Samsung Galaxy Note 4 4G really acting up

skatergirl

Retired Moderator
Mar 22, 2011
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Hi!

I have a Verizon Note 4. I hadn't noticed any problems with my data connection until last evening and it started inside a free standing restaurant. My signal had dropped to 1x and would not go further than 3g. It was awful. I was sitting next to a Verizon Turbo with full 4g and two T-Mobile G3 with full 4g. I restarted my phone several times but the problem remained. We left and went to an AMC movie and my phone was still acting the same. The other three phones were still getting strong 4g. Once we left the movie and got outside, my 4g was back. I was at a movie earlier this week and I did not have this problem.

Between last night and this morning I pulled the battery, sim card and SD card, I cleared the partition cache and then I went through my apps and cleared the cache. This morning I noticed my phone drift into 3g and I restarted my phone. I then switched mobile network to lte from global and even now I am drifting back into 3g while I sit at my desk next to a window and a Turbo in strong 4g.

From what I have already done, does anyone have any other suggestions before I do the dreaded factory reset? I need my phone to be working tomorrow off wifi.
 
Re: 4G really acting up

I'm on sprint and I had the same problem with mine.. I have a strong lte connection while I'm home but my note4 would not connect no matter what I tried.. If I left the house I would connect to lte and stayed connected even when I got home for about a half hour before it would drop to 3g.. I Finally I took it to a sprint store and explained it wouldn't stay connected to lte.. Of course my phone was on lte while I explained my issue.. But while the service rep was running some tests my phone dropped the lte signal! So she said it was definitely a problem and ordered me a new phone! Haven't had a problem with this new phone!
 
Re: 4G really acting up

If this is in an area where you normally get 4g,then I would call Verizon, it could be a problem with the tower. If not then you will probably have to do a factory data reset

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4
 
Re: 4G really acting up

I actually ended up doing a factory reset and I continued to see 3g. I called Verizon and they had me turn off the phone and she said she was resyncing the phone to the system. At first I was still seeing 3g and she ordered me another phone. Now, I have not been out of the house since then and so far I see all 4g. I will be in a sketchy area today so it will be a good test. If it behaves I may just reject the other phone.

Thanks everyone. I'll keep you posted.
 
Re: 4G really acting up

So I went on an 36-hour trip and I had nothing but grief with my phone. My husband had to hot spot my phone the entire trip. There were times when I had perfect 4g and times when I had 1x, while his Verizon Turbo was 99 percent of the time in 4g.

I expected when I got home that I would see the email from Verizon with the replacement phone's tracking number and it was not there. I called abd they said an order was never placed, and unbelievably a rep tried to get me to troubleshoot the phone again. I pitched a gigantic Sicilian BEOTCH fit and demanded to speak to a supervisor. Finally a supervisor got on and placed the darn order.

Verizon is getting more incompetent by the day and I am getting oh-so-close to going to T-Mobile and getting $150 per line and telling Verizon goodbye. The towers are so jammed that the blazing 4g is no longer blazing and I watch my T-Mobile friends having zero problems with their phones, connections, data, calls, nothing.
 
Re: 4G really acting up

It sounds like your Verizon Note 4 may be defective ... Or simply that the LTE signal is weaker in those areas and the Motorola Turbo radios are handling it better .. I would think it has to be one of those two.

You could try getting a new SIM from Verizon to see if that helps before taking any drastic measures.
 
Re: 4G really acting up

It is strange that I did not have any problems until Friday but it is pretty bad because I was getting 1x service at times. Not even a difference of a few 4g bars, just plain horrible reception. I am not sure if Verizon is sending a new sim card in the replacement phone or not.
 
Re: 4G really acting up

It sounds like your Verizon Note 4 may be defective ... Or simply that the LTE signal is weaker in those areas and the Motorola Turbo radios are handling it better .. I would think it has to be one of those two.

You could try getting a new SIM from Verizon to see if that helps before taking any drastic measures.

Almeuit ... you may be correct!

I had already started the process of getting the replacement before I read your post. I got the replacement today and guess what? It is still in 3g. Verizon did not send a new sim card, so I am taking both phones to the Verizon store Friday and starting with a new sim card in my current phone. No need going through all that customization if it is a sim issue.

Thank you so much for your suggestion. I don't know what Android users would do without Android Central. I have gotten so much help here over the years. Thank you!!
 
Re: 4G really acting up

Almeuit ... you may be correct!

I had already started the process of getting the replacement before I read your post. I got the replacement today and guess what? It is still in 3g. Verizon did not send a new sim card, so I am taking both phones to the Verizon store Friday and starting with a new sim card in my current phone. No need going through all that customization if it is a sim issue.

Thank you so much for your suggestion. I don't know what Android users would do without Android Central. I have gotten so much help here over the years. Thank you!!

Sounds good -- Keep us posted if the new SIM helps (you would be shocked how many times it has in the past). If not maybe we can try and figure out what could be causing it :).
 
Re: 4G really acting up

I had a problem where my phone wouldn't connect to 4G anymore as well. It was always 3G, even where I know I'd gotten 4G before. Here's how I fixed it.

First, turn Wi-Fi off. Go to settings>system updates>update profile. After this is complete, dial ##72786#. The phone will reboot.

After that process, 4G works the way it should once again, so see if it works for you.
 
Re: 4G really acting up

I had a problem where my phone wouldn't connect to 4G anymore as well. It was always 3G, even where I know I'd gotten 4G before. Here's how I fixed it.

First, turn Wi-Fi off. Go to settings>system updates>update profile. After this is complete, dial ##72786#. The phone will reboot.

After that process, 4G works the way it should once again, so see if it works for you.

Ah good idea. A PRL update could help.. It's been awhile since I've been on a CDMA carrier ... Forget that stuff sometimes :D.
 
Re: 4G really acting up

I had a problem where my phone wouldn't connect to 4G anymore as well. It was always 3G, even where I know I'd gotten 4G before. Here's how I fixed it.

First, turn Wi-Fi off. Go to settings>system updates>update profile. After this is complete, dial ##72786#. The phone will reboot.

After that process, 4G works the way it should once again, so see if it works for you.

Thank you! I am going to try that after I eat dinner.
 
Re: 4G really acting up

I had a problem where my phone wouldn't connect to 4G anymore as well. It was always 3G, even where I know I'd gotten 4G before. Here's how I fixed it.

First, turn Wi-Fi off. Go to settings>system updates>update profile. After this is complete, dial ##72786#. The phone will reboot.

After that process, 4G works the way it should once again, so see if it works for you.

So far this is not working for me. I don't have an option to update profile in system update and when I dial ##72786# my phone just sits there.
 
Re: 4G really acting up

I had a problem where my phone wouldn't connect to 4G anymore as well. It was always 3G, even where I know I'd gotten 4G before. Here's how I fixed it.

First, turn Wi-Fi off. Go to settings>system updates>update profile. After this is complete, dial ##72786#. The phone will reboot.

After that process, 4G works the way it should once again, so see if it works for you.

My Verizon Note 4 doesn't have the Update Profile option under System Updates. It will simply check for Verizon software updates, then drop you back to the Settings menu.
 
Re: 4G really acting up

Well Friday I will go and swap out the sim card. Hopefully this is the issue, if not all Note 4 phones from Verizon are bad and I don't think that is the case because I was fine up until Friday.

I'll keep you all posted. Thank you so much for all and any tips.
 
Re: 4G really acting up

There are a lot of factors that can hork-up RF propagation, but it sounds like you have either a defective antenna, radio, or sim card. I'd warrantee it and get a new phone.
 
Re: 4G really acting up

There are a lot of factors that can hork-up RF propagation, but it sounds like you have either a defective antenna, radio, or sim card. I'd warrantee it and get a new phone.

I did get a replacement (without a new sim card) and the replacement (with my sim card) started right up in 3g.
 

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