Has anyone successfully used a tri-band phone (specifically 900/1800/1900) on the Cingular AT&T network for long periods, and found all of the points below to be true?
1. Good phone (voice) coverage (Subjective yes, but I'm looking to know if not having 850Mhz causes considerable problems with voice quality and/or dropped calls).
2. No roaming charges due to your phone using the T-Mobile tower instead of an AT&T tower if for instance the T-Mo 1900 signal was stronger where you might be standing, than the signal coming from the nearest AT&T tower.
3. Ability to move about in a 200 mile radius and still not incur roaming charges. (In either case if you'd like to share your general location I would appreciate knowing.)
This is not about 850/1800/1900 tri-band phones. What I'm trying to learn is whether or not phones like the O2 Flame would work for me in the US on the AT&T network. And work well enough to provide good coverage without attaching to the T-Mobile towers on a regular basis.
I am not interested in data, just voice.
Thanks!
Tref said:
Has anyone successfully used a tri-band phone (specifically 900/1800/1900) on the Cingular AT&T network for long periods, and found all of the points below to be true?
1. Good phone (voice) coverage (Subjective yes, but I'm looking to know if not having 850Mhz causes considerable problems with voice quality and/or dropped calls).
2. No roaming charges due to your phone using the T-Mobile tower instead of an AT&T tower if for instance the T-Mo 1900 signal was stronger where you might be standing, than the signal coming from the nearest AT&T tower.
3. Ability to move about in a 200 mile radius and still not incur roaming charges. (In either case if you'd like to share your general location I would appreciate knowing.)
This is not about 850/1800/1900 tri-band phones. What I'm trying to learn is whether or not phones like the O2 Flame would work for me in the US on the AT&T network. And work well enough to provide good coverage without attaching to the T-Mobile towers on a regular basis.
I am not interested in data, just voice.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
depends on where you are...
at some places with good coverage..you dont miss the 850 band
at others they have predominantly 850 towers..
i am not sure about roaming...though you can manually set the operator to at&t only
i'm in florida and both t-mobile and cingular service is crappy here
So how do you manually set it to at&t only? I've looked but have not found that option. If I could do that I might take a chance on buying an unlocked device.
Thanks
Hello All,
I was curious, I am currently stationed in Qatar and the call rates back to the States are ridiculous. I ordered an unlocked HTC Fuze off e-bay to use wifi skype. My question is that the only gsm provider in the country just announced sim based unlimited 3G data only services for about 110 USD a month. Could I use this service in my phone and make it data only for use with skype? 110 is WAY cheaper that what I'm paying now. I need a phone that I can use all over not just in hotspots. Plus the wifi we have here is a little slow (2000+ users on one commercial line).
Thanks
Keith
BTW they advised it was 3.75G.
most of usa's 3g service don't seem to be using the same bands as the rest of the world
so it could be that you can only use AT&T think they use the bands as the rest of the world
Hellos,
Was wondering and wanted to know from others, their experiences with using a D2G with different carriers/services.
I have a D2G on simple mobile currently. Switched from Sprint using an EVO 4G, data in my calling areas just stunk and never got better, forget ever getting a 4G signal..
But, it seems I am in an area between towers, because I seem to get the same result using Simple Mobile connected to Tmobile Towers. Signal drops from nothing to 3 bars if I turn around. And I only get an Edge data connection (I understand it's a frequency issue).
I was told by a Walmart Rep, that they use Family Mobile powered by Tmobile and don't have the throttle issue as with Simple Mobile, but 250mb data cap at the same $45/month as Straight Talk (even thought I'd be stuck at Edge with the D2G anyways) is too low a cap, especially if I were to switch phones later on.
So I recently read into Straight Talk as an option, after reading how bad H2O data is and that Simple Mobile's 3G is throttled to 119kbs (tested on a SK4G, yeap confirmed 119kbs max).
So I wanted to know from others, what kind of data rates they are getting on various providers using a D2G.
-CC
clockcycle said:
Hellos,
I was told by a Walmart Rep, that they use Family Mobile powered by Tmobile and don't have the throttle issue as with Simple Mobile, but 250mb data cap at the same $45/month as Straight Talk (even thought I'd be stuck at Edge with the D2G anyways) is too low a cap, especially if I were to switch phones later on.
So I recently read into Straight Talk as an option, after reading how bad H2O data is and that Simple Mobile's 3G is throttled to 119kbs (tested on a SK4G, yeap confirmed 119kbs max).
So I wanted to know from others, what kind of data rates they are getting on various providers using a D2G.
-CC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would not know about Droid using 2G (on my old phones what I used as T-Mobile EDGE) or what I call "100K data" connection since I don't get it around here. I am sure that my data connection at times has degraded to 2G, but I have not noticed that as being the issue, so I have not been able to perform a speed test while in 2G mode.
Last June 2011 I used a Droid style phone on Virgin Mobile USA prepaid. That was the Motorola Triumph. I can't recall as a MVNO who was providing Virgin Mobile's signal, but I think it was Sprint by that point (Sprint bought Virgin Mobile USA prepaid). In any event, I was not pleased with the VM speeds (that is, if I was not using WiFi). My speeds were consistently about 300K to 700K.
Currently I use Straight Talk and I am VERY VERY pleased with the service. When I bought a phone and a Straight Talk SIM card I opted for GSM AT&T service since it had better GSM phones than T-Mobile did.
Since Straight Talk is an MVNO (buying its signal or "tower space" from other carriers and spectrum resellers) one's Straight Talk signal and data connection will only be as good as the provider you chose to use with your Straight Talk account. I assume the same principle applies to CDMA and Droid (Motorola) handsets.
Where I live in San Francisco I get a better signal from GSM-based AT&T than I did with T-Mobile GSM handsets, so on Straight Talk's SIM purchasing site I chose to buy an AT&T GSM SIM.
Whereas with T-Mobile 4G I would often get 2G in most parts of my residence, with AT&T 4G (again, this is with Straight Talk) using an Samsung Galaxy S II and ATT HTC Inspire, I consistently get a strong 4G signal (says "H+" on notification bar). And speed tests have been outstanding, (using speed test net 2286 kbps download, 1130kbps upload). Those speeds are in the "slower part of the house). This does not matter most of the time, however, since I use WiFi 90% of the time.
Bottom line: I suspect one's physical locale, handset model, and provider (CDMA, GSM, or specific carrier) all play an important part in the speed and quality of a data connection. In other words, everyone's experience may differ, even with someone who has the exact same setup as I, but who lives down the block.
I'm off to west Canada (Vancouver, British Columbia) for the next weeks. We're travelling around there seeing some national parks. What about reception in these areas outside cities?
We would need some SIM cards fro our mobile phone to be able to communicate to each other and more important at öeast one SIM with a data plan. All phones are European Tri/Quad band devices running android (including a SIII).
I've seen Rogers having quite bad reception outside Vancouver, is there a better alternative?
What about WiFi at public places and restaurants over there? Free?
TiA
Found this: http://www.telusmobility.com/en/BC/prepaid/add-ons.shtml?INTCMP=prepaid/messaging.shtml
CAD 30 for 1GB, will this work outside there?
Please help! Network issues - will *not* connect at all anymore!
I just bought this phone (XT1557) just over a week ago. I unlocked it and installed TWRP then made a backup. Then I installed AOSP Extended and was enjoying learning about it and using the phone. I'm using H20 Wireless (they use AT&T network). Everything seemed to be great for about a week and I was very happy with my new phone. However, just yesterday, while traveling in the US and using the phone (for maps/navigation, gasbuddy, facebook, etc. - it was also charging from a car charger at the same time) we hit a patchy spot in the signal and I couldn't get the network to reconnect. After a few minutes (still traveling) for a split second the network icon flashed as having a decent signal, but then it went off again and *NEVER CAME BACK*! Nothing I've done since then has been able to get the network to come back on my phone.
Here's what I've tried:
* toggling airplane mode, toggling preferred 4G/LTE, or 3G, or 2G
* Reboot;
* safe mode;
* tried sim in the other sim card slot
* tried another sim in my phone that was currently working at the time in Moto G 2nd gen, in both sim slots - still not working in my phone; tried my sim in that phone and it's working in that phone (so not a sim card problem)
* tried *#*#4636#*#* - still shows "emergency calls only" and the signal strength does fluctuate depending on where I move around (see screenshots), tried bunch of different radio bands, tried turning off and on radio power, tried changing preffered network type (to lots of different ones)
* tried dirty flashing AEX again and newest GApps
* tried clean flashing AEX and newest GApps
* tried clean flashing Lineage OS 14.1 and newest GApps.
* flashed only the original modem firmware from MM stock rom (provided here at xda)
* restored my nandroid backup to stock rom (6.0.1)
NONE of these things have worked! PLEASE help! Is there any way I can test this to see if it's a hardware issue? (Though it seems strange for hardware to fail after just 1 week... and there's no warranty since I unlocked it, but I bought it new on ebay anyway, so no warranty.)
Any help you can give will be so appreciated. Nothing else on the phone seems to have a problem (wifi, etc., all seem to be working). The phone didn't even act weird when the network stopped working -that was the only thing. Everything else on the phone still acted like normal without even a reboot. If you've ever even heard of this happening, please let me know. I can't find any other info on what to do on the internet and I've searched all over. If you can help me (or even try), I'll give you so many thanks, as many as it lets me give on here! Thank you for even considering helping me - I really want this to work!
I don't know for sure if this is the case, but here is a possibility...
There is no 2G (GSM) service on H2O/AT&T, period, it was shutdown in December 2016.
For 3G AT&T uses 850Mhz & 1900Mhz HSPA(+), but it varies which one based on licensing and network saturation, among other things... Not everywhere has both (in fact, both only appear in select high-penetration markets)... the XT1557 supports HSDPA 850/900/2100, note that 1900Mhz is NOT a supported frequency, yet it is quite common in AT&T's network... It is a possibility that you left an area with 850Mhz service, and entered an area with 1900Mhz service and now have no service, literally. The service is there for AT&T/H2O, but your phone doesn't support the frequency in that area.
LTE bands support by the XT1557 are LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 7(2600), 8(900), 28(700), 40(2300), but none of those are compatible with AT&T.
It is entirely possible that you just don't have service, because there is NO service your phone is capable of getting because either that frequency isn't available or it's used by another carrier in that area (and H2O has no roaming from AT&T's core network to partner networks like AT&T post-paid service).
Just a possibility... but basically you have a device that only supports a portion of the network you are trying to use.
acejavelin said:
I don't know for sure if this is the case, but here is a possibility...
There is no 2G (GSM) service on H2O/AT&T, period, it was shutdown in December 2016.
For 3G AT&T uses 850Mhz & 1900Mhz HSPA(+), but it varies which one based on licensing and network saturation, among other things... Not everywhere has both (in fact, both only appear in select high-penetration markets)... the XT1557 supports HSDPA 850/900/2100, note that 1900Mhz is NOT a supported frequency, yet it is quite common in AT&T's network... It is a possibility that you left an area with 850Mhz service, and entered an area with 1900Mhz service and now have no service, literally. The service is there for AT&T/H2O, but your phone doesn't support the frequency in that area.
LTE bands support by the XT1557 are LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 7(2600), 8(900), 28(700), 40(2300), but none of those are compatible with AT&T.
It is entirely possible that you just don't have service, because there is NO service your phone is capable of getting because either that frequency isn't available or it's used by another carrier in that area (and H2O has no roaming from AT&T's core network to partner networks like AT&T post-paid service).
Just a possibility... but basically you have a device that only supports a portion of the network you are trying to use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, this info could be SOOO helpful! I know this is only a possibility, but it gives me a glimmer of hope when I thought the phone was doomed/broken somehow. I did know my phone was only partially supported (like I knew I probably couldn't get LTE in the US), but I didn't know what all that meant in terms of the other bands. I bought the phone for primary use in Madagascar (which my phone appears to cover all the bands used in Madagascar) but I won't be back there until September, so I'm using the phone in the US in the meantime.
Even though I considered my phone/SIM might not be compatible with the local network, I figured that couldn't be the case since there was clearly a signal in the Moto G2 XT1068 (Titan). However, with what you explained, that might explain some other anomalies. My Titan is also a phone made for international use (where I've used it for years in Madagascar and South Africa and it works great), but when traveling here in the US, I've noticed some anomalies that your explanation might explain (assuming the Titan might also have limited frequencies in use by AT&T/H2O in various parts of the US). For example, in Alaska,there was a time when in southern Alaska (inside passage) my Titan worked great, voice/data, everything (even in some way out of the way places)... then later in central Alaska my wife's phone (an old AT&T phone with a post-paid AT&T sim) got a data signal, and my Titan got a voice signal but no data. It was strange. Didn't work in some airports along the way either (I don't remember which ones, maybe Chicago). It wasn't until we were back in St Louis that the data started working on my Titan right away again, no problem. I figured it was some strange glitch of the OS (CM 13.1) in how it searched/recognized the local network. But maybe it was a limit in the phone's available bands in those regions of the US?
Then again, after I got the new XT1557 (just over a week ago), I transferred my wife's AT&T postpaid SIM to my old titan (XT1068). It was working great, but I never thought to check her mobile data away from wifi (just got busy and never thought to check). At the same time we hit the spotty network connection while travelling 2 days ago (northeastern Missouri, the network was spotty and cutting out on both our phones), that was when my signal went out for good and I saw that hers (AT&T postpaid but now in a Titan XT1068) didn't have a data signal when her network/voice signal came back. That made it very difficult to navigate, so we stopped and refreshed our maps at public wifi. I thought maybe I just needed to update the APN with AT&T, but when I manually input the info they gave me, it still didn't give me a data signal (on the Titan). Now we're in the Des Moines, Iowa area and I'm experiencing everything I've written about with my phone having never recovered a network signal. However, the one anomaly is that, even when I put my H20 sim back in my Titan XT1068 (which I thought was always working in the past, minus that anomaly from the Alaska trip) it gets a good voice signal but still no data signal, just like my wife's prepaid AT&T never got a data signal (that I could see), and even though I know which APN settings to use for H20. I've similarly been beating my head in over the titan's lack of data signal since I refreshed the OS (now on Lineage OS 13.1) since it means we have 2 phones with us on this trip, neither able to get data since leaving northeastern Missouri and mine even worse getting no voice signal at all.
But maybe it means my Titan XT1068 also has limited bands that aren't covered by AT&T/H20's data here even though it's covered by their voice?
The info you've provided so far is excellent. Can you provide similar info about the XT1068's available bands? (I'm not sure where to find all that - I found the original info about XT1557 in the wikipedia page, but Moto G 2nd gen doesn't seem to list the bands specifically. I also don't know where to look for AT&T's specific bands and/or coverage map that might indicate where they have coverage with each band.) If you can provide any of that info it would be so great! But for now, you've extended my hope for my phone. We'll be in Minneapolis area in a few days, so maybe I can try again there. Then we'll be back in St Louis area (where it was working great previously) in just over a week. So at least I'll hold out my hope until then and maybe I'll discover this just isn't the best travel phone for northern US (or other parts of the US). Still, I can't thank you enough for the hope you've given me, even if it is *just* a possibility. It does seem to explain the circumstances.
Sorry for the long story! I just wrote to show that your explanation might really fit well! Your info was so helpful! Please follow-up to tell me if you think the extra info I gave confirms what you wrote. Please also help me find a coverage map for AT&T where I can see where in the US they use specific frequencies. If you can do that for me. Thanks again for being so helpful and explanatory!
@madagascaradam Search by model and then and find the GSMArena page for the device, under the Network section click Expand...
2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2
3G bands HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100
Speed HSPA 21.1/5.76 Mbps
GPRS Yes
EDGE Yes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the Moto G2 you have supports the proper HSPA (but hot HSPA+) bands for all AT&T's 3G frequencies.
Remember that prior to December of last year, likely when you were referencing your Alaska trip, there was AT&T 2G/Edge service nationwide but that has since been shutdown and within the next 2-3 years all 2G GSM and CDMA service in the US will be shutdown from all carriers.
And I used H2O for quite a while, use this APN (there are lots of older settings out there, they don't work quite right, but this is current as of a month or so ago at least):
Name: H2O Wireless
APN: prodata
MMSC: http://mmsc.mobile.att.net
MMS Proxy: proxy.mobile.att.net
MMS Port: 80
MCC: 310
MCN: 410
Authentication Type: Not set
APN type: default,mms,supl,hipri,fota
APN Protocol: IPv4
APN roaming protocol: IPv4
everything else blank, not set or none.
@acejavelin You were totally right! In Minneapolis area I usually had a signal, but not much outside the area. In Iowa no signal at all. But once I got back towards central Missouri the signal has been working great again. So obviously ATT has some regions that use 850 (like in the south) and others further up north that seem to only use 1900 which isn't supported by my phone (XT1557). So, that's not super great for using my phone in the US, but at least I know it's not a problem with my phone.
I also found this map (older, from 2008) which shows where AT&T had 850 MHz frequency and where it had 1900 MHz frequency. It roughly corresponds to my experiences so I definitely think it all adds up. http://www.cellularmaps.com/att_850_1900.shtml
Again, thanks so much for your help!