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[Q] Edge handoff with Nexus S?

Hi I am new here. i have been lurking for a bit but didn't find an answer to the question I have so I decided to sign up. First a little background... first time android user coming from an iphone. I really like the NS, couldn't be happier. I am also pleasantly surprised by T-Mobile's data speeds. I live in Manhattan and as everyone knows ATT is the pits for reliable service and fast data speeds there. I have gotten 5.11mbps down using the speed test app on T-Mo in my apt. With ATT I could only get .78mbps down as the highest. Videos, websites, music downloads are all really quick on the NS. It is actually faster then my cable provider's internet service...probably because time warner sucks and my cable is split about 45 ways. I happen to work in Jersey City, right on the Hudson river overlooking Manhattan. When I am in the World financial center in lower Manhattan commuting to work I get the same high data speeds as I do in my apt. The WFC is right across from where I work. When I check T-Mo's coverage map there are 2 cell towers a stones throw from my building on the river front. That being said I only get Edge coverage. Does anyone else have an issue with bad 3G to Edge handoff with the NS or with T-Mo in general? I feel like I should have solid 3G service there! Is there a way to force 3G?....I would assume that 2 bars on 3G is better then 5 on Edge, at least as far as data speeds are concerned. T-Mo's site list my job site as having excellent coverage. Also, I have eliminated the possibility that the building I work in is causing the issue. When I am outside the issue persists. I have about a .25 mile walk to my building in Jersey and all along the way I am sitting on Edge.

Greg Tolan said:
Hi I am new here. i have been lurking for a bit but didn't find an answer to the question I have so I decided to sign up. First a little background... first time android user coming from an iphone. I really like the NS, couldn't be happier. I am also pleasantly surprised by T-Mobile's data speeds. I live in Manhattan and as everyone knows ATT is the pits for reliable service and fast data speeds there. I have gotten 5.11mbps down using the speed test app on T-Mo in my apt. With ATT I could only get .78mbps down as the highest. Videos, websites, music downloads are all really quick on the NS. It is actually faster then my cable provider's internet service...probably because time warner sucks and my cable is split about 45 ways. I happen to work in Jersey City, right on the Hudson river overlooking Manhattan. When I am in the World financial center in lower Manhattan commuting to work I get the same high data speeds as I do in my apt. The WFC is right across from where I work. When I check T-Mo's coverage map there are 2 cell towers a stones throw from my building on the river front. That being said I only get Edge coverage. Does anyone else have an issue with bad 3G to Edge handoff with the NS or with T-Mo in general? I feel like I should have solid 3G service there! Is there a way to force 3G?....I would assume that 2 bars on 3G is better then 5 on Edge, at least as far as data speeds are concerned. T-Mo's site list my job site as having excellent coverage. Also, I have eliminated the possibility that the building I work in is causing the issue. When I am outside the issue persists. I have about a .25 mile walk to my building in Jersey and all along the way I am sitting on Edge.
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kinda confused, are you using the phone on ATT or Tmo?
if its on ATT you will only be getting EDGE

Sorry for the confusion...this is on on T-Mo.

To help diagnose the problem ... do you have any friends who can verify that there is in fact T-Mobile 3G coverage at your work? (where you say you only have EDGE)
This could be a service issue that T-Mobile is unaware of; you could also call customer service and request that they test those towers.

may also be a matter of a Tech re associating your device with the tower

@Ravidavi: unfortunately I am the only t-mobile user in my group! everyone else is on vzw or att.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I've seen this too. This is my first t mobile phone too but it switches to edge and stays there in solid 3g areas. I want to like t mobile more but this is making it hard for me.

I'll call customer service. Complaining a bit might put it on their radar....
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I called customer service. There is a known issue in the area.... Must be related to the blizzard we had.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

Welcome to Android!
For the future, you can force 3G by going to your dialer and inputting:
*#*#4636#*#*
Phone Information
Flick down to where you see Preferred Network Type
Select 'Wcdma Only"
You will see your signal reset and should 3G be available in that area, you'll pick it up. I'm also a fellow Manhattanite and am too loving the T-Mobile speeds since I came from iPhone in January 2010 with Nexus One

Sweet thanks for that. It indeed showed no service at all on wcdma. That will definitely be a handy trick in the future!
allen099 said:
Welcome to Android!
For the future, you can force 3G by going to your dialer and inputting:
*#*#4636#*#*
Phone Information
Flick down to where you see Preferred Network Type
Select 'Wcdma Only"
You will see your signal reset and should 3G be available in that area, you'll pick it up. I'm also a fellow Manhattanite and am too loving the T-Mobile speeds since I came from iPhone in January 2010 with Nexus One
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Click to collapse
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

Advice for a possible convert

Hey folks! I'm currently an Sprint customer, but I'm considering a switch to ATT. I'll lay out a few facts so you can understand where I'm coming from. I'm not worried about cancellation fees because I can make our phones roam to VZW until sprint drops us.
-When I got cell service, none of the national carriers could compete with Sprint's prices (family plan, unlimited messaging/data, dont care about minutes). Now ATT's family plans have gotten competitive.
-Between people leaving VZW for economic reasons and people leaving T-Mo because of the ATT purchase, Sprint's network is very overburdened (at least in my area). Given the way Sprint has been flaking out on the 4G front, i'm not exactly filled with confidence that they'll expand their network capability in a timely fashion.
I'll ask folks in my squadron about local reception, but I want opinions from similarly minded people (you guys) about things like customer service and general happiness with the network. Also, what's ATT's 4G plan? As of now, all I've heard of is HSPA+, and I really dont know how it stacks up against WiMax, LTE, regular HSPA (thats 3g for GSM, right?) The store rep said that ATT will be using LTE, but I'm not sure if thats true given that Inspire and Atrix both are advertised as being 4G and use HSPA+.
Thanks in advance for any helpful feedback. For the flamers....well, u know where to stick it.

jdelforge5684 said:
Hey folks! I'm currently an Sprint customer, but I'm considering a switch to ATT. I'll lay out a few facts so you can understand where I'm coming from. I'm not worried about cancellation fees because I can make our phones roam to VZW until sprint drops us.
-When I got cell service, none of the national carriers could compete with Sprint's prices (family plan, unlimited messaging/data, dont care about minutes). Now ATT's family plans have gotten competitive.
-Between people leaving VZW for economic reasons and people leaving T-Mo because of the ATT purchase, Sprint's network is very overburdened (at least in my area). Given the way Sprint has been flaking out on the 4G front, i'm not exactly filled with confidence that they'll expand their network capability in a timely fashion.
I'll ask folks in my squadron about local reception, but I want opinions from similarly minded people (you guys) about things like customer service and general happiness with the network. Also, what's ATT's 4G plan? As of now, all I've heard of is HSPA+, and I really dont know how it stacks up against WiMax, LTE, regular HSPA (thats 3g for GSM, right?) The store rep said that ATT will be using LTE, but I'm not sure if thats true given that Inspire and Atrix both are advertised as being 4G and use HSPA+.
Thanks in advance for any helpful feedback. For the flamers....well, u know where to stick it.
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My advice is go for VZW if you want legit 4g. I haven't seen any 4g speeds on my Inspire and I live in Boston. The 4g data plan is basically 3g, and it costs teh same too.

I still can't bring myself to pay VZW's prices. I know their network is the best, but its not enough of an improvement for me to pay that much more. I'm not so much concerned with current 4g capability, i'm in between 2 4g markets right now, so I think it's going to be a while before I get it. I'm more curious about the future of 4g with ATT based on the fact that the rep, who seemed otherwise knowledgeable, said that ATT would be using LTE in Q4 of this year yet they've already released two phones sporting HSPA+ as their 4g devices. Does anyone know if they're going to switch their technology to LTE?

So what exactly would you like to know? Ask any questions you'd like and I'll answer them.
ATT has great coverage imo. I even have service where my girlfriend (verizon) does not (in many cases).
The inspire is the best phone on att. This is coming from a lifetime iphone man, and I also tested the Atrix for a month and CAME BACK to the inspire.
Data speeds are more than adequate for me, even if it is not the 'true' 4g of verizon. I am more realistic when it comes to data. I am thankful for the ability to be connected to the internet at all times, and if I have to wait a second for a page to load - I'm not complaining. What does matter to me is the performance and speeds of the gps/maps function, which, on the inspire are great. The google maps/nav is implemented directly into the phone and definitely has the upper hand on the iphone, which I feel is att's other competitive smartphone.
Basically, I feel your decision simply comes down to dollars and sense (get it??? haha...), as well as what kind of service you are receiving in your area. Att & sprint are comparable, and both carriers have great android devices (sprint is launching evo3d too, which looks pretty cool).
Basically, how's your service going to be? I would talk to people with ATT in your area and get their opinion. Also, how much money would you save/spend if you made the switch? I'd make a decision on those two factors.

at&t is currently releasing "4G" phones that have HSPA+ at 14.4/5.76Mbps download and upload respectively but they DO plan to run with LTE. Starting in May, they will be decommissioning their 2G network starting in the west coast and moving east, in order to free up bandwidth that they can use to launch LTE. Also, while Verizon purchased the "C" block of spectrum, at&t purchased a company that had vast amounts of what I believe was "D" spectrum on the 700 band as well and ended up paying a LOT less than what Verizon did to get their nationwide 700Mhz LTE licenses.
What I would do is go to the store, get a phone, drive EVERYWHERE that you think you may use it and watch your phone signal, run a few speed tests, check out voice quality, etc., before you make your decision.
While I am FINALLY figuring out the cause of my at&t issues at my new residence (Netgear 2.4GHz WNR2000v2 router is actually interfering with my cell signal massively), I have had issues around town and I am in Denver (the suburbs now) and should have EXCELLENT signal at all the locations I have had issues at.
T-Mobile is phenomenal if you look at their maps and make sure they have service of the utmost quality in your area - I read your post and believe you said T-Mo wasn't an option but I've had a few too many and just can't be bothered to go back and read the post again - T-Mobile has been deploying ridiculous HSPA+ speeds for some time now (on a recent speed test, my buddy got 26Mbps down and 2Mbps up on T-Mo's HSPA+ network) and I don't see them slowing down.
Verizon and Sprint are just disappointments and I think nothing more needs to be said about that.
EDIT: Sorry, at&t bought a large chunk of B-block 700MHz spectrum, not D-block.

EtherealRemnant said:
at&t is currently releasing "4G" phones that have HSPA+ at 14.4/5.76Mbps download and upload respectively but they DO plan to run with LTE. Starting in May, they will be decommissioning their 2G network starting in the west coast and moving east, in order to free up bandwidth that they can use to launch LTE. Also, while Verizon purchased the "C" block of spectrum, at&t purchased a company that had vast amounts of what I believe was "D" spectrum on the 700 band as well and ended up paying a LOT less than what Verizon did to get their nationwide 700Mhz LTE licenses.
What I would do is go to the store, get a phone, drive EVERYWHERE that you think you may use it and watch your phone signal, run a few speed tests, check out voice quality, etc., before you make your decision.
While I am FINALLY figuring out the cause of my at&t issues at my new residence (Netgear 2.4GHz WNR2000v2 router is actually interfering with my cell signal massively), I have had issues around town and I am in Denver (the suburbs now) and should have EXCELLENT signal at all the locations I have had issues at.
T-Mobile is phenomenal if you look at their maps and make sure they have service of the utmost quality in your area - I read your post and believe you said T-Mo wasn't an option but I've had a few too many and just can't be bothered to go back and read the post again - T-Mobile has been deploying ridiculous HSPA+ speeds for some time now (on a recent speed test, my buddy got 26Mbps down and 2Mbps up on T-Mo's HSPA+ network) and I don't see them slowing down.
Verizon and Sprint are just disappointments and I think nothing more needs to be said about that.
EDIT: Sorry, at&t bought a large chunk of B-block 700MHz spectrum, not D-block.
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Okay. This makes me want to know if my 2g I get here will be converted to 4g by the coming time.
Hmmmmmmph..that would be nice compared to my 150kbs download..lol
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4g using XDA.
MIUI Gingerbread 1.4.1v4
catlleprods cyan0#3.7

[Conundrum] On AT&T, looking to escape.

So I've gotten myself into a pickle. Let me start this by saying that staying on AT&T is not an option for personal reasons.
Current situation: HTC Inspire 4G with an unlimited data plan on AT&T.
Living in NY metro area with great coverage.
Got the green light from AT&T to cancel my contract with no ETF if I want.
Hopes & Dreams: Have a great phone on a future-proof network (LTE for example) while guaranteeing myself unlimited data.
Obviously I have a lot to weigh here:
AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile.
I feel like this is pure bad news if I were to stay with AT&T or switch to T-Mobile. If I stay AT&T, prices are sure to go up, and sure I keep my unlimited data, but the network is going nowhere fast. 4G is bull****. 3.5G at best. All in all, the real innovation and envelope pushing just isn't happening here.
Verizon's LTE & Tiered Data.
From what I hear, the speeds are gorgeous. I checked and I'm in a hot coverage area. But I also hear indoor coverage sucks, and the LTE > 3G handoff is sloppy and leads to service drops.
Then there's the tiered data. I'm sure if I were to wait too long, I'll miss the boat on unlimited LTE data. Hence the reason I feel I need to make a move soon.
Sprint.
Short & sweet: Is the 4G good? Phone selection ramping up any time soon? What's hot now? The Pre 3 looks amazing, but if it'll be on Verizon, I'm not sure what Sprint may have to lure me in.
MetroPCS.
Just kidding
Anyway, any and all input is appreciated. I'm just not sure where to go and how.
Keep in mind I need to do the carrier change by May 4th.
Thanks!

30 views and no opinions?

I tried dumping AT&T and switching to T-Mobile a year ago and within 48 hours I was begging AT&T to reactivate my account In the end, it simply came down to signal strength/coverage. Before even considering all the other factors, find out what kind of service you're going to get in the EXACT locations where you spend your time. Maybe you're lucky enough to have strong service from multiple carriers (I wasn't), but I'd certainly test and see if it narrows your options.

I agree with what kopsis said; find out coverage in your exact area to the extent possible.
I can't say too much about the options personally, as I've had T-Mo since they were Voicestream and just after they bought Omnipoint, but I'm leery of the AT&T merger and I know they're not the best for everybody as is.
I have a VZ blackberry through work and while it's hard to be completely objective since the BES and proxy stuff screw with speeds, I've had issues with data actually being usable. While I have great coverage (theoretically), I've found sometimes that the device will show EVDO but only be able to pull 10kbps. Or it will not be able to get on EVDO at all and revert to barely usable 1xRTT even in areas that supposedly have hot EVDO coverage. I think while they have great geographic coverage, base stations can get overloaded throughput-wise, especially given the nature of legacy CDMA devices being "promiscuous" and talking to every tower they possibly can. I'm sure LTE will be different with them but my experiences so far have left me less than impressed.
With regards to Sprint, be aware, that they're rumored to be dumping WiMax for LTE sometime in the future, so that may interfere with your "future-proof" plans...

3G singal repeater

I was considering buying one of these ebay signal boosters, and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with them and the TP2 on Sprint. I am getting 2 bars, and on a good day I can download at ~80k/s at home. I want to be able to squeeze any more data speed from my phone that I can as it is my only internet source (D*mn you Comcast for putting your pole 1000' from my house).

That repeater appears to be for GSM only.
The only repeater I've heard of for Sprint/CDMA is kind of a hack. It basically uses your existing broadband connection to 'boost' your signal - see Airave.
Edit - the more I read that ebay ad, the more confused I am. CDMA 2000 is CDMA, but it says it boosts at the 2100mhz range, while Sprint's service is 1900mhz...
Edit 2 - moar info

The ebay link I posted shows Frequency range: Uplink 1930~ 1990MHz Downlink 2110 ~ 2180MHz boosted. That should cover the correct range.
It looks like sprint 3g is running from 1932.4 to 1987.6 from what I am seeing on the web.

wizardknight said:
The ebay link I posted shows Frequency range: Uplink 1930~ 1990MHz Downlink 2110 ~ 2180MHz boosted. That should cover the correct range.
It looks like sprint 3g is running from 1932.4 to 1987.6 from what I am seeing on the web.
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So does that mean the repeater will only work in one direction...
I'm not trying to discourage you from finding a solution, I just don't want you to waste $90 on something that might be useless for you.
Edit - what about wi-ex? Those seem to be the most "dependable" products... although much pricier. I just can't find much outside of the Airave for Sprint... and in theory it should work - but it would only improve your signal to what you get outdoors it seems. I'm not convinced any of it will boost your signal as if you had a new Sprint tower outside your window...
http://www.wi-ex.com/homeOffice.aspx

arrrghhh said:
So does that mean the repeater will only work in one direction...
I'm not trying to discourage you from finding a solution, I just don't want you to waste $90 on something that might be useless for you.
Edit - what about wi-ex? Those seem to be the most "dependable" products... although much pricier. I just can't find much outside of the Airave for Sprint... and in theory it should work - but it would only improve your signal to what you get outdoors it seems. I'm not convinced any of it will boost your signal as if you had a new Sprint tower outside your window...
http://www.wi-ex.com/homeOffice.aspx
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Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the airave work by using a broad band internet connection? As noted in the first post I am using my cell as my internet connection so that doesn't seem like a viable option.

wizardknight said:
Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the airave work by using a broad band internet connection? As noted in the first post I am using my cell as my internet connection so that doesn't seem like a viable option.
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Huh? Wi-EX is not an Airave. Sorry I mentioned it my post, I was just stating the only cell booster technology I've seen for Sprint or even CDMA specifically is the Airave - which as you noted works on an existing broadband connection.
However, that Wi-EX site seems to support both GSM and CDMA technologies - perhaps as does that one you found on ebay. If you don't have good service outside I don't see those devices improving anything for you...
Good luck, let us know if you do end up with something - I've always wondered about doing this for my parents house - they live in the boonies and no service... but over a ridge not 1/2 mile by the way the crow files, full bars. Very frustrating for them, and it was maddening when I lived up there... I just am skeptical these types of devices will make that big of a difference. They seem to really be for large buildings where you have difficulty getting service inside the building - but service is fine outside of the building. Not quite the case for my parents, not sure if it's the case for you or not...

Do those things transmit with higher power than your phone? If so then they could improve your signal strength quite a bit since the limiting factor in your phones ability to communicate with the network is its puny transmitter, not the towers.

Peer To Peer / Mesh Cellular Network?

So I was wondering. Is it possible to have mobile phones talk to one another without an operator over there cellular radio?
I can't see anything fundamentally wrong with it. A radio is a radio. I assume if you have access to what ever controls the cellular radio on the mobile device, you can pick and choose what frequency (out of the available ones like GSM, 3G, Etc.), send addressed packets over it, and talk to another modified device.
I was trying to research the subject. But I could only find people working with ad-hoc mesh networks over Wifi. Which to be honest, doesn't sound terribly useful considering Wifi's limited range of a few hundred feet at best. Whereas the cellular radio can talk over a few miles depending on conditions between it and the nearest tower.
I'm aware the FCC probably regulates that, but I'm excluding the legality part here. But if there is software out there I'm able to try out and it's iffy legally, I'll just do it inside a Faraday cage
So what are you guy's thoughts on this? Is the cellular radio something that's easy to control in say, Android devices? Is it something that'd require kernel modifications on most devices or could you possible do it through existing methods in the ROM? Do you think it'd be useful or practical if you had to operate without cell towers?
I suppose this is a question, but it's also discussion. I wasn't really sure whether or not to mark it as a question. Since I'm not really asking for someone's help since I'm likely not able to do this even if it's possible. More so I'm asking for opinions and thoughts on the idea since I'm interested in the thought. Though I'm sure it's been considered before, I haven't found anything that looks like it uses cellular radio in this way. Sorry if I shouldve marked this as a question.