Network Vision/LTE - Chicago Market

[mhammett]

I know that speeds are just one metric. Coverage is another. So if you're second in speed, but have better coverage and reliability, then it's possible to come out on top. And Sprint did just squeak out VZW in total data performance.

 

I wonder if Sprint is on the DAS at O'Hare?

 

Robert via Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

I thought I've seen separate data performance and data reliability?  *shrugs*

[Vince]

I drive by O'Hare nightly on Manheim, but I'll be inside to leave for my honeymoon on Sunday. How do I check for a das?

[Vince]

I just heard on the news that O'Hare has once again reclaimed the title of "worlds busiest airport." First time since 2004. Just in time, Sprint. It's good to be a Sprint customer these days.

[Cubbiefan82]

I drive by O'Hare nightly on Manheim, but I'll be inside to leave for my honeymoon on Sunday. How do I check for a das?

Vince is getting married? Good for you , I would say don't do it. But honestly a good woman is hard to find now days lol

[kyle_4thousand]

I drive by O'Hare nightly on Manheim, but I'll be inside to leave for my honeymoon on Sunday. How do I check for a das?

Congrats on tying the knot! And DAS antennas look something like this:

 

 

We have quite a few DAS antennas like these where I work. Verizon is our primary carrier, but I get excellent Sprint service in the office so it makes me think we have a few DAS's that have Sprint tied to them too.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 on the Now Network

[Vince]

Surely, they must have a unique gci, right? Or would they just appear as a regular site.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6

[kyle_4thousand]

Surely, they must have a unique gci, right? Or would they just appear as a regular site.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6

Hmm. I wonder the same myself. I think it would be unique. If you look on the sponsor maps, some DAS sites mapped have their own site ID's so I would assume unique GCI's as well.

 

But the Best Buy I frequent also has a DAS, or at least some sort of repeater to improve signal in the store, and the GCI is the same in the store as it is for the site down the street.

 

So to answer your question, my guess would be it depends. I'm sure Robert or AJ could give a definite answer.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 on the Now Network

[S4GRU]

I've not been on a Sprint LTE DAS site before. I would suspect there would be some difference in GCI, TAC, etc. Also, the perasiveness of the signal may be a clue.

[tommym65]

Took the train in to the City from Crystal Lake yesterday afternoon, then went to River North.  I logged the trip with Signal Check Pro, and here's what it saw:

 

135 total sectors on the ~50 mile trip inbound.

 

42 Band 25/Carrier 1 sectors

16 Band 25/Carrier 2 sectors

42 Band 26 sectors (!)

29 Band 41 Clear sectors

6 Band 41 8T8R sectors (all between Des Plaines and Dee Road)

 

Uninterrupted data connection, good to excellent speeds (even indoors on B41).  Examples: 12.56 Mbps DL 8T8R on a moving train near Des Plaines, 30.22 Mbps DL Clear 41 moving near Clybourn. I was surprised at how many B26 sectors were active.

[Dkoellerwx]

Hmm. I wonder the same myself. I think it would be unique. If you look on the sponsor maps, some DAS sites mapped have their own site ID's so I would assume unique GCI's as well.

 

But the Best Buy I frequent also has a DAS, or at least some sort of repeater to improve signal in the store, and the GCI is the same in the store as it is for the site down the street.

 

So to answer your question, my guess would be it depends. I'm sure Robert or AJ could give a definite answer.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 on the Now Network

 

 

I've not been on a Sprint LTE DAS site before. I would suspect there would be some difference in GCI, TAC, etc. Also, the perasiveness of the signal may be a clue.

 

The Sprint DAS in the Sprint Center and at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City have GCIs and TACs that look like any other site in the market. Difference is there's only one "sector." The PCI never changed as far as I could tell while on the DAS. I'm not sure what the difference would be for a DAS that is spread out over a large building like a concourse. 

[S4GRU]

The Sprint DAS in the Sprint Center and at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City have GCIs and TACs that look like any other site in the market. Difference is there's only one "sector." The PCI never changed as far as I could tell while on the DAS. I'm not sure what the difference would be for a DAS that is spread out over a large building like a concourse.

Excellent point. DAS sites typically only have one sector.

[WiWavelength]

But the Best Buy I frequent also has a DAS, or at least some sort of repeater to improve signal in the store, and the GCI is the same in the store as it is for the site down the street.

 

That is a repeater.  All it is doing is amplifying the RF from the site down the street.  A DAS or a small cell would be a separate site -- with its own identifiers.

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

Excellent point. DAS sites typically only have one sector.

 

And that is what has puzzled me about DAS in sports stadiums/arenas.  Great for signal strength, poor for capacity.  Absent multiple 20 MHz carriers, a single sector for thousands of people is inadequate capacity -- unless the DAS is somehow running multiple eNodeBs through the DAS on the same carrier(s) with the same GCI/PCI.

 

In a previous post, I recall surmising that DAS is mostly about confining the stadium/arena users to the DAS, hence not swamping all of the surrounding macro network sites, too.

 

AJ

[mhammett]

I thought Verizon was awesome. Taken in the Fox Valley Mall parking lot when there weren't a lot of people there. Check out my Ookla Speedtest result. What's your speed? http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/980059395

[WiWavelength]

I thought Verizon was awesome. Taken in the Fox Valley Mall parking lot when there weren't a lot of people there. Check out my Ookla Speedtest result. What's your speed? http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/980059395

 

If that is band 13, it comes as no surprise.  It has become the slow lane on VZW; band 4 is the fast lane.

 

AJ

[S4GRU]

And that is what has puzzled me about DAS in sports stadiums/arenas.  Great for signal strength, poor for capacity.  Absent multiple 20 MHz carriers, a single sector for thousands of people is inadequate capacity -- unless the DAS is somehow running multiple eNodeBs through the DAS on the same carrier(s) with the same GCI/PCI.

 

In a previous post, I recall surmising that DAS is mostly about confining the stadium/arena users to the DAS, hence not swamping all of the surrounding macro network sites, too.

 

AJ

 

I've always wondered if there was some weird hocus pocus unconventional situation with DAS.  It seems like they provide more capacity than just one channel/sector pairing where I've used them.  Granted, I've not used Sprint LTE DAS, but on 3G and other providers it just seems like there is more than one channel/sector going on.  

 

I guess it's possible I have been experiencing multiple channels/one sector in the past.  That would provide more capacity.  Especially if you threw all the spectrum you have in the market at it.

[ChiWestLoop]

I will reiterate that I love Band 41!!!! The coverage in the Loop/West Loop area is very good. I do have a question. Although most of the day I stay connected to band 41 in my Loop office, the phone sometimes decides to throw me in a band 25 signal which is basically horrendous. I wonder how these band switches happen and why. It's perfect on band 41 and all of the sudden poom it goes to Band 25.

[S4GRU]

I will reiterate that I love Band 41!!!! The coverage in the Loop/West Loop area is very good. I do have a question. Although most of the day I stay connected to band 41 in my Loop office, the phone sometimes decides to throw me in a band 25 signal which is basically horrendous. I wonder how these band switches happen and why. It's perfect on band 41 and all of the sudden poom it goes to Band 25.

 

I have the same issue in my office with AT&T switching bands.  I like being on Band 4 (AWS), because it is a wider channel and performs way better even though the signal is typically around -110 RSRP.  However, Band 17 (700MHz) is pretty slow but has a -98 RSRP signal.  My Nexus 5 gets shoved back and forth all day long from one to the other.  Even though I'd rather be on the faster and weaker signal no matter what.

 

The reason is, is because your signal strength and signal quality do not stay static.  RF ebbs and flows and minor disruptions occur all the time, even when you aren't touching your device and it does not move.  Also, the network conditions are also always in flux.  You just are in a network transition position where any minor thing sends you hurtling to slow band purgatory.

 

It will get better in time.  When more devices spread out the load and when 8T8R superior propagation and edge of service improvements arrive.  Also, there will be continual tweakings done to the network settings.

 

But being in the sweet spot where you are in the band switcheroo zone can be painful at times.  At least on Sprint Android Triband device owners can adjust their band scan priorities and cycle airplane mode with some shot at getting back to B41 or B26.  On AT&T, you have no options but to be tossed too and fro.  I believe I did read once that the HTC One M8 allows turn off of certain bands, though.

[UnlimitedDataIsInBeta]

Just ran through the NW burbs (Cary, Schaumburg, Itasca) down to Oak Lawn, Alsip and Midlothian with Band 25 disabled on my M8. Solid coverage on B26 and B41 the whole way. I wish I had this experience west of Crystal Lake.

[Joeynach]

I need some help from my fellow Chicagoan's on this site.  I can't tell if my lack of service and connectivity is because of something with my device or something happened to the local network near my location.  I lost my ability to get an LTE signal at the Ogilvy Center about 4-6 weeks ago, since then all I get is a no bar weak 1xRTT or even 1xRTT roam.  I used to get a strong LTE signal in the lobby/food court and up in my office 22 floors up a good LTE signal around -100 to -105 dbM.  That has since disappeared, and yes I have dropped my phone and cracked the screen since then too so maybe its my device.  Who knows.  If anyone is going to be in the area of Ogilvy can you stop by walk into the building and see what kind of service you get and report back here.  That would be awesome.

[S4GRU]

I need some help from my fellow Chicagoan's on this site.  I can't tell if my lack of service and connectivity is because of something with my device or something happened to the local network near my location.  I lost my ability to get an LTE signal at the Ogilvy Center about 4-6 weeks ago, since then all I get is a no bar weak 1xRTT or even 1xRTT roam.  I used to get a strong LTE signal in the lobby/food court and up in my office 22 floors up a good LTE signal around -100 to -105 dbM.  That has since disappeared, and yes I have dropped my phone and cracked the screen since then too so maybe its my device.  Who knows.  If anyone is going to be in the area of Ogilvy can you stop by walk into the building and see what kind of service you get and report back here.  That would be awesome.

 

There's also been a lot of B25 optimization occurring with B26 optimizations.  This may adjust B25 out of your area.  You really, really need a Triband device if you are going to stay with Sprint.  And now that you have damaged your phone, sounds like a good time.

[mozamcrew]

 

But being in the sweet spot where you are in the band switcheroo zone can be painful at times.  At least on Sprint Android Triband device owners can adjust their band scan priorities and cycle airplane mode with some shot at getting back to B41 or B26.  On AT&T, you have no options but to be tossed too and fro.  I believe I did read once that the HTC One M8 allows turn off of certain bands, though.

 

 

The M8 does indeed allow you to disable bands. It requires your MSL and a reboot to accomplish. But that's how I forced my phone to band 26 only so I could get good screenshots for band 26 reporting. Otherwise, when you get that close to the cell site it wants to switch you back to band 25.

[tommym65]

I need some help from my fellow Chicagoan's on this site.  I can't tell if my lack of service and connectivity is because of something with my device or something happened to the local network near my location.  I lost my ability to get an LTE signal at the Ogilvy Center about 4-6 weeks ago, since then all I get is a no bar weak 1xRTT or even 1xRTT roam.  I used to get a strong LTE signal in the lobby/food court and up in my office 22 floors up a good LTE signal around -100 to -105 dbM.  That has since disappeared, and yes I have dropped my phone and cracked the screen since then too so maybe its my device.  Who knows.  If anyone is going to be in the area of Ogilvy can you stop by walk into the building and see what kind of service you get and report back here.  That would be awesome.

 

I was inside Ogilvie twice last night (coming in, going out) and got B25/2nd carrier on the outbound trip.  I did not see carrier 1, but that was probably because I was getting B26 and Clear B41 coming in.  On B25, I didn't note the signal strength, but was getting very fast response sitting on the choo-choo waiting to head out (I was, or course, checking S4GRU, as I had been out of touch for a couple of hours ).  Hope that helps.

[WiWavelength]

Hope that helps.

 

What would help is for Joeynach to "shit or get off the pot."  He has been hemming and hawing over a new handset for nearly a year.

 

AJ

[jamisonshaw125]

I need some help from my fellow Chicagoan's on this site. I can't tell if my lack of service and connectivity is because of something with my device or something happened to the local network near my location. I lost my ability to get an LTE signal at the Ogilvy Center about 4-6 weeks ago, since then all I get is a no bar weak 1xRTT or even 1xRTT roam. I used to get a strong LTE signal in the lobby/food court and up in my office 22 floors up a good LTE signal around -100 to -105 dbM. That has since disappeared, and yes I have dropped my phone and cracked the screen since then too so maybe its my device. Who knows. If anyone is going to be in the area of Ogilvy can you stop by walk into the building and see what kind of service you get and report back here. That would be awesome.

Weren't you waiting for the iphone? It's out now! Triband! It's a marvelous thing, or do you want to continue dealing with a shitty device and horrible service lol. Time for an upgrade.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 on Crapatalk