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

[WiWavelength]

Thanks AJ, just saw it myself! I am itching to restore what I had implemented previously, identifying Band 41 connections with that MCC-MNC along with the others spotted on the hotspots.. but some users have reported Band 25 connections (on non-triband devices) on those MCC-MNCs, so it is not 100% reliable at the moment.

 

Could you use EARFCN 40978 as the band 41 identifier instead?  In hotspot and now handset reports -- not to mention, on my spectrum analyzer -- we have not seen a TD-LTE 2600 carrier on any other center frequency.

 

AJ

[mikejeep]

Could you use EARFCN 40978 as the band 41 identifier instead?  In hotspot and now handset reports -- not to mention, on my spectrum analyzer -- we have not seen a TD-LTE 2600 carrier on any other center frequency.

 

AJ

 

Oh if I could get my hands on the EARFCN information, I would be using that for a foolproof band identifier! Unfortunately, that's not something that Android exposes, so I need to develop my own manufacturer-specific methods to get it. So far, I have only been able to dig it out of HTC devices. Samsung completely blocks all access to this data. Once my Nexus 5 arrives, it will give me my first opportunity to try working on an LG.

 

These difficulties are why I appreciate it when Sprint tosses me a ground ball and sets up their network based on things that are accessible across all devices, like the SID or MCC-MNC

 

-Mike

[dedub]

Not sure if this is already been reported, but the reset connection does not appear to be working on the n5. Using pro version 4.171.

[mikejeep]

Not sure if this is already been reported, but the reset connection does not appear to be working on the n5. Using pro version 4.171.

 

Yep, it was discussed this morning. It's not the N5 or the G2, it's Android 4.2+ causing the problem:

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/3060-signalcheck-android-app-to-monitor-your-2g3g4g-lte-signal-strengths/?p=237194

 

-Mike

[Fubie]

That's because it wasn't there until the latest beta.. thanks for being the first to confirm that it works!  As AJ said, "Tracking Area Code".. it's another identifier that the app now displays if it is available. CQI (Channel Quality Indicator) will also appear, if it is valid. Which device and ROM are you on?

 

-Mike

Mike,

 

EVO 4G LTE running decks 8/20 nightly of CM10.2.  None of the newer CM builds show GCI.

[mikejeep]

EVO 4G LTE running decks 8/20 nightly of CM10.2.  None of the newer CM builds show GCI.

 

Newer than 10.2? I see GCI on your screen shot.. or do you mean it doesn't work outside of deck's builds? I know that work has been ongoing to get GCI and other information into CM, some S4GRU users have been instrumental in helping to develop that. I thought it had become part of the main code by now.

 

I have not found any devices that report CQI; I don't know how valuable that data is, but I guess it's not very popular.

 

-Mike

[ericdabbs]

Yep, it was discussed this morning. It's not the N5 or the G2, it's Android 4.2+ causing the problem:

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/3060-signalcheck-android-app-to-monitor-your-2g3g4g-lte-signal-strengths/?p=237194

 

-Mike

 

I can confirm that if you are rooted on the G2, the Reset Data Connection button works.  The first time you try to press the Reset Data Connection button after you root a Superuser/SuperSU window pops up asking for granting permissions to do so.  Since then, it has worked all the time.

[Fubie]

Newer than 10.2? I see GCI on your screen shot.. or do you mean it doesn't work outside of deck's builds? I know that work has been ongoing to get GCI and other information into CM, some S4GRU users have been instrumental in helping to develop that. I thought it had become part of the main code by now.

 

I have not found any devices that report CQI; I don't know how valuable that data is, but I guess it's not very popular.

 

-Mike

Mike,

 

I meant newer nightly builds of 10.2.  I have only found GCI only on decks nightly 8/30 build.  I have tried just about every CM 10.2 build but haven't seen GCI shown in any others.

[Fubie]

I can confirm that if you are rooted on the G2, the Reset Data Connection button works.  The first time you try to press the Reset Data Connection button after you root a Superuser/SuperSU window pops up asking for granting permissions to do so.  Since then, it has worked all the time.

I can also confirm that on my rooted EVO 4G LTE running CM10.2 I get 3 SU requests and reset works fine.

[kct1975]

Not to wander off of the current topics, but, Mike, attached below is a screen shot of want I was talking about when I mentioned that sometimes when I have a 4G connection, the 1x connection seems to disappear...

 

[mikejeep]

Not to wander off of the current topics, but, Mike, attached below is a screen shot of want I was talking about when I mentioned that sometimes when I have a 4G connection, the 1x connection seems to disappear...

 

Hmm.. a few questions:

 

I see the plus sign icon indicating you ran out of room in your status bar; I believe that you previously mentioned that it wasn't just pushed off the screen, correct? So after you clear out your other notifications, it does not reappear in the status bar or the notification pulldown?

 

When you bring the app back to the foreground, the 1X icon reappears on its own?

 

Are you running any task killer or memory management apps?

 

Did you experience this problem on this device before the 4.3 update?

 

-Mike

[kalev76]

A question re the EVDO signal. Does the radio have its own identifier, or its only the 1xRTT radio that produces it?  Im guessing the latter, as Im lead to believe that the EVDO network depends on on the 1XRTT network in order to function in the first place?

 

I'm just thinking out loud here..

[ThomasM]

After the last update I noticed that the street address data was missing when I went into an area not visited before.  Addresses that were already in the database on the phone appeared.  Instead, it said "click for map".  Has anyone else noticed this?

 

I deleted the apps data and then reset all of my preferences and the street address began appearing again.  Very strange!

[ericdabbs]

Hmm.. a few questions:

 

I see the plus sign icon indicating you ran out of room in your status bar; I believe that you previously mentioned that it wasn't just pushed off the screen, correct? So after you clear out your other notifications, it does not reappear in the status bar or the notification pulldown?

 

When you bring the app back to the foreground, the 1X icon reappears on its own?

 

Are you running any task killer or memory management apps?

 

Did you experience this problem on this device before the 4.3 update?

 

-Mike

 

Now that some members are starting to get some B41 LTE testing going, is there anything at this point that we can help you with in gathering any info to help with B41 LTE detection to display on the app?

[WiWavelength]

A question re the EVDO signal. Does the radio have its own identifier, or its only the 1xRTT radio that produces it?  Im guessing the latter, as Im lead to believe that the EVDO network depends on on the 1XRTT network in order to function in the first place?

 

No, EV-DO can exist without CDMA1X.  At least one early EV-DO network provider in the US launched EV-DO Rev 0 directly.  No CDMA1X.

 

AJ

[mikejeep]

A question re the EVDO signal. Does the radio have its own identifier, or its only the 1xRTT radio that produces it? Im guessing the latter, as Im lead to believe that the EVDO network depends on on the 1XRTT network in order to function in the first place?

As AJ said, EV-DO does not depend on 1X (and vice versa). By identifier, do you mean something that identifies the EV-DO site? The Sector ID basically does that..

 

-Mike

 

(EDIT: To help you grasp it a little better, think about this example: A device could be connected to Sprint 1X but Verizon EV-DO at the same time. Or Verizon 1X while on U.S. Cellular EV-DO.  Or Sprint 1X from one site while on Sprint EV-DO from a completely different site. Or any combination of these. Each connection is independent.)

[digiblur]

No, EV-DO can exist without CDMA1X. At least one early EV-DO network provider in the US launched EV-DO Rev 0 directly. No CDMA1X.

 

AJ

That would be interesting to see that PRL. Guess they could do a wild card for the SID and just let it eat on the EVDO subnet scan.

[WiWavelength]

That would be interesting to see that PRL. Guess they could do a wild card for the SID and just let it eat on the EVDO subnet scan.

 

The operator I reference was Monet Mobile, which went bankrupt waiting for EV-DO Rev A.  I doubt that its modems and data cards even used PRLs.  They did not roam.  And Monet's markets were all secondary.  Monet was their only EV-DO 1900 provider at the time.

 

AJ

[mikejeep]

After the last update I noticed that the street address data was missing when I went into an area not visited before.  Addresses that were already in the database on the phone appeared.  Instead, it said "click for map".  Has anyone else noticed this?

 

I deleted the apps data and then reset all of my preferences and the street address began appearing again.  Very strange!

 

There is a known Android bug that causes the geocoding service to suddenly stop working for unknown reasons, and the only fix is to reboot your device. This bug is one of many reasons that I implemented the cache -- even though the geocoding service had apparently stopped on your device, the addresses were saved, so the service was never even called. Saves CPU resources, saves bandwidth, saves time, and circumvents an Android glitch.. a quadfecta of efficiency!

 

Clearing the app data would wipe out the cache, but has nothing to do with restarting the geocoding service. I am guessing you restarted your device at some point in there? The other possibility is that your phone temporarily could not contact the geocoding server over the network for some reason.

 

This issue is in the online FAQ, but I have been working on something in the app that will warn users when this service is not responding and inform them of the issue. A similar warning is in testing now regarding the need for mobile location services for the app to work properly.

 

-Mike

[mikejeep]

Now that some members are starting to get some B41 LTE testing going, is there anything at this point that we can help you with in gathering any info to help with B41 LTE detection to display on the app?

 

Yeah.. get someone at Sprint with the knowledge and ability to confirm if they will officially be using distinct MCC-MNCs for each band!  It looks like that is the plan, but there are a couple of exceptions. Trying to figure out if those are misconfigured sites (and if so, give them the heads up so they can fix them), or its something else.

 

Other than that, the only thing I can do is try to write manufacturer-specific routines to dig out the EARFCN, and I'll be asking you guys for testing feedback if I have to go that route. (Samsung folks should cross their fingers that this is not the case.. I'm about to admit defeat there.) Once the One Max is out, I hope to confirm that the existing code tackles it for HTC. Waiting for my Nexus 5 to arrive so I can start working on it for LG.

 

-Mike

[mikejeep]

SignalCheck Pro 4.18 just hit the streets! Best Buy opened at midnight for those of you who waited in line all night or had pre-orders.. for the rest of you, Google Play will have it shortly.
 
Not a huge update, but some nice improvements. Most are self-explanatory, but I elaborated on what might trigger questions. More goodies are in the works..
 
Added display of LTE CQI (channel quality indicator), if available.
Most devices don't seem to collect this data, but if yours does, it will show up. Only available on Android 4.2+.

Added display of LTE TAC (tracking area code), if available.
It will appear if it is available.. if you don't see it, your phone isn't reporting it. Only available on Android 4.2+.

Added prompt to warn users when mobile network location services are disabled.
Hopefully this will help cut down on people thinking the app is broken or their phone is unsupported. Only appears when the app is brought to the foreground, and it can be hidden if desired.

Improved accuracy of MCC-MNC data for GSM and LTE connections.
Completely overhauled the internal MCC-MNC (the numbers next to the LTE carrier name) gathering functions. Please report any issues you see. If you continue to see "31000" on Android 4.2+, please let me know.

Improved database functions, reducing SQLite errors and overhead.
Behind-the-scenes stuff.

Resolved issue with carrier name missing from main notification pulldown when on 1X and roaming.
Bug fix. Still ironing out a few issues where the carrier name disappears from the pulldown in certain situations.
 
Resolved issue with invalid LTE SNR display on some devices.
Invalid LTE SNR data is automatically hidden.
 
Thanks for all of your support.. feedback is always appreciated, good and bad! SignalCheck Lite will receive its update next week.
 
-Mike

[mdob07]

I am curious how granular Sprint TACs will be. I would not be surprised if they follow established NID boundaries.

 

AJ

Are you expecting sites with the same NID to have the same TAC? I've picked up three different ones so far just in Louisville. 14339, 14341, and 14342.

 

 

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

 

 

[kct1975]

Hmm.. a few questions:

 

I see the plus sign icon indicating you ran out of room in your status bar; I believe that you previously mentioned that it wasn't just pushed off the screen, correct? So after you clear out your other notifications, it does not reappear in the status bar or the notification pulldown?

 

When you bring the app back to the foreground, the 1X icon reappears on its own?

 

Are you running any task killer or memory management apps?

 

Did you experience this problem on this device before the 4.3 update?

 

-Mike

Mike,

 

Sorry for the delay in responding...I have been really busy.

 

Anyways, to answer your questions...

 

You are correct, the 1x icon is not getting pushed off of the screen.

 

In fact, while I was driving home this evening, I actually saw the 1x icon disappear and reappear on it's own when I had EH, and 3G, in addition to when I was pulling 4G...

 

Also, I am not running any sort of Task Killer, nor any memory management apps. I am not even running any power management app, other than the stock Power Saver options that comes with the stock HTC Sense ROM.

 

Lastly, no, I did not see the 1x icon disappear before the update to 4.3

 

Even though I do not have a lot of technical information, it seems that the Power Saver might be actually shutting off the 1x antenna at times.

 

Otherwise, I have no clue.

[mikejeep]

In fact, while I was driving home this evening, I actually saw the 1x icon disappear and reappear on it's own when I had EH, and 3G, in addition to when I was pulling 4G...

 

Also, I am not running any sort of Task Killer, nor any memory management apps. I am not even running any power management app, other than the stock Power Saver options that comes with the stock HTC Sense ROM.

 

Lastly, no, I did not see the 1x icon disappear before the update to 4.3

 

Even though I do not have a lot of technical information, it seems that the Power Saver might be actually shutting off the 1x antenna at times.

 

No matter what your radios/antennas/connections are doing, if you have the 1X icon enabled, it should not be vanishing. If the connection is lost, the icon still remains.

 

It seems like something in the Android 4.3 update is causing this. Nobody else has reported similar issues (yet) though.

 

Do you have "Hide Duplicate 1X icon" option enabled in the preferences? Shouldn't matter, but if you do, try turning that off and see if it resolves the issue..

 

-Mike

[kct1975]

Thanks for the quick reply...

 

I just checked the settings, and no, I do not have the "Hide Duplicate 1x Icon" enabled...

 

I do agree that the issue is being caused by the phone software, and not your app.

 

Just wondering...as I mentioned, if the issue might have something to do with Power Saver setting in HTC Sense.

 

I'm not sure, but I thought I remembered that there was a minor update to HTC Sense that rolled out with the Android 4.3 upgrade.