4G ALERT! You cannot connect to Sprint 4G when roaming!!!

[NMherron]

A month or so ago when I was in Santa Fe, New Mexico my Evo would not get out of roaming mode (which happens occasionally), even though I had traveled into a Sprint coverage area. So as I wandered into a 4G service area I tried to connect to the 4G tower, and it wouldn't. It would see the signal, then go "Connecting to Sprint". Then it would go back to "Scanning". After a few seconds it would try to connect again, but would not. Repeating the same thing over and over again.

After about 10 minutes of that, I cycled my Evo through airplane mode so it would stop roaming and pick up the native Sprint signal. Sure enough, once I was no longer roaming I was able to connect to the Sprint 4G tower in Santa Fe without any problem. From this experience I started to wonder if we Sprint users could not connect to a Sprint 4G singal when our phones are roaming, even if we are getting a signal.

Since then I had read in another message board where someone in Billings, Montana and Bismarck, North Dakota could not connect to Sprint 4G towers that are active there. They said they had the same problem I had, where their device could see the towers and try to connect, to no avail. In both of those cities, Sprint does not have native voice service anymore and Sprint users roam. However, Billings has two Sprint/Clear 4G towers and Bismarck has one.

So, I decided to drive to the nearest city in my region that has no Sprint voice service, but has a Sprint/Clear 4G tower. In my case, that city is Alamosa, Colorado. Sure enough, I get in the city, turn on my 4G antenna and scan for service. It sees the the tower and says "Connecting to Sprint." But it cannot connect and starts scanning again. It repeated this over and over for 45 minutes.

So based on all this, I am concluding, YOU CANNOT CONNECT TO A SPRINT 4G SIGNAL IF YOUR DEVICE IS ROAMING.

This is a major bummer. Sprint (and their 4G partner Clearwire) now have 4G WiMax service to dozens of Western, Upper Midwest, Alaska and other Rural communities that do not have Sprint phone service. In these areas, we will not be able to use the 4G service.

SPRINT, PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SOON! It's a huge waste of money to be pumping out a signal that cannot be used. Hopefully this can be done through a software update. I have sent an e-mail to Sprint. But i'm sure it will go nowhere!

 

[tybo31316]

I can connect and roam at the same time on the 4g here in jacksonville, florida but most of the time if I'm roaming there is no 4g signal nearby

 

[NMherron]

I can connect and roam at the same time on the 4g here in jacksonville, florida but most of the time if I'm roaming there is no 4g signal nearby

Sprint acknowledged this problem in a message to me today after I posted it in a Sprint forum. They said that you will not be able to get a 4G connection on a Sprint phone while roaming off the Sprint network. They said the reason being is that your device will use the Sprint data connection to check your devices credentials before giving you access to the 4G network.

It also mentioned in the message that you can use it while roaming, but you will not be able to connect while roaming. For instance, if you are on a Sprint native network and connect and then go into roaming, you will not lose your Sprint 4G connection.

Additionally, it does not affect Sprint devices like USB sticks or MI-Fi connectors. Just Android 4G smartphones.

They did not mention in my message whether they were going to fix the issue. So I have inquired.

In your instance, are you sure you were roaming when trying to connect? Or were you already connected when you started roaming?

 

[tybo31316]

Sprint acknowledged this problem in a message to me today after I posted it in a Sprint forum. They said that you will not be able to get a 4G connection on a Sprint phone while roaming off the Sprint network. They said the reason being is that your device will use the Sprint data connection to check your devices credentials before giving you access to the 4G network.

It also mentioned in the message that you can use it while roaming, but you will not be able to connect while roaming. For instance, if you are on a Sprint native network and connect and then go into roaming, you will not lose your Sprint 4G connection.

Additionally, it does not affect Sprint devices like USB sticks or MI-Fi connectors. Just Android 4G smartphones.

They did not mention in my message whether they were going to fix the issue. So I have inquired.

In your instance, are you sure you were roaming when trying to connect? Or were you already connected when you started roaming?

I was already connected to the network inside of a building that I was in and then the 1x connection went into roaming while I was using 4g. I thought it was pretty ironic that I had a 4g connection and was roaming at the same time. It only happens in that one building but no where else. Maybe clear has panels thats not located on a sprint tower.

 

[NMherron]

I was already connected to the network inside of a building that I was in and then the 1x connection went into roaming while I was using 4g. I thought it was pretty ironic that I had a 4g connection and was roaming at the same time. It only happens in that one building but no where else. Maybe clear has panels thats not located on a sprint tower.

That is quite ironic! That explains why you were OK roaming and still able to use 4G. In that situation if you were to disconnect 4G and try to re-connect, it probably wouldn't go though. This is good information. Thanks for sharing.

 

[tybo31316]

That is quite ironic! That explains why you were OK roaming and still able to use 4G. In that situation if you were to disconnect 4G and try to re-connect, it probably wouldn't go though. This is good information. Thanks for sharing.

Im on a call while roaming and turned my 4g on and it connected to the tower and im talking and surfing at the same time while roaming.

 

[NMherron]

Im on a call while roaming and turned my 4g on and it connected to the tower and im talking and surfing at the same time while roaming.

Makes me wonder if it is just an issue in "unofficial" cities where the Sprint maps are not showing service, yet. Like Billings Montana, Bismarck North Dakota, Santa Fe New Mexico, Fairbanks Alaska, et al.