New OTA (LG4) update to start today for Galaxy S3 (possibly other ICS phones)

[troyd96]

Do you recall for sure how the Settings -> About screen reported dBm before the update?

 

If you are right about the update changing that screen to read CDMA voice strength instead of LTE strength, then this phone may have no way to show a dBm reading for LTE. Unless some third-party developer writes as app to pull it from the Android API, which is not standardized or well documented for this purpose.

 

Just to be sure, maybe somebody else with a GS3 in an LTE market could do some before-and-after tests of this particular screen when applying the update.

 

I remember seeing anywhere from -90 to -98 or so when getting LTE in my office before, and my signal bars while connected to LTE would be 1-2 bars at most. As soon as it switched over to 3G the bars went back to full bars of course because my building has an internal Sprint Tower in it to get 3G coverage in the building. I am having less problems with the 3G overriding the LTE signal in here though. Now of course if I leave my office and go more toward the interior of the building the internal 3G signal overrides it but this is most likely because the 4G signal isn't penetrating the building enough. It would be nice to see if they turn on anymore LTE towers close if it can overpower our internal 3G tower in the future.

 

Edit: Oh yeah just a follow up on those LTE apps we talked about a few weeks ago. I played around with all of them they do nothing to help us. There is also a hidden menu that is just for LTE also, but clicking on any of the buttons does nothing that I can see. Maybe this update fixed most of our woes.

[boomerbubba]

I remember seeing anywhere from -90 to -98 or so when getting LTE in my office before, and my signal bars while connected to LTE would be 1-2 bars at most. As soon as it switched over to 3G the bars went back to full bars of course because my building has an internal Sprint Tower in it to get 3G coverage in the building. I am having less problems with the 3G overriding the LTE signal in here though. Now of course if I leave my office and go more toward the interior of the building the internal 3G signal overrides it but this is most likely because the 4G signal isn't penetrating the building enough. It would be nice to see if they turn on anymore LTE towers close if it can overpower our internal 3G tower in the future.

 

Let's hope they didn't do some really kludgy thing like convert the correct RSRP dBm reading to RSSI internally as an easy workaround to affect the threshold-fallback logic, and that side-effected the dBm and bars display.

[S4GRU]

-75 to -81 would be full bars on RSRP. And close to it with RSSI. No big deal. If you were getting -75dBm before and it was showing mid signal, then that was inaccurate before.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

[boomerbubba]

-75 to -81 would be full bars on RSRP. And close to it with RSSI. No big deal. If you were getting -75dBm before and it was showing mid signal, then that was inaccurate before.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

 

Robert, can you confirm that the GS3 (before this update) is displaying RSRP as the dBm reading on the Settings -> About ... screen?

[S4GRU]

 

Robert' date=' can you confirm that the GS3 (before this update) is displaying RSRP as the dBm reading on the Settings -> About ... screen?[/quote']

 

In my LTE Engineering screen it reads 0 dBm RSRP. I have not done the update yet.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

[troyd96]

-75 to -81 would be full bars on RSRP. And close to it with RSSI. No big deal. If you were getting -75dBm before and it was showing mid signal, then that was inaccurate before.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

 

Before I was showing -90 to -98 or so in my office. After update it stayed around -75 to -81 but the speed tests for LTE gave me the same 3-5 Mbps down that it did when the signal showed -90 to -98 before I updated to LG8. So what I am saying is that there is no way the signal levels I am showing now on LG8 are the actual LTE signal levels. The update either made them wrong, or the signal level in the settings>>About Device>>Status is reading the Voice CDMA signal levels now instead of the LTE levels like i thought it was doing previous to the update.

[boomerbubba]

In my LTE Engineering screen it reads 0 dBm RSRP. I have not done the update yet.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

 

Are we talking about the same screen that an end-user would typically access via Settings -> About Device .... etc. Or are you talking about some hidden LTE screen reached from the dialer or other means of launching? (There are a couple of hidden LTE utilities that I don't know much about.)

[latinoboi30]

What about the update for the nexus?

Any info on that?

[S4GRU]

 

Before I was showing -90 to -98 or so in my office. After update it stayed around -75 to -81 but the speed tests for LTE gave me the same 3-5 Mbps down that it did when the signal showed -90 to -98 before I updated to LG8. So what I am saying is that there is no way the signal levels I am showing now on LG8 are the actual LTE signal levels. The update either made them wrong' date=' or the signal level in the settings>>About Device>>Status is reading the Voice CDMA signal levels now instead of the LTE levels like i thought it was doing previous to the update.[/quote']

 

You can have a full signal and 3-5Mbps speeds on Sprint LTE. There are lots of isolated reports of full signal and subpar speeds. The network is not fully up to speed in all locations, yet.

 

Robert via CM9 Kindle Fire using Forum Runner

[troyd96]

Are we talking about the same screen that an end-user would typically access via Settings -> About Device .... etc. Or are you talking about some hidden LTE screen reached from the dialer or other means of launching? (There are a couple of hidden LTE utilities that I don't know much about.)

 

No I used a app called "Quick Shortcut Maker" that is like anycut but has a better interface with more information on each activity in my opinion. I made a shortcut for IOTHiddenMenu. On that app there are several IOTHiddenMenu's. The one I chose to make a shortcut for was this one: com.android.hiddenmenu/com.android.hiddenmenu.IOTHiddenMenu. That shortcut gives you this menu (which is some of the dialcodes on the device without actually having to dial them): I then chose "LTE Mode Menu" and it gives me the 2nd picture menu show. The only button of use most likely on there to try to force LTE mode is the "LTE Service Forced" button, but tapping it does nothing. The other buttons do change settings but it wouldn't be helpful to us except for a quick changing to different modes.

 

You can have a full signal and 3-5Mbps speeds on Sprint LTE. There are lots of isolated reports of full signal and subpar speeds. The network is not fully up to speed in all locations, yet.

 

Robert via CM9 Kindle Fire using Forum Runner

 

I know I can have that, but in my logical thought process being that I got the same speeds before in the same exact location with supposedly less of a signal, Sprint has obviously tinkered with how the phone reads signal strengths. It is possible the previous version was wrong and this fixes it. Who knows which one was actually more accurate LG2 or LG8. In the absolute test though of speed in the same location I get the same speed as when it told me I had less signal. I know which tower I get 4G from at my office and it is the same one I get full bars and 28Mbps down when eating lunch right beside it. So I know that in this particular case if I get full download speed right beside the same tower I get a lower signal on in my office it logically probably isn't the issue you talk about.

 

I am just trying to figure out what exactly did they "fix" in the update. Did they just spoof the phone to fix the thresholds, or did they really fix something. If they spoofed something then in reality we will probably have more problems down the road with more and more complaints of getting good signal strength but horrible speeds because the phone is not accurately giving the user the signal strength.

[boomerbubba]

No I used a app called "Quick Shortcut Maker" that is like anycut but has a better interface with more information on each activity in my opinion. I made a shortcut for IOTHiddenMenu. On that app there are several IOTHiddenMenu's.

 

My question was actually directed to Robert. I just want to make sure that the screen (pre-LG8 update) that he calls the "LTE Engineering screen" is the same screen I was referring to when any end user follows these menus: Settings -> About Device -> Status. The screen he described reported signal strength (without an LTE signal) as "0 dBm RSRP." How is that same screen's signal strength formatted on your GS3 after the LG8 update? If it no longer says "RSRP," that is a clue that something significant changed in the signal strength reporting.

 

From your description, I am also curious about what the LG8 update did. Your numbers do seem rather anomalous.

 

BTW, I also use Quick Shortcut Maker on my Epic 4G, and will probably try it on my new GS3 when it arrives next week to explore those hidden menus.

[sd2649]

I just did a fun test. On my EVO 4g LTE, I went through the engineering screen and turned it to LTE only. I was in a known LTE area. It went to 4g and the icon showed full bars. I drove to my workplace where there is no 4g and did speed tests the whole way. Steadily declined from 10 all the way to 2mbps down. Ping ended up in the 400ms range until it finally disconnected. The WHOLE TIME my phone showed full bars... Why??????

[gr8nuguy]

... The WHOLE TIME my phone showed full bars... Why??????

"bars" are inaccurate in general. Its just someones idea that x dBm=x # of bars. The bars are lying 99% of the time. Ive seen my go from 2 bars to 4 bars, within only a few dBm difference .

[S4GRU]

It's also possible your phone was reporting the 1x signal strength and not the 4G LTE signal strength. Are you using a custom ROM?

 

Robert via CM9 Kindle Fire using Forum Runner

[halcyoncmdr]

Sprint has been adjusting the software on the LTE phones to show "bars" as the 1X voice signal strength across the board with all devices (I'm assuming for side by side comparison by the average user). Some of the phones did that previously, some used the 3G CDMA signal instead. None used the "bars" to represent 4G LTE as far as I know.

[troyd96]

Well that explains that, I but based on speed tests and looking at my bars alone, and it surely did seem that before this update it was definitely showing bars for LTE. I base that on when it switches from 4G to 3g also. As soon as it switched to 3g the bars would go back up before this release now they just stay steady for the most part.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

[amazin1988]

Even thought I won't have 4g for a while I still haven't got the up date

 

iTz Young Amazed

[rjw]

No update here as well...

[Proxcee]

No update here as well...

 

Is your phone rooted? If so that's probably why. If not then you can call Sprint and they can force it.

[ChemicalArts]

I haven't received the update either. I'm sure it's just karmic payback for kicking all those puppies.

 

Sent from my GS3 on Tapatalk 2

[iamover13]

I just grabbed the modem from the modem thread and flashed it in CWR. It seemed to fix my Airave issues at the very least.

[rjw]

Is your phone rooted? If so that's probably why. If not then you can call Sprint and they can force it.

 

Nope it isn't rooted. But the update finally came up this morning.

[HappyHappy]

I have not received the update as well. My friends noticed an increase in 3G connection speed after the update. I am waiting patiently for Sprint's 4G LTE and its update.

[purpleunicorn]

I just did a fun test. On my EVO 4g LTE, I went through the engineering screen and turned it to LTE only. I was in a known LTE area. It went to 4g and the icon showed full bars. I drove to my workplace where there is no 4g and did speed tests the whole way. Steadily declined from 10 all the way to 2mbps down. Ping ended up in the 400ms range until it finally disconnected. The WHOLE TIME my phone showed full bars... Why??????

How do you turn it to lte only?

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

[A454nova]

##3282# ... Edit ... Others ... HDR/1x. ... Don't mess with any other menu or you'll be a sad panda.

 

You'll need your msl. Search XDA for a how to on that.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2