Any faith left for sprint

[jj14x]

That is hilarious... I work right at 635 and 121 and I get almost no signal at all.. I live in Coppell and go to the Grapevine mall all the time... A Sprint enabled phone is completely worthless in that mall.... no coverage at all...... but your right.. I've talked to Sprint before on their maps and that is "Expected" coverage.....

I'm surprised they admitted that to you. I spent 3 months with their tech support who INSISTED that I had LTE coverage in my area. They had me factory reset my device, and even had me replace my device before getting me to a network support specialist who took all of 1 minute to tell me that no LTE tower was enabled in my area and there was no ETA. Filed a FCC complaint about deceptive marketing (sprint.com/coverage doesn't state "future coverage"), and a week later, I got a call from Sprint apologizing for the inconvenience, and a month later, the tower upgrade that had been "in progress" suddenly went live!

I am just shocked how I get LTE in the front yard of my house but it drops to 3G in the back yard.... Literally 100 feet..... and once you walk from the front yard into the house you lose the LTE signal completely.....

You must be on the border of one tower's coverage. Check your signal RSRP - anything worse than -110dBm is crap (upto -110 dBm is usable with Sprint - not great, but usable)

I don't trust any networks maps. I use the OpenSignal App on my phone OpenSignal Android App - OpenSignal OpenSignal coverage map is a impartial guide to how carriers are performing, both in terms of coverage and speed

OpenSignal uses your phone and millions of others World Wide to build it signal coverage maps that shows which network service provider is best coverage where you live, work and play. Look it isn't always 100% since at my house AT&T has a big hole around my neighborhood but it is ok just 2000 feet away. Few people in my neighborhood have AT&T so OpenSignal doesn't see this tiny hole in their map. However this OpenSignal App has a compass that lets me find better Cell service sometimes where I have a weak signal. This is a great App and I like that they keep the Network Service providers rated in your area as well as showing the data speed.

This looks like sensorly maps, and unfortunately, is not very accurate. It will tell you where coverage exists, but that doesn't mean that coverage doesn't exist in other areas. Opensignal (and sensorly) indicate zero coverage in my area, and near my work area. I have excellent LTE coverage at home (for the past 6 months or so), and have had excellent LTE coverage at work for a little over a year now).

Sprint - get your $#!^ together, and stop lying on your coverage maps!!!

 

[jj14x]

Anyway, if you thought manually enabling Spark on your N5 worked, think again. I did it as well, and I never got on Spark. I checked this myself in the Debug menu and I never saw any other band connected other than band 25. It will not, until Google pushes the update.

That is not really accurate - Even with the Spark update, you won't get "spark" unless the tower nearby you is actually broadcasting on those bands (and you really have no way of knowing that). If the tower nearest you is in fact broadcasting on 26 or 41 bands, you *can* get it to connect to those using the LTE engineering menu. That doesn't mean "spark" however - but it may give you better speeds because those bands with Sprint are not as crowded (yet).

 

[dpham00]

Before Spark, when did sprint make such promises of 60+ mbps of download?? They always said wimax peaked at 12mbps, and average of 4-6mbps. LTE peaked of 25mbps and had an average of 9-12 Mbps.....

All of it has been true to date. The ONLY one thing I have against Sprint is how slow the upgrades have been/ taken. That's mainly because they keep switching to a better technology since they lacked spectrum before.

As of right now, in reference to the Lamborghini spoken of before, Sprint has the Lamborghini motor ready, and its just assembling the body, tires and everything else. Where as the others are running on a Mustang GT....per say lol.
I rather wait for the Lambo to finish ;-) in the meantime, the current ride is a bit bumpy.

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If you want to call Verizon's network a Mustang gt, fine. I can live with 60-70mbps peak speeds. This is in a densely populated area, shopping centers, large movie theater and the like.

This isn't typically what I get of course, but Verizon can provide good speeds as well. I can get faster in non peak hours.

Sprint?s promises are fine, but I want to see how real world usage is like in densely populated areas. Real world results mean more than advertising.


To be fair, at very high load like at my work, I get around 20mbps indoors. There are lots of high rises around me.

Also Sprint plans (legacy or current) are way way more expensive than my Verizon legacy plan with unlimited unthrottled 4GLTE hotspot.


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

 

[Almeuit]

Yes, this is unacceptable.

Posted via Android Central App

And that's what alot of Sprint users deal with.. 3g like that.

Now this is what I get from switching.. 1 bar in my building (just took the test below). I get way more once I'm out but I'll take this anyday versus that old test I showed you.

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[Robbie317]

I'm surprised they admitted that to you. I spent 3 months with their tech support who INSISTED that I had LTE coverage in my area. They had me factory reset my device, and even had me replace my device before getting me to a network support specialist who took all of 1 minute to tell me that no LTE tower was enabled in my area and there was no ETA. Filed a FCC complaint about deceptive marketing (sprint.com/coverage doesn't state "future coverage"), and a week later, I got a call from Sprint apologizing for the inconvenience, and a month later, the tower upgrade that had been "in progress" suddenly went live!

I talked to one guy who over the phone who told me the maps are an estimate and may reflect "Future" coverage not actual current coverage... Very misleading to say the least...

Oh they did that with WiMax... They said "Oh your fully covered by WiMax at your home." and I never got a signal once.. but at least at work I use to get WiMax on my old EVO 4G but I get NO LTE signal at work on my GS3 or my Nexus 5...

 

[Robbie317]

That is not really accurate - Even with the Spark update, you won't get "spark" unless the tower nearby you is actually broadcasting on those bands (and you really have no way of knowing that). If the tower nearest you is in fact broadcasting on 26 or 41 bands, you *can* get it to connect to those using the LTE engineering menu. That doesn't mean "spark" however - but it may give you better speeds because those bands with Sprint are not as crowded (yet).

Oh I know.. but if you go to Sprint.com and punch in 75261 (My area code) it is lit up yellow as far as the eye can see for "SPARK" coverage and nothing... As you stated doesn't mean that I'll get Spark just means I SHOULD be able to connect to the other bands.. which if they say this is a live Spark market those bands SHOULD be broadcasting... but yeah no difference with all the bands enabled or turned off...

 

[ttwiitch]

That is not really accurate - Even with the Spark update, you won't get "spark" unless the tower nearby you is actually broadcasting on those bands (and you really have no way of knowing that). If the tower nearest you is in fact broadcasting on 26 or 41 bands, you *can* get it to connect to those using the LTE engineering menu. That doesn't mean "spark" however - but it may give you better speeds because those bands with Sprint are not as crowded (yet).

To prove to you even more, Spark is in Miami where I live. On top of that, I drive 8 hours a day county wide, so I know for a fact that manually, it does not work. I've checked everywhere, where other Spark enable devices are on Spark, while my N5 stays on band 25.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[ttwiitch]

If you want to call Verizon's network a Mustang gt, fine. I can live with 60-70mbps peak speeds. This is in a densely populated area, shopping centers, large movie theater and the like.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/06/de4ejeny.jpg

This isn't typically what I get of course, but Verizon can provide good speeds as well. I can get faster in non peak hours.

Sprint?s promises are fine, but I want to see how real world usage is like in densely populated areas. Real world results mean more than advertising.


To be fair, at very high load like at my work, I get around 20mbps indoors. There are lots of high rises around me.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/06/y2ehamuz.jpg


Also Sprint plans (legacy or current) are way way more expensive than my Verizon legacy plan with unlimited unthrottled 4GLTE hotspot.


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

These numbers are impressive for a Mustang lol. I'll keep my currently in production Lambo tho

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[ttwiitch]

And that's what alot of Sprint users deal with.. 3g like that.

Now this is what I get from switching.. 1 bar in my building (just took the test below). I get way more once I'm out but I'll take this anyday versus that old test I showed you.

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

Correct me if I'm wrong, signal bar strength, does not represent LTE signal strength? Each are individual??

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[jj14x]

Oh I know.. but if you go to Sprint.com and punch in 75261 (My area code) it is lit up yellow as far as the eye can see for "SPARK" coverage and nothing... As you stated doesn't mean that I'll get Spark just means I SHOULD be able to connect to the other bands.. which if they say this is a live Spark market those bands SHOULD be broadcasting... but yeah no difference with all the bands enabled or turned off...

With Sprint, their coverage maps mean diddly squat As you said, they should be broadcasting, but may not actually be. @Robbie317 - check your PM

To prove to you even more, Spark is in Miami where I live. On top of that, I drive 8 hours a day county wide, so I know for a fact that manually, it does not work. I've checked everywhere, where other Spark enable devices are on Spark, while my N5 stays on band 25.

I don't know about Miami, but I know for a fact that I was able to connect to band 41 (and briefly 26) using my nexus 5 (after I made band 41 priority 1) in Austin TX. Speeds were a little better - about 40Mbps or so download). As I said earlier though, I don't think that is "Spark" - it just means that my phone can connect to band 41 (& 26) if it finds that being broadcast, and if it is enabled on the device. I guess I'm trying to say that the N5 can be forced to connect to band 41/26 when it is available, but that doesn't mean "Spark" speeds will be available.
If your phone has connected to band 25, it may just hang onto that band (assuming it is available during your commute) - unless the band 25 is not available on another tower. A Spark enabled device may still be connecting to band 25 when it shows Spark. Spark doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be on 26 or 41 (25 is part of the Spark aggregation too).

Correct me if I'm wrong, signal bar strength, does not represent LTE signal strength? Each are individual??

On the Nexus 5, I'm told that the signal bar strength (when mobile data is enabled) does represent LTE, but the best way to check that is to check your RSRP (*#*#DEBUG#*#* on dialer menu, and look in LTE engineering section). I use the Signal check pro app, but that is the same as using the dialer code.

 

[Almeuit]

Correct me if I'm wrong, signal bar strength, does not represent LTE signal strength? Each are individual??

Posted via Android Central App

No it represents data signal strength. They changed that in Android 4.1 I believe.

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[Almeuit]

These numbers are impressive for a Mustang lol. I'll keep my currently in production Lambo tho

Posted via Android Central App

How are the speeds on the current production lambo? You keep talking about it but no screenshots .

Also you do know Verizon AWS has the same (or close to) theoretical speeds as Spark right? Just sayin..

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[dpham00]

How are the speeds on the current production lambo? You keep talking about it but no screenshots .

Also you do know Verizon AWS has the same (or close to) theoretical speeds as Spark right? Just sayin..

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

Verizon 20x20mhz aws can theoretically hit 147mbps same as tmobile. Though Verizon is limited by the backhaul

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

 

[ttwiitch]

How are the speeds on the current production lambo? You keep talking about it but no screenshots .

Also you do know Verizon AWS has the same (or close to) theoretical speeds as Spark right? Just sayin..

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

Android central app does not support pic upload :-(

And yes Verizon could actually be faster than the current Spark stage, true.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[UJ95x]

Android central app does not support pic upload :-(

And yes Verizon could actually be faster than the current Spark stage, true.

Posted via Android Central App

Use the AC Forums app

Sent from my SGH-M919 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[ttwiitch]

With Sprint, their coverage maps mean diddly squat As you said, they should be broadcasting, but may not actually be. @Robbie317 - check your PM

I don't know about Miami, but I know for a fact that I was able to connect to band 41 (and briefly 26) using my nexus 5 (after I made band 41 priority 1) in Austin TX. Speeds were a little better - about 40Mbps or so download). As I said earlier though, I don't think that is "Spark" - it just means that my phone can connect to band 41 (& 26) if it finds that being broadcast, and if it is enabled on the device. I guess I'm trying to say that the N5 can be forced to connect to band 41/26 when it is available, but that doesn't mean "Spark" speeds will be available.
If your phone has connected to band 25, it may just hang onto that band (assuming it is available during your commute) - unless the band 25 is not available on another tower. A Spark enabled device may still be connecting to band 25 when it shows Spark. Spark doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be on 26 or 41 (25 is part of the Spark aggregation too).


On the Nexus 5, I'm told that the signal bar strength (when mobile data is enabled) does represent LTE, but the best way to check that is to check your RSRP (*#*#DEBUG#*#* on dialer menu, and look in LTE engineering section). I use the Signal check pro app, but that is the same as using the dialer code.

A phone on bands 41 and 26 while I'm on band 25, yet I have mine manually set to 41 as priority. Still, not finding that band. Tried at different places and results are the same. It does not work. I've been able to pull 32-33mbps down but on band 25 only. FYI, I know that just because it says Spark it doesn't mean its on band 41 or 26.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[jj14x]

A phone on bands 41 and 26 while I'm on band 25, yet I have mine manually set to 41 as priority. Still, not finding that band. Tried at different places and results are the same. It does not work. I've been able to pull 32-33mbps down but on band 25 only. FYI, I know that just because it says Spark it doesn't mean its on band 41 or 26.

Not sure what to tell ya - I know that my N5 is able to connect to band 41 when it is available (and assuming I've enabled it) after I do a profile update. I know that several other users (over on s4gru) have also reported successfully connecting to 41 and 26, and that there are users on s4gru who can't get it to connect to those bands (some of them have had success after flashing an older version of the radio software).
Also, I guess you already know this, but the priorities are just telling the phone what band to scan for first. The network will ultimately decide what band to put and keep you on.

 

[ttwiitch]

Use the AC Forums app

Sent from my SGH-M919 using AC Forums mobile app

Here lol.
Its some pretty old speeds tests but as it shows, these are not peak times. Since I drive all day, my average speeds are 4-18 which is a big gap....again, because I move around too much.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Almeuit]

Here lol.
Its some pretty old speeds tests but as it shows, these are not peak times. Since I drive all day, my average speeds are 4-18 which is a big gap....again, because I move around too much.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

Yeah those definitely are old ... But not bad. I average 8-10 on HSPA and 20-40 on LTE.

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[Robbie317]

Here lol.
Its some pretty old speeds tests but as it shows, these are not peak times. Since I drive all day, my average speeds are 4-18 which is a big gap....again, because I move around too much.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

I've seen speeds like this maybe once or twice and only when I was downtown Dallas... On LTE I'm lucky to hit 6 - 8 around Coppell, Grapevine, Lewisville, Irving Texas.... Usually it's more around 1 - 2.... That is LTE.... when it drops down to 3G I'd be lucky to get even 1 Mbps.... It's ugly in my area....