Network type and band switching

[jefbal99]

I've been very frustrated my network connections recently.  I'm not sure if its my device or the network load balancing, but my Nexus 6P latches on to LTE B26 and just sits there.  I can be in downtown Lansing, MI with visual site to 3xCA, 8T8R, Triband, full build sites and still be parked on B26.  Due to the Canadian/US border, we are limited to a 3x3MHz FDD LTE carrier that is so over loaded, it is essentially useless outside of the middle of the night.

 

I remember when LTE was first launched and only B25 existed there were limitations on network changes due to CDMA.  My recollection from those threads and conversations was due to CDMA and LTE not being forward/backwards compatible, an active data session couldn't hand up from CDMA to LTE until a "quiet" period occurred.  However, if LTE was lost or too weak, the session could hand down to CDMA via eHRPD.

 

I thought it was explained that once LTE was across the board and all three LTE bands were available, the network and devices would be able to pass active data sessions up and down (i.e. B26->B25->B41 and reverse) because LTE allows and supports this type of load balancing.  Also, its best practice to get a device on the most largest available bandwidth to get their data session completed.

 

What I experience is that my device will go to B41 or B25 when it is idle, I start using it and I have a good network connection for a few minutes, but quickly I end up back on B26 and with a less than stellar thru put.  I.e. 45 secs for a website to load, minutes for a snap to send, 10 minutes for an app to update, etc.  I can disable mobile data on my device, wait about 30 seconds, then I'm back on B25 or B41, turn on mobile data and experience the same thing with getting shuffled onto B26.

 

Is my understanding of LTE active data sessions being able to change bands incorrect or is something else occurring?

 

One caveat for my experience at home is that I live on the border of two separate Sprint switches/regions.  To the west I have a B25 & B41 site, to the east I have a triband site.  However, when I'm in Lansing for work and other stuff, I'm one a single switch/network.

[jakeuten]

It might be inconvenient, but I would recommend going to airplane mode for 15-20 seconds and then turning it back off. That should reconnect you to the network. Does EVDO perform better at that location? Can you just disable LTE? Not sure if there's a way to lock 26 out on a 6P. Maybe if you're rooted.

[greenbastard]

There is a way to turn off Band 26 on Nexus devices.

 

Dial *#*#3282#*#*

Go to LTE and select Edit.

For ServiceCode, just type in 000000

From there, select Band 26 Enabled and select Off.

Press the home button and the phone should restart.

 

Your phone should only scan for B25 and B41 after this. If you wish to turn it back on, just go back and turn it on using the same steps.

 

As far as load balancing, the network can move you around, even during data sessions. I've gone from ehrpd to LTE during active data sessions without a hiccup. LTE 25 and LTE 26 swap back and forth without any issue either during active data sessions. The same happens with B41, but I find it more iffy.

 

But now that you mention it, I have seen the network act a bit funny with load balancing and LTE hand offs in my area. I'm sure it's just regular nationwide maintenance since I believe there was an update to the network to accommodate HPUE devices.

Edited May 5, 2017 by greenbastard

[jefbal99]

There is a way to turn off Band 26 on Nexus devices.

 

Dial *#*#3282#*#*

Go to LTE and select Edit.

For ServiceCode, just type in 000000

From there, select Band 26 Enabled and select Off.

Press the home button and the phone should restart.

 

Your phone should only scan for B25 and B41 after this. If you wish to turn it back on, just go back and turn it on using the same steps.

 

As far as load balancing, the network can move you around, even during data sessions. I've gone from ehrpd to LTE during active data sessions without a hiccup. LTE 25 and LTE 26 swap back and forth without any issue either during active data sessions. The same happens with B41, but I find it more iffy.

 

But now that you mention it, I have seen the network act a bit funny with load balancing and LTE hand offs in my area. I'm sure it's just regular nationwide maintenance since I believe there was an update to the network to accommodate HPUE devices.

I think I tried this once before and my phone basically quit working, but I'll give it another shot.

[jefbal99]

As it turns out, both B26 and B41 are unusable. After disabling B26, my modem freaked out. I wish I had a screen video capture, SCP was just bouncing between any B41 site and carrier it could find, but never holding on as the network would attempt to balance it elsewhere. After seeing that for about 10mins, I disabled B41 I'm addition to B26.

 

Once my device was on B25 it was as stable as I ever remember it. Here is a speedtest from the B25 connection. While on B41 a speedtest would never start.

 

It appears that Sprint's network priority is B41->B26->B25. One would think that B25 would be preferred to B26 as it is a much larger and multiple carriers.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[jefbal99]

Has anyone ever gotten what Sprint's load balancing rules are?  Is it based on usage, signal strength, thruput, bandwidth availability, etc?

 

Seems really weird that B25 seems to be sitting here available and reliable, while B26 and B41 are wastelands.

[jakeuten]

Has anyone ever gotten what Sprint's load balancing rules are?  Is it based on usage, signal strength, thruput, bandwidth availability, etc?

 

Seems really weird that B25 seems to be sitting here available and reliable, while B26 and B41 are wastelands.

I'm sure that they have an "algorithm" of sorts, but all the factors you mentioned are probably put into consideration when being placed on a band. In heavy traffic on AT&T, I will see myself on B2 a lot more even though my device supports 3xCA from 30+4+12. I would think the network would ideally work in the order of 3x41>2x41>41>25 second channel (if applicable)>25 first channel> 26> EVDO 1900> EVDO 800 (if applicable)> 1X 1900> 1X800, but nothing works perfectly.

[greenbastard]

Has anyone ever gotten what Sprint's load balancing rules are? Is it based on usage, signal strength, thruput, bandwidth availability, etc?

 

Seems really weird that B25 seems to be sitting here available and reliable, while B26 and B41 are wastelands.

Another solution to your problem would be to root and install Network Signal Guru. With this app, you can turn off any band on the go without the hassle of restarting the phone. Turning bands on and off is very simple with this app and doesn't require the reboot that the Sprint menu requires. I use it on the Nexus 5x a lot when I'm stuck on useless B25 and want to force my phone into a fringe B41. It also shows some very useful information and tells you when your phone is using CA and how much data is being sent through each stream (MIMO).

 

Another plus is that if you want to roam on Verizon voice, you can simply turn off BC1 and BC10 and your phone will only work on CDMA 850. It's very useful when I'm in the hills and my phone holds on to a weak Sprint 1x800 from far away. (A side note, leaving LTE on and forcing any of the CDMA bands off will cause you to experience missed calls)

 

One downside to this app is that it is a battery killer and it makes the phone hot when running. Fortunately, turning the app on, selecting the bands you want on/off, and then exiting the app works flawlessly too. It's a breaze.

 

Give it a try.

[mikejeep]

Has anyone ever gotten what Sprint's load balancing rules are?  Is it based on usage, signal strength, thruput, bandwidth availability, etc?

 

Seems really weird that B25 seems to be sitting here available and reliable, while B26 and B41 are wastelands.

 

Maybe B25 was so reliable because everyone else's device was on B26 or B41 also! Did things ever improve for you? It sounds like something wasn't working the way it should be.

 

-Mike

[jefbal99]

Maybe B25 was so reliable because everyone else's device was on B26 or B41 also! Did things ever improve for you? It sounds like something wasn't working the way it should be.

 

-Mike

No change, I've disabled b26 and b41 since this thread and it's stable.

 

Maybe I should turn them back on and see what happens

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[jefbal99]

So I turned on b26 and b41 since the scp update and it was complete shit again. B26 was preferred and unusable, b41 at times worked ok, but was unstable and if get shuffled to b26. Very rarely got sent to b25, and was almost immediately load balanced off.

 

Turned both off again and back to stable on b25

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk