SignalCheck - Android app to monitor your Wi-Fi/2G/3G/4G LTE/5G-NR signal strengths

[tampaflusa]

That is very strange. It is always those three towers that do not report properly? And all 15 are Clearwire sites? It sounds more like a network/site issue than a device issue if that's the case. Or are you possibly only seeing 8T8R sites?

 

-Mike

The 15 are Clear sites some Co located with Sprint. The ones not reporting are in a cluster, in other words next to each other. Maybe the contractor did something wrong since they are all adjacent to each other.

[tampaflusa]

That is very strange. It is always those three towers that do not report properly? And all 15 are Clearwire sites? It sounds more like a network/site issue than a device issue if that's the case. Or are you possibly only seeing 8T8R sites?

 

-Mike

The 15 are Clear sites some Co located with Sprint. The ones not reporting are in a cluster, in other words next to each other. Maybe the contractor did something wrong since they are all adjacent to each other.

[bmoses]

Mike - 

 

From your testing/coding of the neighboring cell feature, how confident are you that every signal/PCI that shows up in the neighbor cell list is an actual live signal and the PCI for it is accurate?

 

the reason i'm asking is i have seen quite a few PCI show up in the neighbor cell list that don't match any PCI that we have recorded. I've spent the last 3 weeks driving around re-logging the PCI of the towers in my area to make sure they were accurate and hadn't changed since we first logged them. after doing this i'm still seeing PCI that don't exist in our spreadsheet.

 

for example in this screenshot

PCI 496 is not in our spreadsheet, and not only is it not in our spreadsheet but at the -99 signal its showing any tower that would be close enough to show that signal i've reconfirmed the PCI for.

 

and its not just a one time thing either, i've seen that PCI show back up driving through the same area on a different day.

 

just wanted to get your opinion to see if you thought this was some kind of fluke/bug where i'm seeing signals that don't exist, or if these are actual real signals coming from somewhere that my phone is actually seeing.... and if thats the case where are they coming from since i've confirmed all the sprint PCI....

 

also a side request for the neighbor cell feature, can you add an option to disable using the TAC to decide to show the site note? i only have my area in my DB so any PCI with a site note would be accurate to show.

[Galaxyguy]

Could that PCI possibly be from a new site in test mode? Just throwing that out there. I'm not an expert but just a thought I had.

 

Sent from my Note 4.

[bmoses]

Could that PCI possibly be from a new site in test mode? Just throwing that out there. I'm not an expert but just a thought I had.

 

Sent from my Note 4.

 

while it could be i highly doubt it is, just for the simple fact that i've seen so many PCI that i don't have recorded there would be a ton of new sites around here.

[bmoses]

here are some more to add to the list

 

http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g442/bradmoses/signalcheck%20screens/Screenshot_2014-11-07-11-39-47.png

233 PCI i see pop up while i'm at work all the time, in this shot i was right next to the MLK tower and again, all towers around there that could give me a -90 signal i've confirmed the PCI for.

 

http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g442/bradmoses/signalcheck%20screens/Screenshot_2014-11-07-11-40-12.png

233 again and also 300 is an unknown PCI, still near the MLK tower but a little further south than the first shot

 

http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g442/bradmoses/signalcheck%20screens/Screenshot_2014-11-07-11-58-55.png

was right next to the tower i am connected to in this shot, 38 is not a known PCI with all towers in the area having confirmed PCI

[bosox801]

while it could be i highly doubt it is, just for the simple fact that i've seen so many PCI that i don't have recorded there would be a ton of new sites around here.

Are they showing up in your SCP log?

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

[bmoses]

Are they showing up in your SCP log?

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

 

nope, i've been running my logging for the past 3 weeks now and i never actually connect to whatever tower, assuming it is an actual signal, it is coming from so there is nothing in the log for those PCI.

[bosox801]

nope, i've been running my logging for the past 3 weeks now and i never actually connect to whatever tower, assuming it is an actual signal, it is coming from so there is nothing in the log for those PCI.

When Mike released the update he mentions clearing your log. Did you follow those instructions? I'm just throwing out ideas as I have no real idea what would cause that unless there is in fact some sort of bug?

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

[bmoses]

When Mike released the update he mentions clearing your log. Did you follow those instructions? I'm just throwing out ideas as I have no real idea what would cause that unless there is in fact some sort of bug?

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

 

yep did that completely cleared my log and DB and reloaded it with just the sites that are in my area that start with 07A (or 07B in the case of B41) i have no clearwire B41 around me so didn't need to worry about that.

[bosox801]

Sounds like Mike is going to have to chime in with this.

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

[gnoj]

I wonder if they could be the PCIs for USCC B5 LTE sites? The device is seeing them but can't fully connect yet because the roaming agreement hasn't been finalized?

[mmark27]

Mike sent you a log. I'm seeing the SCP hang after disabling WiFi and WiFi calling. Display looks like this even though WiFi is off. Persists through airplane mode cycling.

 

 

sent from an underwater dust storm with my Sprint S5

[bmoses]

I wonder if they could be the PCIs for USCC B5 LTE sites? The device is seeing them but can't fully connect yet because the roaming agreement hasn't been finalized?

 

lol trust me thats were i jumped to initially just trying to rule stuff out first..... but yes, assuming these are real signals, i don't believe they are coming from sprint sites.....

[Galaxyguy]

Mike sent you a log. I'm seeing the SCP hang after disabling WiFi and WiFi calling. Display looks like this even though WiFi is off. Persists through airplane mode cycling.

 

uploadfromtaptalk1415393862257.jpg

 

sent from an underwater dust storm with my Sprint S5

I think it's a Samsung problem. I've noticed the same on my Note 4. Take a look at the service bars at the top right. They are shown as blank. The only thing that fixes it for me is a restart.

 

Sent from my Note 4.

[jefbal99]

I wonder if they could be the PCIs for USCC B5 LTE sites? The device is seeing them but can't fully connect yet because the roaming agreement hasn't been finalized?

 

 

lol trust me thats were i jumped to initially just trying to rule stuff out first..... but yes, assuming these are real signals, i don't believe they are coming from sprint sites.....

My thought was a different network, but perhaps a management or testing network.  However, if your device is enabled for a multitude of LTE bands, then the radio could very easily see these other signals.  I remember Digiblur having screenshots of his N5 trying to connect to CSpire, then moving on due to authentication failing.

[mmark27]

I think it's a Samsung problem. I've noticed the same on my Note 4. Take a look at the service bars at the top right. They are shown as blank. The only thing that fixes it for me is a restart.

 

Sent from my Note 4.

 

Well, yes and maybe no, but SCP is hanging on the display, the phone is getting data as you can see it says mobile data active. In my engineering screen it says I have a -118dBm LTE connection on B26 and I can get/send data.  It could very well just be a samsung issue, but I was just following up on my report I sent through SCP. 

[bmoses]

My thought was a different network, but perhaps a management or testing network.  However, if your device is enabled for a multitude of LTE bands, then the radio could very easily see these other signals.  I remember Digiblur having screenshots of his N5 trying to connect to CSpire, then moving on due to authentication failing.

 

i have a LG G Flex and it only supports B25, B26, and B41. Unless of course like gnoj said its seeing USCC B5 which is a subset of B26.

[bmoses]

Just to add, i checked a coworkers Nexus 5 and the 233 PCI is showing up on his phone too, so at least its not just mine

[jefbal99]

i have a LG G Flex and it only supports B25, B26, and B41. Unless of course like gnoj said its seeing USCC B5 which is a subset of B26.

 

 

Just to add, i checked a coworkers Nexus 5 and the 233 PCI is showing up on his phone too, so at least its not just mine

 

Next step is to find a USCC customer with a B5 LTE Android device and get SCP on that phone

[bmoses]

Next step is to find a USCC customer with a B5 LTE Android device and get SCP on that phone

 

did that! unfortunately it was a Note 2 and signal check won't show the PCI and i could not figure out for the life of me how to get to the engineering screen to try and see the PCI there

[gnoj]

did that! unfortunately it was a Note 2 and signal check won't show the PCI and i could not figure out for the life of me how to get to the engineering screen to try and see the PCI there

If you know where the nearest USCC sites are, you could try driving up to them to see if the signal strength on the mystery PCI(s) noticeably improve.

[bmoses]

If you know where the nearest USCC sites are, you could try driving up to them to see if the signal strength on the mystery PCI(s) noticeably improve.

 

i'll try and check that more, the only USCC sites i know about for sure are also sprint sites and from what i can tell the stronger my signal from a sprint site the less neighbor cells i see. Plus i'm not sure if all USCC sites around here would have B5 or not. there is a USCC site right out my window at work up the road about 1/4 of a mile and i'm definitely not seeing anything from that tower. 233 is the only unknown PCI i see while at work and it was strongest near the MLK tower. i believe there is a USCC tower on the broadlawns center thats a block over from the MLK tower though.

[Flompholph]

Have you gone into buildings it could be a private DAS which are not being listed on the sponsor map. It could also be a signal from a long distance tower that you just happen to have direct line of sight.

[mikejeep]

From your testing/coding of the neighboring cell feature, how confident are you that every signal/PCI that shows up in the neighbor cell list is an actual live signal and the PCI for it is accurate?

 

the reason i'm asking is i have seen quite a few PCI show up in the neighbor cell list that don't match any PCI that we have recorded.

You guys have been chatty today! I have no reason to believe that the neighbor cells that appear are inaccurate; I see many of these "phantom" PCIs as well, and I have my area fully logged and noted. The PCIs that appear seem to be valid, and the signal strengths look to be reasonable. I have always guessed similar things that others have mentioned; another network on a compatible band, a site in testing, etc. The app is simply showing exactly what Android is reporting to it; there isn't any fancy magic going on behind the scenes for this part of the app. It happens to many people, on many devices, in many markets, so it seems to be by design. Maybe someone with advanced knowledge of how LTE networks operate can chime in with an educated explanation.

 

also a side request for the neighbor cell feature, can you add an option to disable using the TAC to decide to show the site note? i only have my area in my DB so any PCI with a site note would be accurate to show.

That would be a little tricky and very user-specific, but I can try coming up with an option for that. Just a word of caution: even if you've only logged "your area", there is still a chance you have duplicate PCIs -- I can be in range of two sites with the same three PCIs by traveling about 5 miles. I'm never in range of both sites at the same time, but I consider them both my local area. I never noticed the PCIs matched until seeing the (wrong) neighbor cell notes.

 

I'm trying to implement a different way to show neighbor notes based on lat/long coordinates instead of TAC, but it's more challenging than I thought, so it may not be feasible.

 

-Mike