Jump to content

Galaxy Note II - Suddenly Awful LTE Reception


MrZorbatron

Recommended Posts

I have never had reception complaints about my Galaxy Note II until recently.  It seems to have decided to live primarily in 3G-Land and not pick up LTE unless you're practically within sight of the tower.  I just grabbed it off of my table a few minutes ago and it showed LTE @ -117.  In this part of my house, it should be -103-106.

 

Overall, reception seems between 10-20dBm below what I am used to seeing in any given location.  Any ideas about this?  My Galaxy Tab 3 is not affected by this problem, and my Note II is frequently on 3G when my friend's Note II is on LTE with decent signal strength.  Are there any connections in this phone that might require cleaning (as I have seen in other models) or is it simply malfunctioning?

 

CDMA reception does not seem affected at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never experienced a problem like this before. Sure makes you have to be concerned something is screwed up on your device. No bueno.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

Link to comment
Share on other sites

♫ Suddenly Awful ♫

 

Sing along, everyone...

 

 

AJ

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My galaxy s3 has a similar issue. The 1X 1900 radio is 20 dB out so higher than ehdpd and usually higher than LTE.

Ex 105 for 1x and ehdpd will be around 80.

 

I took my s3 apart and there are burn marks on the motherboard and it smells like a blown capacitor does. So my problem is a hardware failure. Maybe it could be something similar to that.

Does it get really hot when using LTE or 3g for long periods of time?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My galaxy s3 has a similar issue. The 1X 1900 radio is 20 dB out so higher than ehdpd and usually higher than LTE.

Ex 105 for 1x and ehdpd will be around 80.

 

I took my s3 apart and there are burn marks on the motherboard and it smells like a blown capacitor does. So my problem is a hardware failure. Maybe it could be something similar to that.

Does it get really hot when using LTE or 3g for long periods of time?

This can be normal.  Your S3 can actually connect to 1x and EVDO on different sites.  It's not common, but can happen.  Remember also that the two services, even when running on the same site, work on different frequencies.  They might be 20 MHz or more off from each other, depending on what Sprint is licensed for in any given market.  There's a lot of room there for interference that could affect one but not the other.  LTE RSSI generally isn't accessible, so the meter you have, RSRP, is actually based on the average of the amplitudes of specific components within the signal rather than raw signal level.

 

In this case, I have a very good memory for signal levels in specific locations or areas.  Mine have dropped hugely on LTE, to the point that my phone is on 3G about 80% of the time when I am near home.  It used to be more like 30% of the time on 3G.

 

I had a phone a while back with reception trouble.  It was caused by some deposition on the board at the antenna contact points. I cleaned both parts with contact cleaner and the problem disappeared. Almost looked like electro-galvanic reaction.

 

Your S3 has solid capacitors, which do not smell when they fail.  There are other components in there that might, however.

 

And no, it does not get hot.

 

♫ Suddenly Awful ♫

 

Sing along, everyone...

 

 

AJ

Moo?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's very strange and unfortunate the note 2 I had for a few weeks had superior LTE signal strength to any of my others phones... It very well could be antenna contacts. [emoji6]

 

About my s3 those Dbm I said were from the same tower in the same spot at my house. I meant to include that it was great signal then went bad. I watched it with signal check pro. I noticed its new behavior after I mapped a long sensorly trip plugged in. I guess it got to hot. Anyway just the 1x pcs was affected that's why I jumped on this thread sounded similar to my problem. However 1X 800 still works great.. [emoji3]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's very strange and unfortunate the note 2 I had for a few weeks had superior LTE signal strength to any of my others phones... It very well could be antenna contacts. [emoji6]

 

About my s3 those Dbm I said were from the same tower in the same spot at my house. I meant to include that it was great signal then went bad. I watched it with signal check pro. I noticed its new behavior after I mapped a long sensorly trip plugged in. I guess it got to hot. Anyway just the 1x pcs was affected that's why I jumped on this thread sounded similar to my problem. However 1X 800 still works great.. [emoji3]

The Note II does seem to have somewhat better LTE reception normally than my S3 did.  The S3, however, was still better than most other phones even a year or more after its release.  I find that the S3 was a lot better behaved with the CDMA side of things than the Note II, routinely showing better numbers for data speed on EVDO on the same channel of the same site.  1x reception is about the same.

 

As for 800, that is irrelevant for me at this time.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Note II does seem to have somewhat better LTE reception normally than my S3 did. The S3, however, was still better than most other phones even a year or more after its release. I find that the S3 was a lot better behaved with the CDMA side of things than the Note II, routinely showing better numbers for data speed on EVDO on the same channel of the same site. 1x reception is about the same.

 

As for 800, that is irrelevant for me at this time.

I have to strongly agree with you on the lte reception on the s3 it whoops my one max on b25. Like 10dBm difference... Lol but b26 makes it so worth it. Edited by eljayyy91
Link to comment
Share on other sites

To revisit this thread, the Galaxy Note II is getting long in the tooth.  The time may have come to confine it to the "cellphone coffin" -- aka the old handset/tablet drawer.

 

AJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My wife took my Note 2 after her Photon Q was run over and I got the S4T.  She has no LTE related issues, guessing you've got some bunk hardware.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

To revisit this thread, the Galaxy Note II is getting long in the tooth. The time may have come to confine it to the "cellphone coffin" -- aka the old handset/tablet drawer.

 

AJ

Moo again?

 

My wife took my Note 2 after her Photon Q was run over and I got the S4T. She has no LTE related issues, guessing you've got some bunk hardware.

Yes, mine has exhibited this change quite suddenly, as in it was working one day and the next it was not.

 

To blame this on an aging hardware platform is an excercise in questionable logic at best and a display of outright idiocy at worst. I seriously believe that something has suddenly (or cumulatively but with a sudden manifestation) changed with this device, whether in hardware or software. My firmware was recently updated, but that was at least a month before this issue began.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moo again?

 

Are you a questioning cow?

 

AJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Every two child did, I will.

 

Pass.

 

Actually, believe it or not, I know what you reference.

 

Could it be…education?  Or lockbox?

 

Strategery.

 

:P

 

AJ

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So anyway, all, I took apart my phone and cleaned everything nicely, adjusted the tension on the contacts, put an anticorrosive contact protectant.  It seems to have helped, but I will know more when I am out and about tomorrow.

 

The lack of 800 is going to be annoying because I am going a few places out of town next week where I am told the 800MHz service has made a big difference.

 

Going to see if I can figure out a root-less method of loading PRL.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I figured I would throw this out there just in case it is the culprit but when band 26 started rolling out in my market band 25 reception decreased by about 8db which made a pretty big difference. Many of the places where I used to get LTE I was banished to 3g land. This was on my single band GS4. I've since upgraded to a GS5 which is tri-band and now have band 26 coverage at levels similar to if not slightly better than my former band 25 coverage. I'm hoping all this improves after optimization is done on the network.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Granted I am using my iPhone 5 right now and I am getting my S3 back from a friend that I loaned it to while he had his Note II break. But anyway I have seen this on both my iPhone 5 and S3, connecting to LTE now is a chore it seams. I can have 2-3 bars of LTE and it will switch to 3G when there is no reason to. I can't figure it out, two different phones and the same problems. But maybe what is being said is right that B26 is live now and they're adjusting everything. This has been going on for the last 3 months or so, it's really aggravating as 3G is still piss ass slow. I've even called up Sprint and went into a store and they can't find anything wrong on their side and it's obviously not my phones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • large.unreadcontent.png.6ef00db54e758d06

  • gallery_1_23_9202.png

  • Posts

    • Excuse my rookie comments here, but after enabling *#73#, it seems that the rainbow sim V2? requires n70 (I turned it off along with n71 - was hoping to track n66) to be available else it switches to T-Mobile.  So this confirms my suspicion that you need to be close to a site to get on Dish.  Have no idea why they don't just use plmn. To test, I put it into a s21 ultra, rebooted twice, came up on T-Mobile (no n70 on s21).  Tried to manually register on 313340, but it did not connect (tried twice). I am on factory unlocked firmware but used a s22 hack to get *#73# working.  Tried what you were suggesting with a T-Mobile sim partially installed, but that was very unstable with Dish ( I think they had figured that one out).  [edit: and now I see Boost sent me a successful device swap notice which says I can now begin to use my new device.  Sigh.  Will try again later and wait for this message - too impatient.]
    • Hopefully this indicates T-Mobile hasn't completely abandoned mmwave and/or small cells? But then again this is the loop, so take that as you will. Hopefully now that most macro activity is done (besides rural colo/builds), they will start working on small cells.   
    • This has been approved.. https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/fcc-approves-t-mobiles-deal-to-purchase-mint-mobile/  
    • In the conference call they had two question on additional spectrum. One was the 800 spectrum. They are not certain what will happen, thus have not really put it into their plans either way (sale or no sale). They do have a reserve level. Nationwide 800Mhz is seen as great for new technologies which I presume is IOT or 5g slices.  T-Mobile did not bite on use of their c-band or DOD.  mmWave rapidly approaching deadlines not mentioned at all. FWA brushes on this as it deals with underutilized spectrum on a sector by sector basis.  They are willing to take more money to allow FWA to be mobile (think RV or camping). Unsure if this represents a higher priority, for example, FWA Mobile in RVs in Walmart parking lots working where mobile phones need all the capacity. In terms of FWA capacity, their offload strategy is fiber through joint ventures where T-Mobile does the marketing, sales, and customer support while the fiber company does the network planning and installation.  50%-50% financial split not being consolidated into their books. I think discussion of other spectrum would have diluted the fiber joint venture discussion. They do have a fund which one use is to purchase new spectrum. Sale of the 800Mhz would go into this. It should be noted that they continue to buy 2.5Ghz spectrum from schools etc to replace leases. They will have a conference this fall  to update their overall strategies. Other notes from the call are 75% of the phones on the network are 5g. About 85% of their sites have n41, n25, and n71, 90% 5g.  93% of traffic is on midband.  SA is also adding to their performance advantage, which they figure is still ahead of other carriers by two years. It took two weeks to put the auction 108 spectrum to use at their existing sites. Mention was also made that their site spacing was designed for midrange thus no gaps in n41 coverage, while competitors was designed for lowband thus toggles back and forth for n77 also with its shorter range.  
    • The manual network selection sounds like it isn't always scanning NR, hence Dish not showing up. Your easiest way to force Dish is going to be forcing the phone into NR-only mode (*#*#4636#*#* menu?), since rainbow sims don't support SA on T-Mobile.
  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...