Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 activated but why am I not getting any Spark service?

[prodeq12]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

after all these years with Sprint I really think they need to get out of the wireless business and into the advertising and marketing business... I think they spend more time, effort and money on little video's like this and telling us about "Network Vision" and "Framily" vs actually making what has had the potential of being a really great network....... I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Texas area and they list DFW as "Spark" enabled... I have it enabled on my 32 gig Nexus 5 and I can say I am seeing slight improvements.... LTE in a few spots where I use to not.... but it still does not seem like their network/towers can handle much...I go to work at 6 in the morning and I get an LTE signal and average speeds.. nothing to brag about.... by 9 am my LTE signal will actually go away and it will default back down to 3G and grinds to a halt it's so freaking slow.... and I don't move.. I sit at a desk all day... but as the parking lot starts to fill up the signal gets worse and the speeds get worse too.... and I work right at DFW international airport... Not like I am somewhere in the sticks.... One of the busier airports in the country... They CLAIM LTE and Spark coverage every where around where I work but it minimal at best.....

The problem is not the network. Is the nexus 5. We have an unlocked phone and for that reason we are paying the price right now. The nexus 5 has the hardware to access the true spark LTE band 41 2300mhz but even if its enabled on your particular phone is not configured to latch on to it. Some Nexus 5 owners on Sprint have reported that the 4.4.0 version of kit Kat (with the.15 radio modems) has the ability to latch on to band 41 and hold it, getting speeds of 40+ mbps. So the problem here is that LG had to fix and get the radio modems right thru software just like they did with the LG G2 which is similar in hardware.

So we N5 owners are waiting for an update which the G2 already got except because our phones are unlocked we don't get our updates from LG or Sprint, they come from Google. So Google will most likely get us this radio update on the 4.4.3 update.

 

[mrsmumbles]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

I read an article which said something like Spark is going to be a combination of bands and Sprint hasnt yet sold the phones for it because it's still a future concept. I know some have gotten good speeds on band 41 already, but that would only be a rudimentary form of the Spark to come. But with Sprint, good service is always "to come", never now.

Sent from my LG-LG870 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Robbie317]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

The problem is not the network. Is the nexus 5. We have an unlocked phone and for that reason we are paying the price right now. The nexus 5 has the hardware to access the true spark LTE band 41 2300mhz but even if its enabled on your particular phone is not configured to latch on to it. Some Nexus 5 owners on Sprint have reported that the 4.4.0 version of kit Kat (with the.15 radio modems) has the ability to latch on to band 41 and hold it, getting speeds of 40+ mbps. So the problem here is that LG had to fix and get the radio modems right thru software just like they did with the LG G2 which is similar in hardware.

So we N5 owners are waiting for an update which the G2 already got except because our phones are unlocked we don't get our updates from LG or Sprint, they come from Google. So Google will most likely get us this radio update on the 4.4.3 update.

It's not the Nexus 5... I've been with Sprint for ages now... I went through the HTC EVO 4G Wi-Max promises... The next Generation HTC EVO 4G LTE promises.... and I live in a pretty large major metro area.... I live, work and play in the heart of Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas... The firmware updates come directly from Google but the PRL and Profile updates come directly from Sprint not Google and those more than anything control your radio's, But there are tweaks to the firmware directly from Google that can help improve things......... Overall Sprints blanket network is just horrendous... My wife has the HTC One (2013) and both of my daughters have iPhone 5S and regardless of "Spark" the LTE coverage in and around DFW is horrendous and spotty at best.... and not just Dallas... We travel to visit Family in Nashville, TN and Raleigh, NC and there are HOT SPOTS but overall the LTE coverage is very spotty.... Heck I get LTE in my living room (Front of my house) but if I go out in the back yard the LTE signal drops back to 3G..... I know if I am going to text a picture to go stand in my living room or in the front yard... if I am in the back yard and it drops to 3G it will error and not send.. My wife and daughters know this as well.... and my house is only 1,500 square feet and one story... but that small distance is a major difference in Sprints coverage.......... Google or Sprint and tweak the radio or firmware all they want but if the towers are not fully upgraded and the "Network Vision" upgrades they keep talking about (have been talking about) are not up to snuff it won't matter at all..... My best friend has a Nexus 5 as well and on AT&T and without any "SPARK" coverage he gets LTE everywhere we go and even his 3G coverage dominates my Sprint LTE coverage........ I've thought about switching to AT&T.... My line is still locked to the EVO 4G LTE until May..... before the smart phone crazy Sprints network for regular calls was just fine..... (I've been with Sprint since the 1990's) but their data coverage is just not up to snuff....

 

[prodeq12]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

It's not the Nexus 5... I've been with Sprint for ages now... I went through the HTC EVO 4G Wi-Max promises... The next Generation HTC EVO 4G LTE promises.... and I live in a pretty large major metro area.... I live, work and play in the heart of Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas... The firmware updates come directly from Google but the PRL and Profile updates come directly from Sprint not Google and those more than anything control your radio's, But there are tweaks to the firmware directly from Google that can help improve things......... Overall Sprints blanket network is just horrendous... My wife has the HTC One (2013) and both of my daughters have iPhone 5S and regardless of "Spark" the LTE coverage in and around DFW is horrendous and spotty at best.... and not just Dallas... We travel to visit Family in Nashville, TN and Raleigh, NC and there are HOT SPOTS but overall the LTE coverage is very spotty.... Heck I get LTE in my living room (Front of my house) but if I go out in the back yard the LTE signal drops back to 3G..... I know if I am going to text a picture to go stand in my living room or in the front yard... if I am in the back yard and it drops to 3G it will error and not send.. My wife and daughters know this as well.... and my house is only 1,500 square feet and one story... but that small distance is a major difference in Sprints coverage.......... Google or Sprint and tweak the radio or firmware all they want but if the towers are not fully upgraded and the "Network Vision" upgrades they keep talking about (have been talking about) are not up to snuff it won't matter at all..... My best friend has a Nexus 5 as well and on AT&T and without any "SPARK" coverage he gets LTE everywhere we go and even his 3G coverage dominates my Sprint LTE coverage........ I've thought about switching to AT&T.... My line is still locked to the EVO 4G LTE until May..... before the smart phone crazy Sprints network for regular calls was just fine..... (I've been with Sprint since the 1990's) but their data coverage is just not up to snuff....

PRL stands for preffered roaming list and only take effect while roaming, something that should concern most rural customers. The current PRL's and profile updates are proving to work on other spark phones.

get me tell you my experience, I live in NYC and I am also suffering the same issues you are. I have been with Sprint since I was inherited from nextel. Sprint service is horrible compared to other networks at this time. As of two months ago I was under contract with a family plan which made the situation of different end dates complicated to leave Sprint. I also moved into a new house and suddenly my service got worse with little to no signal and dropped calls. I thought it was the thick walls, but when my in laws would come over to the house their service was fair with T-Mobile. Most of the time I relied on WiFi hotspots more than LTE. About 3 months ago my father in laws got himself a new Nexus 5 from TM and comes over to my house. I ran a speed test on it and got 26mbps average on LTE. I was getting 3mbps average on LTE at my house with Sprint.

All of this made me very frustrated as you seem to be now. But that frustration led me to investigate and analyze technically why we have to endure such lousy service and pay so much for it. What I learned was that Sprint's 1900 MHz PCS band is only 10 MHz wide and with the current rise in smartphone usage that band got crowded really fast and voice signal went down with it. Then I learned how VZ and ATT had the advantage when it came to call reception and LTE, their lower and wider 700 MHz bands had the power to go further and penetrate deeper thru walls (less spotty). Then I learned how TM's 1700 MHz bands were 20 MHz wide and less crowded than the rest of the carriers which explained why my in-laws had better service. (But they did complain how TM 1700 MHz service is also spotty)

So I guess Sprint had to go when my contract is over. Not really, why? Rule of thumb is lower frequencies travel further and penetrate better thru walls but LTE speeds are slower while higher frequencies cover a smaller area but LTE speeds are faster (kinda like WiFi) and Sprint has all three bands B26, B25, B41, and currently hold the most bandwith combined. Sprint now has the spectrum advantage. I then read how Sprint has a new wealthy owner from Japan who is pretty determined to be number #1 and has the experience to turn a cell carrier to succeed. That's when I personally decided to wait on Spark. The nexus 5 has proved to work on Spark with past Kit kat updates but has screwed it up with the current one (4.4.2). My friend has an LG G2 and his average speeds on spark are 45mbps.

 

[jj14x]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

Sprint has all three bands B26, B25, B41, and currently hold the most bandwith combined. Sprint now has the spectrum advantage. I then read how Sprint has a new wealthy owner from Japan who is pretty determined to be number #1 and has the experience to turn a cell carrier to succeed.

They may have the spectrum advantage, but remember that for Sprint to actually use that advantage, they have to be able to transmit/receive all three bands on a majority of their towers. Knowing how slow Sprint is usually to upgrade their network (claiming DFW LTE active over a year before major cities in the DFW area actually got ANY LTE connectivity), I am not holding my breath for that to happen. They already claim (on their coverage maps) that my home area is under Spark coverage. And no, it isn't.
Oh, and BTW, with Spark, it doesn't mean that the phone will get all 3 bands at the same time - it will just prioritize one band. So be it 26/25 or 41, the phone will only get one (hopefully the least crowded)

Till a few months ago, Sprint was the most cost effective carrier for me (SERO plans). But now, T-Mo, ATT (and even Verizon) match or beat that price. I will not move to Verizon (because they don't have a Nexus device), but I really have nothing holding me to Sprint anymore. I'm out of contract, have a unlocked Nexus...

Just a month ago, their CSFB issues screwed things up so bad that I called in to disconnect my line. This was not just CSFB, but a total screw up because my phone would connect to LTE, with an excellent signal, but would simply not let me make/receive any calls. It should have parked on 3g instead, giving me lower data speeds, but at least let me make/receive calls - but not.... it decided to throw my voice connectivity out. Thankfully, I noticed that I was getting voicemails with no apparent incoming calls, and I switched the radio to 3g only to fix the issue. Thankfully, they fixed it in a few days.

I'm still with them for now.Their customer service has been pretty good and helpful. Their network support/expansion? Not so much.

But with Sprint, good service is always "to come", never now.

You stole the words right out of my mouth!!!

 

[kylebleich]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

*about unlocking* I couldn't figure out exactly where to post this but this is close to my question so...I understand the nexus 5 comes unlocked..but I'm also under the understanding that once a Sim is put in its locked to that carrier... At the moment I am with wind but I have moved out of the city and wind is no longer and option...unless I want to spend hundreds of dollars a month...so do I have to unlock my nexus 5... Or just get a Sim with a new company and put it in... Thanks any help is greatly appreciated

Posted via Android Central App

 

[prodeq12]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

They may have the spectrum advantage, but remember that for Sprint to actually use that advantage, they have to be able to transmit/receive all three bands on a majority of their towers. Knowing how slow Sprint is usually to upgrade their network (claiming DFW LTE active over a year before major cities in the DFW area actually got ANY LTE connectivity), I am not holding my breath for that to happen. They already claim (on their coverage maps) that my home area is under Spark coverage. And no, it isn't.
Oh, and BTW, with Spark, it doesn't mean that the phone will get all 3 bands at the same time - it will just prioritize one band. So be it 26/25 or 41, the phone will only get one (hopefully the least crowded)

Till a few months ago, Sprint was the most cost effective carrier for me (SERO plans). But now, T-Mo, ATT (and even Verizon) match or beat that price. I will not move to Verizon (because they don't have a Nexus device), but I really have nothing holding me to Sprint anymore. I'm out of contract, have a unlocked Nexus...

Just a month ago, their CSFB issues screwed things up so bad that I called in to disconnect my line. This was not just CSFB, but a total screw up because my phone would connect to LTE, with an excellent signal, but would simply not let me make/receive any calls. It should have parked on 3g instead, giving me lower data speeds, but at least let me make/receive calls - but not.... it decided to throw my voice connectivity out. Thankfully, I noticed that I was getting voicemails with no apparent incoming calls, and I switched the radio to 3g only to fix the issue. Thankfully, they fixed it in a few days.

I'm still with them for now.Their customer service has been pretty good and helpful. Their network support/expansion? Not so much.



You stole the words right out of my mouth!!!

I'm still gonna give em a chance for a few reasons. Ever since I went on the no contract framily plan and got the nexus 5 I'm not tied to them anymore. the strong rf radios on the nexus have given me better call reception and quality. CFSB issues have gotten better. I'm not in need of LTE that much since I'm using WiFi most of the time (ISP offers hotspots which are abundant in NYC). Other carriers are not offering better service for me in my area. I have friends and family on different carriers and they all have complaints. And last reason Sprint might have been slow in building out their network in the past but now they have Masayoshi Son (Google him!)

I'm personally satisfied for now ever since I bought the Nexus 5.

 

[jj14x]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

..so do I have to unlock my nexus 5... Or just get a Sim with a new company and put it in...

just put in a new SIM and it should work.

 

[kylebleich]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

just put in a new SIM and it should work.

At last an answer !!! Thanks again

Posted via Android Central App

 

[jj14x]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

You are welcome. As long as you are going with a GSM carrier, your Nexus 5 is compatible. If you are going with a CDMA carrier, your options are limited to Sprint (at least in the US)

 

[Spence Southard]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

Just flash the .15 modem. This modem has B41 allowed since it was the pre-production test modem. Will work for any active Spark site, BUT it will also work for Spark sites that are broadcasting B41 without eCSFB. These sites are few and far between, but if you connect to one you're going to get a pretty much unused (very fast) data connection and find yourself disconnecting from texting, voice, and other Sprint services while you're on that site.

 

[prodeq12]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...-start-rolling-out-today-according-to-sprint/

 

[Jayq330]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

As you might of figured out now without the Android 4.4.3 update, no one was able to use sprints spark data on their nexus 5 until now. It was all BS... Never a YouTube video showing off spark speeds, no straight answer from people who said their using spark on their N5, now with the update I'm downloading an average of 20 to 45 MBS & 30% of the time download at 73 MBS have screenshots to prove. The upload on 2.5/2.6 GHz is pretty good outside but bad indoors, outdoors you can get around 15 to 25 MBS upload & today peaked at 42 MBS up! Sick. Anyway for some reason I can't use band 26 aka 800 MHz which sucks that we had to wait this long use spark on our N5's, but now it doesn't allow nexus 5 users access to band 26, it'll show that it's enabled but see if you make a call & it goes to band 26, it goes to band 51 instead which is 1.9 GHz CDMA do no 800 MHz lte for us . Check what band your on by dialing "*#*#debug#*#*" or download "Nexus 5 field tester *root needed*” anyway if anyone figures out a way to use band 26 please post.

 

[bed269]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

I just checked and it showing band 26. We don't have spark here so that may be why I really don't know. I might be doing something wrong also.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[bed269]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

It's this what you are talking about?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[jvai]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

As you might of figured out now without the Android 4.4.3 update, no one was able to use sprints spark data on their nexus 5 until now. It was all BS... Never a YouTube video showing off spark speeds, no straight answer from people who said their using spark on their N5, now with the update I'm downloading an average of 20 to 45 MBS & 30% of the time download at 73 MBS have screenshots to prove. The upload on 2.5/2.6 GHz is pretty good outside but bad indoors, outdoors you can get around 15 to 25 MBS upload & today peaked at 42 MBS up! Sick. Anyway for some reason I can't use band 26 aka 800 MHz which sucks that we had to wait this long use spark on our N5's, but now it doesn't allow nexus 5 users access to band 26, it'll show that it's enabled but see if you make a call & it goes to band 26, it goes to band 51 instead which is 1.9 GHz CDMA do no 800 MHz lte for us ??????. Check what band your on by dialing "*#*#debug#*#*" or download "Nexus 5 field tester *root needed*” anyway if anyone figures out a way to use band 26 please post.

naw, **it was doable**

- - - Updated - - -

As you might of figured out now without the Android 4.4.3 update, no one was able to use sprints spark data on their nexus 5 until now. It was all BS... Never a YouTube video showing off spark speeds, no straight answer from people who said their using spark on their N5, now with the update I'm downloading an average of 20 to 45 MBS & 30% of the time download at 73 MBS have screenshots to prove. The upload on 2.5/2.6 GHz is pretty good outside but bad indoors, outdoors you can get around 15 to 25 MBS upload & today peaked at 42 MBS up! Sick. Anyway for some reason I can't use band 26 aka 800 MHz which sucks that we had to wait this long use spark on our N5's, but now it doesn't allow nexus 5 users access to band 26, it'll show that it's enabled but see if you make a call & it goes to band 26, it goes to band 51 instead which is 1.9 GHz CDMA do no 800 MHz lte for us . Check what band your on by dialing "*#*#debug#*#*" or download "Nexus 5 field tester *root needed*” anyway if anyone figures out a way to use band 26 please post.

naw, **it was doable**

 

[jvai]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

only, with the update, spark on the nexus 5 has gotten BETTER ..

 

[jvai]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

I just checked and it showing band 26. We don't have spark here so that may be why I really don't know. I might be doing something wrong also.

Posted via Android Central App

you're on 4.4.2 still?

try this, what else do you have to lose? -

"switch from a home only setting to automatic in system select ( to widen, & not narrow, the phone's options to switch to & from, both tri- lte interbands & cdma channels alike) , set all lte band priorities to 1=one & do a profile update, but instead of being set to "lte (recommended)* it defaulted to **global** which is where i left it this time.."

, & reboot..

Sprint Tri-band activation help? - Pg. 16 | Google Nexus 5 | xda-developers

 

[bed269]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

you're on 4.4.2 still?

try this, what else do you have to lose? -

"switch from a home only setting to automatic in system select ( to widen, & not narrow, the phone's options to switch to & from, both tri- lte interbands & cdma channels alike) , set all lte band priorities to 1=one & do a profile update, but instead of being set to "lte (recommended)* it defaulted to **global** which is where i left it this time.."

, & reboot..

Sprint Tri-band activation help? - Pg. 16 | Google Nexus 5 | xda-developers

I'll be honest I think I have stepped into a thread I know nothing about and to top it off I didn't read from the beginning and jumped in on the tail end.
Sorry about that. Probably shouldn't have posted anything without a better understanding.

 

[Jayq330]

Re: Activated Sprint Spark on Nexus 5 but...

Sorry I took so long, but I guess it's just some n5 owners that couldn't access band 26. I can now by the way, 18 MBS down 12 MBS up in the elevator. My building is a while city block so I'm in the center if the south side of my building, making the elevator basically in the center if concrete & brick. Outside I Juno on 41 & im blasting off. Sprint is fast & unlimited & I would only go with T-Mobile if I left sprint. I rather download @ 50 MBS & up that download 80 MBS & be capped at 2 gigs, even capped at 5 gigs is a joke.