Is there any way reception for me will improve...or should i return the SGS??? - Galaxy S I9000 General

I get decent reception everywhere, EXCEPT where i work (a university in Vancouver). At my desk, sometimes I will get calls, but most times it goes straight to voicemail. In the library, I can't get any reception, and internet works very slow (over 1 min to open a webpage). I am with Bell Mobility. I used to have an htc touch, and although reception would also come in and out at work...its not even close to being as bad as my SGS.
My co-workers who are with other carriers get full bars in the same areas i get no reception. Is there anything I can do to keep the SGS and still get reception?

Are your coworkers on Rogers? I do find their network seems to penetrate buildings a bit better than Bell's.

reception is always good on 850 band
but there are places like Subway, or really thick concrete walls where signal will simply not go through

Nirvana388 said:
Are your coworkers on Rogers? I do find their network seems to penetrate buildings a bit better than Bell's.
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Yes, they are with rogers. I can't even get texts or calls at all in the library, and my desk is hit and miss...I think to myself..."i spend 1/3 of my day here...whats the point then?"

What frequencies does bell support? Is it possible they use 2 frequencies for their network but only 1 is supported by this phone (here in Australia, telstra uses 850mhz, and special i9000's are apparently required for that)

andrewluecke said:
What frequencies does bell support? Is it possible they use 2 frequencies for their network but only 1 is supported by this phone (here in Australia, telstra uses 850mhz, and special i9000's are apparently required for that)
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Yeah the international i9000 supports 900/1400/2100 bands.
I think AT&T uses 900 where as Rogers uses 850, not sure though. :\

sturmeh said:
Yeah the international i9000 supports 900/1400/2100 bands.
I think AT&T uses 900 where as Rogers uses 850, not sure though. :\
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AT&T is also 850
900 is only used in Europe

Try turning data off or using 2g only mode when at work. Other wise buy a new at&t sgs. Apps like locale and tasker can make switching off data/2g mode painless
Sent from my Apple Newton 2100

I've got similar problems, except that for some reason my connection drops significantly at home. Everywhere else it's almost always constant 4 bars or 3, but at my house it drops to 2, 1 or sometimes loses it altogether (though latter rarely happens). So it's not THAT bad or anything but annoying nonetheless... damn Bell. As soon as it's unlockable I think I'll head over back to Rogers, Fido or whatever.

Bell uses 850/1900 bands the same as Rogers and AT&T. As we discussed in another thread, turning off the 3g is not an option for Bell as Bell has no underlying 2g GSM network to fall back on. This is probably why your coworkers are getting better reception, they are most likely falling back on Rogers 2g network when inside. This will probably not improve unless Bell puts up a new microcell nearby you or something. It is most likely just the building though that is blocking the 3g signal. If you switched to Rogers when they get the Captivate later this year, or get bell to unlock your Galaxy and switch you may get better voice/sms reception because you can then fallback on Rogers 2g.

he just need to get it unlock, so he can use another network
no need to switch phone

Related

will athena work on u.s. t mobile 3g network?

anybody in new york or been to new york with your athena to see if it works with the new upcomming t mobile 3g network? they say its running on 1700 freq.
anybody have luck or an answer for this one?
cuba3377 said:
anybody in new york or been to new york with your athena to see if it works with the new upcomming t mobile 3g network? they say its running on 1700 freq.
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that would be a no then, 2100Mhz is what the athena is capable of AFAIK
I have used the Athena on both T-Mobile and AT&T Networks in the US without issues.
I also have had no problems with T-mo in my area (central NJ) using 3g. I'm using an x7501...TJ
TrekkerJmm said:
I also have had no problems with T-mo in my area (central NJ) using 3g. I'm using an x7501...TJ
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that seems odd, Current roms do not have the T-Mobile US band included, nor is the current radio capable of running the t-mobile 1700 band in the USA. ATT band is 3g/UTMS 850/1900 and Europe is 3g/UTMS 800/2100
T-Mobile Edge would work fine though
Hi, sometimes the 3g pop's up on my x7501 its not all the time but next time it does I will take a screen shot of it. Maybe its an error I have no idea...TJ
some roms incorrectly show that instead of edge !
Ok thanks...TJ
So is it possible to get T-mo 3g on athena?
T-mo finally rooled out 3g in my area, I thought my athena was 3g capable and could fly through the internet and never deal with slate Flinstone tablets and EDGE again! Sadly we do?
Their 3g is rolled out on 1700/2100 band only, so to exit the EDGE stone age, we must buy the G1 (not even close to x7501) or ask a crazy question to those in the know. Is the frequency band offered on a phone limited and fixed by the ROM / hardware, or is it software driven where a patch / upgrade could expand it's operantional band to include 1700/2100 UMTS alongside the voice 850/1900 band?
I can connect easily to TMobile. I get the "E" sign showing on the antennae.
anx7501 said:
T-mo finally rooled out 3g in my area, I thought my athena was 3g capable and could fly through the internet and never deal with slate Flinstone tablets and EDGE again! Sadly we do?
Their 3g is rolled out on 1700/2100 band only, so to exit the EDGE stone age, we must buy the G1 (not even close to x7501) or ask a crazy question to those in the know. Is the frequency band offered on a phone limited and fixed by the ROM / hardware, or is it software driven where a patch / upgrade could expand it's operantional band to include 1700/2100 UMTS alongside the voice 850/1900 band?
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Click to collapse
It is hardware driven. Unfortunately this is why I'm going to switch over to AT & T because of the downgrade to get 3g service from a phone that NO OTHER Networks in the world uses is pointless IMHO. I don't know what T Mo was drinking or smoking, and when I asked the level 1 techs they said no future talks or expectations of using the NORMAL 1900/2100 Frequency like other 3g networks. Sux if you ask me.
Thanks for the note on hardware capability
I got similar responses from the techs at T-mo except I also got a moment of false hope when one incorrectly told me that their 3g is on 1900, I went nuts trying, then called back & someone else told me that it was in fact on 1700/2100. As I've been reading, their reason (though a huge pain in the ass for us) was to separate voice and data so one wouldn't steal bandwith from the other. Makes sense, though it would be easier to deal with if I had some REAL options other than G1 and crappy kids phones.
Since T-Mo has the best price for some pretty decent service (except EDGE that is), I've heard of some T-Mo users getting just an AT&T data plan alongside T-Mo voice, I'm not sure how it's done, do you need 1/2 simms, or what. If you find yourself doing this, I would like to hear your feedback.
Otherwise, I'll keep my fingers crossed that HTC will use some common sense, and use 1700/2100 in future US versions.

HTC Magic (Vodafone UK) - Trying to get 3g in the states?

I have just taken a job in the states and brought my phone with me. I was expecting to be able to get 3g when I insert an AT&T or T-Mobile sim card. Unfortauntely the best that the phone seems to be able to get is Edge.
After doing a bit of research it seems that in the US they are using differnt frequencies.
Does anyone know of a fix which would allow my phone to get 3g in the states?
kdrover said:
I have just taken a job in the states and brought my phone with me. I was expecting to be able to get 3g when I insert an AT&T or T-Mobile sim card. Unfortauntely the best that the phone seems to be able to get is Edge.
After doing a bit of research it seems that in the US they are using differnt frequencies.
Does anyone know of a fix which would allow my phone to get 3g in the states?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mobile are, I think, UMTS 900 / 2100 (perhaps like Vodafone in the UK and elsewhere, which is why we can all use T-Mobile-based rooted HTC ROMs in our phones).
AT&T is UMTS 850 and 1900.
At the moment no phone on earth can do both UMTS 850 *and* UMTS 900. These frequencies are used to provide longer range coverage in low-density service areas - in other words, most city-edge and countryside places.
UMTS 1900, 2100 and other higher numbered frequencies are used in higher-density areas to provide more calling / data capacity, but with the downside of more limited range.
It seems (googling) that AT&T do 850/1900 and T-Mobile do 1700 (as of May '08 sez Wikipedia), though the T-Mobile MyTouch3G does 1700 and 2100....so maybe T-Mobile now do 2100 as well (at least in some places). There doesn't appear to be much, if any overlap on 3G frequencies between carriers and users must be EDGE only on the telco that doesn't match their phone. Everyone does EDGE.
In New Zealand, where I am, one carrier does 850 and the other 900...but they both support 2100....and a 3rd carrier will soon be offering 2100 later this year.....so you do get *some* 3G on just one phone in built up areas where telcos need more capacity and use 2100....but you get nothing in the countryside and have to used EDGE/GPRS.
There are about 7 UMTS frequency bands all up (Wikipedia).....so any single device is going to be seriously challenged to support all those well.....and what telco would want their phones to do that anyway? Frequency incompatibilities prevent their customers from leaving.......which explains why there aren't any phones that do all 7.
linuxluver said:
T-Mobile are, I think, UMTS 900 / 2100 (perhaps like Vodafone in the UK and elsewhere, which is why we can all use T-Mobile-based rooted HTC ROMs in our phones).
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If Vodafone (UK) & T-Mobile (US) are using the same UMTS frequencies, does this mean that I should be able to get 3g in the states? I am currently using a T-mobile (US) sim card but the phone is only getting an Edge connection. Maybe I need a ROM update??
maybe your in a area with no 3g coverage?
go to t mobiles website or better yet go here
http://coverage.t-mobile.com/default.aspx?pageType=idealer
and press the data coverage tab....are you in a purple place?
glendawg619 said:
maybe your in a area with no 3g coverage?
go to t mobiles website or better yet go here
http://coverage.t-mobile.com/default.aspx?pageType=idealer
and press the data coverage tab....are you in a purple place?
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Click to collapse
I checked on the t-mobile site and Tampa, FL appears to be all purple.
Have you checked your settings?
Settings -> Wireless controls -> Mobile networks -> Make sure 2G only is "Un-ticked"
If it doesn't work, maybe you would like to consider selling your one on ebay and buying a Magic {or other handset} from the US

ATT 3G on a T-Mobile HD2 - Who says you can't?

I was lamenting on my lack of foresight, getting a HD2 without researching the different bands that AT&T and T-Mobile use for 3G coverage, when just the other day...
NOTE: This was on a call to AT&T Support and the tech tells me:
a) Once unlocked from TMOUS, I should do a search on "AT&T APN's" and that if I search diligently, I will find APNs on AT&T's network that support HD2 3G Bands
b) AT&T techs, right in his data center have this working.
So I research a bit, and, apart form everyone and his brother professing to be 3G Band experts, and saying all I will see is Edge if I put the HD2 on AT&T. (Which is troublesome, since Wikipedia claims Edge is being dropped to facilitate more 3G bandwidth, so potentially I would lose even THAT).
Here is what official information I could find on the two:
The U.S. T-Mobile network predominately uses the GSM/GPRS/EDGE 1900 MHz frequency-band. T-Mobile's UMTS (3G) service is now active in over 30 major US cities
Further all official documentation states that AT&T uses:
* 850 MHz UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ 3G
* 1900 MHz UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ 3G
Finally look at my screenshot, taken from the GSM 3G toggle on the "Settings Tab" of Manila. I am running a NRG ROM (see signature) and I KNOW this is wishful thinking. This screen in particular is no doubt a function of the many devices NRG cooks for, but really, can anyone explain to me why this technically would NOT WORK (other than "just because", LOL)?
AT&T's CEO recently gave an interview and stated that the company's 3G service is being migrated to the 850MHz band with a target date of 2010:
http://www.intomobile.com/2009/02/24/att-3g-network-going-850mhz-nationwide-by-2010.html
For what it's worth, I think the Australian version of the HD2 might have a band that overlaps with US AT&T bands.
Whos gonna buy me one?
Mase_Mase said:
AT&T's CEO recently gave an interview and stated that the company's 3G service is being migrated to the 850MHz band with a target date of 2010:
http://www.intomobile.com/2009/02/24/att-3g-network-going-850mhz-nationwide-by-2010.html
For what it's worth, I think the Australian version of the HD2 might have a band that overlaps with US AT&T bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have been hearing the same. Problem is, I am not likely to fork out $$ for ANOTHER HD2. I just wanted to get the most out of the one I have. Thx!
if something like this WAS possible, it would have to be through something like a rogue apn setup on non-standard frequencies on ATT's network...but good luck finding anything like that, it wouldn't be able to remain a secret if it existed. also, if the hd2 had the ability to use those native frequencies, it would have had to have been certified as such by the FCC (which of course it wasn't).
To summarize, the only way to make it happen is if ATT did indeed somehow sneak in alternative-frequency apn's across it's entire network. Let us know how the search for those turns out
SmartAs$Phone said:
The U.S. T-Mobile network predominately uses the GSM/GPRS/EDGE 1900 MHz frequency-band. T-Mobile's UMTS (3G) service is now active in over 30 major US cities
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Sorry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Mobile_USA
3G (UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+) service by T-Mobile exclusively uses the AWS 1700/2100 MHz frequency-band, making it incompatible with other existing 3G UMTS/HSPA networks already established in the United States.
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Its not physically possible. The hardware would have to be changed. They don't make radio chips with all the bands in it. I see this all the time, some random csr from whatever company says it can be done, but its just not true. Cell phones are designed and made for a specific company. They don't make universal radios and just turn off some bands. They don't exist, though I did read a few months back that Motorala was working on making one.
Although I understand the reason for your wishful thinking (and you did do some research which is always great), unfortunately it is just that and I'll gladly (though not happily) tell you why.
As you stated "U.S. T-Mobile network predominately uses the GSM/GPRS/EDGE 1900 MHz frequency-band" which is correct (and it also uses the 850 band for edge as well....though this is usually more 'roaming' aka you're using another companies cell tower because tmobile made a contract with them to allow you). You were also correct in stating that "Further all official documentation states that AT&T uses:
* 850 MHz UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ 3G
* 1900 MHz UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ 3G"
Also, ironcroth was also correct in quoting that "3G (UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+) service by T-Mobile exclusively uses the AWS 1700/2100 MHz frequency-band" which alone might not answer your question.
So where is the problem if both use 1900 and 850 bands? Well, the problem is that in the hardware, there is a difference between GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 3G/UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+. In other words, you can't use 1900 and 850 Edge frequency of the HD2's radio chip to get 3G (UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+); they are incompatible. This is why phone spects always list both seperatly and not just all the frequencies that it supports.
The above reason alone will make the TmoUSA HD2 incompatible with AT&T's 3G, but there's even more. When Tmobile says that it uses the (for example) 1900 frequency band for Edge, it doesn't actually mean that it uses 1900-1999 frequencies; instead it only uses a part of that spectrum (buying the full 100 frequency range would be expensive so they only buy what they need). Instead they only use maybe something like 1943-1978. And this range will likely not overlap with the frequncies that AT&T uses for their 3G (you can look up the exact values on the internet if you'd like). This second reason is why a european phone which supports 2100 band for 3g will not work on Tmobile's 3G 2100 frequncy (because they don't actually overlap).
Lastly (and I almost forgot to mention this), the screen shot you posted from your ROM can indeed be changed by a cook to whatever they want (though it won't actually make any difference since it all depends on the hardware). However, in this case, it's likely because htc actually made the error and never updated that screen and just used it from their previous builds from previous phones (this was stated on the forums before and I'm sure you'd be able to find it given some searching).
Hope this helps.
sirphunkee said:
To summarize, the only way to make it happen is if ATT did indeed somehow sneak in alternative-frequency apn's across it's entire network. Let us know how the search for those turns out
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Quite unlikely, the AWS bands are licensed to TMO, im sure TMO would notice real quick if there were unlicensed cell towers on the AWS band and the FCC would be slapping ATT with fines pretty quick. quite alot of work goes into setting up cell towers and the frequencies each cell segment runs on, If a rouge cell tower went up overlapping TMO's frequencies, all hell would likely break loose as far as customers being able to get usable service in the area.
also as far as the terminology APN's don't operate on a "frequency" an APN is more or less and authentication/proxy server on the data network after the data has transferred over the air interface.
Maybe the best way to think of it is similar to a cell tower being like a wifi access point, and the APN being like an authenticating router/firewall on a standard tcp/ip network. yeah i know its not quite the same, but that might be a simple way to visualize it for those familiar with networking
d0ug said:
Quite unlikely, the AWS bands are licensed to TMO, im sure TMO would notice real quick if there were unlicensed cell towers on the AWS band and the FCC would be slapping ATT with fines pretty quick. quite alot of work goes into setting up cell towers and the frequencies each cell segment runs on, If a rouge cell tower went up overlapping TMO's frequencies, all hell would likely break loose as far as customers being able to get usable service in the area.
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Exactly
d0ug said:
also as far as the terminology APN's don't operate on a "frequency" an APN is more or less and authentication/proxy server on the data network after the data has transferred over the air interface.
Maybe the best way to think of it is similar to a cell tower being like a wifi access point, and the APN being like an authenticating router/firewall on a standard tcp/ip network. yeah i know its not quite the same, but that might be a simple way to visualize it for those familiar with networking
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Right, very true...I should have said "apn's attached to alternative-frequency radios" Are you a Ham d0ug?
sirphunkee said:
Exactly
Right, very true...I should have said "apn's attached to alternative-frequency radios" Are you a Ham d0ug?
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Click to collapse
Haha no, though i do have scanners and listen in on HAMs sometimes and have read up on the stuff somewhat. never gotten myself licensed.
On the subject of scanners, there isnt all that much interesting to listen too anymore. Here in tampa the police and sheriff are on analog trunked now, so its impossible to follow anything without a trunking scanner, and about the only other things you can listen to are cabbies, tow truck drivers, aircraft, and hams. I don't even know why scanners still have the 800mhz blocks anymore, analog amps cellular has been dead a few years now. you find lots of digital noise scanning around though, just about everything is transmitted digitally now. i've got an icom R20 that goes from 150khz all the way upto 3ghz
So why don't you put in an AT&T sim card with a 3G data plan and let us know if you get 3G on your HD2?
Svegetto said:
Although I understand the reason for your wishful thinking (and you did do some research which is always great), unfortunately it is just that and I'll gladly (though not happily) tell you why.
As you stated "U.S. T-Mobile network predominately uses the GSM/GPRS/EDGE 1900 MHz frequency-band" which is correct (and it also uses the 850 band for edge as well....though this is usually more 'roaming' aka you're using another companies cell tower because tmobile made a contract with them to allow you). You were also correct in stating that "Further all official documentation states that AT&T uses:
* 850 MHz UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ 3G
* 1900 MHz UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ 3G"
Also, ironcroth was also correct in quoting that "3G (UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+) service by T-Mobile exclusively uses the AWS 1700/2100 MHz frequency-band" which alone might not answer your question.
So where is the problem if both use 1900 and 850 bands? Well, the problem is that in the hardware, there is a difference between GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 3G/UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+. In other words, you can't use 1900 and 850 Edge frequency of the HD2's radio chip to get 3G (UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+); they are incompatible. This is why phone spects always list both seperatly and not just all the frequencies that it supports.
The above reason alone will make the TmoUSA HD2 incompatible with AT&T's 3G, but there's even more. When Tmobile says that it uses the (for example) 1900 frequency band for Edge, it doesn't actually mean that it uses 1900-1999 frequencies; instead it only uses a part of that spectrum (buying the full 100 frequency range would be expensive so they only buy what they need). Instead they only use maybe something like 1943-1978. And this range will likely not overlap with the frequncies that AT&T uses for their 3G (you can look up the exact values on the internet if you'd like). This second reason is why a european phone which supports 2100 band for 3g will not work on Tmobile's 3G 2100 frequncy (because they don't actually overlap).
Lastly (and I almost forgot to mention this), the screen shot you posted from your ROM can indeed be changed by a cook to whatever they want (though it won't actually make any difference since it all depends on the hardware). However, in this case, it's likely because htc actually made the error and never updated that screen and just used it from their previous builds from previous phones (this was stated on the forums before and I'm sure you'd be able to find it given some searching).
Hope this helps.
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Click to collapse
Thank you very much. I myself had been wondering why I couldn't get an HTC Desire (honestly, pretty much the only phone I'd change my HD2 for unless a GSM version of the Supersonic becomes available) and have it work in the US at the 2100 frequency.
When I asked before, people would tell me that a phone would have to support both bands (1700/2100) to actually run on T-Mobile because one did HSDPA and the other did HSUPA, but that didn't make sense to me since all you need is a single band frequency to handle both D and U data streams.
Your explanation makes a lot more sense. It's a sad thing, though.
I remember reading somewhere that a chip manufacturer (motorola?) was working on a all frequency chip. I also read that the inherent problem with that would be the antenna.
It would be awesome to have an all band phone that world travelers could utilize. I love the HD2, I had upgraded from a long time use of a Treo 750. That phone was pretty close (quad GSM, triple umts). However when Tmo rolled out it's 3G on 1700 I was still stuck on edge with the 750.
Finally bit the bullet for an HD2, really like this phone. The 750 seems antique now heheh
moonchaser said:
I remember reading somewhere that a chip manufacturer (motorola?) was working on a all frequency chip. I also read that the inherent problem with that would be the antenna.
It would be awesome to have an all band phone that world travelers could utilize. I love the HD2, I had upgraded from a long time use of a Treo 750. That phone was pretty close (quad GSM, triple umts). However when Tmo rolled out it's 3G on 1700 I was still stuck on edge with the 750.
Finally bit the bullet for an HD2, really like this phone. The 750 seems antique now heheh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Building a multi frequency chip isnt all that hard. software defined radios have existed for quite some time. basically a simple reprogramming allows it to xmit/rec on a different frequency. the trouble comes in the antenna design. antennas must be designed to work at specific frequencies to be the most efficient at transmitting and the most sensitive at receiving. trying to make a single antenna capable of xmit and rec anywhere in a bandwidth ranging from 700mhz upto say the 2500mhz that wimax uses, is going to make for quite a ****ty antenna at any frequency. When you see the piece of foil antennas in todays phones, they may just look like a simple piece of foil, but a lot of design goes into them to make them work well at the frequencies they need to work with.
I guarantee if you compared the internal antenna of the Euro, AUS and USA HD2 there are slight differences. Ill bet the radio chip in them is for the most part identical, there may be something modified on them to keep people from interchanging the radio roms between them though since that would invalidate any FCC or other country equivalent certification for that phone to operate
Its one thing to run a hacked rom, its something completely different to use an uncertified radio rom. Could cause all kinds of havoc with the cellular network, and get slapped with FCC fines if they could track down your trouble causing phone
d0ug said:
Building a multi frequency chip isnt all that hard. software defined radios have existed for quite some time. basically a simple reprogramming allows it to xmit/rec on a different frequency. the trouble comes in the antenna design. antennas must be designed to work at specific frequencies to be the most efficient at transmitting and the most sensitive at receiving. trying to make a single antenna capable of xmit and rec anywhere in a bandwidth ranging from 700mhz upto say the 2500mhz that wimax uses, is going to make for quite a ****ty antenna at any frequency. When you see the piece of foil antennas in todays phones, they may just look like a simple piece of foil, but a lot of design goes into them to make them work well at the frequencies they need to work with.
I guarantee if you compared the internal antenna of the Euro, AUS and USA HD2 there are slight differences. Ill bet the radio chip in them is for the most part identical, there may be something modified on them to keep people from interchanging the radio roms between them though since that would invalidate any FCC or other country equivalent certification for that phone to operate
Its one thing to run a hacked rom, its something completely different to use an uncertified radio rom. Could cause all kinds of havoc with the cellular network, and get slapped with FCC fines if they could track down your trouble causing phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's on par with what I had read, you do well at explaining it.
Maybe some futuristic worldphone designer would opt for interchangeable external antenna's... I could live with that or maybe multiple builtin foils with a software driven switch between them and the radio... that would be neat. Not holding my breath though...
Interesting on the FCC, hadn't thought of that.
moonchaser said:
Yeah that's on par with what I had read, you do well at explaining it.
Maybe some futuristic worldphone designer would opt for interchangeable external antenna's... I could live with that or maybe multiple builtin foils with a software driven switch between them and the radio... that would be neat. Not holding my breath though...
Interesting on the FCC, hadn't thought of that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I was just again looking at the spec differences between the euro and TMO HD2s and i really don't know why HTC did not also give the TMO HD2 850/900mhz HSPA/WCDMA to truly make it a world 3G phone. According to the tech specs over at HTC.com, TMO HD2 can already use 850/900mhz for GSM/GPRS/EDGE so the antenna is obviously quite capable of both. The only other frequency the TMO HD2 has to handle that the euro doesn't is 1700mhz
Part of me thinks it was probably done so the HD2 couldn't be used over on AT&T
d0ug said:
Thanks, I was just again looking at the spec differences between the euro and TMO HD2s and i really don't know why HTC did not also give the TMO HD2 850/900mhz HSPA/WCDMA to truly make it a world 3G phone. According to the tech specs over at HTC.com, TMO HD2 can already use 850/900mhz for GSM/GPRS/EDGE so the antenna is obviously quite capable of both. The only other frequency the TMO HD2 has to handle that the euro doesn't is 1700mhz
Part of me thinks it was probably done so the HD2 couldn't be used over on AT&T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It had nothing to do with AT&T, it's because there's a difference between Edge and 3g radio frequency. More than that, there is no phone radio chip that supports all those frequencies and even more so, htc doesn't manufacture radio chips, they purchase them and put them in their phones....just like the majority of the hardware
Srs wow hd
How do you get SRS WOW HD downloaded onto the HTC HD2?
Svegetto said:
a european phone which supports 2100 band for 3g will not work on Tmobile's 3G 2100 frequncy
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Click to collapse
I think this is incorrect -- the 2100 band support on the HD2 is in fact expressly intended for 3G compatibility in Europe/Asia, and people have reported being able to get 3G in Europe with their US HD2.
1700 == US-only 3G
2100 == Europe, Asia 3G
What's missing, I believe, might be 3G support in certain areas of places like Latin America which may follow US frequencies but don't have T-Mobile USA there to provide 1700 service... e.g., no 2100 and no 1700 either.
T-Mobile U.S. uses both AWS 1700mhz and 2100mhz for 3G. The 2100mhz band is used for transmit and 1700mhz is used for receive. Hence the incompatibility with other carriers phones that only operate in one spectrum.
Cheers.
~Jasecloud4

[Q] MT4G on AT&T - anyone doing this??

Just curious if anyone is using the MT4G on AT&T and how well that's working? I know we can unlock it for use with any carrier but wanted some feedback before I spend the money to get my gf (now using iphone 3gs) an MT4G to use on AT&T.
I already know that 4G won't work. I got her a Captivate for Christmas but she really likes Sense and AT&T's phones are so locked down it's stupid. Can't use custom ringtones, can't sideload apps, etc.
Can anyone help out?
So I'm doing some research and it looks like there's minial wcdma overlap which means spotty 3g coverage? Is that right? I really don't know how to interpret what I'm seeing though so I would be really appreciative for the input of someone more informed than I.
LINKY
CAPTIVATE
GSM 850
GSM 900
GSM 1800
GSM 1900
WCDMA 850
WCDMA 1900
WCDMA 2100
MYTOUCH 4G
GSM 850
GSM 900
GSM 1800
GSM 1900
WCDMA 1700
WCDMA 2100
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Click to collapse
Courtesy of PhoneScoop.com
i am using my MT4G on att and its preety good reception wise. I got 15 dollar unlimited data plan. Bec this is tmobil made hardware so i only get edge.
Why not just grab her an att nexus one and flash sense into it? Evil D's ports are really good!
Phateless said:
I already know that 4G won't work.
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3G won't work either. My question is why on earth would you want to take a MT4G over to the [IMO] worst network of all time?
Only bands 1& 4 right?
Although the captivate supports 2100, at&t only operates 850 & 1900 in the us. Some phones have 2100 for global roaming because that's what most others use.
While at&t does have a larger footprint, I just paid them $180 to get out of my contract and I'm much happier with tmobile. Texts actually send and web pages actually load.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
It works just fine, just slower, obviously.
And yes, it is 3G.
Let me be super clear about this... 3G WILL NOT WORK on AT&T. The MT4G just doesn't have the right radio. However, the Vibrant (surprisingly) does have the 850 band on its 3G radio, and does sort of work for AT&T.
If you want an Android phone on AT&T, I recommend buying something unlocked from Canada. Rogers and Bell both share AT&T's 3G bands (850 & 1900), and have a better selection than AT&T itself.
Really great comments here. She's got a year left on her contract, that's why. She's gonna find out her termination fee tomorrow cuz she loves my mt4g, lol.
I always knew that an N1 is definitely her best bet but can't find one used and have an mt4g in the works for $260.
We're talking slightly different things here as well. HSPDA on ATT won't work.
However, "EDGE" describes a family of service classes, not a single speed. Depending on your location and the service speeds there, EDGE may in fact be qualified to be called 3G according to the ITU (the international body that certifies this nomenclature).
As the radio in this phone most certainly does support EDGE, whether or not you can get 3G speeds on AT&T will depend on your location. For most of us this will still be a "no," but if the OP is in one of the special markets (LA, NYC, ATL) you can see it. Since OP is in Oakland, I figured he might get lucky.
I swap cards a bit on mine (one SIMM or work, and one for personal use) and have been in areas where the EDGE network was nearly as fast as the supposed 4G on the other card.
I should probably start using the that bandwith meter app and record my results. It could be interesting.
ReverendJasen said:
We're talking slightly different things here as well. HSPDA on ATT won't work.
However, "EDGE" describes a family of service classes, not a single speed. Depending on your location and the service speeds there, EDGE may in fact be qualified to be called 3G according to the ITU (the international body that certifies this nomenclature)...
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Click to collapse
EDGE is not generally considered a 3G technology, although it is a significant improvement over GPRS, and it offers speeds approaching true 3G speeds.
Calling EDGE "3G" is somewhat like T-Mobile calling HSPA+ "4G"; it's playing a little fast and loose with the definitions. I do agree that in ideal circumstances, EDGE speeds can be pretty good, but it really falters when it comes to streaming media or any other data-intensive task.
Please post questions in Q&A section.

Data on TMobile G2 w/ ATT gophone

I was wondering why I can only get EDGE on my TMobile G2 phone... is it because of the GSM incompatibility that some TMobile phones have with the ATT network or am I doing something wrong?
Does your phone support 1900 MHz UTMS? That would be a problem. If it does then use *#0011# and make sure the bands are unlocked.
Sent from my xt862 using xda app-developers app
MrObvious said:
Does your phone support 1900 MHz UTMS? That would be a problem. If it does then use *#0011# and make sure the bands are unlocked.
Sent from my xt862 using xda app-developers app
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I got "connection problem or invalid MMI code" when I ran that.
Edit: Did a bit more research and it turns out that it does *not* support 1900 MHz UTMS for 3G, so basically, this phone + ATT network = no 3G service, as the hardware is incompatible.
M!x said:
I got "connection problem or invalid MMI code" when I ran that.
Edit: Did a bit more research and it turns out that it does *not* support 1900 MHz UTMS for 3G, so basically, this phone + ATT network = no 3G service, as the hardware is incompatible.
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Click to collapse
Someone doing their own research? Get the hell out.
Actually, I don't think the G2 even does 3G on anything but AWS. The HTC Desire Z (identical but without carrier branding) has a version that supports AT&T 3G, however.
luftrofl said:
Someone doing their own research? Get the hell out.
Actually, I don't think the G2 even does 3G on anything but AWS. The HTC Desire Z (identical but without carrier branding) has a version that supports AT&T 3G, however.
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You are correct.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
MrObvious said:
Does your phone support 1900 MHz UTMS? That would be a problem. If it does then use *#0011# and make sure the bands are unlocked.
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Click to collapse
Can you explain what you mean by "use *#0011# and make sure the bands are unlocked"? My Samsung phone can't get 4g service here on T-Mobile and it doesn't do 3G so I'd really like to enable HSPA+ if that's possible. I don't see anything on that screen that I can unlock though.
stevec5000 said:
Can you explain what you mean by "use *#0011# and make sure the bands are unlocked"? My Samsung phone can't get 4g service here on T-Mobile and it doesn't do 3G so I'd really like to enable HSPA+ if that's possible. I don't see anything on that screen that I can unlock though.
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Check which UMTS (3G) bands your phone supports - I suspect yours does not support T-Mobile's 3G band (IV). The information is usually available on wikipedia or gsmarena.
You do not "enable" 3G through software changes. Your phone supports it or it doesn't.
luftrofl said:
Check which UMTS (3G) bands your phone supports - I suspect yours does not support T-Mobile's 3G band (IV). The information is usually available on wikipedia or gsmarena.
You do not "enable" 3G through software changes. Your phone supports it or it doesn't.
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Click to collapse
It does support band IV, 1700Mhz, but it doesn't do HSPA+ so it can't get 3G. That screen still doesn't tell me anything though.
GSMArena says it has 3G Networking on HSDPA 850 / 1700 / 2100 / 1900 but that's not true. There is no 2100Mhz band, not on mine anyway. Actually GSMArena isn't very complete or very accurate, it don't even list the model T959V!
stevec5000 said:
It does support band IV, 1700Mhz, but it doesn't do HSPA+ so it can't get 3G. That screen still doesn't tell me anything though.
GSMArena says it has 3G Networking on HSDPA 850 / 1700 / 2100 / 1900 but that's not true. There is no 2100Mhz band, not on mine anyway. Actually GSMArena isn't very complete or very accurate, it don't even list the model T959V!
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That's not how HSPA+ works - it's essentially just faster 3G. Also, I found your phone on GSMArena, not sure how you searched but the information is all there and it supports band IV (1700/2100) and I (2100).
Are you sure you've enabled 3G (or deselected "Use only 2G networks")?
What is the history of the phone (bought new, used, etc.)? It should "just work" on T-Mobile as it's T-Mobile branded but, no offense, your details are a little vague.
luftrofl said:
That's not how HSPA+ works - it's essentially just faster 3G. Also, I found your phone on GSMArena, not sure how you searched but the information is all there and it supports band IV (1700/2100) and I (2100).
Are you sure you've enabled 3G (or deselected "Use only 2G networks")?
What is the history of the phone (bought new, used, etc.)? It should "just work" on T-Mobile as it's T-Mobile branded but, no offense, your details are a little vague.
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Sorry if I was vague but it doesn't "just work" on T-Mobile! At first I though all Exhibit II models would be the same however they could have different versions like the Galaxy 2 that has an older version for 3G and a newer version that also now gets 4G, who knows.
The phone was purchased new a few months ago and is still stock. I know HSPA+ is faster 3G since I can get it on 1700Mhz on another device using the T-Mobile SIM from the Exhibit 2. Can't get HSPA+ or 3G on the Exhibit 2 though.
Yes the phone is on GSMArena but the info is not accurate, it claims the phone gets 3G and has a 2100Mhz band but that's not true. It only supports band IV on 1700.
There is no option to enable 3G or "Use only 2G networks". It has options for WCDMA (for 4G on 1700) or GSM (for Edge on 1900) but there is no setting in between for 3G or HSPA+. I tried setting it to WCDMA only but it defaults back to Auto using Edge unless I go to a T-Mobile store where they have a strong 4G signal that gives 5 bars. If I leave the store and go down the street there's no signal though.
I have verified that WCDMA for 4G is on 1700 and GSM for Edge is on 1900 using a spectrum analyzer but it never uses 2100 and has never used 3G anywhere in the Phoenix, Mesa or Scottsdale area, just Edge. There may be other modes and frequencies but I haven't been able to verify them.
If there is a way to turn on 3G I'd like to know what it is? Someone suggested dialing *#32489# clicking #3 then UTMS but that didn't do anything.
stevec5000 said:
Sorry if I was vague but it doesn't "just work" on T-Mobile! At first I though all Exhibit II models would be the same however they could have different versions like the Galaxy 2 that has an older version for 3G and a newer version that also now gets 4G, who knows.
The phone was purchased new a few months ago and is still stock. I know HSPA+ is faster 3G since I can get it on 1700Mhz on another device using the T-Mobile SIM from the Exhibit 2. Can't get HSPA+ or 3G on the Exhibit 2 though.
Yes the phone is on GSMArena but the info is not accurate, it claims the phone gets 3G and has a 2100Mhz band but that's not true. It only supports band IV on 1700.
There is no option to enable 3G or "Use only 2G networks". It has options for WCDMA (for 4G on 1700) or GSM (for Edge on 1900) but there is no setting in between for 3G or HSPA+. I tried setting it to WCDMA only but it defaults back to Auto using Edge unless I go to a T-Mobile store where they have a strong 4G signal that gives 5 bars. If I leave the store and go down the street there's no signal though.
I have verified that WCDMA for 4G is on 1700 and GSM for Edge is on 1900 using a spectrum analyzer but it never uses 2100 and has never used 3G anywhere in the Phoenix, Mesa or Scottsdale area, just Edge. There may be other modes and frequencies but I haven't been able to verify them.
If there is a way to turn on 3G I'd like to know what it is? Someone suggested dialing *#32489# clicking #3 then UTMS but that didn't do anything.
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Click to collapse
I don't know where to begin but let me get this straight...
-You bought a new Exhibit II from T-Mobile.
-It doesn't get 3G outside of the store.
-Your other T-Mobile compatible device gets 3G outside of the store.
-You've owned this same Exhibit II which hasn't been connecting to 3G for months.
On these points alone, am I understanding you correctly?
luftrofl said:
I don't know where to begin but let me get this straight...
-You bought a new Exhibit II from T-Mobile.
-It doesn't get 3G outside of the store.
-Your other T-Mobile compatible device gets 3G outside of the store.
-You've owned this same Exhibit II which hasn't been connecting to 3G for months.
On these points alone, am I understanding you correctly?
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Click to collapse
Close but not quite correct, it doesn't get 4G outside of the store.
It can't get 3G at all anywhere!
Since there is no 4G network is there a way to turn on or enable 3G or is it hopeless?
stevec5000 said:
Close but not quite correct, it doesn't get 4G outside of the store.
It can't get 3G at all anywhere!
Since there is no 4G network is there a way to turn on or enable 3G or is it hopeless?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In a previous post you said that you "know" what I'm talking about but clearly that is not the case.
What T-Mobile calls 4G is actually 3G with improvements to the backhaul as well as the radios on the phones - where T-Mobile has 4G, it also has 3G.
The point of my last post was to make it obvious that you have a defective phone. I shouldn't have assumed you would figure it as you haven't figured it out in the months you've owned a phone that obviously has reception issues.
luftrofl said:
In a previous post you said that you "know" what I'm talking about but clearly that is not the case.
What T-Mobile calls 4G is actually 3G with improvements to the backhaul as well as the radios on the phones - where T-Mobile has 4G, it also has 3G.
The point of my last post was to make it obvious that you have a defective phone. I shouldn't have assumed you would figure it as you haven't figured it out in the months you've owned a phone that obviously has reception issues.
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Click to collapse
Again not true! What they call 4G is using WCDMA but 3G is using HSPA+. 3G using HSPA+ has improvements that will allow it to go up to 20Mb but my Android phone doesn't have an option for 3G, just 4G using WCDMA. The people at the T-Mobile stores would beg to differ with you about the phone being bad since I've been to 5 T-Mobile stores and they say the phone works OK since it can get 4G on 1700Mhz in the store.
stevec5000 said:
Again not true! What they call 4G is using WCDMA but 3G is using HSPA+. 3G using HSPA+ has improvements that will allow it to go up to 20Mb but my Android phone doesn't have an option for 3G, just 4G using WCDMA. The people at the T-Mobile stores would beg to differ with you about the phone being bad since I've been to 5 T-Mobile stores and they say the phone works OK since it can get 4G on 1700Mhz in the store.
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Click to collapse
Your posts are too long to be trolling, but it still feels like you are because everything you post is wrong.
In case you're not trolling:
-Your phone has hardware defects that are affecting how well it connects to 3G.
-The fact that you get reception in stores is likely because stores have signal boosters.
-Retail employees are idiots. They are trained to use the products just enough to sell them (read: not much) and aren't paid enough to attract anyone with half a brain to the position. Walk a block away from the store and show them that your phone doesn't connect to 3G (or "4G" if you still want to call it that).
stevec5000 said:
Again not true! What they call 4G is using WCDMA but 3G is using HSPA+. 3G using HSPA+ has improvements that will allow it to go up to 20Mb but my Android phone doesn't have an option for 3G, just 4G using WCDMA. The people at the T-Mobile stores would beg to differ with you about the phone being bad since I've been to 5 T-Mobile stores and they say the phone works OK since it can get 4G on 1700Mhz in the store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
luftrofl said:
Your posts are too long to be trolling, but it still feels like you are because everything you post is wrong.
In case you're not trolling:
-Your phone has hardware defects that are affecting how well it connects to 3G.
-The fact that you get reception in stores is likely because stores have signal boosters.
-Retail employees are idiots. They are trained to use the products just enough to sell them (read: not much) and aren't paid enough to attract anyone with half a brain to the position. Walk a block away from the store and show them that your phone doesn't connect to 3G (or "4G" if you still want to call it that).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both of you are feeling like you're trolling.
It may be a tower issue or your phone. The only way to check is to use another phone.

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