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[Q] "GSM only" setting

I need some help modifying a Froyo rom to include a "GSM only" setting.
The background is that under certain conditions (i.e. intermittently), the cell radio shows full connection, but will not allow calls, incoming or outgoing. I finally narrowed a workable solution down to forcing "GSM only" (vs. auto selection of CDMA and GSM networks). But I can only get there at the moment by adding the "Phone info" custom shortcut to my home screen (ADW Launcher) and going in and setting it manually. And unfortunately that doesn't always survive a reboot either.
I would like to simply pre-set that in the rom and not have to re-set it again. I had assumed it was something that could be done in one of the init or prop file, but I have thus far not been successful in finding information about where and how to do that.
Any help would be appreciated.

Solved. For anyone else who stumbles upon this question, the setting in build.prop is:
ro.telephony.default_network=#
Where the # is a number code for which setting you want. In my experimentation for my device, "ro.telephony.default_network=0" is WCDMA preferred and ro.telephony.default_network=1 is GSM only.
I "think" the other codes are as follows (but I can not confirm this):
0 WCDMA preferred
1 GSM only
2 WCDMA only
3 GSM auto (PRL)
4 CDMA auto (PRL)
5 CDMA only
6 EvDo only
7 GSM/CDMA auto (PRL)
8 Unknown
Additionally, if you want to set it temporarily while the phone is running, you can launch the phone info settings by entering this on your phone's keypad:
*#*#4636#*#*
But I believe it will revert to whatever you have in build.prop at the next reboot. No matter what you set in build.prop, you can still go into your Wireless & network settings, Mobile networks, and click on or off the "Use only 2G networks" setting.

[Tweak] FORCE 4G with anycut

This is actually on old hack I used from the G1 forum. This is really useful if you are in an area where 4G or 3G is weak and you phone keeps switching back and forth to edge. Very annoying...
Install AnyCut from market
Open AnyCut and click NEW SHORTCUT
Click ACTIVITY
Scroll down to "Phone Info" and select that.
I renamed the shortcut "FORCE 4G" but you could name it anything.
Click OK
Now open the shortcut on your home screen, and scroll down to the bar that spans across the whole screen. This is the bar that controls all your network types listed here.
WCDMA preferred - The GSM phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 3G is favored more.
GSM only - The GSM phone is capable of using only 2G data communication. When the 2G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
WCDMA only - The GSM phone is capable of using only 3G data communication. When the 3G signal is too low you get nothing at all. (FORCE 4G!)
GSM auto (PRL) - The GSM phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more. This one is a bit confusing to me since PRL is associated mostly with CDMA technology and not GSM technology.
CDMA auto (PRL) - The CDMA phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more.
CDMA only - The CDMA phone is capable of using only 2G data communication. When the 2G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
EvDo only - The CDMA phone is capable of using only 3G data communication. When the 3G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
GSM/CDMA auto (PRL) - Some phones are equipped with both GSM and CDMA capabilities. This setting appears to just have the phone attempt to stay connected to the data communication type that works the best. (MY FAVORITE ON G2X)
Unknown - If none of the above fit or the phone is acting weird as far as connecting to the carrier, you will see your preferred network type is set to this
Im sure this hack works on all android devices, less options will show for phones w/o that capability.
BetterCut will obviously also work and youll be able to customize an icon for the shortcut

Menu, settings, wireless and networks, mobile networks, network mode, wcdma only.
Won't that do the same thing without all the work?

*#*#4636#*#*
Phone information
Scroll down
Change WCDMA preferred to WCDMA Only
Same thing as well... If youre that desperate for "4g", however, if you lose 4g/3g you lose ALL SERVICE, I believe. I had played with these settings on my n1 last year. In the end, I found WCDMA preferred was the most reliable ;-)
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

DelinQuentisDQ said:
Menu, settings, wireless and networks, mobile networks, network mode, wcdma only.
Won't that do the same thing without all the work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He's talking about changing the hidden menu. There are two menus, if you change it in the non-hidden menu and not on the hidden menu, is different.

This should probably be moved to themes and apps or general. Nothing really developed here, no offense.

jayohwhy said:
He's talking about changing the hidden menu. There are two menus, if you change it in the non-hidden menu and not on the hidden menu, is different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This isn't the hidden menu this is just the phone info menu that you can access with *#*#4636#*#*

Thanks! I skirt the edge of society and there are a few ROMs that I really like to use that don't have this option built-in. Bionix has it but CM7/Faux and others do not have the option available from the mobile networks menu. I'm sure it adds to radio life if you set it to stick with the highest signal since the phone won't be switching towers.

I have a post about this in the Q&A section, but have any of you experience the G2X using only 1X or CDMA data frequencies other than 4g?

[Q] WanHu ROM 2G/3G switching?

So I finally jumped in and got the WanHu ROM installed with M's v5 patch. This thing is really nice now, hopefully it will stay that way even after I reinstall some of my apps.
One thing that I've noticed is that the ability to use only 2G networks is gone. It used to be an option under Settings » Wireless controls » Mobile networks. Any chance that may be coming back?
I know some people would probably think I'm crazy to be asking that, but in my experience the batter life was pretty much double that of what I was getting on 3G, so I'd use that mode sometimes.
Thanks for all the good work on the WanHu ROM.

You can turn off the 3g at Settings >> Wireless networks >> Data Network settings & there is also a 3g widget.

Hi,
At this point you only turn data on or off. You cannot switch from 3g to 2g.
I would like to have this feature to, because the radio at my work is very poor and the battery last much longer in 2g.
Sent from my XT720 using XDA App

switch 2g , 3g, and 2g/3g
if i have to change the default network setting (3, which mean 3g/2g auto), i can from here:
1. from the dialpad dial *#*#4636#*#*
2. from the popued menu, choose Phone Information
3. from "Set preffered network type" You can choose several options including:
"GSM auto (PRL)" (this is usually default and means 3g and failback to 2g, depending on signal
"WCDMA prefered" (this mean 3g and if there is no 3g, then 2g), this settings seems to wotk, but if you exit and return to the same menu it is changed
"WCDMA only" 3g only
"GMS only" 2g only
hope that helps.
p.s. I use Battery monitor application, which has shortcut to the Phone Information menu.

peshovec said:
if i have to change the default network setting (3, which mean 3g/2g auto), i can from here:
1. from the dialpad dial *#*#4636#*#*
2. from the popued menu, choose Phone Information
3. from "Set preffered network type" You can choose several options including:
"GSM auto (PRL)" (this is usually default and means 3g and failback to 2g, depending on signal
"WCDMA prefered" (this mean 3g and if there is no 3g, then 2g), this settings seems to wotk, but if you exit and return to the same menu it is changed
"WCDMA only" 3g only
"GMS only" 2g only
hope that helps.
p.s. I use Battery monitor application, which has shortcut to the Phone Information menu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I was messing around in those menus and could not find a "GSM only" mode on my phone. I will look again, but all I remember were an "auto" mode, a "3g only" mode, and a bunch of CDMA stuff (which doesn't apply to our phones).
But I will look again and try out the battery monitor application program as that would be nicer than typing the key sequence everytime.
And just to expand my (rather small) knowledge of the android OS. The option to select only 2G under Settings » Wireless controls » Mobile networks, is that a framework thing that has to be added?
-J

[Q] Preferred network type CM10.1

In CM 10.1, going into *#*#4646#*#*, by default the network type is always WCDMA preferred. I want to make it permanently stay on WCDMA only or GSM Auto (PRL), but this setting never seens to persist across reboots.
I know it used to stick in CM7, but ever since CM9 I haven't found a way to make it stick.
Anyone know how?

djsubtronic said:
In CM 10.1, going into *#*#4646#*#*, by default the network type is always WCDMA preferred. I want to make it permanently stay on WCDMA only or GSM Auto (PRL), but this setting never seens to persist across reboots.
I know it used to stick in CM7, but ever since CM9 I haven't found a way to make it stick.
Anyone know how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think "WCDMA preferred" is the best one/most stable one.
because if you select "wcdma only", you will have no data connection when you have lower signal.
with "wcdma preferred" it change to the 2g network to keep your data connection connected (lol), so you wont get any data interruptions
Back to your question:
I have no idea

NQNH said:
I think "WCDMA preferred" is the best one/most stable one.
because if you select "wcdma only", you will have no data connection when you have lower signal.
with "wcdma preferred" it change to the 2g network to keep your data connection connected (lol), so you wont get any data interruptions
Back to your question:
I have no idea
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you described is exactly what GSM Auto (PRL) does, except GSM Auto (PRL) uses a pre defined list to choose which setting, rather than WCDMA preferred which constantly pings around to find the best connection at the expense of battery.
Where I live there is full HSPAP coverage, that's why I don't really care about 2G, and by keeping it on WCDMA only I will save battery compared to WCDMA preferred.
But I have still not been able to find a way for the setting to stick. I even tried editing the default connection property in build.prop but that didn't seem to work either.

djsubtronic said:
What you described is exactly what GSM Auto (PRL) does, except GSM Auto (PRL) uses a pre defined list to choose which setting, rather than WCDMA preferred which constantly pings around to find the best connection at the expense of battery.
Where I live there is full HSPAP coverage, that's why I don't really care about 2G, and by keeping it on WCDMA only I will save battery compared to WCDMA preferred.
But I have still not been able to find a way for the setting to stick. I even tried editing the default connection property in build.prop but that didn't seem to work either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
aaah okay, didnt know that with the battery

[Q] Setting network mode priority?

I noticed under "Network Mode" that you have four options: LTE, 3G, 1x, Global. Is there any other way to set a priority list (I was able to do this on my S3 with 4.3)? For example, my S3 would have the option "LTE/CDMA/EvDO". If there's LTE use it, if not use 3G or else use 1x. As it works now, when I'm at home I have to manually change it to "3G" so it will connect to my Airave, then "LTE" when I'm on the road.
Is there anyway to prioritize a list of network modes to use so that if LTE is unavailable it will go right to 3G?