You are right, trade off to each carrier. I used AT&T since the first iPhone and finally had enough back in January. In February, I ordered my Nexus 4 and switched to T-Mobile. I can drive one block away and get LTE on my iPad using AT&T but drive one block east to my house and I'm down to .5mbps to no no coverage depending on how I hold the iPad. It's so frustrating.
Switched Nexus 4 to GoPhone, Horrible Data Speeds
- Thread starter Jeff Deel
- Start date
You are right, trade off to each carrier. I used AT&T since the first iPhone and finally had enough back in January. In February, I ordered my Nexus 4 and switched to T-Mobile. I can drive one block away and get LTE on my iPad using AT&T but drive one block east to my house and I'm down to .5mbps to no no coverage depending on how I hold the iPad. It's so frustrating.
I don't think the AT&T employee knew what he was doing. He just set up your second SIM card the same way as your first one, even though you already told him that the first one didn't work correctly.
Can you tell me which GoPhone plan you're on? To do this, go to AT&T's On-Line Account Manager (aka OLAM). (Here's the link.) Click on Account Summary, then scroll down to Rate Plan and let me know what's next to it. It should say "Smartphone" next to your rate plan. So this is the first part we need to confirm.
Next, click on "Smartphone" to get your plan details. (A new window will open up, so make sure you don't have any pop-up blockers enabled for your web browser for this step.) Click on Data Services, then scroll down to the Data section. Here will be the details for your data plan, which depend on which GoPhone plan you're using. If your SIM card allows for data, you will see how much data you are allowed to use here. This is the second part we need to confirm.
That's a good sign. At least they didn't put you on a dumbphone plan. Run a speed test to get a baseline result and write that down.
Nexy, try downloading Tweakker from the Play store on your Nexus 4. Tweakker is an APN setup program. (Try clicking on this from your Nexus 4's Chrome browser.)
Select AT&T from Tweakker. There may be multiple APNs, so try the first one. Follow the directions in the app. Once it's set up, reboot the phone and cross your fingers. After your phone is done rebooting, run another speed test to see if anything has improved. Compare that to your baseline speed test result. If there's no improvement, try another AT&T APN from Tweakker and repeat.
Well, now I'm more confused than ever! I downloaded Tweakker as you suggested. It gave me the option for "Standard", "Broadband", "LTE", and "Activation". I started with the "LTE" option and as expected, the settings they provided matched the ones everyone else is using. At home, I've been averaging 1-1.5 down and 500k-1 up. My next step was to create a new APN and set it up as basic as possible (APN: phone, APN Type: default,*) no MMS or anything. I saw the signal indicator disconnect and reconnect. This time when I ran the speed test, I was pulling between 5-6 down consistently (only slightly better than average on upload)... until I rebooted the phone. Ever since then, I've been back to my old average of 1-1.5. I obviously checked my APN to make sure nothing changed and it was still set up on the ultra basic one I had just created. Drats, I would have gladly given up MMS for solid data...
For troubleshooting sake I tried the "standard" setting (wap.cingular) and got about half of my already low average speed. That didn't surprise me at all, but I figured it was worth a shot. And broadband wouldn't even get a data connection (I suspect that's for portable wi-fi hotspots only).
So, I'm right back to where I started. I haven't been able to replicate the 5-6mbps speed again, but it does prove to me that the higher speed data exists in my area (especially since I was pulling that with half signal and consistent results 6 tests in a row). And ultimately, that frustrates me even more! The signal is there, it's got the ability to provide the speed, I'm paying for the service, and my phone should theoretically handle it all, yet something is obviously not working properly here.
For troubleshooting sake I tried the "standard" setting (wap.cingular) and got about half of my already low average speed. That didn't surprise me at all, but I figured it was worth a shot. And broadband wouldn't even get a data connection (I suspect that's for portable wi-fi hotspots only).
So, I'm right back to where I started. I haven't been able to replicate the 5-6mbps speed again, but it does prove to me that the higher speed data exists in my area (especially since I was pulling that with half signal and consistent results 6 tests in a row). And ultimately, that frustrates me even more! The signal is there, it's got the ability to provide the speed, I'm paying for the service, and my phone should theoretically handle it all, yet something is obviously not working properly here.
Okay, you had instances where the speed improved. That's promising. Let's see if we can get it to stick.
Go back to your Nexus 4 and write down all your APNs on a piece of paper (just in case something goes wrong). Then delete each APN except for the one that gave you a speed boost. After that, reboot your phone.
Even though your Nexus 4 says its on the new APN, it behaves like it was on the old one. Deleting all the APNs except for one forces the Nexus 4 to only use one APN, and hopefully that will result in a consistent 5-6 down.
If, for some reason, nothing works at all, you can repeat the process with Tweakker or one of the APNs you wrote down. In each instance, delete any APNs except for the one you want to try, reboot, and run a speed test.
Man I hate to hear people having problems with AT&T GoPhone. I'm with Red Pocket Mobile (at&t mvno) and I've been thinking of switching to the $60 Go Phone plan in 2 weeks when this cycle is over. But i'm scared to make the switch now after all I've read on numerous sites about the work-arounds you have to do just to get a N4 running as it should on their service. OP do you have an update?? By the way we have the same last name? weird.
When I first got the plan I had a lot of problems But when I got it to work its awesome This is the forum I got mine to work from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2139537
Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app
Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app
Yeah! After 6 months of 1Mbps and slower speeds since I bought my Nexus 4, I was finally able to break the 1 Mbps barrier today! The upgrade to 4.3 today immediately fixed my Nexus 4. I only tried a couple of places, but I am now getting 3 - 7 Mbps. Unfortunately my wifi speed is now cut in half, but I see that is common problem with 4.3, so I am not too worried.
My update is, I'm still confused as hell! I tried to put it all out of my mind most of yesterday, still pulling in sub-par speeds (I'm still using my drop-dead basic APN with no MMS). Then I decided to go visit my friend and drown my sorrows with some hefeweizen. Low and behold, 5-8 down/1-2 up at his place! I used Chrome a little, checked Facebook, and even used Google Now when he wanted to know what LASER was an acronym for, all at an acceptable speed. When I got home and checked again, I was getting around 3-5 down. It was also around midnight, making me wonder if data load on AT&T's towers could potentially be a variable in all of this. I've checked a few times today and have actually been getting 3-8 all day, again that's with roughly half signal.
And that's another thing, I'm seriously starting to question AT&T's coverage maps... I'm supposedly smack dab in the middle of "Excellent" zone and I live on the third/top floor of an apartment building, yet my service varies from non-existent to full bars when I'm at home. And the best part is, sometimes I get better data speeds at half bars vs. full! Egads...
That is weird, there's not a whole lot of us Deel's around. There's actually another Jeff Deel who friended me on Facebook. It's kind of strange seeing your own name show up in your feed with crap you'd never post. Not so sure how I feel about that.
See, this is interesting. He specifically says "This will only apply if you have an actual AT&T account, not pre-paid service or third party service." If anything, this just lends some credit to what Mr. Non-LTE-is-for-losers told me at the store about not being able to change that on a GoPhone account. The settings the OP of that thread listed are the same ones that everyone else is using with varied success. Admittedly, I didn't read through all 25 pages of the thread to see if any other useful tidbits popped up. This makes me wonder a couple of things, like is there a difference between post-paid AT&T service and pre-paid service? I mean, if the data type can be adjusted with a "real" account but not with a GoPhone account, then we have our first difference right there. And unfortunately for us Nexus users, this makes me think that perhaps a standard AT&T plan may be the only viable option to get proper data speed. Lovely...
You know, that's something that's had me wondering. I've been on 4.3 the entire time I've been trying to get GoPhone working properly. There's this part of my brain wondering if I would be having this issue on 4.2 with a manually updated APN? Especially since 4.3 includes the "proper" APN settings everyone is using included in the update. On a side note, I actually noticed my Wi-Fi speeds improve slightly after the 4.3 update! Seems to me like with 4.3 and Nexus, everyones milage varies in the bug department.
So here's where things stand currently. Scott, I haven't tried deleting the other APNs yet. Since this is the first day I've seen halfway acceptable speed at home, I'm a little spooked to tweak with it yet (part of me keeps thinking it's temporary and it'll drop back down to 1-1.5) If it's still working decently in a day or two, I'll try switching back to the APN everyone else is using and re-test that one.
At this point, I still have no idea if it's my APN setting, AT&T not being able to give me HSPA+ only on a GoPhone account, AT&T needing a different IMEI # from me, me living in a "not quite as advertised" service area, AT&T having generally crummy HSPA speeds, or some aliens screwing with my phone signal!?! They all seem like plausible theories at this point...
First never trust the people at the store most of them don't know what they are talking about They said I had the use the WAP settings which only have me EDGE Fixed it with a quick Google Search Second I have yet to see a difference in Post Paid and Pre Paid
Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app
Hooray for your minor victory! I know you're not out of the woods yet, but at least you're getting something that's faster! (Note to self: Remember to suggest drinking Hefeweizen to fix GoPhone...)
Signal maps try their best to be accurate, but it's difficult because AT&T doesn't actually step inside your home to test the signal strength. So it's best to use the maps as a guide only.
It's definitely possible for AT&T towers to get congested at various times and locations. Post-paid (contract) customers can get around this by purchasing a microcell for their home. (This is what I'm talking about.) However, GoPhone (prepaid) customers can't purchase a microcell (but they can connect to one if it's around).
The other difference between post-paid and prepaid is that post-paid gets roaming, but prepaid does not. The result is that the prepaid coverage map is smaller than the post-paid coverage because prepaid can only connect to native AT&T towers. As for the data type differences between post-paid and prepaid, AT&T never seems to give a straight answer. That's why you see so much confusion on the forums.
As for the 4.3 upgrade... that's another variable. You could do a factory reset, but that would wipe your data, including the APNs. Since you worked so hard just to get to this point, I can understand if you're reluctant to do a factory reset or delete any APNs.
For now, I would recommend that you give your Nexus 4 a test drive on GoPhone. See how it performs around town in the places you frequently visit. Also, if you know a friend or family member who also has AT&T, try swapping SIM cards with them to see if your Nexus 4 will improve with their SIM card. (Also see if their phone can work with your SIM card.) Let us know how it turns out. I'm sure quite a few people are also interested to hear about your experience. Just remember, we're all rooting for you!
I'd been the using N4 for a few weeks on AT&T post-paid account, and recently switched over to prepaid. For my day-to-day usage (Triangle area, NC), I can't tell much of a difference, but I'm mostly on wifi. For speeds, I routinely get 5-7 mps download and 1 mps up. That's also comparable to the non LTE phone I had before with the post-paid.
skidmark
Well-known member
For some reason I cannot run a speedtest since I switched over to gophone. Anyone else having similar problems?
acejavelin
Well-known member
If you've moved to AT&T, have you set up the APN settings for AT&T? No problems working for me, though it has been changing a lot of late.
skidmark
Well-known member
Changing for the better or worse?
Can you please post the apn settings you are using? I am using what was auto setup when the SIM card was put in the phone.
Sent from my Nexus 4 on the Solavei network.
skidmark
Well-known member
Here is one setup that I found online.
APN Settings:
Name: AT&T HSPA+
APN: pta (NOTE: IF YOU DON’T HAVE AN LTE PLAN, CHANGE THIS TO “PHONE”)
Proxy: Not set
Port: Not set
Username: Not set
Password: Not set
MMSC: http://mmsc.mobile.att.net
MMS Proxy: proxy.mobile.att.net
MMS port: 80 (NOTE: IF MMS ISN’T WORKING, CHANGE THIS TO “8080″)
MCC: 310
MNC 410
Authentication type: Not set
APN type: default,admin,fota,mms,supl,hipri
APN protocol: IPv4/IPv6
APN roaming protocol: IPv4/IPv6
Bearer: Unspecified
Last edited:
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