Wahoo! US Cellullar (and other) EV-DO Roaming Is Live

[anthony.spina97]

A PRL repository is (somewhat) maintained here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1880781

 

Kudos to jcfunk for 55026: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=61791842&postcount=2151

Wow, went from 250 bytes to over 4 KB? That's a lot more binary text than before.

 

-Anthony

[fubka]

I can't wait to dive on I-68 though western MD and WV to see if I am on 3G roaming verses 1xRTT.  The last year or so it was so bad it could not even stream a podcast.  Although I think the problem is back-haul at the tower vs wireless bandwidth transition limits. 

[WiWavelength]

Wow, went from 250 bytes to over 4 KB? That's a lot more binary text than before.

 

I noticed that.  The PRL 55025 provenance could be suspect.

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

I have updated the second post with a running list of EV-DO roaming networks now in the PRL.  Please present any additions or corrections.

 

AJ

[techfranz]

I wish Sprint would allow more aggressive pseudo-roaming in rural areas. In the old days we could force our phone to roam.

 

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

[WiWavelength]

I wish Sprint would allow more aggressive pseudo-roaming in rural areas. In the old days we could force our phone to roam.

 

Not likely.

 

The "Roaming Only" setting was a vestige of the past -- when all Sprint roaming was billed a la carte.  The menu setting lingered for several years into the current era -- when Sprint incorporated roaming into postpaid plans.

 

But the latter was part of the problem.  People abused the setting.  They would pay Sprint to use VZW about as much as they pleased.  Or they would intentionally spite Sprint by running up massive roaming usage to parlay a "get out of jail free card" (i.e. ETF free).

 

In short, improper behavior is "why we can't have nice things."

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

To expand upon my prior post, I wish that we still had the "Roaming Only" setting.  Sprint was unprecedented in offering the setting, and it was useful in certain unusual situations.  However, it required responsible use.

 

Sprint still has the broadest and deepest roaming agreements of any domestic operator.  In many markets, VZW, AT&T, and T-Mobile provide no roaming fallback, but Sprint provides one or even two roaming fallback networks per market in the PRL.  We can only hope that continues.

 

AJ

[Trip]

I noticed that.  The PRL 55025 provenance could be suspect.

 

AJ

 

That's correct.  The 55025 file is corrupt.  The 55023 file also appeared to be corrupt.  I went back to 55022.

 

A PRL repository is (somewhat) maintained here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1880781

 

Kudos to jcfunk for 55026: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=61791842&postcount=2151

 

Thanks.  Having looked at it, I believe I've figured out what's going on in the PRL, though I would appreciate confirmation from others.  I analyzed Geography 11, which is the area I'm in.

 

There are 10 priority levels.  Of those, the top 3 are not roaming, while the bottom 7 are.  My research suggests that the "Assn Tag" associates 1X rows with EVDO rows.  If this is correct, then the priority is as follows:

 

1)  Sprint 1X, nTelos 1X wholesale, Sprint 1X 800.

2)  Sprint EV-DO, with tags which indicate that roaming on 1X for Cricket and Alltel should attempt to connect to Sprint EV-DO first.

3)  nTelos EV-DO, only when connected with nTelos 1X.

 

Roaming begins here.

 

4)  Cricket EV-DO, only when connected to Cricket 1X.

5)  USCC EV-DO, only when connected to US Cellular 1X.

6)  Alltel EV-DO, only when connected to Alltel 1X.  Priority 6 also includes Cricket 1X.

7)  nTelos 1X in non-wholesale areas, with Sprint EV-DO.

8)  US Cellular 1X.

9)  Alltel 1X.

10)  Verizon, with a tag suggesting it should use Sprint EV-DO.

 

In 55022, US Cellular EV-DO did not appear at all.  When connected to US Cellular 1X, the PRL directed use of Sprint EV-DO.  Since the USCC EV-DO row did not exist, every other priority was increased by one, with the Verizon priority 10 split into two groups taking up both 9 and 10.  The other difference is that one of the US Cellular 1X SIDs had the option of simultaneously roaming on Alltel EV-DO.

 

 

If I'm wrong about any of this, please let me know. 

 

- Trip

[shaferz]

Look at that folks - new PRL king?  I hereby nominate TRIP!    

 

I really know nothing about PRL's, but I'll be here to see how things develop.  

[Trip]

I'd like to know if I'm right first, before getting too carried away.

 

- Trip

[techfranz]

To expand upon my prior post, I wish that we still had the "Roaming Only" setting.  Sprint was unprecedented in offering the setting, and it was useful in certain unusual situations.  However, it required responsible use.

 

Sprint still has the broadest and deepest roaming agreements of any domestic operator.  In many markets, VZW, AT&T, and T-Mobile provide no roaming fallback, but Sprint provides one or even two roaming fallback networks per market in the PRL.  We can only hope that continues.

 

AJ

Thanks for the reply. Yes I agree it was probably good for them to remove that setting and control via PRL. I still miss it though 

[bigmachine]

Roamed on USCC EVDO in Oregon. (Hwy 58 from I-5 to La Pine.)

 

Had Sprint service for quite awhile, but where it didn't exist USCC picked up the slack.

[WiWavelength]

I analyzed Geography 11, which is the area I'm in.

 

Trip, would you be willing to analyze the other GEOs?  I have updated the second post again to include now 15 other operators.  But PRL confirmation would be helpful.

 

AJ

[Trip]

Trip, would you be willing to analyze the other GEOs?  I have updated the second post again to include now 15 other operators.  But PRL confirmation would be helpful.

 

AJ

 

I'm willing, so long as you or someone else checks my work first so I don't waste a bunch of time doing something that as soon as I'm done someone says, "you did it wrong."

 

- Trip

[utiz4321]

I wish Sprint would allow more aggressive pseudo-roaming in rural areas. In the old days we could force our phone to roam.

 

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

I don't. Why should sprint pay to have you as a customer.

[WiWavelength]

I'm willing, so long as you or someone else checks my work first so I don't waste a bunch of time doing something that as soon as I'm done someone says, "you did it wrong."

 

Everything you posted for your GEO looks fine for our level of work.  We do not need absolute accuracy on the roaming priority levels.  All we really need are the roaming SIDs/operator names that now have EV-DO ACQ indices associated with them.

 

AJ

[travismheim]

I don't. Why should sprint pay to have you as a customer.

The ability to force roaming was pretty nice to have sometimes. I've been in areas that were incredibly weak for Sprint and my handset kept connecting and then dropping and roaming and repeating itself. It basically makes the phone unusable in any sense. Part of what makes Sprint so great is their roaming agreements, roaming just has to be used responsibly.

[Fraydog]

Anyone in the STL area want to come down to Chester and check the coverage to see who the 1X provider is?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Trip]

Everything you posted for your GEO looks fine for our level of work.  We do not need absolute accuracy on the roaming priority levels.  All we really need are the roaming SIDs/operator names that now have EV-DO ACQ indices associated with them.

 

AJ

 

Where is the best SID list?  I'm having a fit trying to figure out what SID goes with what carrier beyond the normal Sprint/Verizon/USCC/Cricket type carriers.  A lot of them seem to be registered in the names of law firms.

 

- Trip

[WiWavelength]

Where is the best SID list?  I'm having a fit trying to figure out what SID goes with what carrier beyond the normal Sprint/Verizon/USCC/Cricket type carriers.  A lot of them seem to be registered in the names of law firms.

 

Just for reference, Smith Bagley may sound like a law firm, but it is not.

 

 

AJ

[itsrobert]

My LG G3 just did a reboot. I am now on 55026. I tried to update prl yesterday, but did not update. Not sure there is any benefit to me in San Diego area with 55026.

[lilotimz]

Where is the best SID list?  I'm having a fit trying to figure out what SID goes with what carrier beyond the normal Sprint/Verizon/USCC/Cricket type carriers.  A lot of them seem to be registered in the names of law firms.

 

- Trip

 

http://www.ifast.org/files/NationalSID.htm

[kojitsari]

Where is the best SID list? I'm having a fit trying to figure out what SID goes with what carrier beyond the normal Sprint/Verizon/USCC/Cricket type carriers. A lot of them seem to be registered in the names of law firms.

 

- Trip

Digiblur actually did a break down of the changes in this prl (supposedly when asked). Here's the pastebin link if you'd like to cross reference your work.

 

Changes: http://pastebin.com/HYWmK3iQ

Full breakdown: http://pastebin.com/XxPv9AXH

 

edit: Formatting, and adding the link for just changes.

[peteyz24]

Looking at northern Wisconsin, I would have to say that Cellcom is included.

 

On a related note, is no one doing PRL interpretation any longer?  A PRL interpretation would definitively answer these questions.  digiblur used to be the source, but he went apeshit on Sprint/S4GRU and left long ago.

 

AJ

I am a bit late to the party.  I have been able to roam on Cellcom EVDO as long as I can remember.  Or maybe I should say as long as Signal Check has been around.

[WiWavelength]

I am a bit late to the party.  I have been able to roam on Cellcom EVDO as long as I can remember.  Or maybe I should say as long as Signal Check has been around.

 

As stated in an earlier post, this thread is for any EV-DO roaming -- either added or retained.

 

AJ