Signal strength

Cprtt8

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Feb 27, 2015
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Hi, has anyone else had issues with the note 4 signal after lollipop? I'm on Verizon and I can barely make a call. Does anyone know of a fix to this problem? I have tried changing the sim card, did a factory reset, clearing the cache. Everything except replacing the phone. Can anyone please help me?

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420benz

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Jul 21, 2011
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Hi, has anyone else had issues with the note 4 signal after lollipop? I'm on Verizon and I can barely make a call. Does anyone know of a fix to this problem? I have tried changing the sim card, did a factory reset, clearing the cache. Everything except replacing the phone. Can anyone please help me?

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Ask Verizon for a signal booster. It will take about 5 phone calls but it's worth it .
 

Trees

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Sep 20, 2012
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Signal strength has been good for me on Verizon. I think some factors like your areas coverage, cell tower utilization (from other phones), environmental conditions (inside a building, basement, etc) can impact signal strength. I live in a large metro area where Verizon has invested in XLTE, so that may have something to do with the overall good coverage.

At my workplace, I can be in my office area (building middle), and get ~ 109 dBm and about two bars LTE. Sometimes that briefly drops to 3G. Basement usually goes to just a few bars at 3G. At the building edge with glass windows and no obstructions from rebar and concrete, I get ~ 75 dBm and five bars LTE.
 

Cprtt8

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Feb 27, 2015
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Signal strength has been good for me on Verizon. I think some factors like your areas coverage, cell tower utilization (from other phones), environmental conditions (inside a building, basement, etc) can impact signal strength. I live in a large metro area where Verizon has invested in XLTE, so that may have something to do with the overall good coverage.

At my workplace, I can be in my office area (building middle), and get ~ 109 dBm and about two bars LTE. Sometimes that briefly drops to 3G. Basement usually goes to just a few bars at 3G. At the building edge with glass windows and no obstructions from rebar and concrete, I get ~ 75 dBm and five bars LTE.

I will have to look into XLTE. That may have something to do with it. I had great coverage 4+ bars at my home on kitkat and since installing Lollipop I have only 2 bars when I go outside and no signal in the house. Nothing has changed in the environment, only the operating system. From what I have been reading there are several people who have this problem, but there has not been a solution so far. I live very close to a cell tower and testing signal testing apps say the phone is reading about - 78dBm, but it's as though it cant connect to it. I have read the lollipop update changed the programming for the digital code modem. I wonder if that could be causing the issues.

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beh

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You may wish to consider that each manufacturer, phone model, OS, and carrier impact on the signal bar icon reading. The signal icon is in fact a very general indicator that is not comparable between phone models, carriers, etc. So different readings in this icon are only relative to that phone. If you are actually having issues with call clarity, dropped calls, etc. that is indeed an issue you need to have addressed. But icon signal bar count doesn't actually reflect much other than being an relative indicator. I have read articles that claim (not personal knowledge here) that some carriers actually pump the signal strength icon to show high signals to mask actually lower signal strength.
 

Trees

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I will have to look into XLTE. That may have something to do with it. I had great coverage 4+ bars at my home on kitkat and since installing Lollipop I have only 2 bars when I go outside and no signal in the house. Nothing has changed in the environment, only the operating system. From what I have been reading there are several people who have this problem, but there has not been a solution so far. I live very close to a cell tower and testing signal testing apps say the phone is reading about - 78dBm, but it's as though it cant connect to it. I have read the lollipop update changed the programming for the digital code modem. I wonder if that could be causing the issues.

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Sorry to hear this. I was on Kit Kat for a week or so before the Lollipop update arrived. Signal strength/quality has been good with both.

I remember some older threads (don't have the links, just paraphrasing from memory) that changing the "Preferred network mode" may help. Mine is set to Global, which I think is the default. There is an "LTE/CDMA" mode.

My Advanced Calling features are both turned on by default I believe ("HD Voice" and "Video calling"). Not sure if those two features are part of XLTE or not.

Another thought is that your SIM card may have flaked out. Might not hurt to drop by a Verizon store and have them check that out.

I've also had good success with Verizon Tech Support via Chat on other technical questions/problems. They may be able to check out the cell towers in your area to see if there are problems.
 

MizWylie

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Jun 25, 2015
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My issue was a bad Sim card...well...not a bad Sim card. I had an iPhone Sim in an adaptor that would I would swap back and forth and they replaced it. Signal picked up, but no more iPhone Sim to swap.
 

Trees

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My issue was a bad Sim card...well...not a bad Sim card. I had an iPhone Sim in an adaptor that would I would swap back and forth and they replaced it. Signal picked up, but no more iPhone Sim to swap.

Sorry to see you were having problems, but good that you shared about the problem source. Using an adapter is not uncommon.