my house and probably vzw is fully aware of that.
stargate125645 said:
It is of no consequence regardless and Verizon doesn't lose money on the deal if it is assumed you would switch service providers had they not helped out so you've nothing to defend. I'm simply saying I, personally, don't think you were entitled to the signal booster to the point that an FCC complaint was warranted. A $100 discount would have been more than enough - in my opinion.
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As my original post said, I was not hoping for anything filing fcc claim. I was prepare to fight more directly with vzw if nothing would change till the end of September. Probably I would demand technician visit or phone replacement. They chose to make me happy in the easiest way and that's fine for me. My post was strictly for informational purposes for people like me struggling with poor S3's reception who had no luck dealing with vzw directly.
Geeze people, why are you attcking the OP. He had bad signal at is house and Verizon sent him a booster. I think the issue here is with Verizon. They pick and choose who to send them to for free and who needs to pay. Maybe if they were consistant it would not be a big deal.
But why should one person have to pay $150 for the device and others get it for free with no other reason then they got lucky with the rep they spoke to. If people's main home billong address is in a known frigne area they should offer these for free. Verizon customers pay the highest monthly fee's then any other carriers. I had no problem getting a free booster from Sprint as many others received them as well free of charge.
[email protected] said:
Geeze people, why are you attcking the OP. He had bad signal at is house and Verizon sent him a booster. I think the issue here is with Verizon. They pick and choose who to send them to for free and who needs to pay. Maybe if they were consistant it would not be a big deal.
But why should one person have to pay $150 for the device and others get it for free with no other reason then they got lucky with the rep they spoke to. If people's main home billong address is in a known frigne area they should offer these for free. Verizon customers pay the highest monthly fee's then any other carriers. I had no problem getting a free booster from Sprint as many others received them as well free of charge.
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Agreed completely! Also why is everyone trying to stick up for Verizon so much?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Related
I love this phone, but t-mobile sucks. I can't take the ****ty service anymore. I've had more dropped calls in the past 2 weeks than I've had with Att, sprint, and Verizon over the past 10yrs.
I originally thought I'd be able to use att towers, but we all know that isn't yet possible.
Not sure what carrier and phone to go with now. hmmmm....
What is Tmo's coverage map look like in your area? If it was bad to begin with, then you should be expecting this coming in.
If not, then you may just have a bad device.
not sure about dropped calls, but T-mobile signal coverage does suck
You meant to say Tmobile sucks in you location because it doesn't suck in mine (Baltimore) but you know who's service does suck in my area. ATT and Sprint. My wife's iPhone gets multiple dropped calls though out the week and there data speeds suck. Sprints WiMax is laughable and always gets static on the line. Tmobile however has insane 4g speeds where I live and I average 8mbs DL and 3mbs UL in and around Baltimore. Not to mention I haven't had a dropped call since I can remember. I don't even remember the last time I went without service. In the end there is no point for me to pay more and get less. A post like yours is all subjective depending on where you live and in the end, this thread is idiotic. Nobody wants to hear you high about carrier service in a forum dedicated to a device.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
eagercrow said:
I love this phone, but t-mobile sucks. I can't take the ****ty service anymore. I've had more dropped calls in the past 2 weeks than I've had with Att, sprint, and Verizon over the past 10yrs.
I originally thought I'd be able to use att towers, but we all know that isn't yet possible.
Not sure what carrier and phone to go with now. hmmmm....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try here.
mikett26 said:
What is Tmo's coverage map look like in your area? If it was bad to begin with, then you should be expecting this coming in.
If not, then you may just have a bad device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It shows as covering everywhere. I wouldn't have gotten the phone if the coverage maps were accurate. I get 3g att coverage on my company phone when I have 0 signal with tmobile.
Driving my kids to school 8 miles away I have NO service for 80% of the drive, never had issues with any other carrier. I can pretty much count on ONLY getting service if I'm at or near a city center.
In my area I have great t-mobile coverage and I had att before which was very bad.
So go for the network which works best for you. No point in cribbing here since I guess no can help you. All it does is a flame war.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
I'm just frustrated cause I like the phone so much. Don't need to get your panties in a bunch.
I get great service in my area (Indianapolis) with T-Mobile 4g damn near all day hardly ever drops to 3g and 4 bars everywhere I go..NO DROPPED calls ever I've been with T-Mobile since 2005
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA Premium App
After being with att, Verizon,and sprint, T-Mobile is by far the coverage for me on my area of Dallas TX, I sit at 1 bar with Verizon in the house if I'm lucky, sprint is always no more than 2 and att is the 2nd best for me.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
I'm having a fair amount of problems with lost signal, and all I did was upgrade from my Nexus 1. Still live in Chicago, still drive the same routes, but before where it was not an issue it is now. Which forces me to conclude it's either SW that still needs improvement, or hardware a la Apple's infamous antenna problems.
eagercrow said:
I love this phone, but t-mobile sucks. I can't take the ****ty service anymore. I've had more dropped calls in the past 2 weeks than I've had with Att, sprint, and Verizon over the past 10yrs.
I originally thought I'd be able to use att towers, but we all know that isn't yet possible.
Not sure what carrier and phone to go with now. hmmmm....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sprint=over priced/behind the curve (4g?!?!?)
At&t = big bill/****ty network and customer serivce (in my area... i was a customer for 4 years)
verizon= jacked up plans/high prices no customer loyalty or service..... (good service tho in my area)
T-mo= great customer service/decent service (my area) and i got a free g2x from them so suck it
/thread go get a trac phone
stop making useless threads how your gonna get better phones/service NO ONE CARES rant about it on your myspace page
KTHXBYE
I love your threads today...Stop making me laugh. It hurts when I laugh.
I have to say though that I think the I'm leaving posts have their place. If I'm researching a potential phone, I'm interested in disgruntled customers and their rants. They helped me decide on this phone for instance.
While there are a few(I'm leaving posts) for the G2X, there are not that many. And when someone is leaving for a bs, unenlightened, not ever gonna be satisfied reason, it's usually pretty apparent. But go to Androidforums and see all the complaints about the Indulge. There are legions of users who are unhappy. If one person is detered then the people who've posted have helped.
Thank Zeus for the forums. An educated consumer is a powerful one. You have to have a lot of opinions to make an informed decision. Even the redonkalous ones LOL.
I drive between NJ and PA around 70 miles to work everyday. Never dropped a call even while on drive all the way. Tmobile coverage is very good. It sure hops between 2g and 4g, but that is due to the software. AT&T is not at all good in my area.
eagercrow said:
It shows as covering everywhere. I wouldn't have gotten the phone if the coverage maps were accurate. I get 3g att coverage on my company phone when I have 0 signal with tmobile.
Driving my kids to school 8 miles away I have NO service for 80% of the drive, never had issues with any other carrier. I can pretty much count on ONLY getting service if I'm at or near a city center.
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8 miles to school!!! damn. Must not be in the city
Tmobile works well in the cities but not so much in-between. I travel and it sucks sometimes. Airports are the worst. ALL AIRPORTS SHOULD HAVE GREAT COVERAGE ON ALL CARRIERS... but they don't. With AT&T and Tmobile I'm often left with little to no cell signal. Verizon has the best coverage and is the most reliable. AT&T is second with Tmobile last.
90% of the time I am within the city and get great 4G data speeds and a reliable network.
I am always amused by how people are so easily affected my the media machine. BMW is the ultimate driving machine, Verizon is the best, Mercedes never break, blah blah blah...
I have Tmo in SoCal...I've had ATT, Sprint and Verizon. I would not trade Tmo's customer service for any or all of the other 3's claims. Sprint and ATT's data speeds are laughable here. Verizon is good but not worth 3x the price. ATT I think spends all their time trying to make their automated phones menus more torturous. The last time I needed to call ATT, I spent 2 hours calling number after number and never got my issue resolved. I cancelled all my ATT services at that point...took nearly all day to do it but boy do I feel good about it now.
jrwingate6 said:
You meant to say Tmobile sucks in you location because it doesn't suck in mine (Baltimore) but you know who's service does suck in my area. ATT and Sprint. My wife's iPhone gets multiple dropped calls though out the week and there data speeds suck. Sprints WiMax is laughable and always gets static on the line. Tmobile however has insane 4g speeds where I live and I average 8mbs DL and 3mbs UL in and around Baltimore. Not to mention I haven't had a dropped call since I can remember. I don't even remember the last time I went without service. In the end there is no point for me to pay more and get less. A post like yours is all subjective depending on where you live and in the end, this thread is idiotic. Nobody wants to hear you high about carrier service in a forum dedicated to a device.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same in baltimore with good service.
eagercrow said:
I love this phone, but t-mobile sucks. I can't take the ****ty service anymore. I've had more dropped calls in the past 2 weeks than I've had with Att, sprint, and Verizon over the past 10yrs.
I originally thought I'd be able to use att towers, but we all know that isn't yet possible.
Not sure what carrier and phone to go with now. hmmmm....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you feel better now?
I live in Kansas City, location of the Sprint World Headquarters, and can't recieve a Sprint signal in my house.
Do you have a point?
Try complaining to AT&T for not carrying the G2X...problem solved.
Tmobile is great in my location and wifi calling will not go against minutes pretty soon. You simply cannot beat that at all .
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk
I just got the phone today me and fiance both got same phone we were told our area had 3g coverage i contacted tmobile support and the tech stated it is not availabe he actually suggested we seek another carrier anyone have any suggestions to getting better quality signal and data...
Since you bought it from Tmob you should ask and get the unlock codes for free and also should be opt out of the early contract termination fee as well because it was not your fault about the coverage area. Don't let them push you around. Stick to your guns that the tmob rep said you would have 3G and yet you do not.
Check with ATT and see if they have better coverage in your area. The G2X can work on ATT networks as well but you would have to do some research on the settings and etc.
Thats my two cents if your gonna leave Tmob and keep the phones.
As for getting better reception or data signal theres pretty much nothing you can do to make it better if the towers aren't there.
fabricatedhero said:
Since you bought it.......
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Agree with all that, maybe you can get the phone as a Standard rate plan, which they don't offer with smart phones. You can then use it wifi all over the place. And when the merger hits, you might get better reception if they can share antenna....though some say the G2x will not work on any 3G ATT signals.
thanks for the responses
Yea ive been searching around seeing if there was a fix or noticable difference in rooted pre gb releases for better sig/data strength and such i even caled tmo when i got home and spoke with tech rep and he suggested that i just return devices and go to a diff network I felt that was a horrible way to represent the company. Didnt even try or make a feeble attempt to troubleshoot just blew it off to ah well you dont get 3g in your area so to bad basically.
fabricatedhero said:
Since you bought it from Tmob you should ask and get the unlock codes for free and also should be opt out of the early contract termination fee as well because it was not your fault about the coverage area. Don't let them push you around. Stick to your guns that the tmob rep said you would have 3G and yet you do not.
Check with ATT and see if they have better coverage in your area. The G2X can work on ATT networks as well but you would have to do some research on the settings and etc.
Thats my two cents if your gonna leave Tmob and keep the phones.
As for getting better reception or data signal theres pretty much nothing you can do to make it better if the towers aren't there.
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Click to collapse
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the G2X only works on the 1700mhz 3G band. ATT does not use this band so he would be stuck on 2g, which is exactly the problem he's having with tmobs now.
well i should have gone further in to detail
The issue is in the store i was told that i would be in a 3g area once i got home i was only staring at the letter G on the highway i had 2G but at home now even outside I am at G and tech on the phone said i was in 2g area then proceeded to tell me i should look in to another company problem is ive tried verizon which is incredible service horrible support and sprint which had great customer service but horrid service I can travel to mount vernon and data roam.
knickfan5745 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the G2X only works on the 1700mhz 3G band. ATT does not use this band so he would be stuck on 2g, which is exactly the problem he's having with tmobs now.
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Click to collapse
Hmmm you might be right and i have to retract my statement cuz now ever since the phone was released it showed that it was quad band and had both bands for tmob and ATT for 2g/3g/4g bands and now LG says its not.
Even Tmobs site showed it had that capability. I'm reading into it now. Thanks for the refresh course.
No one suggested WiFi Calling? I use it at work and its awesome. Really cuts down on battery usage too. Plus WiFi Calling is now FREE on Tmobile so why WOULDN'T you want to use it at home or at work?
Beats paying AT&T for a $100 WiFi Extender and having it come out of your bank of minutes.
Plus WiFi Calling works over standard WiFi, so even at McDonalds it will work.
Of course this is under the assumption that there IS some coverage around your home. If there was NO service then I would probably just look elsewhere. If you can at least make calls in your neighborhood and calls, text, and surf the web at home (using WiFi Calling and WiFi) then that isn't so bad. Text messages work on any network grade. The only issue you'd have with a slower network is data. But if there is decent service "around" your house, then WiFi calling works wonders to make sure you are online around your home.
It would actually be kinda cool to reply on a WiFi router for service because at 10pm I could just pull the plug and cells go off. No kids texting at 2am.
fabricatedhero said:
Hmmm you might be right and i have to retract my statement cuz now ever since the phone was released it showed that it was quad band and had both bands for tmob and ATT for 2g/3g/4g bands and now LG says its not.
Even Tmobs site showed it had that capability. I'm reading into it now. Thanks for the refresh course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one really knows but Tmobile is releasing lots of "Quad-band" phones in the event the AT&T merger goes through. They've even stated they ONCE the merger goes through, they will unlock the other frequencies.
So while there is no absolute answer whether our phones are truely quad-band until we crack it open and actually test, it would be odd that it passed FCC, had it listed on the website, and touted as one of the biggest features... only to NOT have no such hardware.
Makes more sense that Tmobile just "locked it up" for now.
mikeew83 said:
Yea ive been searching around seeing if there was a fix or noticable difference in rooted pre gb releases for better sig/data strength and such i even caled tmo when i got home and spoke with tech rep and he suggested that i just return devices and go to a diff network I felt that was a horrible way to represent the company. Didnt even try or make a feeble attempt to troubleshoot just blew it off to ah well you dont get 3g in your area so to bad basically.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There really isn't much the csr over the phone can do. If you don't have service the person on the phone can't magically teleport a tower into your hood.
They offered you the chance to return the phone and get your money back. How else would you like them to proceed when they can't provide you with service?
Thanks all for the responses
Yea thats what ive been doing just got it set up to wifi in the house honestly out and about not that big an issue as i already have everything i need on the phone at that point unless its a game using data based connectivity which i can deal the phone in itself is just to nice for me to let go of and as for the last post honestly youve waited your breathe and I dont appreciate the rudeness really there is no magic tmo fairy to pop out of my ass and stick a new tower in my back yard gosh there goes that idea. but yea def love the phone testing out root lol i couldnt wait day 1 rooted and working on a good rom/kernel combo in the near future you can look forward to me buildling from aosp soon as this has been something i have been nearing for quite a while now just couldnt find a decent enough phone to dev on so be on the look out for the Triumph Rom coming soon to your neck of the woods.
I was rude? I thought I was just being logical and asked what you would have done if you were the csr.
I'm glad you are at least trying the phone out via wifi, 99% of the people here would have ditched it.
well if i mistook you i apologize
But i def would not recommend someone leave my business for another without prior checking thoroughly to see what other options there may be this guy spent 5 minutes on the phone with me he was in tech support and did no do any literally anything to troubleshoot why i was listed in a 2g area but only getting 1g was my big issue but honestly ill take this over sprint any day i cannot leave the house 5 minutes in any direction without data roaming so just pushed over dark and sin with faux kernel going to set it up and test drive I will be working up some gb roms once official release is out which from the reads i have found is only sometime soon. heres to hoping.
So I'm over T-Mobile and their crappy reception in my area.
I've had work tickets opened for trouble-shooting in my area and nothing..
I've written to corporate and was basically told either deal with it or pay the termination fee.. this 2 days after re-newing. Little did I know that you cant cancel as soon as you renew a contract, unlike when you open a new line (Thanks for NOT telling me that T-Mobile).
Anyhow, I'm probably gonna sell my Sensation, my wife's Galaxy S 4G, and our niece's Vibrant to pay the cancellation fees, and look to go elsewhere.
Verizon & Sprint seem to have the best reception in my area, but I like rooting my phones and I'd like to know, what phones or service have the more options when it comes to rooting??
wait... you are not even getting 2G ? as in EDGE?
you can certainly ROAM for free in the USA, back then when i was living there even when i get no 3G i can still roam just fine in 2G and get reception everywhere where 3G did not reach without additional charges
AllGamer said:
wait... you are not even getting 2G ? as in EDGE?
you can certainly ROAM for free in the USA, back then when i was living there even when i get no 3G i can still roam just fine in 2G and get reception everywhere where 3G did not reach without additional charges
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Well the reception is so choppy that in and around my condo, the reception goes from 4G to Edge, to nothing, to edge, and back n forth - ALL DAY around my place! I literally have to cross the street to receive a picture message!!
I've just had it with all that and the fact that I kinda got duped by the freakin Loyalty dept themselves, I'm over T-Mobile.
AllGamer said:
wait... you are not even getting 2G ? as in EDGE?
you can certainly ROAM for free in the USA, back then when i was living there even when i get no 3G i can still roam just fine in 2G and get reception everywhere where 3G did not reach without additional charges
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Before I moved all I got was gprs sometimes. Most times I had to use wifi calling to make a call or stand by the street to talk. People could get 3 bars of AT&T 3G in my house.
Now I've moved and get full T-Mob coverage, but the 3G speeds are worse than Sprint and Verizon.
We plan to drop them soon, especiallyvafter they changed our rate plan and tried to extend our contract another.year.behind our backs and charged us $50 in minutes overages because their MyAccount app shoes the wrong minute used value on every phone.
Then lied about the rate plan change and told me there was a note on the account saying we were notified. After cussing her out for about 5 minutes I hung up in her face and called back. The next person fixed it probably just tobget me off the phone. I was fuming.
I'm going back to AT&T. They had much better customer service and infnitely better coverage. I don't mind paying more for piece of mind. Also, I want true unlimited mobile to mobile calling. Not T-Mobiles gimp version cause no one else except the people on my plan has them, anyways.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
I would get a Sgs2 of you can (At&T) or the sprint one. If the big (bad) red is your thing then the Razr seems to be the best from my useage. I work near a red store and Have gone to 2 and tryed both the razr and the 720p HTC and the razr seems more use able to me, but the S2 on AT&T H+ was able to = or beat them in loading web and video. The HTC could not even play 1080p video right and the first one I tryed at the store near me booted up and before I could do anything it went off for good.( I have never seen a phone do that in a store.)
I like AT&T now even if my speeds of 3-5mb is not as good as the 2.5-15mbs of LTE. P.S Yes I did a speed test on cnet and my phone got 3.8 and the HTC got 2.5. I don't think was right, but you never know.
Well in your area it could be complicated would not use Sprint their service is unreliable, so pick your poison, ATT and get bumped off alot from over crowding or Verizon and get over charged and deal with cdma
BTW, I have a friend who owns a percentage in the Arsenal team.....
You could get a booster for your house, TMO offers them, or you can buy a grey market one and THAT will solve alot of your problems.
perroh said:
So I'm over T-Mobile and their crappy reception in my area.
I've had work tickets opened for trouble-shooting in my area and nothing..
I've written to corporate and was basically told either deal with it or pay the termination fee.. this 2 days after re-newing. Little did I know that you cant cancel as soon as you renew a contract, unlike when you open a new line (Thanks for NOT telling me that T-Mobile).
Anyhow, I'm probably gonna sell my Sensation, my wife's Galaxy S 4G, and our niece's Vibrant to pay the cancellation fees, and look to go elsewhere.
Verizon & Sprint seem to have the best reception in my area, but I like rooting my phones and I'd like to know, what phones or service have the more options when it comes to rooting??
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For the last 12 years, I have been a Sprint customer. I haven't had any serious issues with them until they started rolling out the tower updates to LTE. Since then, I have not been about to get satellite locks or use their web network without becoming absolutely frustrated. After a bit of web searching, I decided it was time to make the move to Verizon, since I need the web, on the road, for work. I made the choice of the Galaxy S III. It's a great looking phone and the specs speak for themselves. But, I got terrible service in and around my home. Every phone call in my house was breaking up and dropping. I figured it must be Verizon because this phone was a step up from my Sprint Epic 4G touch and even from the same manufacturer. I made calls to customer service and they wrote up a ticket to check service in my area. My nextdoor neighbor came home with his new iPhone (I will never buy an iPhone or any mac product) and showed me that he had almost full bars. I asked him to come to my house and see if he still had great service. No change in or around my home. This caused me to think there was something faulty with my device. I immediately went to the Verizon store with my device for troubleshooting. I told the service rep what had happened and that I wanted to get my phone tested and possibly get a replacement. She told me that the problems I was experiencing were common with Samsung phones because they have weak antennas. She mentioned that the best phones for reception are going to be the iPhones and the Motorolas. I believe this to be true because in my pre-smartphone days, I had a sanyo flip phone and my work partner had the latest samsung doohicky that looked sweet but, where he would have little to no service, I would have full bars. Until I got my first smartphone, I stuck with sanyo phones from Sprint and never had any issues.
Now the lineup of Verizon phones is pretty much last year's model for the top of the liners. So, I've gone back to Sprint until the Razor Maxx HD arrives. It looks to be a beast of a phone that surpasses the galaxy S III and is sure to have a good antenna/radio to go along with it. I just hope it doesn't take very long.
And you made this thread why? Are you asking something of the community? If not, this thread should be deleted
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hopesrequiem said:
And you made this thread why? Are you asking something of the community? If not, this thread should be deleted
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I don't think the thread should be deleted (but that's just me). I didn't know Samsung phones had this issue and its always good to know general info. Thanks to the OP for it. Next time an issue like this happens with me or any of my friends and if they have a Samsung phone, I would know at least one more variable to take into consideration.
I agree 100%, my service is terrible. My og Droid always had great reception, this phone (although no calls dropped) Fluctuates a lot. I love this phone though, and have no intentions of changing. I just wish it was a bit better is all
I don't see how the RARZ Maxx surpasses the S3. It is a nice phone but doesn't bring anything new to the table that the S3 doesn't already have except the large battery but, battery is not an issue with the S3 anyway.
I'm on Sprint and thinking about switching to Verizon so this is helpful to think about. I might not have considered a Motorola but now I think I'll at least give them a closer look.
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Not sure of the issues or rumors about their radio or antenna, but at least my Galaxy S III has been connecting as well as my old feature phones - by which I mean, solidly.
4G is sometimes less available than I want - e.g., there's a space of 3 blocks nearby where it's dead (odd) - but that's the only issue.
- ooofest
motorola phones are well known for getting exceptional reception.
if you live in an area where the signal strength is poor, i can understand when people end up hating certain phones.
in my case, i have never had any issues with the gs3 when it comes to reception.
BEFORE PEOPLE START BASHING TO OP, HE/SHE ISN'T SAYING THE GS3 IS A BAD PHONE FOR ITS HARDWARE (except the antenna). Yes, it is a beast of a phone.
But at the end of the day, it's still a phone and if you can't send/receive phone calls.. well, it should be replaced.
A relationship without trust is like a cell phone without service ... all you do is play games
I am a diehard Motorola guy but I went ahead and tried the SGS3. What the OP is stating is true, the Samsung radio sucks in comparison to Motorola. I am now fortunate enough to have strong enough Verizon signal at my house so I was able to keep my SGS3. Now I get 3 bars at home when with my Motorola DroidX was always full. I looked at the Droid RAZR MAXX hard and heavy, kept trying to talk myself into it, but ... it just didn't feel right in my hand. I am satisfied with my SGS3 but I still hope Motorola comes out with something good for my next upgrade.
I agree, I think this post is fine for the Verizon Galaxy S III General section of the forum!
Future modem updates will surely remedy the issue. It was the same way with the Fascinate, crappy until the radio got a couple updates.
Sent from my Galaxy S III using Xda Premium
I get good reception at my house with the S3, but my territory at work is 920ish square miles of rural area. I've noticed areas where I had 3G before switching to Sprint 3 years ago when I had a Motorola phone I do not now that I'm back with Verizon. If anything, I would have thought in the 3 years it would have improved. Like the OP, I believe it to be the phone, not the service as other guys at work don't have that problem and don't have skips when streaming music like I do on the same roads.
I'm also waiting for the Razr HD Maxx to release. Our local retail agent has their demo already so they suspect it to be within a month or so. I'm eBaying this S3 as soon as it is released since I'm outside my window to return it.
In the meantime, hopefully the latest OTA helps reception.
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Future modem updates will surely remedy the issue. It was the same way with the Fascinate, crappy until the radio got a couple updates.<br />
<br />
Sent from my Galaxy S III using Xda Premium
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Hope you're right. Sometimes I wanna go back to my rezound.
Gs3
I have the same problem. Switched from Sprint to Verizon. GSIII. Unless the signal is nearly full strength, calls are unusable and data is inconsistent, and texts won't send. It's definitely the phone's fault, not the network.
Might be good for some folks here to call Verizon and submit a complaint, etc. When I called about a networking issue a couple months back, they told me a wi-fi and other reception/signal related issues were planned for an October update (which they called the second update from Samsung, so that seems to mesh with our getting the current OTA in September), but maybe those plans or the update contents have changed.
And, since the OTA, they can more easily diagnose issues with your phone remotely .
- ooofest
Am I the only one that's satisfied with the GS3's signal strength? I came from a droid incredible and now I seem to have better signal across the board.
I've noticed that the phone manages signal poorly rather than the radios themselves being poor.
Example: If I use phone info and manually set my phone to 4g only or LTE w/ CDMA I will lock onto 4g and have a solid signal. If I rely on the default setting (LTE/EVDO/CDMA) to manage networks automatically I will end up with a weak 3g signal (with full data drops) despite medium/strong 4g being available.
Hopefully the future OTAs will take care of the network selection logic.
Div033 said:
Am I the only one that's satisfied with the GS3's signal strength? I came from a droid incredible and now I seem to have better signal across the board.
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One more fully satisfied customer here.
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When I compare this phone to a Razr Maxx or my old Droid X2, the difference in dbm is about -5. I live in an area with good coverage so I really haven't had any issues. What this phone SUCKS at is sticking with 4g and the hand off from 4g to 3g. It switches to 3g too quickly...should hold on to 4g. When it switches there's a pretty good lag during the switch so you lose data briefly.
The modem update gave me an additional 1-2 bars in my house at times (Still fluctuations, but it would anyhow here). I can't say it's any worse than my Droid Inc.
As for Verizon having a "poor phone choice"... Meh. It goes in cycles. Sometimes they have all the good phones, sometimes AT&T does. It's all variant as to when you are looking to buy.
lets be honest here. No company is 100% stable in all areas. Theres always a tradeoff, and as our lives change, as well as our residences, places of work, and hangouts, our choice of company may change to meet our new needs. In my area Verizon meets my needs best, but my neighbor might have a different story.
I think its unfair to judge a carrier in absolutes unless you're talking about a very densely populated area like a major city. If you set foot in the middle of manhattan and have 1 bar, I think that's an appropriate time to speak in absolutes.
And on the topic of smartphones, I think its an exercise in futility. My S3 is the best phone I've ever owned, despite the small glitches and imperfections. Did I buy it because it was the best phone out there? Absolutely. Did I know at the time of purchase it could be obsolete by the time I reached my car? I counted on it. Am I boring you all by answering my own rhetorical questions? Undoubtedly.
As long as you're happy with your phone and it meets your needs, good for you. If you're unhappy do something about it. But be warned, if you spend time comparing your phone to another one already out or soon to come out, you'll almost never feel good with the results.
I've had Sprint SERO for years. I live in the SF Bay Area, and even though the coverage is bad (it ALWAYS drops calls on the Bay Bridge), and the data is slow in most place, it's only $59 per month (with taxes, etc.). Of course, I've always had the hope that it will get better. Those hopes have now been bolstered by the Softbank deal.
Now that I have a Nexus 5 that can be used on multiple carriers, as a test, I got an AT&T Straight Talk SIM ($45 per month) and have been using that for a few days. It's night and day - calls go through and don't drop, data is fast - it's RELIABLE! Although Straight Talk has gotten (deservedly) bad rap for throttling, recently they changed their policy and published a 2.5 GB limit at which point you get throttled. That's enough for me, and, in the rare case that I go over before the end of the month, I can pay the next month's $45 early and get a new 2.5 GB. And, if ST goes bad, there's always AIO or other AT&T MVNOs.
But, I'm reluctant to switch. If Sprint really does get a good LTE network going and I can use unlimited data to watch Netflix without worry, that would be a nice thing. And, once I cancel the SERO plan, there's no going back.
Of course I've hung on for years because I thought Sprint would get better, and it never has. But, with my luck, the month after I cancel my SERO plan Sprint will improve 1000%.
Any thoughts? I can't be the only person going through this.
(I use Google Voice so the (perhaps) temporary change of carrier is not notice by people that call me, except there is no MMS.)
I just dumped Sprint and paid a $140 ETF. It was worth it friend. I did not have the SERO deal, but I now know what it's like to have real phone service. I switched to a Go Phone plan and could not be happier. Living in NYC and being with sprint was BEYOND painful. Each morning, I would try to listen to NPR on my way to work. It would take forever for the stream to get going on LTE and when we would reach a spot in my commute where it had to hand off to 3g, the stream would just die. I would then have to toggle airplane mode until I finally found a usable signal. So yeah, now that I have Go Phone as my provider, even on 3G I can stream my liberal news to my hearts content. Not to mention, that I have LTE almost everywhere I go with actual LTE speeds. Dump those suckers.
AliLaPointe said:
I just dumped Sprint and paid a $140 ETF. It was worth it friend. I did not have the SERO deal, but I now know what it's like to have real phone service. I switched to a Go Phone plan and could not be happier. Living in NYC and being with sprint was BEYOND painful. Each morning, I would try to listen to NPR on my way to work. It would take forever for the stream to get going on LTE and when we would reach a spot in my commute where it had to hand off to 3g, the stream would just die. I would then have to toggle airplane mode until I finally found a usable signal. So yeah, now that I have Go Phone as my provider, even on 3G I can stream my liberal news to my hearts content. Not to mention, that I have LTE almost everywhere I go with actual LTE speeds. Dump those suckers.
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No car radio?
More seriously, how many GB do you have from Gophone - and can you listen to NPR and not burn up all your GB?
Go to s4gru, donate a couple bucks and look at the map for your area.
Maybe read a little and educate yourself on how sprint is improving their network.
After you do that you can make an informed decision based on facts rather then asking for opinions here.
---------- Post added at 09:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:39 PM ----------
AliLaPointe said:
I just dumped Sprint and paid a $140 ETF. It was worth it friend. I did not have the SERO deal, but I now know what it's like to have real phone service. I switched to a Go Phone plan and could not be happier. Living in NYC and being with sprint was BEYOND painful. Each morning, I would try to listen to NPR on my way to work. It would take forever for the stream to get going on LTE and when we would reach a spot in my commute where it had to hand off to 3g, the stream would just die. I would then have to toggle airplane mode until I finally found a usable signal. So yeah, now that I have Go Phone as my provider, even on 3G I can stream my liberal news to my hearts content. Not to mention, that I have LTE almost everywhere I go with actual LTE speeds. Dump those suckers.
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no you can only stream 2.5gb worth assuming you do not use data for anything else.
lafester said:
Go to s4gru, donate a couple bucks and look at the map for your area.
Maybe read a little and educate yourself on how sprint is improving their network.
After you do that you can make an informed decision based on facts rather then asking for opinions here.
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This may sound stupid, but what exactly is the different between s4gru map and the one from Sprint? That said, I look at the Sprint LTE map before and the current Sprint LTE signal is weak. There are many area in LA county(not city) that even though it show LTE on the map but I only have 3G. And yes Sprint 3G is suck. That said, I'm looking forward to try the Spark(tri-band LTE), which as far as I'm concern, most of the place I'll be around had good WiMax. So if things goes smoothly(meaning I'll have LTE signal like I used to have when I got WiMax), I will be happy to stay w/ Sprint SERO-P. Then again, this is my experience. My term w/ Sprint isn't up yet anyway. So, I will use it and try Spark when I have Nexus 5 until the term is over then decide.
I am in the same boat, no LTE in my town but I am supposed to have LTE at work in Midtown Manhattan. I get an LTE signal on my N5 with Sprint at work but when I do a speedtest I am getting .25Mbps down and like .01 up. I hear Verizon is no better in Midtown and now that they have publicly admitted it, they are not even a consideration. So that leaves ATT or Tmobile, I will not go with Tmo so that leaves ATT. Went to an ATT store on Park Ave close to my office and ran a speedtest on one of their display LG G2s and only got between 1-2mbps down.
So none of the carriers are good for me now in Midtown, but ATT and Verizon would be good at my house, but I am on wifi at my house so coverage at work is more important. I have been waiting and waiting for Sprint and I know their LTE network is going to be great when it finally gets here, but when will that be? How long can you wait and keep paying them for crap service, it is very frustrating.
I agree that you should do some research on S4gru, but that will only take you so far. Sprint was promising a great network back in the Wimax days and that stuff fell apart. They then promised LTE and I have been having spotty coverage for more than a year. I'm really happy after my switch to Go Phone. No issues here. Also, nowhere near to close on my data allotment. I dont use a car radio because, well, I live in NYC and take public transit.
AliLaPointe said:
I agree that you should do some research on S4gru, but that will only take you so far. Sprint was promising a great network back in the Wimax days and that stuff fell apart. They then promised LTE and I have been having spotty coverage for more than a year. I'm really happy after my switch to Go Phone. No issues here. Also, nowhere near to close on my data allotment. I dont use a car radio because, well, I live in NYC and take public transit.
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Maps can only take you so far. For example, the maps show a strong signal (Sprint calls it "Best" voice signal at my house, and calls constantly drop. There are other places on the maps where a strong signal is shown and the calls always drop. The fact that in the entire course of its existence Sprint has not been able to figure out (or hasn't bothered to figure out) how to not drop calls consistently for people driving across the Bay Bridge is amazing. There are places on the map where strong data coverage is shown and the data is so slow as to be unusable.
So, the real thrust of my question was whether Sprint is going to change its spots and have consistent and reliable service, not whether it can show a map which covers a large area but in reality is full of holes.
I'm sure there are a lot of us in this position.
I have this n5 with two SIMs two, AT&T works great just about everywhere I go, Sprint , junk. And now that LTE won't work at all until the 3G/4G towers have been fully completed, more bad news, from bad planning by Sprint.
I like the Google voice integration with Sprint, and my number is not eligible to be ported to Google voice.
It seems that Sprint is always promising a better service is just around the corner. They're doing this again with this 'spark' talk, which really won't do much.
They should their time implementing LTE 1900 Mhz, before they get ahead of themselves and offering LTE 2500 Mhz too, they need to walk before they can run.
I was thinking about using net10's 2 line family plan, over Straight talk, not sure of the different between the two, the same company.
If t-moble had coverage, i'd consider them too.
The S4GRU site will show you the Sprint tower locations, not the coverage.
Edit: One blog post here: http://seth.killey.me/?p=1049
I had sero on sprint and just ditched them for tmobile and could not be happier. I have been hanging on to sero for years waiting for coverage to improve and it has only gotten worse. I finally gave up and have not looked back since.
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