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Abbysmal GPS and WiFi Signal

I have looked far and wide for a fix to my plagued Nexus S GPS and WiFi Signal problems. I tried GPS Test and erased all cached AGPS data. NO Towers show up. Left phone sitting there next to my window for more than 30 minutes.
Wifi Signal is always one bar while my iPod, Samsung Focus, HP Veer all get three to four bars. Including different SIM cards all recently new.
I've always tried the no battery cover trick to no end. Flashed several radios for my I9020A that i bought at best buy and nothing has helped.
I'm on 2.3.4.
Any ideas before I return this phone as a defective and give another a try?

As for the GPS, this is some sort of issue with the phone. There have been videos on YouTube explaining that it's something to do with the back cover they chose: they found that the GPS signal was stronger with the back cover removed. Not too practical.
I too have issues while using Navigation (on a bus...or even in a car sometimes...it must have a lead lines roof or something) with the Nexus S that weren't present in the Nexus One (which could lock onto satellites in a basement :what. This looks like something you can try to DRM, but it may not improve.
As for the Wifi signal, how far are you from the access point? What wireless technology are you setting up on your access point? (802.11a, b, g, or n?). If it's n? Are you trying to use the phone with a 5ghz N router? Finally, is there anything between your router and the phone that could cause interference?
- chris

Thanks for the reply chris.
I have major issues even outside. the most accurate I've seen the phone pinpoint is 2500 meters accuracy with clear skies and such.
As for my router, its a BHN SBG6580. Basically Motorola Surf Board. It's supposed to go up to N. No There isn't any kind of interference otherwise my other devices wouldn't pick up a good signal right?

Please will anyone suggest anything I really like my nexus s and it's My first real Android coming from window phones and the iPhone 4

Okay so interesting find. If I tether my nexus s to my iPod my iPod can locate itself within 20 meters where as my nexus can't locate itself with about a huge margin error where I should be. My iPod gets GPS from my Nexus S giving off wifi
Does this mean it could be an android bug causing his problem ?

That's odd. It looks like Google knows where the phone is (err..where the access point with the ESSID of your phone is) but the phone isn't picking up on it.
There's a program on market called GPS Toolkit (something like that) that has an option to refresh your AGPS cache this may help you get a fix more quickly. If this doesn't work out, it may well be worth it to get the phone replaced. Oh...and if you're not using stock firmware....give that a try as well.
If none of that works, and you're not able to resolve your wireless issues, you may want to consider taking the phone back or RMAing it. This combination of issues sounds a bit strange.
- chris

Thanks again for the reply Chris.
It looks like I'm going to bring it back to stock how I got it and return it for an exchange or just wait or for another AT&T phone that is actually decent. By the way it is on the stock ROM just rooted.
If the replacement if I do get one issued still has the problems I am at lost then. I had tried GPS test from the market and the one you mentioned without any resolve to my problem

Intermittent radio/GPS dropouts

Have had my One S (black) since a week now.
On few occasions so far, I've noticed intermittent radio drop outs. The phone suddenly looses network (3G/2G) reception for certain amount of time (5-10 minutes). Along with that, GPS reception is also stopped.
This has happened couple of times so far, both times when using GPS-intensive application like GPS Status or Blitzer.de running in the foreground.
Flipping Airplane mode (on/off) will remedy the situation.
Anyone else experiencing something similar? Apart from this issue, the phone is working flawlessly.
Thanks,
G.

Yes i'm having this problem. Getting my phone replaced so hoping its a dodgy phone.
I even did a factory reset incase it was an app i'd installed causing the issue.

Thanks. Let me know if the replacement will work better.
Also, if you have found a way to replicate this, so I can show it at the shop, please let me know.
As for others - can anyone share their experience using apps like GPS status, Google Navigation, etc... and possible drop-outs using them?
Thanks,
g.
mardon85 said:
Yes i'm having this problem. Getting my phone replaced so hoping its a dodgy phone.
I even did a factory reset incase it was an app i'd installed causing the issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Mine doesn't seem to be GPS related so there is still a chance it could be my network playing up and not the phone (although I did ring and ask, and they said all was fine). Im in Manchester new and i'm having issues, back on the Wirral last weekend it was 100% fine. I will monitor the situation.

i hope it is a dodgy phone, Im receiving mine any time now... As a replacement for my Sensation which suffered terrible signal / wifi issues due to the antenna design..
I really hope its not the same on this phone, I will be gutted !

azzledazzle said:
i hope it is a dodgy phone, Im receiving mine any time now... As a replacement for my Sensation which suffered terrible signal / wifi issues due to the antenna design..
I really hope its not the same on this phone, I will be gutted !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any news on this I am using Waze as a sat nav and have noticed that I am getting gps drop outs whilst using it ?
Ben

Just finished a call with the customer-satisfaction team in HTC Europe.
I left them poor feedback after several email support sessions about this networking issue (signal drop, signal switching 3G/H, WiFi issues + BT + GPS) and they called me to check why.
I repeated the details already spread here in the forum and was advised to do a factory reset.
I mentioned the fact that several users have already tried that with no success so she proposed me to send it back for repair.
She couldn't let me know when an OTA will be sent.
It seems as if they either play "stupid" or really don't know anything.

[Q] HTC ONE S Wifi Problem

I have a HTC one s and it is experiencing wifi problems. I know the one x has had some of the same issues, but the problem with my one s is that whenever i hold the device from the top, the wifi drops suddenly and it than cuts off. When i remove my hand about, 5 seconds later the wifi shoots up to 4-5 bars.

return it and get a new one

That's where the antenna is!! Your SIM cover has the antenna built in to it.

Please use the Q&A Forum for questions &
Read the Forum Rules Ref Posting
Thanks ✟
Moving to Q&A

Try to remove and reseat SIM card cover, if its still too bad have the phone replaced. A friend of mine had his One S replaced after we compared Wifi signal with Wifi analyzer and his was ~20 dBm worse than mine at same locations. New one is fine. Didn't know about the wifi antenna on sim card cover back then though, might have helped since it seems it has for some users here.

I have almost the same problems with WiFi antenna although it's not as worse as others are saying. I can confirm though that when you put your hand next to the SIM cover the WiFi signal drops 1-2 even 4 lines at some times. However I don't think it's a manufacturing defect for some phones but I think it's a general problem with all the models. I am saying this because I had the exact same problem with all my HTC devices (Diamond, Desire and One S). So I think it's a poor WiFi project and maybe cheap raw materials rather than a poor WiFi in some phones. In a way it's normal that this happens because your hand will screen the antenna. Try to do this with all antennas out there and you will see that your hand (your body) will influence the signal in all devices). So if they couldn't overcome this problem they had to put the antenna in the place where you will cover it most rare, and this place is on top of the phone. I don't like it either but that's the way it is.

amoiz said:
I have a HTC one s and it is experiencing wifi problems. I know the one x has had some of the same issues, but the problem with my one s is that whenever i hold the device from the top, the wifi drops suddenly and it than cuts off. When i remove my hand about, 5 seconds later the wifi shoots up to 4-5 bars.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just noticed the same this morning, though only happens when i try to wrap the upper part of the device with my hand. i never hold the phone in that position so it does not happen.....

Actually when you are browsing the internet, view pics one-by-one, view movies - usually you are holding the phone in the landscape mode so most people will rotate the phone counter-clockwise until it reaches landscape mode and will hold it with the left hand exactly from the upper part (if the phone is rotated clockwise then the supporting hand will accidentaly touch the lower 3 buttons so not too many people will rotate it clockwise) and with the right hand they will browse. So in these situations, which come very often, we will loose (almost all) signal. If these will not bother you/me/all of us, for sure it will bother all of us when browsing internet. I really don't know if a fix can be made for this issue. Even if I would change the SIM cover (so change the WiFi antenna), the replacement will be built exactly the same so the problems will persist. I am curios to see if SGS3 has the same problem or not. I really think it's a question of antenna position so it's a crappy board design of the phone. It shouldn't happen at a 500+ euro device.

I have the same wifi issues on the One S. There is a firmware upgrade available OTA, it may fix it. I will see.

Any chance this is fixable or not device-wide? It's somewhat of an annoying problem when holding in landscape. I'm assuming this is no more than a design "flaw"

I'm having the same issue. When holding the phone in landscape mode, the wifi signal drops to one bar.
I noticed that when I'm closer to the router, like within a 3 meters range there is no signal dropping.
It's very annoying...
Could it be fixed by improving the contact between the antenna and the back-cover?

Sent an email to htc support about it, this is their response:
The location that you describe, on the side with the Power button near the camera lens, is where the HTC One's antenna is located. Covering this location will provide less-than-optimal results with regard to cellular and WiFi signal. You may want to try holding the device slightly to the side of this location, more towards the center of the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I seem to recall a certain fruit phone with a similar problem and it was kinda a big deal lol. I'll get over it, but fokkkkkk

ThudButt said:
Sent an email to htc support about it, this is their response:
I seem to recall a certain fruit phone with a similar problem and it was kinda a big deal lol. I'll get over it, but fokkkkkk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you guys try remove and reseat SIM cover? Might help a bit even though its natural with some signal loss when holding it that way. If your phone has significantly worse signal when laying on a table or whatever compared to another phone then try to get it exchanged. Compare with https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer
Edit: Love how your quote from HTC disappeared when I quoted you

traffic stops after few minutes
Hey,
my signal is ok, but after few minutes of working the internet connection just will not go through anymore. I have tried installing 4.04 but no change. AP is still connected, full signal, but not even google comes on. Restarting wifi helps for another few minutes. Doesn´t have to do anything with sleepmode, that I am sure of - it happens even during download from Play Store i.e.. Wifi best performance ON, Keep Wifi on during sleep Always.
Any idea on what that might be? - the old HD2 (android 2.3.) works like a charm on my home network
Getting desperate , otherwise such a nice phone.

WIFI problems
Ive been trying hard to figure out the flash 1.85 thing and have had no luck. any way someone can help me with exact directions on doing it. i have downloaded 1.85 2.85 files but having issues flashing it.
please help

[Q] Connection goes up and down after replacing screen

Hi everyone,
I have recently cracked my screen and replaced it myself using youtube tutorials. I have (somehow) completed the task although I had many problems with the two side cables (black and white antenna cables, I hope you know what I mean as I don't know their proper names). Specifically, I wasn't able to slide them down the channels intended for that and at the same time I wasn't able to connect them properly in the jacks were they need to be plugged in. I thought I have somehow did it but it seems I did not do it properly as I do have frequent ups and downs with the network signal, I lose it constantly in places where I used to have full network signal and I can't reach LTE at all, there's no connection at all when switched to LTE. There's signal only when 3G is ticked in settings and internet signal remains to E, rarely if ever moves to H.
At the same time, Wi-Fi is good although I feel it worked better previously, but that can only be my imagination working.
So, I think it has something to do with those cables, as those were my main issue during reassembly. Is there any advice anyone can give me. They don't seem broken, but I can't fit them in the channels and in the jacks properly. Would it work if I put something like a sticky paper in the channels to hold the cables down. Also, is there any trick for connecting them in the jacks or I just need to be precise?
Or, is the problem something completely different?
Any advice would be much appreciated as my phone is rather new and I absolutely love it.
Thanks in advance

Those mini-coaxial sockets can be a bit harder to push in at times - just get a pair of good quality tweezers , get a good grip on the connector and push it down with some other tool. I can guarantee it is going to go in . If they don't make good contact you are either going to get intermitent network , or a very week network signal .

Question Photo overheats and data/phone cuts out

Not sure if others are having this, but I've had this phone for maybe 3 months now. I was having an issue where periodically it would spontaneously lose data/phone service. I would have an empty triangle on the top of the phone (no bars nothing). I can't make calls etc. I would try several reboots etc and nothing would work. I had this happen several times this summer and linked it to overheating. The way I found to fix this was to remove my phone case and hold it in front of the car AC for a few minutes and after rebooting the data/phone would come back. I'm using a standard black TPU phone case (nothing thick or heavy). This problem also shows up when I'm driving with the phone for long periods while windshield mounted. The sun will heat the back of the phone and the data again would cut out.
I'm using Metro PCS, has anyone else had this issue.

Try a network reset.
Clear system cache.
Never leave a phone bake in the sun.
If it overheats it will thermal shutdown, hopefully... and/or be damaged.
Turn off if it's running hot.
Find out what is consuming so much battery.

Yes, I'm definitely having this issue. I'll debating if it's supposed to either be a flaw, a hardware feature, or a OS feature set by Motorola.
Either way, I fkn hate it and with I could fix it.
The phone doesn't even have to get actually hot for it to happen. With every other phone I had, they just disable charging so it doesn't get any hotter, but this is TX in the summer and I expect to be able to use my data when I'm not in an air conditioned area.

warlord698 said:
Yes, I'm definitely having this issue. I'll debating if it's supposed to either be a flaw, a hardware feature, or a OS feature set by Motorola.
Either way, I fkn hate it and with I could fix it.
The phone doesn't even have to get actually hot for it to happen. With every other phone I had, they just disable charging so it doesn't get any hotter, but this is TX in the summer and I expect to be able to use my data when I'm not in an air conditioned area.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your in a dry part of TX a damp microfiber cloth works well to cool it. I do that when charging to keep it under 100F.
It maybe a cloud app running in the background.
Google backup Transport and Framework are notorious for doing this. Try temporarily disabling Goggle Play Services and see if this helps. Google Firebase will also index in the background.

my problem is less of that it gets warm. this is TX, everything gets warm. but usually when a phone gets too warm, it stops charging until it cools down.
this cuts off it ability to be called a phone alltogether (unless you have wifi calling on and are on wifi)