Trouble receiving data over a cellular connection.

[rjack22]

I have the S21 and I have been on Consumer Cellular for the past six months.

My phone is not receiving data when using the cellular network. This just happened recently, I'd say in the past week. Before that everything worked. I do get data when connected to WiFi.

I can receive and send phone calls without WiFi no problem.

Consumer Cellular tried to troubleshoot it and was not successful. They don't think it is the SIM card. I don't either. They "claim" it is because I have a phone not purchased from them and that certain features may not work. I'm not buying that. It has been working for almost six months! I purchased a un-locked S21 from Samsung.com by the way.

I fear the problem might be a hardware issue with the phone.

So I can think of 3 things to do.

1. Try a new Consumer Cellular SIM card anyway.
2. Take the phone to Best Buy to a Samsung rep and have them try to diagnose it.
3. Switch over to T-Mobile (which I was thinking of doing anyway) and see if it works on their network. If not I'm back to
number 2.

My problem is that I have pre-ordered the Z Flip and my S21 is the trade-in. I can't hardly trade in a phone that has issues. When that new phone comes I only have 2 weeks to return the old phone. I expect the new phone around the end of the month.

So what is the best thing to do? I need advice and quick!

 

[B. Diddy]

You already made sure the APN settings are still correct? See this support page, and click the "I have a non-Consumer Cellular phone. How do I set up messaging and web access?" option: https://www.consumercellular.com/help/phones-and-services/73

If the APN settings are correct, then try the Reset Network Settings option in the system settings.

 

[rjack22]

Thank you for responding! Finally today I was able to go into a Best Buy store and talk to a Samsung rep. I am happy to report that he was able to somehow restore my settings (which Consumer Cellular failed to do) and I now have cellular data again! Yay! I was afraid it was a hardware issue but it wasn't.

I think I am going to switch carriers! They should have been able to help me and given me the right settings. Consumer Cellular just wanted to blame it on my having a phone that wasn't purchased from THEM.

 

[B. Diddy]

Glad it's working! Consumer Cellular is an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator, which means a company that uses another carrier's towers for their own service), and most MVNOs tend not to have as good tech support as the main carriers.