Disappointed with T-Mobile and cell phone woes

[Google_Superuser]

So I was on an ATT family plan. I had my Nexus 4 everything was fine....then one day text messaging stops working. I had previously cut the sim and I thought maybe that was the issue. Got a news sim it works for a week then it goes out again. I put the sim in my old skyrocket the messages come in I put it back in my Nexus 4 and everything is fine. Then it goes out again, this time nothing fixes it, I try the sim in several phones same problem. I call ATT support they fix it. Then data goes out....then text messaging.....again. I call ATT and they tell me they will "LOOK" at the issue in 7 to 10 days. Which means I am 1 without my primary means of communication. No data means I can't even us GPS which is very important to me.

At this point I am furious. There is one other person on our family plan, which means leaving would revert them to a single plan thereby losing the huge number of rollover minutes we have. So ATT agrees to exchange the roll-over minutes for a 50% reduction on the cancellation fee making in tolerable but still aggrevating.

I end up going to the Tmobile $30 unlimited data/text 100 minute voice plan. Overall even with the other line off a family plan we save money overall.

I get everything activated with t-mobile only to find I don't get reception in my house at all with the Nexus 4. I had just ordered a S4 GPE so I try that when it comes in and I got just enough reception in my house but nothing impressive.

The problem is that I have really poor building penetration, I only get data reception in about 50% of the buildings I go into and rarely rarely ever get LTE (though 4g speeds are really good so thats not a huge deal). I am supposedly in a well covered area (San Jose California area) but still not so great. On top of it my caller id isn't working it just read unavailable or wireless caller for everyone I call contact T-Mobile and they said they'll fix it in.......(irony here) 7 to 10 days.

/rant

 

[Almeuit]

You should of tested before switching. Always always test before switching. Next... At your house you should be at to use WiFi calling which can solve that.

As for the 50% of buildings do you get 4g and just not LTE? If so.. That is normal depending on how thick of a building. Also for the LTE is the coverage good? Check sensorly.com... Your area may not be 100% yet. I get LTE in Jacksonville but not everywhere.. But I do get 4g HSPA everywhere.

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.

 

[gone down south]

The N4 doesn't offer the T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calling app, only T-Mobile branded phones have it.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Google_Superuser]

You should of tested before switching. Always always test before switching.

Very true. I guess I got pissed off at ATT and kind of did a shoot first ask questions later.


I'm only getting edge in most buildings that are more than 1 story. Today I was in a 2 story department store and I didn't get any data connection at all. I know I got LTE in there with ATT.


EDIT: That sensorly site is REALLY accurate. Exactly the locations I have been with or without reception. Wish I had known about that before.

 

[Almeuit]

Yep Sensorly is user submitted data.. Not carriers maps. It helps a lot! .

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.

 

[Central n ohios best]

The N4 doesn't offer the T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calling app, only T-Mobile branded phones have it.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

Side load it.

Sent from my T-Mobile LG Escape using Tapatalk 2

 

[gone down south]

Side load it.

Sent from my T-Mobile LG Escape using Tapatalk 2

It's not an app, it's baked in at the system level. Xda has been trying to rip it for years without success.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[exdroid]

Same here. I've had T-Mo a couple of months back. I switched to T-Mo from Boostmobile because I was enticed with their "unlimited" marketing scheme. I bought a Nexus 4 together with the $70 unlimited data plan. I was so excited. I got excellent signal at home in Vallejo. although I was only getting HSPA+, still my dl speed was in the 15MB range. When I got to my office in San Francisco, happiness turned into horror as I found out that I have very poor reception inside our office. And to think that I am sitting just next to the window. Our office is in the South Park area of San Francisco. If I go any further into our building, my signal is completely gone. With Boostmobile, that has never happened. Everywhere I go, I have signal, even in the basement.

After Nexus 4, I switched to S4 but I was still having signal problems indoor. I then switched to Note 2 but still no signal indoors here in the office, Safeway. I was thinking, maybe because more people are using it here in San Francisco that is why the signal is crap. I have always had excellent reception at home in Vallejo-Fairfield area, even inside the Solano Mall in Fairfield and Sun Valley mall in Concord.

After suffering for 4 months, I decided to ditch T-Mo and went with AT&T. If only T-Mo will fix their signal issues and coverage, I am sure, they can beat AT&T and Verizon.

 

[Google_Superuser]

Yeah now I am having issues with call volume when I have bad reception. Texts are also receiving and sending slow sometimes out of order. A text conversation with my girlfriend got so jumbled we had to give up.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Google_Superuser]

My new solution is to just use the t-mobile number as little as possible. Basically 90% of the time if I am in a building with bad reception I am using wifi so the solution is to just use google voice for calls and texts. That doesn't work with mms but everyone I send mms to has an android phone so we just use hangouts.

 

[Almeuit]

My new solution is to just use the t-mobile number as little as possible. Basically 90% of the time if I am in a building with bad reception I am using wifi so the solution is to just use google voice for calls and texts. That doesn't work with mms but everyone I send mms to has an android phone so we just use hangouts.

That sucks that it's like that for you. I'm sitting in a dealership building right now waiting on an oil change.. And below is my reception.

As they say Ymmv.

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.

 

[Google_Superuser]

I'm just glad I found a solution that doesn't involve going back to ATT which is pretty much my only choice with the S4 GPE. I will say that data speeds are pretty good when they do work.

 

[jdbii]

Basically 90% of the time if I am in a building with bad reception I am using wifi so the solution is to just use google voice for calls and texts.

May I ask which Google Voice wifi voip app works best for you? I've only had limited success with GrooveIP even over strong wifi.

 

[anthony1117]

I lose connecting or get just edge in buildings here in upstate new York. I'd be upset, but you pay for what you get and thirty dollars is a nice price to pay. So I'm cool with that.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Google_Superuser]

May I ask which Google Voice wifi voip app works best for you? I've only had limited success with GrooveIP even over strong wifi.

I'm using the paid version of Grooveip. Works perfectly on everything but edge, but usually when I am only getting edge normal call reception was terrible anyway. I think it depends on the phone though. With my Nexus 4 I had to do a lot of editing to the echo settings, and it never worked on HSPA and only what I would call ok on wifi. With the S4 GPE I had to change the microphone and speaker volume but otherwise it was fine. It was kind of pain I had to get someone I could call again and again to test things. I haven't extensively tested it on multiple wifi networks but on my home network (24mbps down/ 3 mbps up) it's pretty perfect.


Only issues are slightly delayed initial connection and slight delay overall on HSPA+ or worse.

I lose connecting or get just edge in buildings here in upstate new York. I'd be upset, but you pay for what you get and thirty dollars is a nice price to pay. So I'm cool with that.
Posted via Android Central App

Yeah I am getting used to it now that I have found a work around. $30 is really cheap for what you get.

 

[jdbii]

With my Nexus 4 I had to do a lot of editing to the echo settings, and it never worked on HSPA and only what I would call ok on wifi.

Thanks. Similar experience with me on my Nexus 4 and paid GrooveIP. Good to hear that it works with your S4 GPE on both wifi and wireless.

 

[HelloNNNewman]

...With Boostmobile, that has never happened. Everywhere I go, I have signal, even in the basement..

You have to remember also that Boostmobile is part of the Sprint Network and is CDMA whereas T-Mobile is a GSM network (which means it's signal will not reach or penetrate as far as a CDMA signal). I had a similar experience when I moved from a CDMA phone (Sprint) over to T-Mo. I would be driving out on an Interstate in the middle of no-where, where the CDMA phone would hold a signal for a loooong distance, the GSM signal simply could not carry as far and my signal was crap. I also experience this in buildings in Chicago where a CDMA signal could penetrate, the GSM was spotty.

 

[sheallwayswins]

I did my research on tmo just by asking a lot of folk how their reception was and it fits the OP. I get great signal at my crib but inside some buildings its useless. I've had Tmo for 2months using my nexus4 . I have a iphone4 through straightalk that uses Verizon towers, its 3g but I can go anywhere ,buildings ,bottomless pits and still get good signal.I am new to smart phones and I learn much from these threads. I guess its the way carriers use the band width (gsm>cdma?)

Posted via Android Central App
with nexus4

 

[Tall Mike 2145]

Well, given that Straight Talk uses both AT&T and T-Mobile on the GSM side of their service, maybe some of you who have problems with T-Mo should consider going the ST route. I mean I know there are people who've had problems with them, but there are plenty of others here who haven't, and $45 seems to be a much more sane price to pay per month than whatever it is that AT&T will get you for.

One very good thing about competition and -- in this case -- both the MVNOs and T-Mobile is the downward pressure they're exerting on cell phone plan pricing. Sprint was too high for me and even when their retentions department spoke with me, their plan rates were such a joke that I just laughed at the person. $45/mo and no texting or data? Are you out of your mind? See ya!

As for the Nexus 4 and signal issues, just switch carriers. It's not that big of a deal. I love mine and would still pick it over either the SIII or the SIV.

 

[HawaiianLaker]

gonna do the $30 plan, hope it works out! just got a nexus 4!!!