Verizon: Connection issue

[Cozume]

Re: Connection issue

Off topic, but I'm curious how legacy booster use will be enforced. Currently, they were basically plug and play as long as it worked with the right frequency. As far as I know, I don't think there is a way for the carrier to know if you're using one or block from doing so.

I think what can happen is that if they are having problems at a tower, they can send people to measure signal. I know they did that for me. In that process, I bet they would be able to detect one in the area as the source of the problem.

But without actually measuring signal in an area, they wouldn't know as far as I can tell.

As far as blocking you, now that the FCC has required that they be registered, they could report you to the FCC and the FCC has the ability to levy fines and issue cease and desist orders. If you don't comply, the FCC has enforcement mechanisms they can use, including criminal penalties.

My guess is that aspect will be another feel good unenforceable regulation and legacy boosters will continue to work regardless of registration and approval from the carrier.

yeah, I am sure they will, but if they are causing problems with the network, I am sure it could be detected by signal measurements and for sure it could be stopped by the FCC.

ETA - I would not operate one of these in violation of an FCC rule. It is just not worth getting caught.

 

[Barry Test]

Re: Connection issue

I have the Wilson signal booster that has a phone cradle and suction cup window antenna. I works great. Use mainly when traveling.

 

[Cozume]

Re: Connection issue

I have the Wilson signal booster that has a phone cradle and suction cup window antenna. I works great. Use mainly when traveling.

thanks for letting me know about that! Looks like the Verizon 4G model is about $100. I may get it for myself.

http://www.wilsonelectronics.com/store/display/210/43/sleek-4g-v

 

[Mooncatt]

Re: Connection issue

Wilson is pretty much the hands down leader in cell antennas and boosters/amps for mobile use. Just the antenna alone (the big "trucker" one) made the difference between zero and full bars.

 

[Cozume]

Re: Connection issue

Wilson is pretty much the hands down leader in cell antennas and boosters/amps for mobile use. Just the antenna alone (the big "trucker" one) made the difference between zero and full bars.

Yeah, the only thing that I would worry about is if we will be getting AWS where I live because I think you have to have a different booster for that. Also, I would need to find out about whether or not it complied with the new FCC regulations because as I indicated before, I would register it with Verizon.

 

[NJD_fan]

Re: Connection issue

Thank you all for the responses.

I will say that I told Verizon whether it was over the phone or in person that i've gone through several Maxx's and had the same connection issue, so I knew it had nothing to do with the phone itself.

Had no idea of the technical level of the people I was talking to so I thought that was the easiest way so they wouldn't tell me it was my individual phone.

I have had it happen elsewhere but being that home is where I have the most time to use it, that's where i've noticed it out of anywhere.

Cozume I might just take your advice and call Verizon. Last time they had me go into my settings as if it was an issue with the phone itself. I know they have a process but when I say it's been multiples of the same phone, they just don't want to listen or spend money.

Looking at a new phone anyway as the Maxx is just too slow. Contract's up in under 3 months anyway.

 

[scott750]

Re: Connection issue

Hi all, have a question that i've never been able to get answered.

Whether it's going to a store, asking over the phone or other customers no one I know of at least has had this issue.

I have a Razr Maxx which my contract is almost up on, before that was a Droid X.

I'll be browsing the web, use google search, watch youtube, etc and randomly i'll lose data services. The up arrow and only the up arrow will light up for a few seconds, go off, light up again. It'll continue for maybe 30 seconds up to 2 minutes. It doesn't happen all the time, but annoying when it does.

For example I loaded up google maps a little while ago. Searched for something and while it was searching the up arrow lit up so nothing was happening. Then suddenly both arrows and the 4G lit up and it was like back to normal. Sometimes i'll be browsing the web and it'll do this so it'll time out, i'll refresh once both arrows light up and it's all better.

I can still make/receive phone calls as well as text, but anything else requiring the network will not work for a few minutes.

Verizon's had me reboot, refresh and try to update my phone. I'm not an ***** with tech and know enough to get by as I built my own pc and was going to school for pc repair & networking originally.

I'm on my 4th Maxx and it's happened on every single one, including the X when I had that.

Last time I went to a corporate store and explained the issue, the rep looked up my version and tried to update my phone. That's after me telling him I just got the recent fix & Kit Kat isn't available for it. So I can't hold some of them in the highest regard as it seems they only care about getting a sale.

Anyone heard of have had this issue?

I'm worried because if I do get a new phone, don't want this issue to continue over to that one.

Thanks

Bringing back an old thread, I'm in the same boat as the OP. Over the past 2 months I've noticed that my 4G speeds are really slow on my GN2 and the phone will flop back and forth to 3G more than usual. I regularly check the network speeds using Speedtest.net's app. Just a couple months ago I was seeing 18-23 Mbps Down and 5 Mbps Up. Now all I'm getting is 4-9 Mbps Down and 2-9 Mbps Up. Most website seems to load ok, but when I start doing data intensive sites, like Netflix or stream from my Home server, the phone buffers constantly and the video freezes a lot. I've already done reboots, battery pulls, & reseated the SIM card.

And it's not just in one area, I've had this in my home town (Austin, Tx) and while on vacation in Miami, FL. So it can't be a tower issue in multiple places. It's really bumming me out because Verizon has always had solid network connection/speeds. Any ideas?

 

[Mooncatt]

Re: Connection issue

Bringing back an old thread, I'm in the same boat as the OP. Over the past 2 months I've noticed that my 4G speeds are really slow on my GN2 and the phone will flop back and forth to 3G more than usual. I regularly check the network speeds using Speedtest.net's app. Just a couple months ago I was seeing 18-23 Mbps Down and 5 Mbps Up. Now all I'm getting is 4-9 Mbps Down and 2-9 Mbps Up. Most website seems to load ok, but when I start doing data intensive sites, like Netflix or stream from my Home server, the phone buffers constantly and the video freezes a lot. I've already done reboots, battery pulls, & reseated the SIM card.

And it's not just in one area, I've had this in my home town (Austin, Tx) and while on vacation in Miami, FL. So it can't be a tower issue in multiple places. It's really bumming me out because Verizon has always had solid network connection/speeds. Any ideas?

If you're not loosing service all together and just dropping down to 3G, it could be tower/network congestion (Austin and Miami are both densly populated). I remember reading a thread a while back about some of Verizon's 4G towers in places like NYC being so congested that they would regularly drop you to 3G. They are supposedly increasing capacity to fix this, but not sure how wide spread the issue is/was. I keep my phone locked on 3G all the time anyway to save my battery power, so I can't speak from personal experience.

 

[dpham00]

Re: Connection issue

Did you replace the sim card yet?

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Sansung Galaxy S III

 

[scott750]

Re: Connection issue

If you're not loosing service all together and just dropping down to 3G, it could be tower/network congestion (Austin and Miami are both densly populated). I remember reading a thread a while back about some of Verizon's 4G towers in places like NYC being so congested that they would regularly drop you to 3G. They are supposedly increasing capacity to fix this, but not sure how wide spread the issue is/was. I keep my phone locked on 3G all the time anyway to save my battery power, so I can't speak from personal experience.

When the phone does go into 3G data speeds are really slow. But there's no way to be switch to 3G only, just LTE or Global.

Did you replace the sim card yet?

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Sansung Galaxy S III

No I haven't. Do I need a replacement?

 

[Mooncatt]

Re: Connection issue

When the phone does go into 3G data speeds are really slow. But there's no way to be switch to 3G only, just LTE or Global.

This doesn't work on all phones, but I use an app called LTE ON/OFF to lock into 3G. Still, I wouldn't rule tower issues out if the problem tends to pop up in populated areas and during certain times of the day (I.e. . "Prime time").

 

[dpham00]

Re: Connection issue

No I haven't. Do I need a replacement?

I think it is worth a try



dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3

 

[japetty]

Re: Connection issue

If you're not loosing service all together and just dropping down to 3G, it could be tower/network congestion (Austin and Miami are both densly populated). I remember reading a thread a while back about some of Verizon's 4G towers in places like NYC being so congested that they would regularly drop you to 3G. They are supposedly increasing capacity to fix this, but not sure how wide spread the issue is/was. I keep my phone locked on 3G all the time anyway to save my battery power, so I can't speak from personal experience.

VZW knows they have these issues in congested areas now. In the past they were just building out their network to get coverage similar to the footprint of the 3G network for the cut over to VOlte but have postponed the cut over of the voice network and working on adding capacity in places that is crowded or over capacity. It is very common for carriers to oversell the network capacity knowing everyone will not be on the network at the same time. You can think of it somewhat as a party line from the tower back to the network because you share the bandwidth from the tower back to the network with everyone one else on that tower demanding data. When more customers are on that tower than the designed bandwidth is designed to accommodate this slows the transmission and everyone is waiting for their turn on the information (data) path. This all happens a little bit faster than the way I stated it but you can get the picture of what slows down your speed. There are other things which slow transmission rates down but the way you explained your issue this seems like the likely reason similar to what Mooncatt is saying. The more crowed these tower get without added capacity the slower the data rates will get. People were just spoiled in the past with these speeds as the carriers did not have the capacity over sold. You have to also consider VZW is squeezing every last penny our of their investment before they invest more money. They only add capacity in places where it is absolutely a necessity. One customer complaining about slow data speeds does not mean VZW thinks more capacity expense is warranted. Remember when VZW cuts the voice over to the LTE network this will start using up more of the LTE capacity they have so it will get tighter in more places. Once the cut over happens also don't think your data will fall back to 3G as I read these older networks were going to be use for the pre paid customers which don't use the 4G/lte networks for a few years before that is redeployed to a newer technology. The thing is I read this last year and cut over of the voice network was to be complete by the first quarter of 2014. That has come and gone and it was not completed or even started AFAIK. I am sure it has something to do with what we are talking about here though I am sure.

 

[NJD_fan]

Re: Connection issue

Just found out NOW, geez a little late, that my post commenting on the issue being fixed never posted from using my phone.

I was an *****. It was my fault. I have DS Battery Saver and didn't realize that getting the app to run so I can see the percentage and then exiting, automatically sets it to turn off data when the screen goes dark.

Had it on the previous Razr Maxx before it broke but had that one for a year so guess I forgot.

Thank you so much for all your suggestions and found some very interesting information as well. This forum's so awesome for that!

 

[meekrol]

I live in Beaufort, SC. We Signed up for Verizon in November last year coming from Sprint, servive was excellent . 4g all ways and great reception and call quality. Then bam about 6 weeks ago it was like I had Sprint again, 1x, 3g, 4g randomly switching just sitting still and call quality is digital sounding at best when it does conect, drops calls on 9 out of 10 calls, and most the time it doesn't ring at all . The big red cant figure it out and told me I could leave with no ETF. Im looing to swap to AT&T.

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