Network Vision/LTE - Chicago Market

[ChiWestLoop]

This morning I was downloading 2mb and uploading 3mb in my Greektown apartment. THose speeds are not blazing LTE speeds by any means but they are better than the crappy 3G I was getting before. The story is totally different in my workplace here on the Loop. My office sits on the corner of Jackson and Wells and even though I get the LTE icon speeds up and down are 0.00!!!!! That's not acceptable. What is going on Sprint?

[jmi8844]

Around Congress and Clark all I get is 1x or sometimes even 1x extended! Not even 3G! It started right around the time the new iphone was released?? Look how old this thread is.. We've been promised for so long from Sprint and then it's here and then maybe next month it will be better or the next or maybe with the new new upgrade it will work. We've been dealing with this for way too long I but maybe if I stand at this corner at a certain time on a certain day I'll get LTE and say its great!

[rmorrisonva]

Just a reminder, this is not a Sprint forum and is not a place to merely post complaints about Sprint service. If you wish to complain there are other places out there on the web to do so.

[mark]

Just a reminder, this is not a Sprint forum and is not a place to merely post complaints about Sprint service. If you wish to complain there are other places out there on the web to do so.

You are right, morrisnova, there are other places on the web 'to do so'.

 

I, too, and my family of four, are 11+ year Sprint subscribers.

 

I am the IT guy in my family. I try to learn all the acronyms thrown around here. I know more than most and less than some. I read this forum daily because knowledgeable people post here, people who care dearly about Sprint and its future. I understand what you are saying about complaints but the two that you seem to be complaining about are from people who, to my eye, really do care about Sprint.

 

So do I.

 

One of our kids goes to school in Chicago; the LTE snafu in Chicago is of vital import to me as we decide which provider gets our business next. I, like the previous posters, have waited and waited for Sprint to follow through on its promises.

 

I am still holding out...but my patience is wearing a bit thin. I will continue to read this forum and hope that all reasonable voices are heard. I anxiously await good reports.

 

In the meantime...the 3G service in the Hyde Park area seems fine, as far as voice is concerned. I am always on the lookout for real-life 4G reports from this area. Thanks for reading.

[mellimel2212]

Around Congress and Clark all I get is 1x or sometimes even 1x extended! Not even 3G! It started right around the time the new iphone was released?? Look how old this thread is.. We've been promised for so long from Sprint and then it's here and then maybe next month it will be better or the next or maybe with the new new upgrade it will work. We've been dealing with this for way too long I but maybe if I stand at this corner at a certain time on a certain day I'll get LTE and say its great!

That's crazy my pops work around that area and he sees LTE as well different strokes I guess.

 

Sent from my T-Mobile LG Escape running 4.1.2 using Tapatalk 2 (Central n ohio Austin IL)

 

 

[rmorrisonva]

I definitely care about Sprint. I have gotten at least 4 friends and family members to switch to Sprint over the past 2 years or so, despite the NV growing pains I know it was still the best deal out there.

 

I myself have been with Sprint since 2002, and my friend (who I share an account with) since 1996, we're definitely invested.

 

I just know seeing a bunch of hardcore Sprint folks (not regular folks as on Sprint's own forums etc) discussing their terrible service and threatening to leave etc. is not the sort of constructive discussion that's going to help Sprint keep and gain new customers WHILE improving said network.

 

I can understand how frustrating it must be in Chicago right now (reminds me of the bad old days around DC on 3G, 10k Up/Down was the norm in some places) but just keep the faith. I know Sprint must be aware of the problems and are surely working hard to resolve them.

You are right, morrisnova, there are other places on the web 'to do so'.

 

I, too, and my family of four, are 11+ year Sprint subscribers.

 

I am the IT guy in my family. I try to learn all the acronyms thrown around here. I know more than most and less than some. I read this forum daily because knowledgeable people post here, people who care dearly about Sprint and its future. I understand what you are saying about complaints but the two that you seem to be complaining about are from people who, to my eye, really do care about Sprint.

 

So do I.

 

One of our kids goes to school in Chicago; the LTE snafu in Chicago is of vital import to me as we decide which provider gets our business next. I, like the previous posters, have waited and waited for Sprint to follow through on its promises.

 

I am still holding out...but my patience is wearing a bit thin. I will continue to read this forum and hope that all reasonable voices are heard. I anxiously await good reports.

 

In the meantime...the 3G service in the Hyde Park area seems fine, as far as voice is concerned. I am always on the lookout for real-life 4G reports from this area. Thanks for reading.

[drock2750]

For a couple months now, the tower that covers the intersection of Clark and Diversey has not had functional LTE. If I switch to CDMA only, data works well, but if LTE is connected, the upload arrow will light up and stay that way...no data will actually move though. After this had been happening for about a month, previously assuming somebody else would report the problem, I called it in and cust service said they would look into it. Another month has passed and nothing has improved.

[Joeynach]

This morning I was downloading 2mb and uploading 3mb in my Greektown apartment. THose speeds are not blazing LTE speeds by any means but they are better than the crappy 3G I was getting before. The story is totally different in my workplace here on the Loop. My office sits on the corner of Jackson and Wells and even though I get the LTE icon speeds up and down are 0.00!!!!! That's not acceptable. What is going on Sprint?

So we work in the same building then. My office is just closer to the Van Buren and Wells corner of the building

There is a Sprint tower on Van Buren and Financial Place. Literally a hundred feet from my desk. I see it out the window. My 1x and LTE signals are super strong always. The SNR and speeds came crashing down in September. Problem is its not isolated to that tower or just the loop. I see the same.poor SNR and speed crashing in every Chicago neighborhood i go to since september.

[bucdenny]

So we work in the same building then. My office is just closer to the Van Buren and Wells corner of the building

There is a Sprint tower on Van Buren and Financial Place. Literally a hundred feet from my desk. I see it out the window. My 1x and LTE signals are super strong always. The SNR and speeds came crashing down in September. Problem is its not isolated to that tower or just the loop. I see the same.poor SNR and speed crashing in every Chicago neighborhood i go to since september.

 

have you worked with the team that responded from dan@sprint.com? was it any helpful at all?

[Joeynach]

have you worked with the team that responded from dan@sprint.com? was it any helpful at all?

They have called me two or three times and each time I have been unable to answer at work.  They leave me a voice-mail, a woman named Patricia and a phone number to call back.  I have probably called back ten times during regular business hours and she has never picked up.  So no.

[gusherb]

They have called me two or three times and each time I have been unable to answer at work.  They leave me a voice-mail, a woman named Patricia and a phone number to call back.  I have probably called back ten times during regular business hours and she has never picked up.  So no.

 

Today out doing my errands in NWI (Schererville, Merrillville, Griffith) I noticed my speeds were alot worse on LTE then just last week! I've also been having to power cycle my phone in order to make things work better sometimes. 

[Vince]

Today out doing my errands in NWI (Schererville, Merrillville, Griffith) I noticed my speeds were alot worse on LTE then just last week! I've also been having to power cycle my phone in order to make things work better sometimes.

I can second that. Been having to airplane mode toggle because of a dead connection.

[Vince]

It has to be getting worse for a reason. Something has to be happening behind the scenes. I can't picture a brand new cellular network crumbling on a daily basis. Especially a launched market that has been operational for over a year.

[Vince]

20 minutes ago, sitting in my truck at a red light in Cicero on Cicero and ogden. Next to a Sprint store, and 1 block, line of sight to a tower that used to always be blazing fast. Now it's like this nightly.

 

[gusherb]

 

Meanwhile on AT&T... The speed I used to see on Sprint. Same location as my last test earlier.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[mhammett]

have you worked with the team that responded from dan@sprint.com? was it any helpful at all?

It was mostly a waste of time.

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

 

 

[aerxx]

That sounds great. Do you have any links about the great RF performance of the N5?

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

 

Look in the N5 user thread, its at least a -6dBm difference with comparable devices.

[aerxx]

20 minutes ago, sitting in my truck at a red light in Cicero on Cicero and ogden. Next to a Sprint store, and 1 block, line of sight to a tower that used to always be blazing fast. Now it's like this nightly.

 

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1384578769.636962.jpg

 

That test is either an error or you're bouncing off the LTE repeater they could have installed in the Sprint store.

[mhammett]

Look in the N5 user thread, its at least a -6dBm difference with comparable devices.

I'll have to see if OET has published the rated antenna gain.

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

 

 

[aerxx]

I'll have to see if OET has published the rated antenna gain.

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

 

Can't stand that there is something better than your precious HTC...?

[mhammett]

Can't stand that there is something better than your precious HTC...?

Hah, no, I'm eyeing the GS5 for my next phone. Both HTC and Samsung have things that annoy me, but thus far my GS3 annoys me less than my EVOLTE.

 

I'm curious as to why the N5 is better. My phone actually has a negative antenna gain. NEGATIVE?! Its not uncommon for phones to have absolutely terrible RF performance because aesthetics are often chosen over utility. A laptop is by no means directional, but they often have an antenna in the 6 dBi range.

 

For reference, the sector antenna I use are about 20 dBi and the customer antenna are 25 dBi. Every 3 dB is a doubling of power.

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

 

 

[Joeynach]

20 minutes ago, sitting in my truck at a red light in Cicero on Cicero and ogden. Next to a Sprint store, and 1 block, line of sight to a tower that used to always be blazing fast. Now it's like this nightly.

 

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1384578769.636962.jpg

I get the same speeds in my office in the loop and in my home in Lakeview.

[aerxx]

I get the same speeds in my office in the loop and in my home in Lakeview.

 

You're right, I misread the speed. That is terrible.

[Joeynach]

That test is either an error or you're bouncing off the LTE repeater they could have installed in the Sprint store.

Baloney, he sees what I see all over the city.  He just didn't show is signal strength and SNR.  Strong LTE signal, weak SNR, sub 100K download speeds.  Those are the symptoms of the ongoing "Chicago problem" we have been discussing for over a month.

[aerxx]

Baloney, he sees what I see all over the city.  He just didn't show is signal strength and SNR.  Strong LTE signal, weak SNR, sub 100K download speeds.  Those are the symptoms of the ongoing "Chicago problem" we have been discussing for over a month.

 

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/1084-network-visionlte-chicago-market/?p=240044