Database Develop

AT&T US 3G Not working on Tilt

I'm in an area that supposedly has 3G coverage (Portland, Oregon). But...
My Tilt has never connected to the 3G network. I've gone to many areas thoughout the metro area, power cycled my phone (to see if it picked up new towers) but I never get 3G connectivity. The "3G" Icon has never displayed on my Tilt.
I've tried different radios which doesn't make a difference.
Suggestions anyone?

Wow, a local!
I have HSDPA almost everywhere in Portland (fastest 3G standard). Even with it not enabled, I have 3G in most of the metro area, including Vancouver where I live.
What icon is displayed?

I'm actually in Hillsboro, but it may as well be Portland.
Usually the "E" icon, and rarely I get the "H" icon.
I'm not sure what the "H" represents. I think its HSDPA, but I assume thats not 3G or as fast as 3G... and if it is then what's the "3G" icon all about?

HSDPA is what you want to see! It's the fastest version of 3G, and the newest available.
E is Edge, its 2G, not as fast but not horrible... Until Edge Evo comes out.
The data coverage maps from ATT are usually pretty bad. It doesnt have to say 3G for it to be 3G. HSDPA is 3G (the best) as well as other variants.
Do you notice a hit in your download speeds?

hmmmm... how confusing. If HSPDA is 3G. What's the point of the "3G" icon?
At my apartment I only get 1 maybe 2 bars of service if I am lucky so that means that while I am home "E" is the best I can get (or expect). But...
When I am out and about I get the "H" icon occasionally. Is there a good way to test my connection speed?

Yeah it's sort of weird... Here's a breakdown.
standards
GSM / UMTS (3GPP) Family
2G
* GSM
* GPRS
* EDGE (EGPRS)
o EDGE Evolution
* HSCSD
3G
* UMTS (3GSM)
* HSPA
o HSDPA
o HSUPA
o HSPA+
* UMTS-TDD
o TD-CDMA
o TD-SCDMA
* FOMA
Pre-4G
* UMTS Revision 8
o LTE
o HSOPA (Super 3G)
cdmaOne / CDMA2000 (3GP)
From - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3G
I don't particularly like Wikipedia, but this should help. I'm sure there is a program that will test your connection speed, but you can try something simple like connecting and downloading a cab, lets say Google Maps. Then you can run Google Maps and see how fast you get your satellite image up. There is probably a better way but that should show any big differences.
EDIT: I should add that 3G usually denotes a mix or standards available. It's just a generalization, and the fastest will be chosen by your phone (this is how I understand it)
Also, what ROM and radio are you using?

well in the midwest AT&T was having problems with 3G they dont know why but all of a sudden their networks just failed idk if that is what is causing ur problem but i kept on getting an error saying that the phone couldnt connect to wap.cingular.

Thanks for that breakdown. Gives me a much better perspective.
I've tried a couple of the more popular ROMs. But recently I've been using Q-Mobile 1.2 - It's treated me well. I'm still trying to understand why Dutty's roms are so popular. I can't figure out what makes people flock to his ROM's over the others.
I've also tried out some different radio's. None of them seem to make any improvement (while at my apartment) but currently I am using 1.27.15.32 because I am under the impression that it is the newest radio and therefore should somehow be better.
I'm also unsure if I have the correct data connection settings setup after flashing a ROM. From what I am able to find the only thing I need to do is use "wap.cingular" Then I go into advanced settings and input the OpenDNS servers in for the DNS. Do I need to add any other AT&T specific information after flashing. I've read that there is some sort of proxy information needed as well but its not very clear.
Anywho, what settings for data do you use? What Radio, ROM?

phan10m said:
well in the midwest AT&T was having problems with 3G they dont know why but all of a sudden their networks just failed idk if that is what is causing ur problem but i kept on getting an error saying that the phone couldnt connect to wap.cingular.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I read about that. Aparently AT&T has no clue what happened. And to make matters worse there is more data outages today.
But I'm convinced that my issue is unrelated to all that since I've been experiencing these issues way before the data outages.

I'm glad that helped. I use the Stock HTC ROM 1.56.405.5 with Radio 1.27.12.11 (It's packaged with the radio). It's a legit HTC release, which means very little bugs and it's fast. Flash and hard-reset and you are good to go.
RUU_Kaiser_HTC_WWE_1.56.405.5_radio_sign_22.45.88. 07_1.27.12.11_Ship.exe
You can find it here...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=331900
Anyways, I've heard good things about the Q-Mobile roms, but I've been so happy with the .11 radio that the HTC stock works great for me. The .11 radio is also packaged in the stock ATT ROM your device shipped with.
When you first boot, it will prompt you to setup data, and for me it gets all the settings automatially and takes about 5 seconds to do it. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure you just use the wap.cingular, but in all honestly I've never had to do it. I also am not sure why people go crazy over Dutty ROMS. It's almost blastphemy to say that on this forum, and I really appreciate his hard work but they arnt for me either. I like real fast,not too flashy and super usable (and stable, of course, why I love HTC stock ROM's)
I just looked now, my access point name is isp.cingular. Never bothered with it before.
I'll check up on this thread tomorrow, hope this helps you out!

Please ignore this.

Interesting... You make a good argument about the stock HTC ROM. I'll have to try that and see if reception and data speeds are any better.
Although my Tilt came with radio 1.27.12.17 - I've only had it for a couple of weeks so they may have put a newer radio on it.
As far as ROM's go, I'm just looking for something that I can use as a baseline. I don't like programs cooked in. I'd rather have a clean ROM and install what I want. But, on the other hand I do like how the cooked roms often contain the latest updates baked right in.
I'm off to flash to the HTC Stock ROM. I'll let you know how that goes.
Thanks for your help, it's nice to have a local to bounce things off of

I don't care for everything cooked in either. The HTC Stock is pretty bare-bones. The only thing I would recommend adding is Nadavi's upadted camera, dumped from Polaris...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=355587
And of course the Tilt Keyboard Fix...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=334911
Also, Youtube and streaming video work out of the box, you don't have to do anything fancy to get GPS working (run GPStest, etc...) and besides that there is not much needed. Any eye candy can be easily added.
BUT, remember to hard-reset after flash! It makes a big difference, at least for me.
Let me know how it goes!

Superspiker said:
I'm actually in Hillsboro, but it may as well be Portland.
Usually the "E" icon, and rarely I get the "H" icon.
I'm not sure what the "H" represents. I think its HSDPA, but I assume thats not 3G or as fast as 3G... and if it is then what's the "3G" icon all about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
H is faster than standard UMTS, and yes, its HSDPA. You will only see the H while data is being actually sent/received though. When no data is being transferred you will see 3G.
-Jay

T-Mobile UK best reception radio rom

Just wondering if any of you guys have got a tried and tested favourite radio rom that gives best radio reception.
I've currently got Radio Rom:1.71.09.01 and PDACorner Ultimate V8 and I'm getting both poor battery life (100% to 10% in ~8hours with email checking every 10mins and thats it) and poor signal strength.
So, do any of you guys have a phone on T-Mobile UK and if so, what radio rom do you prefer?

If your in a HSDPA area and you have it enabled, it can really suck the juice out of the Kaiser.
Do you have wifi and bluetooth disabled? What brightness level do you have it on battery and standby time?
I know mskip lives in East Anglia with poor reception and has settled for the 1.70.19.09 Radio.
I wanted to have everything enabled with heavy use so I ended up getting a bigger battery (which makes it about a third bigger, but I think it was worth it).
Rob

Phone signal question

Anyone experience no phone signal after flashing a ROM to your Pure? I got the device two days ago and immediately went to flash it using one of Duttys roms and also from Tess (IV). With both attempts I get no signal bars whatsoever. That being said I get an "H" where the "3G" used to be. I know that some of you have talked about the HSDPA but even though I have been doing this awhile I am stumped as to why I would get no signal bars. As long as HSDPA doesnt result in more charges from my provider I could care less about that. Hope that makes sense and I hope that someone has some information for me!
Thanks!

jbonham said:
Anyone experience no phone signal after flashing a ROM to your Pure? I got the device two days ago and immediately went to flash it using one of Duttys roms and also from Tess (IV). With both attempts I get no signal bars whatsoever. That being said I get an "H" where the "3G" used to be. I know that some of you have talked about the HSDPA but even though I have been doing this awhile I am stumped as to why I would get no signal bars. As long as HSDPA doesnt result in more charges from my provider I could care less about that. Hope that makes sense and I hope that someone has some information for me!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, yes, I have seen the situation on some ROMs where I get 'no bars', but the phone seems to be operational anyway. My suspicion is that it's a problem with the root software from Microsoft, not the ROM chef, since it goes across ROMs.
3G vs. H has no bearing on the problem. The H just shows that the phone is connecting via the higher-speed data linkup. Some providers charge more for H, others don't. You'd have to check with yours.

Thanks for the quick reply. Is there a way to figure out if AT&T charges extra for the "H" connection speeds?
Also, are there any roms out there that have figured out a way to slightly increase the size of the virtual keyboard for easier typing? Both roms I have used so far have kept the keyboard the same and not sure if there is actually a way to increase the size. Lastly, I am reading up on roms trying to find one that I would like but one piece of information eludes me. Does the rom I am researching support landscape mode in Start and all other aspects? Right now I get landscape in web browsing, email and that is about it. I may be missing something here but thought I would ask for clarification.
A note about the Tess IV rom is that I really loved it. It was super smooth and very fast unlike the shipped rom from AT&T.
I found the original rom to be bulky and slow in responsiveness when moving between features or applications. I am sure that is why others moved away from it as well.

AT&T does not charge extra if you enable HSDPA. This is my second AT$T WM device and I have enabled "H" on both.

jdwilson said:
AT&T does not charge extra if you enable HSDPA. This is my second AT$T WM device and I have enabled "H" on both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you enable "H" or force it on?

The type of signal is dependant on whats available in the area you are in. As far as I know you don't force "H" to come on, your phone just accesses the best available signal you allow. If " is it then.....
My att plan is the basic plan with the $30.00 data (unlimited) that is required when you buy it. No charges for "H" access for me.. good god, with the way I use slacker all the time, that would bankrupt me in a week.. lol

jbonham said:
Anyone experience no phone signal after flashing a ROM to your Pure? I got the device two days ago and immediately went to flash it using one of Duttys roms and also from Tess (IV). With both attempts I get no signal bars whatsoever. That being said I get an "H" where the "3G" used to be. I know that some of you have talked about the HSDPA but even though I have been doing this awhile I am stumped as to why I would get no signal bars. As long as HSDPA doesnt result in more charges from my provider I could care less about that. Hope that makes sense and I hope that someone has some information for me!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using the ENERGY Leo ROM, and notice the same.
Thing is that while H is showing I get no bars and no phone connection. Then the phone automatically switches over to 3G and dials out. This can take up to 10 secs - so, can be annoying!
Could this be a locational thing, as I notice this happening in one location only - perhaps where the signal is not strong enough to utilise the H connection.
Or, is it that H is used for data and 3G only for telephone calls?

H is actually HSDPA and is the 3G data connection. 2G equivalent would be EDGE for example. You will only pick it up if A) Your device supports it, B) Your carrier provides it!!, and C) Your are in a stong enough signal area.
You mention that you flashed to a custom ROM but have you flashed your device to an updated Radio ROM? This is the part of the phone that deals with communications including Voice, Data, WiFi etc. Using a good one makes a world of difference.
Check this thread out for all Versions.. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=547276
Flashing a Radio is the same procedure that you would use for a custom ROM. Of course, many of you may already know all of the above but some people may not!

DirkGently1 said:
H is actually HSDPA and is the 3G data connection. 2G equivalent would be EDGE for example. You will only pick it up if A) Your device supports it, B) Your carrier provides it!!, and C) Your are in a stong enough signal area.
You mention that you flashed to a custom ROM but have you flashed your device to an updated Radio ROM? This is the part of the phone that deals with communications including Voice, Data, WiFi etc. Using a good one makes a world of difference.
Check this thread out for all Versions.. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=547276
Flashing a Radio is the same procedure that you would use for a custom ROM. Of course, many of you may already know all of the above but some people may not!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I thought the updated custom ROM would also update the radio.
What is your reccomendation for the radio?
How do I find out radio version I've got?
I dont have any specific useage beyond taking calls, and updating Twitter, weather etc.
What version do you think is best?

alexdpaul said:
No, I thought the updated custom ROM would also update the radio.
What is your reccomendation for the radio?
How do I find out radio version I've got?
I dont have any specific useage beyond taking calls, and updating Twitter, weather etc.
What version do you think is best?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some ROMs do include the radio, such as Dutty's HG 9 & 10 ROMs.
The radio version is usually included in the name of the ROM.
For best radio, it depends on your carrier and location.
To find your current version, soft reset, it is listed at the bottom next to "R" upon booting.

DirkGently1 said:
H is actually HSDPA and is the 3G data connection. 2G equivalent would be EDGE for example. You will only pick it up if A) Your device supports it, B) Your carrier provides it!!, and C) Your are in a stong enough signal area.
You mention that you flashed to a custom ROM but have you flashed your device to an updated Radio ROM? This is the part of the phone that deals with communications including Voice, Data, WiFi etc. Using a good one makes a world of difference.
Check this thread out for all Versions.. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=547276
Flashing a Radio is the same procedure that you would use for a custom ROM. Of course, many of you may already know all of the above but some people may not!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I checked my radio ROM - it was .17.
Just updated the radio to .91 - immediate improvment in access to 3G cellphone signal.
Of course, I need to use it for a couple of days to get an accurate feel for improvement.
BTW. I'm based in the UK.

I've had varying success using different versions but .57 has always been head & shoulders above the rest for me.
As always your mileage may vary

automatic 2g/3g switching causes data interruptions

Hello,
I have a G1 currently running Super D and 2.22.19.26I radio. This problem isn't specific to this rom or radio, since I've flashed various donut/eclair roms and various radios during my year of ownership and have always had the following problem:
When there is a weak 3G signal (one bar of 3G shown), it seems like there is an annoying delay or freeze in data connectivity, where rather than switching to the edge/2g signal, the phone just sits there on one bar of 3G doing nothing. Then, if it switches to 2g there is data loss, apps disconnect, web pages fail to load, etc.
I realize I can manually switch to 2G only mode, but this seems to happen all the time (there are not many times that I have a speedy 3g connection). I would personally think the radio firmware could be "smarter" and know not to look for a signal so much. I would rather not be on 2g all the time if 3g is available. Has anyone else had radio problems? Maybe someone can help me understand how the radio works better and maybe I should just stick with slow 2g most of the time.
Thanks

[Q] Battery drains 5%+/hr standby on 3G

Hi guys,
I have a Nexus One purchased from Google last year. I only started using 3G this month with Vodafone Australia. My battery drains ridiculously fast on 3G compared to 2G. On HSDPA("3.5G") network with everything off (including data) it uses 5-10% per hour standby. On 2G it drains less than 1% per hour. Using a battery monitor app I can see that 2G draws less than 10mA while 3G draws 25-100mA.
Since on 2G battery life is very good this should not be a problem with any software running in the background. I also tried the following with no help:
- Dial *#*#4636#*#*, set to WCDMA only instead of WCDMA preferred, and select radio bands to AUS BANDS
- Upgrade radio to the latest Korean version
- Force the phone to use UMTS instead of HSDPA network by editing build.prop
I tried both the stock 2.3.4 ROM and the latest CM nightly, but the problem persists. I really want to take the full advantage of 3G and leave it on all the time so this is very frustrating to me. I can use Toggle2G to automatically switch to 3G when screen is on, but that's not what I really want. I know although 3G uses more battery it should not be that dramatic. After all the specified standby time on 3G/2G are 250/290h by Google. With 3G my phone won't last even a day purely on standby.
I also wonder if it can be a problem with the network. My signal strength on 3G is around 2 bars - not particularly bad. It almost never loses signal. If anyone can post a ROM/radio from Vodafone Australia for me to try out that would be greatly appreciated too.
Thanks all!

2 Bars of Signal strength might be one of the reason that battery is drained faster. As the signal is not that strong enough, it keeps searching for stronger signal and results in faster battery consumption.
Personally the radio version '5.12' wasn't satisfactory. I prefer 5.08 version. (Signal strength, speed, battery...)
I recently upgraded from CM 7.0.3 to 7.1.0 RC1 and noticed battery life is much better.
So I am going to suggest a few things you might want to try:
- Downgrade the radio to 5.08
- Full wipe and flash CM 7.1.0 RC1 (or a different custom ROM)
- Try a different kernel (I personally like Cyanogen kernel though)
- Uninstall Task Killer if you have one installed.

zephyr18 said:
2 Bars of Signal strength might be one of the reason that battery is drained faster. As the signal is not that strong enough, it keeps searching for stronger signal and results in faster battery consumption.
Personally the radio version '5.12' wasn't satisfactory. I prefer 5.08 version. (Signal strength, speed, battery...)
I recently upgraded from CM 7.0.3 to 7.1.0 RC1 and noticed battery life is much better.
So I am going to suggest a few things you might want to try:
- Downgrade the radio to 5.08
- Full wipe and flash CM 7.1.0 RC1 (or a different custom ROM)
- Try a different kernel (I personally like Cyanogen kernel though)
- Uninstall Task Killer if you have one installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi zephyr, I previously had CM 7.1.0 RC1 with radio 5.08 and the Cyanogen kernel but the problem remained. I also tried to put my phone near the window, where it has 4 bars signal, but the battery drained just as fast. Thanks for your suggestions though.

I know T-Mobile in the states screwed up something on their network a few weeks back. In doing so, it caused massive power usage on devices when using 3G/4G. I wonder if Vodaphone Australia did something to their network as well...
http://androidandme.com/2011/08/news/is-t-mobiles-network-killing-your-battery/

install current widget, and take logs of your current draw in mA during idle to see what's going on. do an overnight test, then during the day. post your logs.

So I just stumbled across this thread. I've been having the same issue on my Desire, it started suddenly a couple of weeks ago. In 3G mode my phone drains about 120mA. In 2g it drops down to 4-8. I've eliminated all the usual suspects by doing a factory reset (using the CM7.1.0RC but have also tried the latest nightly build), so no apps running in the background, and tried different versions of the radio. I am also with Vodafone in Australia. One thing that I have found is that if I go into Phone Info I can force the phone to make an EDGE connection by choosing the "AUS2" frequency band, and with an EDGE connection I get the good battery usage. But if I choose "AUS" or "AUTO", the phone makes an HSDPA connection and this drains the hell out of my battery.
Just wondering if the OP has had any joy with this?

stanleyguan said:
Hi guys,
I have a Nexus One purchased from Google last year. I only started using 3G this month with Vodafone Australia. My battery drains ridiculously fast on 3G compared to 2G. On HSDPA("3.5G") network with everything off (including data) it uses 5-10% per hour standby. On 2G it drains less than 1% per hour. Using a battery monitor app I can see that 2G draws less than 10mA while 3G draws 25-100mA.
Since on 2G battery life is very good this should not be a problem with any software running in the background. I also tried the following with no help:
- Dial *#*#4636#*#*, set to WCDMA only instead of WCDMA preferred, and select radio bands to AUS BANDS
- Upgrade radio to the latest Korean version
- Force the phone to use UMTS instead of HSDPA network by editing build.prop
I tried both the stock 2.3.4 ROM and the latest CM nightly, but the problem persists. I really want to take the full advantage of 3G and leave it on all the time so this is very frustrating to me. I can use Toggle2G to automatically switch to 3G when screen is on, but that's not what I really want. I know although 3G uses more battery it should not be that dramatic. After all the specified standby time on 3G/2G are 250/290h by Google. With 3G my phone won't last even a day purely on standby.
I also wonder if it can be a problem with the network. My signal strength on 3G is around 2 bars - not particularly bad. It almost never loses signal. If anyone can post a ROM/radio from Vodafone Australia for me to try out that would be greatly appreciated too.
Thanks all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try Juicedefender Ultimate, it shuts down data when not in use. I see 1-2%/hr max when used with a good kernel.

ctfrommn said:
Try Juicedefender Ultimate, it shuts down data when not in use. I see 1-2%/hr max when used with a good kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alas it's not the data, this happens even with the data turned off. It's something to do with the baseband connection.

It's not data here either.
This just started happening on my 100% stock unlocked N1 about 2 weeks ago. (ATT)
Most of the time at work I'm on WiFi, yes the signal (cell) is very bad in my office. Has been for a long time, something else is strange.
No extra tasks running, nothing new installed.
Gets piping hot when on the charger - sucks juice like crazy when off.
Checked data log - nothing unusual transmitting...

What sort of area do you operate your phone in? My phone used to drain like mad inside my house (perth- vodafone) and in areas with spotty coverage. In my house my reception would be on the very edge of 3g with no bars and EDGE, constantly switching between the two. Do you have your wifi policy set to on while sleeping? Provided you aren't out and about all day, that would help, though i assume if you've had the phone that long, youd have changed the wifi sleep policy by now.

My wifi is always on - never has changed.
It gets hot at home where there is good reception and at work where there is crap.
I've had the phone for over 1.5 years and this just cropped up.
I rooted my wifes N1 and she doesn't have any issues...

liam.lah said:
What sort of area do you operate your phone in? My phone used to drain like mad inside my house (perth- vodafone) and in areas with spotty coverage. In my house my reception would be on the very edge of 3g with no bars and EDGE, constantly switching between the two. Do you have your wifi policy set to on while sleeping? Provided you aren't out and about all day, that would help, though i assume if you've had the phone that long, youd have changed the wifi sleep policy by now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also in Perth, on Vodafone. I get a pretty decent signal strength at home, and it seems to be happening to me wherever I go, unless I'm "lucky" enough to get an EDGE connection. This started overnight, almost exactly two weeks ago. I've been speaking with Vodafone about this at length but not really getting anywhere. Yesterday they swapped my SIM but it didn't make any difference.
Yep, wifi is set to never sleep.
I bought a prepaid SIM card from another provider a few days ago. I only get a UMTS connection with them, but still the current drain when idle is what is considered "normal", 4-6mA.
One thought I've had is that maybe I never had an HSDPA connection before but recent network upgrades have meant that I'm suddenly getting one. Still, 125mA is way too big a drain and seems to indicate something wrong with the phone.
The last test I can think to do is to swap SIM cards with a friend who is on a third network, who gets an HSDPA connection. He has a Nexus One and gets very low current drain. At least that way I can be sure of whether it is or isn't the network. We're doing that tomorrow so stay tuned