Guest pd.ryder Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 ...but in the last week I have been across most of south england from Bristol to london, and its not worked anywhere, so it must be a serious network problem if it is that. I'm in Gloucestershire and haven't noticed this problem - plenty others, but not this one ;) I never get a 'U' or an 'H' showing, only ever have '3G' above the signal bars when connected to data and a big 3G in a box, just to show when it's available. Do you really have to ask for HSDPA to be activated? I spoke with a T Tech Support chap last month who told me HSDPA was available everywhere there was a 3G signal and never once suggested I would need to have something activated to use it. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevem999 Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 I've started to get 3G connectivity probs tonight on T-Mobile too (St. Helens, Merseyside). Been rock solid since I got my Vario II about 6 weeks ago but tonight it tries to connect to 3G and then loses the signal completely. It then gets stuck in limbo and I have to do a soft reset to even get it to connect back to normal GSM. The 3G symbol shows but when you actually try and connect it goes pear-shaped. What's the point of having a data device with W'n'W when you can't access 3G, let alone HSDPA (which I think is only available on WNW Pro and Max tariffs, not the basic WNW) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AdWright Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 I've started to get 3G connectivity probs tonight on T-Mobile too (St. Helens, Merseyside). Been rock solid since I got my Vario II about 6 weeks ago but tonight it tries to connect to 3G and then loses the signal completely. It then gets stuck in limbo and I have to do a soft reset to even get it to connect back to normal GSM. The 3G symbol shows but when you actually try and connect it goes pear-shaped. What's the point of having a data device with W'n'W when you can't access 3G, let alone HSDPA (which I think is only available on WNW Pro and Max tariffs, not the basic WNW) I have the original £7.50 basic WnW package; I rang up the other day and asked for HSDPA to be added, which the first line support guy did without hesitation. On a related note, I have now upgraded to the 1.27 radio stack to accompany by 2.55 rom. Got a nice little H icon now ;) I'll have to check out battery life/network performance over the next couple of days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AdWright Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 I'm in Gloucestershire and haven't noticed this problem - plenty others, but not this one ;) I never get a 'U' or an 'H' showing, only ever have '3G' above the signal bars when connected to data and a big 3G in a box, just to show when it's available. Do you really have to ask for HSDPA to be activated? I spoke with a T Tech Support chap last month who told me HSDPA was available everywhere there was a 3G signal and never once suggested I would need to have something activated to use it. :D U (UTMS) is equivalant to 3G (the branding given to the tech in this country). Earlier ROMs/Radio stacks don't distinguish on-screen between HSDPA and UTMS/3G, however, the later software does, as I am now finding out. I certainly have an HSDPA option now appearing in the billing (cost = 0) of my T-mobile account Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pd.ryder Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 U (UTMS) is equivalant to 3G (the branding given to the tech in this country). Earlier ROMs/Radio stacks don't distinguish on-screen between HSDPA and UTMS/3G, however, the later software does, as I am now finding out. I certainly have an HSDPA option now appearing in the billing (cost = 0) of my T-mobile account Mmm, might well be worth another phone call to Cust Services then, although I have managed a download of 973kb/s without this 'option' activated (reported by SPB GPRS Monitor) ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimbouk Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 All 3G networks are notoriously unstable. A combination of the way they are programmed to adapt to usage and the fact that the networks couldnt afford to put in tons of capacity after buying the licences... O's 3G has the same intermittent reliability issues as T's and I am sure V's would if they had as many data customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevem999 Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Well, mine is fixed now. There was no change so I spoke to 150 and he said he would refresh my account and to take the battery out of my Vario. I queried if this was any different to a soft reset and he was adamant it was (is it?). Anyway, did as he said and it all works fine now. I got one of those network text messages that other people have mentioned but everything went back as it always was. Worth a try folks? As for HSDPA - have they changed the rules then? There was definitely a time before Christmas where it was banned from normal WNW users - it seemed to be dependent on the knowledge level of the Cust service rep though - can you tell anywhere if it is on your account? My T-Mobile perhaps? I've seen screenshots of people's T-MObile pages and shows their different services listed but mine seems to just show what tariff I have and that's about it. Where should I be looking? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gurujockstrap Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Like everyone else, I was getting connectivity problems. Called T-Mobile and he seemed to reckon that the coverage in my postcode was poor. I was a bit shocked seeing as since the Vario II launch I've been enjoying HSPDA speeds at home. Chap I spoke to told me to got into Settings>Phone>Band>Change Network Type to GSM and GSM/UMTS Band to 900 (make sure data connection is disconnected before you start). Hit OK and wait for the connect to re-establish. Once it has, pull the battery out without powering down the device and then remove the SIM chip. Wait a few seconds and then put everything back together and boot back up. Accessed the net and lo and behold it works! Got onto my BBC homepage. Only problem was the speed, or lack of. It was like a 56k modem lol I told the guy I would pop down to my local T-Mobile store tomorrow and test out his poor signal theory for myself. My plan was to enabled 3G again (switch those settings back to Auto) and try to access the Internet again. If it worked, then somehow coverage at my house had dropped. Just out of curiousity, I switched it back to 3G when I got off the phone and it worked! Went to a link on the BBC site, great! Clicked on another link... Oh no! Thr dreaded "Looking up Host" followed by "Could not located remote server". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fatbutcher Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 I too had a call back from a T-Mobile techy. Have to give them credit for customer serives, makes me wonder why I stayed with Orange so long....anyway, he said that my issues were most likely caused by me living on the edge of the 3G coverage and to many users pulling from that ariel. Aparently the coverage shrinks the more people are using it. What's strange is the ariel is in a village about 3 miles away aparently and I,m on the edge of town closest. Maybe I shouldn't be picking up 3G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimbouk Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 I have said this now I think three times on three different Vario 2 problem threads. These intermittent data and voice issues are caused by low signal in the 3g network. The device thinks there is a signal and thus stays on 3g but the signal is actually too weak (either due to range or due to the number of 3g users already on that cell). When you get these problems, you can get a stronger phone performance with it set to GSM instead of 3g - but as said above you lose the data speed. I wonder if its time for Modaco to put up a sticky saying something like: "IF YOU OWN A VARIO 2 AND HAVE DATA AND VOICE ISSUES ITS PROBABLY DUE TO 3G ISSUES IN YOUR LOCATION and not your handset!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pd.ryder Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 I have said this now I think three times on three different Vario 2 problem threads... I guess we'd all better listen up then ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bingobob Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 did i read correctly above? Do i have to specifically request for HSPDA to be added to my Web 'n' Walk package? How do I get this "H" icon to see when it's operating? Is HSPDA the same as "3.5G" as I heard about in the shop? I live in Hertford and in my house I'm lucky enough to get a 3G icon most of the time (not in the cellar though - hehe), is this just regular 3G then or could it be 3.5G (whatever that is)....If you can't guess, I'm a little confused. bb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gurujockstrap Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 I too had a call back from a T-Mobile techy. Have to give them credit for customer serives, makes me wonder why I stayed with Orange so long....anyway, he said that my issues were most likely caused by me living on the edge of the 3G coverage and to many users pulling from that ariel. Aparently the coverage shrinks the more people are using it. What's strange is the ariel is in a village about 3 miles away aparently and I,m on the edge of town closest. Maybe I shouldn't be picking up 3G. It's called Cell Breathing and I understand how thats probably causing the problems. When I first got the Vario II, I was able to browse at full HSDPA speeds from home. Fast forward 6 months and the amount of 3G users has no doubt increased causing my service to suffer. But isn't 3G supposed to fall back onto GSM if the signal is weak? If it done this, I wouldn't have a single problem as at least I'd be able to access websites, albeit at a slower speed. With the current situation, its not switching and I can't access anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MikeZ Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 But isn't 3G supposed to fall back onto GSM if the signal is weak? If it done this, I wouldn't have a single problem as at least I'd be able to access websites, albeit at a slower speed. With the current situation, its not switching and I can't access anything. Yes, that is what appears to be happening. When my Vario II wasn't working on 3G, my SE K600i with my T-Mobile SIM in worked fine. The 3G symbol was still showing on the K600i but the speeds were GSM speeds. So it looks like the Vario II has a problem falling back, whereas the K600i doesn't. Whether it's a fault or feature, I don't know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gurujockstrap Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Right, I've disabled HSDPA via HTweakC and it seems to be working now. Just ran a speed test and got 455 kilobits per second. That looks like 3G speeds. With HSDPA I was getting over double that easily! Now the question. Has HSDPA been suddenly disabled on my account? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cfmj Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 I went to my local T-mobile shop in Bournemouth yesterday to complain about ~3weeks of 3G problems in this area. My Vario 2 locks up, misses calls unless forced into GSM only mode. Rep spent 30mins on the phone to somebody whilst trying unsuccessfully to connect via 3G to internet. At the end of it he said that both his phone is OK (SE M600 I think) and his managers Vario 2 is OK for 3G use and it is a problem with the transmitters. I have to go back with a list of times/locations where 3G doesn't work, then and only then will an engineer visit area to look at transmitters.... I tried to explain that T-mob had sold me a 3G capable phone that doesn't do 3G but it fell on deaf ears. I think it's time to turn up with the phone back in it's box and explain sale of goods act to them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevem999 Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Well, mine is fixed now. There was no change so I spoke to 150 and he said he would refresh my account and to take the battery out of my Vario. I queried if this was any different to a soft reset and he was adamant it was (is it?). Anyway, did as he said and it all works fine now. I got one of those network text messages that other people have mentioned but everything went back as it always was. Worth a try folks? Well it's bust again. Has been for a couple of days and I'm now firmly of the opinion that this is a location issue (could be the network, could be the phone). This weekend I have tried my 3G data connection in Hampshire, Oxfordshire, West Midlands and Cheshire. None of these were in city centres or anywhere else where 3G coverage is improved. The connection was rock solid and worked flawlessly. I have tried it again at home last night (3 bars and the 3G symbol showing) and it just won't connect. It won't fall back to GPRS speed either. It just gets stuck searching for a network. Either that or it comes up with 2 or 3 bars of signal strength but no connection symbol (just the arrows with a cross). Bizarrely it then seems to be able to get a data connection some of the time but I can't receive phone calls or texts etc and callers go straight to my voicemail! It often gets stuck on this and the only way to get a connection back is to soft reset the phone or occasionally you can get away with turning the phone fucntion off and on in the Comm Manager. According to T-Mobile's beloved streetcheck that they're thrusting down out throats everywhere at the moment, my home address is showing 4 out of 5 bars signal coverage on both 2G and 3G. This means I'm not on the outside edge of a coverage area so I'm picking up the right cell etc. What is the most annoying is that my connection since I got my Vario was rock solid at home until early last week when I've had this grief every time. I'm in work now, a whole 4 miles away from home and there is no problem at all. I checked with T-Mobile CS and they say the cell at home is working fine so how can it suddenly stop working? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pd.ryder Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 According to T-Mobile's beloved streetcheck that they're thrusting down out throats everywhere at the moment, I've had my own issues with their Street Check. It seems the one on the internet site show different signal levels (gernerally one level higher) to the one on their system :D Why this is, only the Gods will ever know. The problem is, when I brought this to their attention, they were totally unconcerned and pointed out that this wasn't misleading in any way <_< They also went to great lengths to point out that these were outside signal levels, not indoors and what did I expect ;) Well, to be honest, I expect a mobile signal to be able to travel through a 'normal' wall (not 3 feet of Cotswold stone) in the middle of a City Centre, rather than having to lean out of a window to obtain their internet quoted 'Good' GPRS signal (measured as 'Fair' on their own system). And why on earth their 3G is not available over the whole of Gloucester City I will never know!!! Looking at their map, it shows 3G magically disappearing once you cross the railway line. Every other mobile provider has antennas on the roof of the hospital adjacent to the one I work in - not T-Mobile. It's all a bit rubbish really. Hopefully they'll get it sorted sometime soon. Others have posted details of cells being over-subscribed due to the massive uptake of W&W so you'd think they'd be able to reinvest this revenue in improved mast sites. Fingers crossed. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimbouk Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 It's all a bit rubbish really. Hopefully they'll get it sorted sometime soon. Others have posted details of cells being over-subscribed due to the massive uptake of W&W so you'd think they'd be able to reinvest this revenue in improved mast sites. I am not having a pop at you... but countless people have slagged off the other networks for their data prices and raved about T's amazing wnw pricing... perhaps there is no such thing as a erm... reliable cheap data service! Maybe T should have kep the price slightly higher and spent it on more coverage... I am fairly happy with O's 3g coverage in general... although there are some 3g network issues, as with T's - thank god I am on OWU... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pd.ryder Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 That's life Jim... ;) I've just spoken with T's CS re HSDPA - it's only available on W&W Plus and Pro, which at minimum is an extra £5/month. If anyone knows any different, pleeeease let me know and I'll argue the toss with them. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimbouk Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 I am sure there's conflicting advice on here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pd.ryder Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 (edited) I thought I'd read differently too... I've managed to find an area on MyT-Mobile which shows 'Features Of Your Plan' and indicates Web & Wap 384k Up/2048 Down which seems pretty quick for mobile data. Is this 'standard' 3G speed and what would be expected from HSDPA? I don't want to drag us too far off topic so any one line answer will ease my furrowed brow ;) Edited February 27, 2007 by pd.ryder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eucliduck Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 I've got exactly the same problem people have talked about here - GPRS works fine, but trying to get to webpages on 3G just stalls at "Locating..." and eventually pops up an operation timed out box. This happens wherever I am with my phone (well, I've tried 3 different sites, 2 in Gloucestershire and one in Guildford), and whatever the signal strength. Several calls to t-mob just gave me the "switch to GSM" option. *However*, I have discovered a fairly random "fix" that still gets me 3G speeds. Basically, I can receive data fine and it all works, *while I am on a voice call*. This works about 90% of the time, and I've been testing it by repeatedly calling my voicemail. I'd be interested in knowing if this works for anyone else, and importantly if anyone knows of a phone number that will ring indefinitely (as it works from the instant I start dialling). Does calling voicemail on tmob cost anything? :-) Also, I saw someone said they could force their phone back to GPRS - how do you do this? Thanks, educk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimbouk Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Force it back to GPRS in phone settings, just change the band to gsm instead of auto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Confucious Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Just to add another variable in... I have a Universal which I've just got back after a few months and I've flashed it with WM6 so that *could* be part of the problem but.... It seemed to work OK but internet access seemed slow even though it's showing 3G access. When I tried to make a call it went to connecting, then no signal and call ended. Twice this morning I noticed no signal, the rest of the time it's been showing 3G full signal. When I selected GSM band only I have full signal and no problem making calls, when I select WCDMA only it cannot find a signal. When I select auto it looks like full 3G but cannot make or receive calls and GSM type internet speeds (subjective). Not sure if this helps or hinders - just thought I'd throw my 2D's worth in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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