Network Vision/LTE - Chicago Market

[wkalam2]

I just picked up a 4G signal in the Joliet area, but it cut out right away. I work in Naperville and hadn't looked at the phone since leaving so I wasn't sure if the signal was actually picked up in Joliet or somewhere in transit, but then picked up another 4G connection in my home a few minutes ago that dropped instantly. If I get a lock on the signal I will post screenshots.

[wkalam2]

Here we go, got a lock at route 30 & larkin in joliet

Edited August 3, 2012 by wkalam2

[dannible]

Seems to me the most obvious possible answer is the site you are connected to. It seems unlikely that they would be repeatedly be disconnecting upgraded backhaul. If you go into your DEBUG menu, you can track which 1x and EVDO channels and sites you are connected to during both good and bad times. Then you will really know what you are connected to and when.

 

I would be surprised if the EVDO channel and BSID are the same when you have good performance and bad performance.

 

Robert

ok. I took screen shots of the info while its running slow. I will have to wait until i see better results to compare.

FYI for anyone who was waiting to hear back from me. My tower still has been giving me the pre-backhaul speeds and i will be happy to share when i have more data

[CriticalityEvent]

In Matteson right now at Cicero and Lincoln Highway and picked up my first 4G signal! Tests are averaging between 10-15Mb/s down with my highest so far at 19. Screenshots to come!

[LTEKen]

In Matteson right now at Cicero and Lincoln Highway and picked up my first 4G signal! Tests are averaging between 10-15Mb/s down with my highest so far at 19. Screenshots to come!

 

These pics are from like 3 weeks ago. I have gotten a consistent 4G signal in Matteson from the new rec center through Lincoln HWY. It flakes out when you turn onto Governer's HWY though...

 

 

 

 

I've gotten a signal inside of my house (last weekend to be exact) and when I got to test it the speeds were around the same as in the pics. But I've been trying to connect to it all night again and I can seem to. Usually I'll put the phone in CDMA mode and then go to LTE/CDMA and it'll pop up... hasn't been working lately.

 

It would have came in handy tonight too, because my Comcast service is out due to the storms from earlier. I'm tethering from the piss poor 3G speeds now.

Edited August 5, 2012 by LTEKen

[outlaw7478]

There is s tower on Gaylord st in crest hill thats been active for 4 days. I'm averaging 20 - 30 mb. It's not even a mile from my house on cedarwood drive but I can't get a signal unless I go to the end of my block. I hope I am able to get a signal but I doubt it. I really don't need it at home anyways cause I'm on WiFi but it would be nice. How far does the 4g signal travel?

[CriticalityEvent]

As promised:

 

 

 

These pics are from like 3 weeks ago. I have gotten a consistent 4G signal in Matteson from the new rec center through Lincoln HWY. It flakes out when you turn onto Governer's HWY though...

 

 

I've gotten a signal inside of my house (last weekend to be exact) and when I got to test it the speeds were around the same as in the pics. But I've been trying to connect to it all night again and I can seem to. Usually I'll put the phone in CDMA mode and then go to LTE/CDMA and it'll pop up... hasn't been working lately.

 

It would have came in handy tonight too, because my Comcast service is out due to the storms from earlier. I'm tethering from the piss poor 3G speeds now.

 

 

There is s tower on Gaylord st in crest hill thats been active for 4 days. I'm averaging 20 - 30 mb. It's not even a mile from my house on cedarwood drive but I can't get a signal unless I go to the end of my block. I hope I am able to get a signal but I doubt it. I really don't need it at home anyways cause I'm on WiFi but it would be nice. How far does the 4g signal travel?

 

 

This is interesting because I noticed something similar- I was at the Fuddruckers when I first picked up the signal, which was on Cicero with only a Chipotle between it and Lincoln. Netmonitor showed the tower as being on top of a building right by Walmart, just south on Cicero. My speed moved up the closer I got, but as I was leaving, I passed Fuddruckers heading north, then when I hit Lincoln, 4G just disappeared and 3G wasn't coming on. Soon after, I was roaming. Isn't 4G on the same 1900MHz that 3G is on?

[LTEKen]

I can't even pick up a 4G signal anymore when I'm on Lincoln HWY and Cicero. I tried today coming back from church and nothing came up. Are these towers being turned off periodically?

[newspapercrane]

81 new towers in Chicagoland... holy crap. Way to kick it up a notch Samsung/Sprint!

[Y2Dre]

About an hour ago, I just grabbed my first 4G signal in Matteson also. I was at the Walgreens on Lincoln Hwy and Central. My signal was weaker than the one previously reported...maybe because I was farther west. Next time I catch the signal, I'll try to drive up to the tower to catch screenshots there...didn't have time this evening. Until then, here's what I saw:

 

 

 

Sent from my EVO 4G LTE using Tapatalk

[aerxx]

I feel for you guys in Chicago proper....I was down there this past Friday and service is THE WORST I have ever experienced. Couldnt even send a low quality picture via MMS....

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forum Runner

[newspapercrane]

About an hour ago, I just grabbed my first 4G signal in Matteson also. I was at the Walgreens on Lincoln Hwy and Central. My signal was weaker than the one previously reported...maybe because I was farther west. Next time I catch the signal, I'll try to drive up to the tower to catch screenshots there...didn't have time this evening. Until then, here's what I saw:

 

 

 

Sent from my EVO 4G LTE using Tapatalk

Dang... I lived down that way last summer, and was super close to living there permanently. The 3g was unusable in most places. Good to see that area is getting so much love.

[Y2Dre]

Dang... I lived down that way last summer, and was super close to living there permanently. The 3g was unusable in most places. Good to see that area is getting so much love.

 

Taxes are unreasonably high, but it is a nice place to live. There's enough businesses here not to have to venture out...but, it's right by the expressway in case you do. 3G signal has always blown but my OG EVO pulled good 4G signal when I was rocking it.

 

Looking forward to how this LTE rollout plays out. I love my new EVO and I'm on Wi-Fi most of the time. But, I must admit that it sucks when I'm not.

 

Last thing...I work near Cumberland and Higgins in Chicago and I've been pulling 1.5 to 2.0 Mbps download speeds for weeks now.

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

[shotymedan]

From last week tuesday and wednesday on the Metra. Did these in Lombard IL. Holy crap this is going to be awesome!!! (you can see almost 20Megs down during this connection and this was while in a train travelling around 55mph.

Very impressed Sprint!

 

edit - no longer. site went down as of tursday for me

[shotymedan]

Oh and I am getting eHRPD now from Wheaton all the way into and in the West loop. Except Lombard. fter LTEwas no longer available, now I only get EVDO revA. Getting better little by little!!

[cdiao]

Seasonal Standby is $8.99/month. I have 1 line on it right now. Great solution when you are having problem with native service.

 

yeah i put my son's phone on seasonal standby when he got deployed to afghanistan (safely returned) but Sprint does limit the duration but I dont know how long. I also put another line on standby because I thought that I lost it but now that I found the phone, I'm just letting it roll until LTE is lit up in NYC so that I can justify buying a new handset. it's a decent policy for keeping your number "warm"

[aerxx]

Oh and I am getting eHRPD now from Wheaton all the way into and in the West loop. Except Lombard. fter LTEwas no longer available, now I only get EVDO revA. Getting better little by little!!

 

Been getting eHRPD in Wheaton/Carol Stream/Glendale Heights/Glen Ellyn area for over a month now.

[Joeynach]

Dang... I lived down that way last summer, and was super close to living there permanently. The 3g was unusable in most places. Good to see that area is getting so much love.

 

3G is unusable in the city proper. I live in Lincoln Park, work in the loop and spend most of my time in and around the usual Chicago neighborhoods and 3G can facilitate calls and texts and thats about it. Its been that way for almost 2 years now by my count. Most of my Apps, websites, and streaming media either won't load or time out when using 3G. It works OK out in the burbs near my family, but it has to as there is no 4G where I go in the South Burbs. If I cant get a reliable 4G WiMax signal where Im at in Chicago my phone essentially a data less tool. 4G LTE across the whole area can't get here soon enough.

[Joeynach]

Been getting eHRPD in Wheaton/Carol Stream/Glendale Heights/Glen Ellyn area for over a month now.

 

What is eHRPD?

[4GHoward]

What is eHRPD?

 

Please check out the S4GRU FAQ for an answer before asking. http://s4gru.com/ind...sked-questions/

 

eHRPD - Enhanced High Rate Packet Data – a software overlay that allows for smooth handoff between EVDO and LTE

[MacinJosh]

yeah i put my son's phone on seasonal standby when he got deployed to afghanistan (safely returned) but Sprint does limit the duration but I dont know how long. I also put another line on standby because I thought that I lost it but now that I found the phone, I'm just letting it roll until LTE is lit up in NYC so that I can justify buying a new handset. it's a decent policy for keeping your number "warm"

 

Glad to hear your son made it home safely. I had a friend that lost their son due to an electrical accident on base over there late last year or early this year. Seasonal standby is limited to 6 consecutive months, but I hear that it is possible to get them to restart it right after it ends.

[Y2Dre]

I took the liberty of driving to the tower in Matteson that's pumping out 4G. The antennas are on top of the office building at 4801 Southwick Drive:

 

 

I ran 4 speed tests...two from inside my parked car and two while standing outside. It will be VERY obvious which tests are which:

 

 

I'm still irked that I can't latch onto this tower from my home a little over two miles away. But, with potential like this, I can wait.

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

[Madfelon]

I feel for you guys in Chicago proper....I was down there this past Friday and service is THE WORST I have ever experienced. Couldnt even send a low quality picture via MMS....

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forum Runner

 

Haha thank you. This service is a complete joke and I'm very concerned about a timely deployment. Just had a baby this past Wednesday, not one text went through and all calls went right to voicemail. Yet my parents trac phone worked? Once the iPhone is launched I'll make a choice, since my bill would be almost the same as it is with Sprint.

[twospirits]

Considering that in one of your past posts you said you could live with that and trying to convince the wife to stick it out so you can use all the data you want, what has changed now?

Chicago is pretty big urban area and it will take some time to get everything up and running.

 

TS

[aerxx]

 

I'm still irked that I can't latch onto this tower from my home a little over two miles away. But, with potential like this, I can wait.

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

 

This could be because of two reason. It seems that the LTE Signal threshold, certain dBm where LTE would connect and disconnect, was set very very high, and the new android update on Sprint phones is supposed to address that. Also, they might just have the tower in some sort of "test mode" where the tower won't broadcast a full strength signal...therefore you wouldn't be albe to get a signal probably more than 1000 yards away.

 

(nothing I just said has been verified, its just my educated guess)