NC4 and XLTE - Verizon Galaxy Note 3 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I recently updated from my stock release date firmware to NC 4. I'm not having any problems persay, but..I notice on starts it starts with 5 bars of LTE (and always has in this area) then drops to 3 after a minute or so. Voice and data work well. I believe what's happening is it starts on 700mhz then switches to band 4 exlte. I'd like proof though. It certainly would seem as though im on XLTE as I'm getting around 60-90 mbps down..and 25-30 before it switches. Given that I'm indoors, it's no surprise I'm at 3 bars.. Also, nice upgrade, it seems to not drop from LTE to 3g and stay there quite as long. Usually pops back in less than a few seconds. Voice quality is unaffected.
I was wondering is there anyway I can see what band I'm currently on? I'm not-rooted and running stock firmware.
Secondly, the most recent update seems to have made the default text app somewhat slow..Ie opening a long text takes a second (this was instantaneous) and scrolling through it is somewhat jerky. Not the end of the world but it was seamless beforehand. I'd consider another texting app off the playstore but the stock one was so great up until this. Beyondthat, all other apps perform flawlessly and touchwiz in general is faster.
3. Any word on 4.4.4? I read that my carrier verizon just released it today for the Samgsung Galaxy s5 and a few other phones. They mentioned the note as being upcoming but didn't give a date. hopefully they deal with the texting app :/

Bars don't matter per say, check dbm of 90 not bad 100 over I'd say that effects calls ect. This is in settings phone status signal ect. I'm always at 90 dbm indoors but it doesn't effect call quality or data Internet ect. For the sms if you keep a long conversation or multiple sms it will lag. So try to delete most if not all conversations. If they are important back them up. I think your fine of your downloads are 60mbs+ I'm only getting 25 30 and I'm supposedly xlte. I know I'm on band 4 I've nit picked as well at these things I belive your phones reception is good my bars drop quite often upstairs downstairs in home ect. As long as you can make good calls and sms I would not worry or press the issue. Some folks indoors only get 3g or 1x so 4G 60mbs is great. I hope I helped you. Have a great day.
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Re
You have helped. I noticed the same behavior on my wife's Galaxy S5. Too bad we couldn't control more of the phones data functions out of box without rooting. Ex: turn off xlte, force 3g, see what band phone is operating on. I saw Verizon pushed 4.4.4 to the S5? Hopefully we're not too far behind.
Bars aside, indoors, connected to what I assume is xlte I'm getting -100-105 DB (3 bars) moving further into the house that goes up to 110...then drops to -77DB and I get 5 bars. This has to be it switching from AWS to 700mhz. This would explain why on factory firmware I always had five bars as XLTE wasn't enabled yet.
On voice calls I always have five bars. SMS send fine regardless of signal strength. I'm not complaining, I just wish I had more control over it. Even my POS HTC EVO LTE let me force 3g or force LTE without rooting (not that forcing LTE did much-sprints idea of 'covering' a city with LTE actually means just covering 1/3rd of it.)
Maybe I am nitpicking. I'm on wi-fi anyway. Confined to crutches for a few weeks anyway. Broke my leg. Hit by a car in the parking lot of the Verizon Wireless store the day I bought this phone. Talk about irony. Phone didn't even have a scratch.
Anyway. Factory reset fixed the text message app. It's back to being instantaneous.

They do also have home or office signal boosters on amazon. Search Verizon signal booster. High performance dual band signal booster - coverage up to 2,500 sq. ft. (up to 70 dB system gain)
Ideal for homes that have reliable outside signal
Reduces dropped and missed calls and provides faster 4G data performance for multiple simultaneous users
Boosts performance on iPhone, Samsung, Android and other phones and mobile devices
Compatible with mobile phones and devices operating on Verizon 4G LTE, CEL (800 MHz) and PCS (1900 MHz) your not nitpicking sorry for the poor choice of words I ment no offense. I do the same thing all the time trying to perfect my phones performance. I'm sorry to hear you are injured I hope you have a speedy recovery. If you require more help just ask. Goodday.
Sent from my SM-N900V using xda-developers.com, powered by appyet.com

Annnnnnnnnnnnd fixed
Problem resolved. Used Odin to flash a radio prior to band 4 being enabled. Back to five bars (-77 db) everywhere in the house. If the XLTE disconnect threshold were lower, I wouldn't have had to do this.. Or if they let us have some control over band 4 without rooting.
FWIW, this never affected voice calls or texts. Data was usable but not as good (at -105DB, what do you expect) It would, downstairs, switch back to 700 mhz and pop up to five bars.. Anyway. I believe this is an isolated issue because I'm so close to a tower. Any other note 3 wouldn't have even tried to hold onto XLTE indoors like this one did.
Let's see what 4.4.4 brings! My wifes Galaxy S5 runs it and it's noticeably more responsive..but thats about it. Back to loving my note 3.

YayNote said:
Problem resolved. Used Odin to flash a radio prior to band 4 being enabled. Back to five bars (-77 db) everywhere in the house. If the XLTE disconnect threshold were lower, I wouldn't have had to do this.. Or if they let us have some control over band 4 without rooting.
FWIW, this never affected voice calls or texts. Data was usable but not as good (at -105DB, what do you expect) It would, downstairs, switch back to 700 mhz and pop up to five bars.. Anyway. I believe this is an isolated issue because I'm so close to a tower. Any other note 3 wouldn't have even tried to hold onto XLTE indoors like this one did.
Let's see what 4.4.4 brings! My wifes Galaxy S5 runs it and it's noticeably more responsive..but thats about it. Back to loving my note 3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you tell us what modem you used? I flashed MI9 and going back into service mode I still have it enabled.
Thanks!

Sorry it took so long to reply. I used MI9. I tried the one immediately after but it made no difference. FWIW, this is on my new out of box Note 3 unrooted totally stock. H/W Version N900V.07. It came with 4.3. MI9 shows no change for you? I immediately went back to five bars (-77db) of LTE.
I would've kept NC4 if it weren't so eager to hold onto horrible XLTE connections before choosing 700mhz. That said, prior to downgrading, my wife's S5 had the same signal strength. It behaved much like the Note 3s radios.
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Free mobile app

thx i had MJE and was still having problems, went to MI9 and back to 5 bars -83, was at -101 !!! this is a serious problem!!, this may be my last samsung device... i may go Moto X next time

Milleniumlance said:
thx i had MJE and was still having problems, went to MI9 and back to 5 bars -83, was at -101 !!! this is a serious problem!!, this may be my last samsung device... i may go Moto X next time
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Click to collapse
lol. i'd actually put the blame on Verizon for this. Maybe split it between Samsung and them. XLTE connections thresholds NEED to be fixed. Hopefully it gets addressed in 4.4.4 otherwise I'll run MI9 and forget about XLTE. Glad it worked out for you. Sounds like yours was doing the same thing mine was.

Related

No working GPS? No problem. No froyo? No problem. Bad reception? Problem

First off I'd like to say I'm thankful for everything the devs here do. I've tried the 3g fix and it didn't do anything, so now I'm just curious if there is anything else out there that fixes it.
I'm on the newest DL09 and the problem is still there. Bad reception. I'm serious when I say I get full 3g bars maybe 1% of the time, and I'm dead center in a verizon 3g area. I've never seen a signal jump around as much as on the fascinate. It will switch between 3g and 1x constantly throughout the day, and when it's on 3g it looks like the bars are dancing all day long because they just jump around.
My original Droid will have a steady 5 bars pretty much all day. Fascinate...not even close. It's getting ridiculous actually. I can download updates for apps on my droid no problem, but I actually wait til I get home on my wifi to download updates on my fascinate. I constantly get "stuck" loading a page on the net because of the ridiculous reception.
Now my question is...is there any fix out there that actually works that I might have skipped over? Good reception is a HUGE thing, especially when I'm dead center in a 3g area, and the fascinate doesn't have it. I'm thinking about selling it in the next few days because it's absolutely crazy.
People complain all day long about the GPS and no froyo...and I'm actually confused as to why many do not complain about the reception. That's the biggest issue with the phone IMO.
Thanks for any help.
Have you actually tried contacting Verizon about it? It sounds like you've got an antenna issue, which should be pretty easily addressed with a phone swap.
AlexDeGruven said:
Have you actually tried contacting Verizon about it? It sounds like you've got an antenna issue, which should be pretty easily addressed with a phone swap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My friends has the same issue, and I've seen people complain about it before. So I think it's a fairly common issue.
brian85 said:
First off I'd like to say I'm thankful for everything the devs here do. I've tried the 3g fix and it didn't do anything, so now I'm just curious if there is anything else out there that fixes it.
..
Thanks for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm assuming you tried the reprogramming codes?
http://www.ehow.com/how_4532332_reprogram-verizon-phone.html
probably the 1st thing you tried, but just checking. I know for me, i went from being in the -102 range (1 bar) to -89 range (2 to 3) at work. Also at home i went from -92 to -51 (MAX)
You did option 2 correct?
Just did option 2 and it seems to have done nothing. Going back and forth between -96 and -101
If you dont see people compalining about reception, its largely due to the fact that the phone doesnt really suffer from reception issues. If I were you, I'd call verizon and make a formal complaint about the hardware restricting your usage, I'm sure they will work with you.
I'm a sales rep at a Verizon corporate store, 4 of my co-workers have Fascinates and we ALL experience a MAJOR difference in signal quality compared to co-workers with Droid X's and Droid 2's...
There's a five page thread on droidforums (fascinate section) about every single person in that thread having reception issues on the fascinate. And if you do a "fascinate reception issue" search on google, there are threads everywhere about that.
I just have a feeling everyone is focused on froyo and GPS so that's why reception isn't brought up much. I highly doubt, with as many people that have this problem, that it's just a problem on some of the galaxy s phones.
agreed bro i lose signal from my bars are really sporadic
BlackHoleSlam said:
agreed bro i lose signal from my bars are really sporadic
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Click to collapse
Yeah it's very frustrating.
What's even more frustrating is even when I get 4 full bars I only get -89 on the mobile signal widget..that's far from max reception.
I've never had reception problems per se but I have full bars and 73 dbm. Also for some reason my 3g download rate is nerfed. Earlier today on speed test got 63 kbps and 462 ping dunno why. Mostly hovers in the 300kbps range
Sent from my sch-i500 using dl09 supah clean
AlexDeGruven said:
Have you actually tried contacting Verizon about it? It sounds like you've got an antenna issue, which should be pretty easily addressed with a phone swap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had two phones now, and they both have very poor signal strength. Comparing my Fascinate to a friends Droid, sitting just a few inches apart, he had a dbm in the mid to high -70's, while mine was in the high -90's.
If you're in a solid coverage area, it gets fine reception and you're not likely to see the problem, but as you travel into a lower signal area, the Fascinate trails off very, very sharply. Even though I live in an area with supposedly blanket coverage, my house is towards the bottom of a small hill and I typically get zero or 1 bars on the display, every once in a while 2, but it'll drop back to 1 or 0 as soon as I pick the phone it.
The Fascinate does have a very week antennae design.
I rarely see 3 or 4 bars...come to think of it, I don't think i've ever seen 3 or 4 bars. This is when I'm in an area which should definitely have excellent coverage.
OP: do you have actual symptoms of poor signal like slow down/up load or dropped calls?
My speed tests when i have 1bar 3G are about 800Mbits up and 500Mbits down. Never dropped a call (rarely make calls, though). I have read that some folks suspect that the Fascinate has reporting issues? I don't know...but since I'm not seeing horrible speeds I've tried ignoring the fact that its always reporting 1-2 bars.
Kind of similar to the TWoS thing. I chased this one for a little bit too before dismissing it as a reporting issue (for now).
I originally was upset about the reception but came to realize that the office building I work in is built like a bunker. Other then when I am in the center of the building I get good reception, at my desk near a window I get 1-3 bars. However anytime other then when I am in this building I almost always have full bars.
However I have noticed that when I am in my office what ever bars I get my friends droid gets one more. But when it comes down to that it isn't Verizon...again the problem is with Samsung.
Hey guys,
what if I did option 1 instead of option 2 in *228 reprogramming?
On another note, my 3g indicator constantly disappears in verizon hotspot areas, it is really quite the annoyance.
Are you on a stock kernel?
Sent from my USCC SCH-I500..
Negative, I'm on Dl09 supah clean with adry's 12/30 test kernel.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
The reception for my Fascinate isn't spectacular. I don't know how it ranks among smart phones, but there is a definite difference between it and my chocolate 8550. In known holes in vzw's coverage I occasionally lose signal, but I don't use it as a phone enough to drop many calls.
However, I spend the majority of my time in strong signal environs, so it doesn't really come up as an issue for me, and I just accept it. It will be a decision factor for my next phone though.
Maybe others have a similar situation: worse yes, but liveable.
Swyped w/ XDA App. When in doubt, mumble.
I have noticed the signal over the past 24 hours has been jumping all over the place like Verizon may be running tests or something. The drop being very consistent intervals of no bars but still 3g.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
My brother has Fascinate as do I and out of the Box his got 2 more bars than mine and his almost always has more signal.
Remember this was before I started rooting and all that.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

Reception Issues with Verizon PLAY R800x?

I've posted this in a couple forums and I'm trying to figure out if it's a widespread issue or just an issue with a few units. My PLAY is consistently getting 2-3 bars LESS than any other phones right next to it. And it seems that BGR also had similar issues with their review unit and said that the PLAY had some of the worst reception they've seen in a long time. And when I posted about this on the official VZW forums, other members also stated they are having similar problems. I'm also struggling to connect to 3G when my area is completely covered in 3G and was ALWAYS on 3G on my iPhone 4.
So I'm wondering, how is everyone else's reception on Verizon? Are you having similar problems, or are you getting just as many bars as other phones in the same area?
My phone also shows only 1-2 bars at most. However if you go to the status of the phone, the phone, the actual strength for me is between -79 - -80 db which as far as I can tell is perfectly good reception.
Haven't had any dropped calls and could make calls so far everywhere I went.
I have the rogers version (canada) and reception/3g is amazing, almost always full bars. Wireless on the other hand sucks.
My friends iphones/captivates get wireless where mine wont...
On AT&T with my R800a and I have better signal now than I ever did on my iPhone 3GS, oddly enough. I get signal in places the iPhone used to choke on consistently.
From what I remember being on Verizon years ago, bars didn't matter as much as CDMA voice is pure digital. You either have a solid connection or you don't at all. EVDO was similar as I remember it, sharing the same data stream and the reason why you can't talk and surf at the same time. Is the phone just showing weak bars or is it a problem of no signal at all?
At any rate, I bet SE will patch the radio firmware in the 2.3.3 update for the US.
It's mostly just showing low bars but the fact that it's having trouble staying on 3G is the biggest thing. It's on 1x 80% of the time but I should always be on the EVDO connection. I'm going to try a few more tests with my girlfriends iphone and my play and see just how much they are different. I really hope it's something that is an be fixed through software.
Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk
My reception is terrible on my unbranded R800a, as I rarely have more than two bars. I know most phones have this issue, but when I hold the phone near the bottom for too long (which is often), it messes with the signal. 90% of the time when I'm using it, it reads zero bars.
I've yet to have a dropped call though, so I'm not too concerned about it...more of a mental thing than anything else.
Edit: I'm getting -101 dBm in most rooms in my house...looks pretty bad to me.
Like I mentioned before, have any of you gone into the about phone section and read the actual signal? I don't think you can trust the bars as actual signal strength. Check the actual numbers.
I had one issue with the phone at 1x, I restarted it and it was fine. I had the same issue with my Droid 2 sometimes, so I don't think it was all on the phone.
Went back to the Verizon store today to see if they would swap it out with a new one. But first we compared it to the floor model and it had the same problem. It had consistently lower signal than other phones in the store. He basically said I have the 14 days to return it and decide whether I want better signal or the gaming controls. He agreed with me that the phone wasn't holding a signal as good as the other phones. Even driving down the highway which ways gave me 5 bars is giving me 1. And my signal is 86+
Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk
Mines is about the same as my htc droid eris on the verizon network.
In settings, about phone, it shows -90 dBm
Just read somewhere off the internet that the about phone settings dBm doesn't represent 3g. it represents 1x. Not sure if it is true.
Do you think I should just try and make them swap the phone out for me and see if the new one is any better before just returning it for good? And what are the chances they would gladly swap it out for a new phone without giving me a hard time and making me pay a restocking fee? The phone is awesome except for the reception issues I'm having. And I'd hate to pass on the phone if it's an isolated incident.
They will xchange it. Do what ive done call tech support and make them document u need aa replacement
Sent from my R800x using XDA App
I tested talk and web browsing, works fine on verizon. Possibly just another iOs limitation. *_*
Back to topic, I've noticed the 2 - 3 bars usually in LA but the signal strength is good dBm. ?
Sent from my R800x using XDA App
mine is usually round -85 DBm and like 1-2 bars, my other tunderbolt is full bars for my wife, have nto checked DBm on it tho
placing xperia play next to original droid.
Droid: 4 bars, -70dBm
Play: 1 bar, -74dBm
Both 3g.
Not sure what this means?
trothmaster said:
placing xperia play next to original droid.
Droid: 4 bars, -70dBm
Play: 1 bar, -74dBm
Both 3g.
Not sure what this means?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This means that the reception is a tiny bit worse in pure radio power. However, its scale is MASSIVELY shifted in regards to bar listings. I would be just bottoming out around -96dBm on my Droid. Dropping out at -80dB is a bad thing.
so it sounds like a software update could help? or am I miss-understanding....
I swapped out my phone and my new one is much much better
Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk
I also swapped mine and see no improvement. What improvement were you seeing?
Sent from my R800x using XDA App
Having the same signal problems with my r800x. I think it might just be an issue with Verizon.

Horrible reception. Especially when wifi is on

My note 3 has noticeably worse reception than my note 2 and thunderbolt did in the same location. The problem seems even worse when wifi is on. In my home I almost never have a signal unless I'm near a window. I noticed that when I turn wifi off I sometimes quickly get a signal back (usually just 1/2 bars of 1X) and my phone seems to have a much easier time maintaining that signal than when wifi is on.
Does this have something to do with the software/radio in the stock ROM? Perhaps for power saving purposes? Has anyone experienced a better signal after rooting and flashing a custom ROM? Not sure what to do as the phone is flawless otherwise but this problem has been incredibly frustrating. Thanks
It's definitely what Verizon did to the phone or their towers. we all have the same problem. ..and truth be told I called Verizon about this and no sufficient answer was given..next day I went to att go...I've been good and even saving $60 more...
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
ROMS have nothing to do with reception. Zero.
Radio firmware, maybe (but even the evidence for that is rather slim. Usually the only things radio firmware updates ever change are things that only the carrier can detect - obscure low level stuff.).
Reading between the lines, it sounds like your signal is weak to begin with (and somewhat worse for the N3 compared to other devices). Since you mention WiFi, I presume you have a separate (wired) ISP, so you would probably be a good candidate for a micro/femto cell range extender. (It gives you localized 3G service for voice & SMS service but actually passes both as VoIP to your carrier across your Internet connection.) You can add a bunch of devices to it if you have a family plan.
There is really only two ways that WiFi would cause interference with the cell radio: either the phone hardware is defective or your router hardware is defective (interference spurs outside it's normal frequency bands).
In contrast to the prior respondent, I don't make the claim that my experience must be identical to everyone else's ... but FYI I'm sitting 20' from my WiFi router, and I have 4 bars WiFi & 4 bars LTE service.
good luck
jr_718 said:
It's definitely what Verizon did to the phone or their towers. we all have the same problem. ..and truth be told I called Verizon about this and no sufficient answer was given..next day I went to att go...I've been good and even saving $60 more...
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response. Sadly Verizon is excellent in comparison to all other carriers in my area, especially in terms of 4g coverage by a large margin. I just happen to live in somewhat of a valley where service is poor. I can literally walk up the street 10 minutes and have 4 bars of 4g. Even outside of my house I usually have 2 bars of 3g. With my note 2 and thunderbolt I always had at least 1/2 bars of 1x or 3g indoors and rarely lost service. With my note 3 in the same indoor areas I almost never have service and typically have to go next to a window to get a signal.
bftb0 said:
ROMS have nothing to do with reception. Zero.
Radio firmware, maybe (but even the evidence for that is rather slim. Usually the only things radio firmware updates ever change are things that only the carrier can detect - obscure low level stuff.).
Reading between the lines, it sounds like your signal is weak to begin with (and somewhat worse for the N3 compared to other devices). Since you mention WiFi, I presume you have a separate (wired) ISP, so you would probably be a good candidate for a micro/femto cell range extender. (It gives you localized 3G service for voice & SMS service but actually passes both as VoIP to your carrier across your Internet connection.) You can add a bunch of devices to it if you have a family plan.
There is really only two ways that WiFi would cause interference with the cell radio: either the phone hardware is defective or your router hardware is defective (interference spurs outside it's normal frequency bands).
In contrast to the prior respondent, I don't make the claim that my experience must be identical to everyone else's ... but FYI I'm sitting 20' from my WiFi router, and I have 4 bars WiFi & 4 bars LTE service.
good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My signal is indeed weak in general. However, it is significantly worse than my previous note 2 and thunderbolt in the same areas. It seems to have a ton of trouble holding on to a signal, especially when I'm on wifi or not on a call. When I do have service I can usually make a decent quality phone call. The strange part is once I'm on the phone the call is rarely dropped. It's as if the phone is dedicating more power to the radio in these instances, similar with when wifi is on. As soon as I hang up my I seem to completely lose service again. If I attempt to make another call I get "mobile network not available" until I get a bar back. But once I'm on a call again it seems to lock on MUCH more effectively, and I can remain on the phone for over an hour without issues, leading me to believe software could be playing a large part in the inconsistencies.
bladerealm124 said:
Thanks for the response. Sadly Verizon is excellent in comparison to all other carriers in my area, especially in terms of 4g coverage by a large margin. I just happen to live in somewhat of a valley where service is poor. I can literally walk up the street 10 minutes and have 4 bars of 4g. Even outside of my house I usually have 2 bars of 3g. With my note 2 and thunderbolt I always had at least 1/2 bars of 1x or 3g indoors and rarely lost service. With my note 3 in the same indoor areas I almost never have service and typically have to go next to a window to get a signal.
My signal is indeed weak in general. However, it is significantly worse than my previous note 2 and thunderbolt in the same areas. It seems to have a ton of trouble holding on to a signal, especially when I'm on wifi or not on a call. When I do have service I can usually make a decent quality phone call. The strange part is once I'm on the phone the call is rarely dropped. It's as if the phone is dedicating more power to the radio in these instances, similar with when wifi is on. As soon as I hang up my I seem to completely lose service again. If I attempt to make another call I get "mobile network not available" until I get a bar back. But once I'm on a call again it seems to lock on MUCH more effectively, and I can remain on the phone for over an hour without issues, leading me to believe software could be playing a large part in the inconsistencies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its either a dud device, or placebo. I've had all the Verizon phones (I switch every 2 months) including Note 2 and Thunderbolt, and my Note 3 destroys them with signal reception. In the same location as the other two, got 1 bar with TBolt, 2 bars Note 2, and 3 bars Note 3. Gets progressively better with newer phones for the most part (or they have been upgrading towers near my location, but not likely as my wife has had same signal the whole time). It does make me wonder about placebo when you say you only get decent reception near a window (unless you live in a steel/concrete house). Is it better when you stand on your car and hold your phone up in the air too?
TechSavvy2 said:
Its either a dud device, or placebo. I've had all the Verizon phones (I switch every 2 months) including Note 2 and Thunderbolt, and my Note 3 destroys them with signal reception. In the same location as the other two, got 1 bar with TBolt, 2 bars Note 2, and 3 bars Note 3. Gets progressively better with newer phones for the most part (or they have been upgrading towers near my location, but not likely as my wife has had same signal the whole time). It does make me wonder about placebo when you say you only get decent reception near a window (unless you live in a steel/concrete house). Is it better when you stand on your car and hold your phone up in the air too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol definitely not placebo. In fact, it's typically the only way I can make phonecalls. It doesn't take concrete to cause signal loss. Just as an example I'm currently about 7 feet away from one window and 12 feet from another. I have NO signal (no bars, warning symbol). Just took a screenshot, now I'll walk to the window and set my phone on the windowsill. Just took a second screenshot. See below:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Windowsill:
Just lost my signal again after moving back away from the window. As I stated earlier it seems to be a software problem since once I'm locked into a phone call I can have service for over an hour but as soon as I end the call I will lose it again. Also, you are one of the first people I have read to have better service with this phone than other devices(especially the note 2). Like myself, I have heard tons of complaints about the service with this device. But as you can see in my case it is a bit strange. I'm hoping someone has some information as to why this could be. Obviously not a placebo when I currently can't make a phonecall (denied due to no service). However, once I get a random bar and get the call connected I can stay on the phone for long periods of time without any dropped calls. Only to lose service again the second I'm off the phone.
I've had the same issues with the n3. My thunderbolt use to keep 2-3 bars of 4G around the house and at work. With the N3 I am lucky to stay at 1-2 and most of the time it is downshifting to 3g. On 3g the speed is good but when it jumps back up to 4G with 1 bar the phone becomes useless.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
You can read 10 or even 100 people on the internet that have the problem..... That still means you're seeing 9,999,900 people NOT reporting a problem. What you google search, you WILL find. I can search for people who have BETTER signal, and WILL find many many people in the same circumstance as I. There is something wrong with your phone. Re-flash odin image. If that does not fix, then exchange it as a defective device. WIFI or phone call status should NOT affect your signal.
TechSavvy2 said:
Its either a dud device, or placebo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must have a dud Note 3 also then because I have worse reception on my Note 3 than my Note 2 that's sitting right next to me. And sometimes the signal strength on my Note 3 starts going down over time to where I have to turn airplane mode on and then back off to get good bars and signal back.
Is because you squeeze it too hard when you are holding it.
Sent from my Galaxy Note III; Previous owner/hacker of Galaxy S III, Galaxy Nexus, Droid X, HTC HD2, HTC Touch Pro 2, HTC Tilt, HTC 8525, O2 XDA II, O2 XDA.
I really don't think you have a dud. I actually believe its the latest MJE update. My reception was noticeably better before that update and I believe that update had updates to the radio as well. Since then it has gone down. I've been keeping my fingers crossed hoping the upcoming kitkat update will resolve this but alas verizon is taking it's time with the update.
Both me and my friend have the note 3 and we both have noticed the same thing. We both drive trucks and the same area where we had service with a rezound and DROID we don't have service with the n3. I read somewhere the note 3 uses an "envelope" or something like that for power management for cell reception. Instead of stepping up or down power for the antenna is supposed to keep power as low as possible to conserve battery life. I've also heard someone else say that the previous radios were also better. Would love to find a solution, on a bad day I can drop 30-40 calls where it was only 5 or so with the rezound.
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium HD app
My Note 3's reception is equally as bad. It's terrible compared to my old Droid Razr Maxx and that's ridiculous. I'm really considering going to some other phone as this one has multiple problems including volume that goes up and down playing music, mute that doesn't stay muted, that stupid 'processing' nonsense with the camera when using stability, nanny nonsense with 'loud music can damage ears, turning down' and auto dimming the screen when no available setting can stop it, only a app can and worse yet, three times so far the friggin clock can't keep time and freezes!! Not happy with this phone at all!
I wont have time to try anything for a while but I was looking at some things on the phone and wondering if anyone knows what these values are or if anyone has tried to change them. Tired to do some research but I don't have much time during the week to do anything phone related.
android.telephony.apn-restore
persist.radio.add_power_save
persist.radio.jbims
Really hoping something can be figured out, me and a fellow truck driver talked yesterday and today and I had to have dropped the call 40+ times each day.
Just an update on my end. I called verizon several times regarding the reception issues I've been having. They sent me a new SIM which was no help. They sent a tech out who concluded the angle of the tower to my house causes a dead spot. Long story short I got them to send me a range extender at no cost. Works good in my home office but my Note 3 still has sub par reception everywhere else compared to my droid maxx and wife's S4. I still believe this latest update caused the radio to perform so poor.
Interesting information from everyone. Thanks for the input. The power management for cell reception sounds like the biggest potential culprit as my signal changes significantly when switching wifi off(usually gaining a signal or a stronger signal instantly). It is also strange that I will typically not have service 90% of the time and cannot make a call from my house. But if I acquire service for a few seconds(long enough to make the call) I can easily stay on the phone for over an hour in the same location where I do not have service. It's as if it "locks on" as a result of boosting my signal(reception power). I plan on rooting soon if this problem is not solved to see if any custom ROM's help with the issue, especially if the Kitkat update does not fix it.
The problem is the locked bootloader. Without a custom kernel none of the drivers or anything like that can be changed to improve anything major. Also I did try and disabled the radio power save and noticed an improvement (not much but it's a start) I think I'll try and flash the previous radios and see if that helps. Won't be able to test it until Monday. I get good service at my house but not much once I get away from a larger city
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium HD app
czach5932 said:
The problem is the locked bootloader. Without a custom kernel none of the drivers or anything like that can be changed to improve anything major. Also I did try and disabled the radio power save and noticed an improvement (not much but it's a start) I think I'll try and flash the previous radios and see if that helps. Won't be able to test it until Monday. I get good service at my house but not much once I get away from a larger city
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, forgot about that. I'm looking forward to your results. How did you disable the radio power save? Are you rooted?
I use rom toolbox pro but any build prop editor works. It's about 2/3 the way down. And I didn't have a chance to do any exact comparisons but even my friend said it seemed like I dropped calls less often
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium HD app
Worst phone ever
Horrible Reception
Locked bootloader
Last Samsung device
Htc One M8 here I come
Htcs RF is top notch
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

How are the radios?

How's everyone's reception been? Compared to a galaxy s4 or any other phone you had prior. Better? Worse?
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
I had the Note 4 before getting this and I've noticed it to be around 4 to 6 dBM worse. WiFi is noticeably weaker as well. I have the 64GB variant.
One reason I purchased this phone was the supposed better radios of Motorola. It is noticeably worse than the Samsung Note 4 and HTC One M8. I wish I could just go back to my M8 but that is impossible without repurchasing one and wasting my Edge ;p. I never lost 4G with my M8 while I lost 4G with the Note 4 in a few areas and many times with the Droid Turbo today. Very disappointed in the radio performance, will try again tomorrow with new Sim Card, but I think I might be screwed. The phone is stable at my home and slightly better than the Note 4 here. At work is where I had all the trouble.
jrcbandit said:
One reason I purchased this phone was the supposed better radios of Motorola. It is noticeably worse than the Samsung Note 4 and HTC One M8. I wish I could just go back to my M8 but that is impossible without repurchasing one and wasting my Edge ;p. I never lost 4G with my M8 while I lost 4G with the Note 4 in a few areas and many times with the Droid Turbo today. Very disappointed in the radio performance, will try again tomorrow with new Sim Card, but I think I might be screwed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd wait a few weeks before doing anything drastic. As with any new phone, there will likely be some software bugs to address that may affect signal in the first few weeks.
I can attest for certain the Radio is MUCH better than any phone that I have had. (S4,S5,One M8, Note 4, iPhone6 etc)
My experience that is much different -is a 20 Mile stretch of road to my Home. I live in Fringe Reception area in Norther California (Foresthill) I haven't ever been able to drive the 20 Mile Stretch home without dropping a phone call.( This usually happens numerous times) With The Turbo I was able to stay connected to Verizon Customer Service the Entire 20 Miles to my Home!
The only Bummer about this experience is that I was on the Phone with Verizon regarding the lack of Simul Data! What a complete ****ter! This is something that I will give props to Apple about. The day the iPhone 6 was released the phone could use VOLTE . Kind horse **** that a Flagship VZ Moto exclusive device doesnt have the proper software to use VOLTE on release.
scooby-snack said:
I can attest for certain the Radio is MUCH better than any phone that I have had. (S4,S5,One M8, Note 4, iPhone6 etc)
My experience that is much different -is a 20 Mile stretch of road to my Home. I live in Fringe Reception area in Norther California (Foresthill) I haven't ever been able to drive the 20 Mile Stretch home without dropping a phone call.( This usually happens numerous times) With The Turbo I was able to stay connected to Verizon Customer Service the Entire 20 Miles to my Home!
The only Bummer about this experience is that I was on the Phone with Verizon regarding the lack of Simul Data! What a complete ****ter! This is something that I will give props to Apple about. The day the iPhone 6 was released the phone could use VOLTE . Kind horse **** that a Flagship VZ Moto exclusive device doesnt have the proper software to use VOLTE on release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to hear, so is it a guarantee that when it gets VOLTE it will have Simultaneous data tand voice on every phone call? Also which version of the turbo did u get as far as material.
I purchased the 32GB Red (Carbon) <- thinking about getting the black LOL.
It's for sure a software issue with the phone. My iPhone 6 was able to access VOLTE the day of release in my area. It's unreal that VZ & Moto wouldn't require the feature to be working on release date. It appears to be an issue with the 2014 Moto X as well from what I have been reading
I will say the phone is incredibly snappy, and smooth in performance. I can only imagine how the performance will be when we get L on the phone.
PS. Haven't had enough time to compare the WIFI performance but that is usually not a problem for me anyways- I have 4 Ubiquiti Access Points installed at my home. The way the system works is each wifi AP hands off the WIFI signal simultaneously from one AP to another- all without interrupting whatever you may be streaming The most important item to me is my Cell Reception and a huge Bonus that I can stay connected driving the 20 mile stretch home.
-Scoob
As far as mobile data is concerned, seems to be about the same or slightly better than my G3, however WiFi is significantly worse.
DROID Turbo 1x and WiFi:
LG G3 1x and WiFi:
DROID Turbo LTE:
LG G3 LTE:
Wifi signals are WAY down compared to my other devices which include iphone 5S, 6, HTC One M8, Note II, Note 3, Galaxy S5...
Have the 64GB black nylon one.
I'll have to try outdoors. We have a long range wifi extender to cover a large section of the pasture and all my other devices get a decent signal up to 1km away. This will be a good test.
I had a carbon fiber case on my S5 (Cygnett IIRC) that blocked the LTE signal really bad. That's the disadvantage to having real carbon fiber LOL.
Not sure about the ballistic nylon. Does it have CF in it?
I wish the back came off, I have a friend who's an RF test engineer and he could see if it has attenuation in the (un) desired ranges.
cpufrost said:
Wifi signals are WAY down compared to my other devices which include iphone 5S, 6, HTC One M8, Note II, Note 3, Galaxy S5...
Have the 64GB black nylon one.
I'll have to try outdoors. We have a long range wifi extender to cover a large section of the pasture and all my other devices get a decent signal up to 1km away. This will be a good test.
I had a carbon fiber case on my S5 (Cygnett IIRC) that blocked the LTE signal really bad. That's the disadvantage to having real carbon fiber LOL.
Not sure about the ballistic nylon. Does it have CF in it?
I wish the back came off, I have a friend who's an RF test engineer and he could see if it has attenuation in the (un) desired ranges.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking forward to hearing the results of your outdoor test. And while you're out there, can you check on how readable the screen is in direct sunlight?
scooby-snack said:
I can attest for certain the Radio is MUCH better than any phone that I have had. (S4,S5,One M8, Note 4, iPhone6 etc)
My experience that is much different -is a 20 Mile stretch of road to my Home. I live in Fringe Reception area in Norther California (Foresthill) I haven't ever been able to drive the 20 Mile Stretch home without dropping a phone call.( This usually happens numerous times) With The Turbo I was able to stay connected to Verizon Customer Service the Entire 20 Miles to my Home!
The only Bummer about this experience is that I was on the Phone with Verizon regarding the lack of Simul Data! What a complete ****ter! This is something that I will give props to Apple about. The day the iPhone 6 was released the phone could use VOLTE . Kind horse **** that a Flagship VZ Moto exclusive device doesnt have the proper software to use VOLTE on release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a big difference between holding on to a phone call and getting good data (4G).
Do you get a good 4G signal also? Thanks
My signal not so good with Droid Turbo
I have had around -105 dbm 4G LTE which is 2 bars and have had a few times where I had 3 bars. Normally in the same area I would have 4 to 5 bars. I also had a time where I tried to make a call and it was on 1x when I was in a big city where there is 4G towers. After the call it went to 4G. I sure hope we all get this issue fixed. Other than this issue most everything has been great.
BAYOUREBEL said:
I have had around -105 dbm 4G LTE which is 2 bars and have had a few times where I had 3 bars. Normally in the same area I would have 4 to 5 bars. I also had a time where I tried to make a call and it was on 1x when I was in a big city where there is 4G towers. After the call it went to 4G. I sure hope we all get this issue fixed. Other than this issue most everything has been great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man that sucks the big one. The bars you are seeing are probably 3g or 1x voice signal. Which still sucks if you download an app called advanced signal it will tell you exactly what is going on. I'm defiantly gonna hold off until it gets solved. I have to pay full retail as I am on unlimited Thanks for your input.
My LTE and Wifi strength are also down.
Siting in my office, I used to get full bars of wifi reception on my DNA. Now its at 2 bars. Same goes for my LTE signal.
I'll do some actual testing later, but I hope this gets resolved quickly
Yeah the wifi is killing me. It's incredibly noticeable in various parts of my house that I used to have stellar wifi.
I've had LTE where my M8 struggled to even get 3G. I'm quite pleased with the signal.
I've had better LTE and 3G reception versus my S3. Seems like calls sound better. Better (quicker acquisition, less drops) GPS performance as well. Wifi signal reception seems to be on par. Both phones in the same room a few feet apart, are within 1-2dBm of each other. I haven't tested performance, or compared client statistics on my wireless controller yet.
Signal
Has anyone tried just taking the phone on the road and checking signals not bars but 3G or 4G. If the phone doesnt have voice and internet at the same time that would explain why the phone would go to 1X when your on a call then back up when you get off. If you out and about do you have 4G where you did with previous phones not bars but 4G? The bars on my Droid Maxx tell me what my voice signal strength is not 4G I believe it is the same with the turbo. The WIFI deal Im cluless if it doesnt connect then it doesnt connect. again though it doesnt depend on howmany bars you have. It is how the phone performs. Im in a real crap signal area I can have 1X on my Maxx and still be able to make calls and text because I may have only one bar on the phone. Thanks
wooddale said:
Has anyone tried just taking the phone on the road and checking signals not bars but 3G or 4G. If the phone doesnt have voice and internet at the same time that would explain why the phone would go to 1X when your on a call then back up when you get off. If you out and about do you have 4G where you did with previous phones not bars but 4G? The bars on my Droid Maxx tell me what my voice signal strength is not 4G I believe it is the same with the turbo. The WIFI deal Im cluless if it doesnt connect then it doesnt connect. again though it doesnt depend on howmany bars you have. It is how the phone performs. Im in a real crap signal area I can have 1X on my Maxx and still be able to make calls and text because I may have only one bar on the phone. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look back a few pages, I posted dBm readings between phones. I agree though, comparing bars is useless.
Just figured I'd chime in. I swapped my kevlar version for the normal version and my wifi is back to the same strength that my G2 had. There was definitely something wrong with the kevlar one I had...

Poor reception/signal strength

Has anybody else experienced poor signal quality?
I'm using the dual SIM H990DS on Telenet in Belgium.
Indoors at home my Nexus 6 had at least some reception, but the V20 does not. I need to place it next to a window for it to have a network signal.
It's not only at home. I compared with my wife's Nexus 6 earlier today when we were out and this confirmed it...
Any solutions?
Same experience
I just got my V20 about 5 days ago and have had the same issue you described. My wifes V10 get about 30% better signal strength in just about every room of our house. Most of the time I can't even connect to the 4G LTE network. At first I thought it was my case but the difference is negligible without it. It was interesting though because I moved from T-Mobile to Verizon and had my number ported while I had the temp number it seemed as though the strength was equal but since porting I am in this boat. Not sure if it was just coincidence or not. I will be taking it in today to see if there anything they can do. I'll update as needed.
I have the same issue with my LG V20 phone. The reception/signal strength is horrible. Callers constantly complain that my phone goes in an out, making it difficult to maintain a conversation. Bluetooth connectivity is also an issue as connecting the device requires multiple attempts. This phone is becoming useless due to the reception and Bluetooth connectivity issues. I will continue to use my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 as a backup. I have never experienced any such issues while using the Samsung device. Hopefully the developers at LG are taking notes and a fix/update will be released before 2017.
I have also noticed that signal strength is a bit weaker with the V20 in areas my Note5 had great coverage. Both on AT&T.
I'm noticing the reverse: I'm getting about 1 bar better in comparison to my Note 4.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one... I'm waiting for a software update (still nothing). Hope this can fix the issues.
Shouldn't happen on a phone this price...
Yep,between the note 7 being a fire hazard and now these ridiculous connectivity issues on my v20 I'm ready to go apple
Bluetooth and telephony are fine here. Carrier and or case and or device issues I'd wager first
Similar problems with my Verizon V20. Signal reception is significantly worse than my old Note 3 and my wife's Droid Turbo 2. FWIW, no case on the V20.
Sent from my LG V20 using Tapatalk
I find the signal reception poorer than my Moto X Pure Edition, at least when LTE is enabled.
When it comes to the reception, is it a question of software or hardware ? I mean is there a chance it can be fixed through an update ?
Same here, it is very poor.
Vadim1 said:
When it comes to the reception, is it a question of software or hardware ? I mean is there a chance it can be fixed through an update ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There isn't enough data, but based on the small sample size of people with complaints, I'd guess it was hardware. Every issue like this about which I have read has been a loose connection.
You might want to take your phone to a depot and have it looked at. And, to be honest, if it is just a loose connection, you are far better off to have them fix that then to get a replacement phone of unknown history.
My T-Mobile V20 is a lot better than my t mobile Note 4 in both reception and call quality in places with poor signal. At a particular Walmart my Note 4 didn't work 50 ft through the door. My v20 will not only work but I can hold on to a phone call until the very middle of the store, then it drops the call but I can redial and continue. I'm very impressed so far.
Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
Im also impressed with reception. Way better than my n4.
add me to the list my call quality is poor and it recently just started. It's very choppy
I know this is sorta old. But I have swapped my phone 3 times. and sim 3 times. I am on t-mobile and i have 2 bars everywhere. I am running roughly -112dbm everywhere. I drop a lot of calls. I am debating on just returning the phone. cause I still have 4 days.
does anyone have wifi calling on ? I have notice that when wifie calling is on call quality can go from one end to the other. it was great when i first got it now i have wifi calling off unless i have no signal.
Signal quality has been fantastic for me in Florida. Came from a note 4. Signal and call quality has been awesome. Never had a dropped call yet and my house is a cellular black hole for some reason. I leave wifi calling (default settings) on as well if that matters
I'm in the same boat
I had bought the AT&T version (manufacture date of March 2017) about two months ago. Seemed to get okay reception at home, but work was a dead zone. It would switch from LTE to 4G to Edge and then nothing. I could stream on Tunein for a minute before losing signal. Traveling through town, I was usually at -125 to -135 dBm. My V10, which I kept, had no issues what so ever so I returned the V20.
I was, however still enamored with the V20, and saw the unlocked version, used, on a website for under $300. Got it this week and the signal seemed to hover around -110 to -120, under Global Network setting. Turned off the LTE enhanced voice and it went down to -85 for two minutes then back up. Switched to LTE/CDMA no change. Switched to LTE/Legacy and no real change. Finally tried UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ and network signal strength has been sitting at -52 to -57.
It is a shame LTE does not really work on this phone, otherwise it would be perfect. As long as the signal strength holds on, I will not return this one. I needed something a bit newer and really wanted a dual camera capability. I was going to hold out for the V30, but with rumors that it won't have a replaceable battery, I figured I would just wait a bit longer.

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