Wierd network problems

wamatt

Web Africa founder
Company Rep
Joined
Sep 13, 2004
Messages
601
Reaction score
1
Location
california
v3g maybe you can help.

Is there any way a SIM - and therefore linked network settings - can get messed up?

All iMate / HTC devices I've had have exhibited this problem. I will be on a call and it just drops. The device will start scanning (you know the little dots). Also I will get voicemail's during the day, (people tried to contact me and it went straight to voicemail - without me being on the phone).

I've been through two PDA2k, three JasJars, and now the HTC TyTn is doing it too. Other users on HTC devices in the office don't have this problem, leading me to believe it is the setting on the network side (to do with roaming and network selection) that have been messed up.

How do I get a list of networks back? At one stage I was trying to speed up the network selection and I killed a whole lot I thought looked unimportant eg Safricomm, Vodafone ES etc. Is there a way to reset the SIM on vodacom side?

The techies I've spoken to can't help me. I've even done a SIM swap, but I suspect those weird settings follow me around.
 
I also had DualSim enabled at one stage (althouth I never got that working)
 
v3g maybe you can help.

Is there any way a SIM - and therefore linked network settings - can get messed up?

All iMate / HTC devices I've had have exhibited this problem. I will be on a call and it just drops. The device will start scanning (you know the little dots). Also I will get voicemail's during the day, (people tried to contact me and it went straight to voicemail - without me being on the phone).

I've been through two PDA2k, three JasJars, and now the HTC TyTn is doing it too. Other users on HTC devices in the office don't have this problem, leading me to believe it is the setting on the network side (to do with roaming and network selection) that have been messed up.

It's obvious the common denominator is YOU! :)

You seem to loose signal, so all I can think is that you have more iron in your blood than mere mortals. Or maybe your skull is thicker...:p

Seriously though, you need to check if you're not in a marginal area. Try setting the phone to GSM only and test.

I've also had just about all the HTC phones, from the first Qtek and have often seen this. Just got my TyTn today, so will check.

But I suspect switching between 2G/3G might be the problem.
 
Um.. Thanks. I will get that iron content sorted out. No but seriously, I live in Tamboorskloof, and work in Gardens/CBD. It happens all over the CPT CBD.

What is wierd is when it finds signal again its 4 bars. Strong as ever. It must be to do with 3g I think. I had a backup phone for a while (2g) and it never did it at all.

I can't change my number (had it for 10 years). Isn't roaming and network selection (tower selection etc) a network setting linked to the SIM? I'm convinced its my SIM / number thats the problem as wierd as it sounds.

waroop has the EXACT same device (with vodacom) we live and work in the same area and no problems whatsoever... please help me before I send another phone off the balcony! :)
 
Have you tried to force the TyTn to use only 2G and check it for a while. I'm 99.9% confident te phone is hunting between the two networks.

We had a similar problem with the 6680's when they came out till a later firmware sorted it. (Except for landyman who seems to share your misfortunes, but only on his 6680)
 
Have you tried to force the TyTn to use only 2G and check it for a while. I'm 99.9% confident te phone is hunting between the two networks.

We had a similar problem with the 6680's when they came out till a later firmware sorted it. (Except for landyman who seems to share your misfortunes, but only on his 6680)

Ok I'll try it. But how exactly would one do that? The only options I have under Settings -> Phone -> Band ->Select your GSM/UMTS band is

- Auto
- GSM (900+1800)+UMTS(2100)
- GSM (1900+850)+UMTS(1900+850)
- UMTS (2100+800)

Normally I wouldn't care about such things, but I hate carrying around phone and a PDA and both are essential to me. I just cant have a half working communication tool. No-one our office or Vodacom has been able to figure it out.

I think landyman has a cursed SIM too. :D
 
Ok I'll try it. But how exactly would one do that? The only options I have under Settings -> Phone -> Band ->Select your GSM/UMTS band is

- Auto
- GSM (900+1800)+UMTS(2100)
- GSM (1900+850)+UMTS(1900+850)
- UMTS (2100+800)

Normally I wouldn't care about such things, but I hate carrying around phone and a PDA and both are essential to me. I just cant have a half working communication tool. No-one our office or Vodacom has been able to figure it out.

I think landyman has a cursed SIM too. :D

Above the 'Select your GSM/UMTS band' option is the 'Select your network type'.

Set that to GSM and the band to GSM (900+1800)
 
I had the same problem with my Sony ericsson V800. When you switch to gsm only, then it works fine.
 
I had the same problem with my Sony ericsson V800. When you switch to gsm only, then it works fine.

Ok well I havent had any dropped calls etc now after switching to GPRS. While I am pleased to be able to use a phone normally, it's a bit of a hollow victory as I loose 3g functionality. V3G any suggestions or is this normal?
 
wamatt, I'm sure you mentioned it some posts back, was it previously set to auto-select between GPRS & 3G? Now that GPRS-only works, try UMTS-only and see if the phone is stable when within well covered areas [not forgetting the effects|symptoms of cell breathing that would be more obvious when set to UMTS-only].
 
wamatt, I'm sure you mentioned it some posts back, was it previously set to auto-select between GPRS & 3G? Now that GPRS-only works, try UMTS-only and see if the phone is stable when within well covered areas [not forgetting the effects|symptoms of cell breathing that would be more obvious when set to UMTS-only].

I'll do the same and see if it's a re-select issue.

wamatt, what firmware versions are you running?
 
Brad, that used to be an issue in the early days with the data cards, but good point. I'm also seeing this constant reselect problem on my TyTn on a 32K SIM.

In that thread I quoted, Bundy2005 mentioned a problem on a HTC TYTN with losing network which was sorted after the swop to 64k SIM.....
 
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh it all makes sense. I was convinced it was related to SIM, since that was the only common denominator. (an my blood ;)

The irony is a year ago when I got my second Jasjar they put in a 64K SIM and it wouldn't connect, so they gave me a 32K instead. I wonder why the SIM size makes a difference?

BTW using forced WCDMA is not feasible, its loosing connection quite often (may be related to the SIM though). GSM works fine.

Thanks everyone, I will report if this solves my woes.
 
Old SIM cards can contribute to this problem ... These devices seem to like the 32k SIM cards ... the SIM cards contact points could be worn out ... i think you need a fresh SIM .. cos you shouldnt have this problem on a PDA2k .. on the Jasjar and the TyTN where the device searches between GSM and UMTS you can experience a a hiccup from time to time ...

I normally force the device to GSM .. this way you get better battery life and when i need to use the data services .. flip it to UMTS .. problem sorted
 
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X