G vs 3G - G1 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I can't seem to figure out why sometimes I get a G connection vs a 3G connection based on the radio icon in the notification bar. Does anyone know what the difference is? G seems to be much slower then 3G.

G stands for GPRS which is a 2G connection and doesn't use the 1700MHz spectrum like 3G (HSPA) does. There are several reasons why your phone would switch between GPRS and 3G. Signal strength and 3G coverage area is limited in the US for TMO is the most common. Certain types of electronic equipment can interfere with 3G as well.

Thanks for the info, I wasn't aware of GPRS. Typically I get E (EDGE) or 3G but inside my office I get GPRS, chances are it's the equiptment. Explains why my connection is so slow inside.

Related

difference between[E] and [G] icon?

I found sthg really weird in my unlocked ATT tilt today. I m curently using T-mobile. As many of you know that, you rarely get signal/reception in basement if you are using t-mobile. but today, when i went down to the basement, reception was gone w/ the E icon, then after a while, the E icon was changed to G, then the signal was detected and I could make phone call too. and the carrier on the screen is still T-mobile. Nothing changed except the E/G Icon. I then checked w/ my friend who is also using T-mobile(nokia phone), no reception at all. Does any one know what the difference between E and G icon on top of the screen is? will I be charged for some type of service fee or something if I make calls or use the Tmobile web w/ the [G] icon? please tell me if you guys know anything about it.
thanks in advance...
The "E" is picking up an edge reception, i get it in the UK sometimes because i have a crappy t-mobile signal in my house. When its displayed i cant make phonecalls/txts etc so might be picking up another carriers signal because i dont think t-mob uses edge here. The "G" is gprs just the basic slow phones signal.
G is when GPRS is available, E is when EDGE is available. No extra charge. This could have been easily answered by looking in the manual.......page 29
I guess this may be different for T-Mobile (and could possibly vary on the ROM you're using) but the E on my device is for EDGE service, and G is for 3G service. 3G, obviously, is the better of the two. But I'm on AT&T of course...
Poetique said:
I guess this may be different for T-Mobile (and could possibly vary on the ROM you're using) but the E on my device is for EDGE service, and G is for 3G service. 3G, obviously, is the better of the two. But I'm on AT&T of course...
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Click to collapse
I don't think T-mobile has 3G here in NY.
Thanks for all the replies above
so, the signal of GPRS is stronger than the EDGE? if yes, then we are all able to get reception even if in basement. No need to get verizon anymore... lol
but why can't my friends' phones picked up any GPRS signal? is that because their phones don't support GPRS?
Poetique said:
I guess this may be different for T-Mobile (and could possibly vary on the ROM you're using) but the E on my device is for EDGE service, and G is for 3G service. 3G, obviously, is the better of the two. But I'm on AT&T of course...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And then H (HSDPA) just defeats them all.
One Icon to rule them all, One Icon to find them...
Nono
Poetique said:
I guess this may be different for T-Mobile (and could possibly vary on the ROM you're using) but the E on my device is for EDGE service, and G is for 3G service. 3G, obviously, is the better of the two. But I'm on AT&T of course...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No no no, g is not 3g, G is GPRS, the slower version of EDGE, thats the reason why you can call in your basement now!
G is GPRS
E is EDGE
3G is UMTS
H is HPSDA
first is the slowest, last is the fastest, so if the fastest is not availible, it switches to a slower one, like happened in the TS situation
My icon used to pretty much always be on 3G, sometimes switching to E when I drove to my brothers house which is about 25 miles away. But recently I haven't been seeing 3G at all, but only H. I did see E a couple days ago, but I haven't seen 3G in more than a week now. I thought H was only supposed to show up when you were using a data network or something? At least that's what I read somewhere on here a while ago... Any explanations?
that H is wat you want to see
first H shows up when downloading data means you're using HSDPA, but is H shows up when u're not downloading data, you have HSUPA too
Ya, as XtreMe_G indicated this is easily answered by opening up the manual.
XtreMe_G said:
that H is wat you want to see
first H shows up when downloading data means you're using HSDPA, but is H shows up when u're not downloading data, you have HSUPA too
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I know HSDPA is what I want to see the most, but when the hell did AT&T have HSUPA? I live in the Washington DC/Northern Virginia Metro area... Anyone else from the area noticing this?
And as for the OP's question about E and G, there is no difference between signal strength and ability to make voice calls. E just means that the cell offers Enhanced G.
Whether you see a G or and E (or 3g or H) is dictated by the data connection offered by the cell - which has no baring on voice at all.
If you have any signal, you should be able to make voice calls - the speed of the data connection (ie for web/email etc) is the only thing indicated by the Letter - except that 3g/H can also do simultaneous voice and data where G (and E) can't.
swiftgs said:
No no no, g is not 3g, G is GPRS, the slower version of EDGE, thats the reason why you can call in your basement now!
G is GPRS
E is EDGE
3G is UMTS
H is HPSDA
first is the slowest, last is the fastest, so if the fastest is not availible, it switches to a slower one, like happened in the TS situation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I thought, but then I tested my data connection speeds and when I'm supposedly on basic GPRS the speeds are much greater than anything either GPRS or EDGE could accomplish (unless EDGE was having a perfect day).
I did notice however that it only shows G instead of 3G when I force the phone NOT to use 3G while 3G is available in the area. If I allow it to use 3G service it shows up as "3G" and the speeds remain the same. As soon as I force it not to use "3G" it shows up as just "G" but the speeds stay the same.
"E" or EDGE always seems to be indicative of the correct speed. But for my device it switching between G & 3G are one in the same, and the speed doesn't change at all.
Could just be a glitch with the software on my phone, but that's how it is for me.
Exousia said:
Yeah, I know HSDPA is what I want to see the most, but when the hell did AT&T have HSUPA? I live in the Washington DC/Northern Virginia Metro area... Anyone else from the area noticing this?
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Click to collapse
they are turning it on as we speak, i saw it somewhere but i cant find it right now....
unwired4 said:
- except that 3g/H can also do simultaneous voice and data where G (and E) can't.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for that.
That will be the reason that when I used a tomtom one and got traffic via my bluetooth phone, a traffic update would kill any call I was making.
I assume I am correct in also expecting my TyTn II to ignore voice calls (or drop gprs data connection) if I am using the TyTn II for internet access for my laptop and a voice call comes in?
I sometimes get the E but as far as i know we dont have Edge in t mobile UK.
how do you remove the G?
Exousia said:
My icon used to pretty much always be on 3G, sometimes switching to E when I drove to my brothers house which is about 25 miles away. But recently I haven't been seeing 3G at all, but only H. I did see E a couple days ago, but I haven't seen 3G in more than a week now. I thought H was only supposed to show up when you were using a data network or something? At least that's what I read somewhere on here a while ago... Any explanations?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same thing here in Baltimore. I have not seen my 3G icon in a while, only the H.
data speeds seem to be the same though.
My G Icon changes to E Icon
Hello,
I have a small problem...
First I will Switch ON my wizard. After Switch ON I will see a G Icon at top of the today screen ( That is correct ). When I press the power button, the screen goes off (i.e Goes to Sleep Mode ) and again I press it to wake up. but now the G icon will change to E icon.
I not understanding why this happens.........
Also when i connect to GPRS internet but it shows as I am connected to EDGE with E icon ( This happens on when I wakeup the device )
My probem is that why the icon should change when I wakeup the device.
To confirm you that, I have also disabled the "EnableDifferGprsEdgeIcon" setting in registry.
This problem will not occur in wm5 but only in wm6 or wm6.1.
In wm5 There is no E icon or it is not showing as "connected to EDGE" when I connect to GPRS internet.
Please any one help...............
Thanks in advance
Srikanth.K

Advatages of talking via 3G Connection?

I was wondering why someone would want to be connected to 3G all the time for talking. I could only guess that it is somewhat better quality. In my case I don't see it that much. I do however know that it waistes about double the battery using 3G all the time. If I am not using data is there any real advantages of it? and what if I am talking to someone who does not have a 3G phone.
Thank you,
Hmm, of course I could be wrong (but I doubt it), Data and voice are 2 different things. 3G is data, voice is voice.
Thats what I was thinking, but I dont understand why it would be connected via 3G all the time if im not even using the data. and 3G and EDGE connections seems to have different signal strengths. If it's only for data I guess I will leave 3G off all the time.
3G signal is emitted on a different frequency than GSM/Edge signal - it does drain the battery faster and is pretty useless if you are in a well covered GSM area and only using voice (phone) function. The quality gain isn't significant enough overall to make it worth battery drainage on a device like the Kaiser/Tilt.
The advantage of 3G is its data stream but it's also good with voice for hard to reach areas only reached by 3G signals - those are rare nowadays, especially in the US, but in some cities with landscape blocked coverage (like in some skyscrapers in Manhattan for example) you might not pick any GSM network at your work desk but might pick up 3G - in such places, using "bandswitch" regularly makes sense.
Lastly, 3G signal is slowly replacing GSM/CDMA (2G) as the broadcasting standard so I wouldn't be surprised that in the next 5 years, more and more GSM phone operators will stop mantaining there GSM frequency towers in favor of 3G.
Thanks jonas that's the answer I was looking for. I will use edge untill my signal gets low.
Jonasteddybear said:
Lastly, 3G signal is slowly replacing GSM/CDMA (2G) as the broadcasting standard so I wouldn't be surprised that in the next 5 years, more and more GSM phone operators will stop mantaining there GSM frequency towers in favor of 3G.
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Click to collapse
Interesting, since that means AT&T has a lot of work ahead of them and better get their butts in gear rolling out 3G. I live in the whatever-it-is, 90%, of the network area that does NOT have 3G.
Or I suppose I could be an optimist about what you say, and think that maybe it means AT&T really will be accelerating the rollout of 3G. That would be nice given the snail's pace of 3G expansion in the past couple of years.
Over in the UK 3G is the standard 2G is still available but the telecommunications offcom have required all UK operators to offer a minimum of 90% 3G coverage by 2010
I've always heard that Voice on 3G uses less power on standby and when talking, but I might be remembering it wrong.
Data on 3G uses significantly more juice than EDGE does (over double in my experience!) but I don't think you'll see a significant difference without data usage on 3G vs GSM but I could certainly be wrong.
I always have FlexMail and IM+ running, I haven't compared battery usage without them yet.
One big advantage that 3G has over EDGE is you can do voice and data at the same time. I've heard varying stories about some phones can do it on EDGE and some can't, but I know on my Tilt my connections die when I'm on a voice call and reconnect after but does not on 3G.
The biggest advantage of 3g besides the penetration is that you can talk and maintain a data connection. Edge gives you one or the other at a time--data or talk.

3G vs H confusion

I did the kaisertweak to enable the H network or whatever (yes i don't understand it)
the network still says E or 3G . It said that all the time, for the last few days.
Then I was messing around trying to get this gps to work in google maps and I noticed it switched to H. but now it's back to 3G. is this all normal?
Ive noticed that too..
no idea what it means
what operator are you with in what country
check with them to see if you have hsdpa reception my hsdpa is enabled but since i dont have coverage i stay at 3g
hsdpa is a better version of 3g
its often called 3.5g 3g+ or mobile broadband so basically all the twaek is is to let your phone get the faster connection but only if your operator has the signal to do so
The H icon (HSDPA) is a step up from 3G it allows anything up to 7.2Mbs transfer but the HTC instead of contantly allowing this to be active thus creating massive battery drain only allows it when a data connection is active and data is being transferred any other time and you will only get G, E or 3G
3g alows ypou to have video conferences but H mean HSPD fast internet 3,6Mbit or 7.2Mbit depands that the difference i belive.
exactly just because you enable it doesnt mean you can recive it
I turned hsdpa with kaiser tweak also. I noticed it will only connect to hsdpa when transferring data (IE, emails, weather, ect.). Otherwise it will go back to 3G when on the today screen, or offline tasks. I guess its to conserve power?
Maybe thats what your seeing?
ok thanks, looks to be normal =]

Roaming

is there any way to make the phone roam onto a 3g network over the others...i am in sweden where there is a good 3g network, but i am alsways on H & G, hardly 3G.
Thanks
Mina08 said:
is there any way to make the phone roam onto a 3g network over the others...i am in sweden where there is a good 3g network, but i am alsways on H & G, hardly 3G.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should not complain then, since H means HSPDA, which means 3G+ and is faster than 3G.
Regarding G, it is supposed to mean GPRS, which is indeed the slowest one.
Maybe your carrier didn't not bother to maintain the intermediate services such as (E edge, and 3G umts).
You get either the fastest or the slowest.
G means GSM
And yes, HSPDA is better than 3G
i know its HSPDA, and G means gsm or gprs, but with HSPDA meaning hi speed, i cant get video calls or streaming when its on H.....if you get me, but i can use them when i get a 3G connection
just tried again and now it works, strange....

3G not working but I've had some H reception

For a while now my 3G connection has not been working but I have full Edge reception and I have had some intermittent H reception. I have flashed the ROM, changed the radio and switched my SIM card but nothing has changed this.
Is the phone made to have 3G and H reception from the same chip, (most posts seem to say this is a hardware issue, that a microchip has burned out on the motherboard)
Maybe someone knows how to get the phone to turn off 3G but retain H reception?
H icon means HSDPA this is part of 3G. So there is no option to disable 3G leaving HSDPA active. But I can be wrong ;d
Wikipedia said:
High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is an enhanced 3G (third generation) mobile telephony communications protocol in the High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) family, also coined 3.5G, 3G+ or turbo 3G...
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Click to collapse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-Speed_Downlink_Packet_Access
And I had similar problems, but they solved themselves . I think they was caused by lack of range ( I have H under the table, but over Edge only...).
It might help to diable HSDPA using a program like kaiser tweak.

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