I understand the over capacity issues with the network, but lately even the 4G signal has been terrible. Would the network issues affect the 4G signal as well? A couple months ago, the 4G was working great, and it has just gotten worse. I am just wondering if these issues are related. I don't know how the 4G signal relates to the 3G signal, along with network overload problems.
I am just trying to determine if Sprint gets their capacity issues worked out, will that also improve the 4G issue?
It would be really hard to fathom that the new 4G signal was beyond capacity there in Davenport. The tower would be broadcasting in 150mhz of spectrum (more than any other carrier in the country). It can accept thousands of simultaneous users spread across it's dozen+ of 5x5 channels.
Most likely, the backhaul to the internet from the tower is insufficient. If Clearwire did not upgrade the backhaul when they deployed their 4G, then Sprint 3G and 4G are sharing the same insufficient internet connection (and possibly other carriers, too). And adding 4G to it, just is adding more users to an already beleaguered backhaul.
It's kind of like at home, I upgraded to a dual band wireless router. It broadcasts an N signal at 5GHz which is capable of speeds of 300MB/s. However, I still have the same old pathetic Windstream DSL service plugged into it. So now matter how fast my wireless signal is capable, it's limited by it's connection speed to the internet. And in the evening, my internet will drop below 1MB/s. However, my router is still broadcasting at 300MB/s.
With all internet connections, wireless, or fixed, our speeds are limited to the worst piece in the chain. And with Sprint right now, that piece is mostly backhaul. At least with 4G. Sprint definitely has a capacity issue on the signal side with their 3G also.
The good news in all this, is supposedly Sprint's Network Vision plan is supposed to take care of all these problems. It's just now starting to be implemented and will take 3 years to complete.
On a side note, in my house, with my laptop (Sprint Dell 11) and EVO 4G next to each other, I can stream Netflix on my EVO on 3G wth no problem, but on 4G in the laptop, it buffers every couple of minutes. Any thoughts? I could sure use some help on this one.
As for the Evo and Laptop Netflix streaming issues...
Netflix has a very sophisticated system. It detects the type of device and resolution and sends a correctly formatted version to your device. So when you stream to your Evo, Netflix knows the OS and Device and the Resolution. It streams a resolution that is good enough for these parameters (and not something higher). This ensures you receive a high quality experience using the least amount of bandwidth as possible.
The same thing happens when you connect on your laptop. It detects your OS, device and much higher resolution and sends the appropriate streaming resolution. Since the screen on your laptop is likely 5 to 10 times larger than your Evo, it takes approx. 5 to 10 times more bandwidth to provide an equal experience.
So if your 3G experience on Netflix with the Evo is good, it would take an equal signal that is 5 to 10 times faster on your laptop to create a similar experience. Since the 4G signal is not likely 5 to 10 times faster, this is most likely the largest issue causing the disparity. Also, if your 4G signal is less than 50% full strength, this would cause even further problems...and much more buffering.
Hopefully this helps shed some light on the issue. There is not a lot you can do to improve performance on your laptop in the short term. Moving near a window on the side of the building toward the tower, or even an upper floor may get you a little improvement. However, it seems like the tower backhaul is the issue in your location.
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