Signal issues with the Droid

[Darthus]

Hey guys, I've had the droid for about 5 days and am loving it. I'm still working out some battery use issues but other than that it's great. One of the main problems I'm having is around singal strength/wifi.

The main issue I have is that I use my wifi at home and then cell signal away from home (of course). Wifi works great, but when I leave the house, it'll sit at 4 -5 bars with no wifi and no cell data signal for maybe a few minutes. Then it connects at 1X, and will usually sit there with about 3 bars. Every so often it'll flash up 3G with 1-3 bars and then flip back to 1X. I live in the Oakland/Berkeley, CA area, and swithced from ATT to Verizon because I heard of their great 3G coverage, I just don't seem to be experiencing it.

In general the singal doesn't seem too great, never have full bars, and almost always on 1X. Anyone else experienced this? I've installed a billion apps since the start and I'm not sure if any of those are affecting it, including Locale. Another issue I seem to notice is that every so often if an app turns off wifi, and then turns it back on, sometimes I'll go into wireless networks and it won't detect any networks whatsoever until I manually turn off and turn back on wifi.

Anyone experienced any of this or have any recommendations?

 

[gknielse]

I'm having similiar problems getting a good consistent cell signal. I was at the Vrz store today to get my phone swapped because of it. They had two demo Droids on showroom, both only showed one bar. Next to them was an HTC phone with four bars. My replacement does the same thing. I think Motorola has a problem with the Droid's week signal.

 

[dutchgirl2001]

I am now having similar problems. Yesterday I had 3G everywhere I went and since connecting to my home network I barely have 2 bars and never went to 3G. I am a bit frustrated but I know there has to be a way to fix it.

 

[dmgabe]

I spent most of today in the middle of the woods in Illinois and still had great 3g service. Have you tried actually turning off the wifi and seeing if that improves you 3g signal? Could be a simple problem with the radios interfering with each other.

Update: I just did a little test and simply turning off wifi sent my signal from 2 bars to full strength. You can use the power widget to turn it off/on every time or perhaps download Locales to set up profiles.

 

[AZDroid]

I have been keeping 3G, but having issues the last two days with my signal jumping from full bars to none. I'm going to call VZW tomorrow. Held it side by side next to another family member's BlackBerry and their signal stayed strong. My son's Droid is doing the same thing.

 

[dmgabe]

I have been keeping 3G, but having issues the last two days with my signal jumping from full bars to none. I'm going to call VZW tomorrow. Held it side by side next to another family member's BlackBerry and their signal stayed strong. My son's Droid is doing the same thing.

Is this with the wifi turned on or off? I have not had that problem, and doesn't sound like a network issue since you said that the BB does fine.

 

[AZDroid]

wifi off, but if I turn wifi on, I still see the bars switch from full to zero....it's either all or nothing lol.

I tried a restart when I noticed it yesterday and it seemed better after, but tonight it's still jumpy

 

[dmgabe]

wifi off, but if I turn wifi on, I still see the bars switch from full to zero....it's either all or nothing lol.

I tried a restart when I noticed it yesterday and it seemed better after, but tonight it's still jumpy

No clue on that one, as I mentioned above, the only time my 3g signal drops is when wifi is turned on, but not really a problem since I only use that when sitting at the house.

 

[AZDroid]

I do notice that the wifi symbol in the banner replaces the 3G symbol when wifi is on, but I thought that was intended....that the phone is using wifi instead of 3G. But this is my first phone with wifi so I'm a noob at this....my previous phones were both CDMA BLackBerrys which didn't have wifi.

 

[dmgabe]

I could be mistaken, but the way I understand it is still connected to 3g, only uses wifi for data. The bars in the square are your cellular signal which is still 3g.

 

[Darthus]

It does seem to happen when coming away from a wifi connection, like it has trouble re-establishing the cell data connection after it's not been in use for a while.

 

[dean128]

Hey guys, I've had the droid for about 5 days and am loving it. I'm still working out some battery use issues but other than that it's great. One of the main problems I'm having is around singal strength/wifi.

The main issue I have is that I use my wifi at home and then cell signal away from home (of course). Wifi works great, but when I leave the house, it'll sit at 4 -5 bars with no wifi and no cell data signal for maybe a few minutes. Then it connects at 1X, and will usually sit there with about 3 bars. Every so often it'll flash up 3G with 1-3 bars and then flip back to 1X. I live in the Oakland/Berkeley, CA area, and swithced from ATT to Verizon because I heard of their great 3G coverage, I just don't seem to be experiencing it.

In general the singal doesn't seem too great, never have full bars, and almost always on 1X. Anyone else experienced this? I've installed a billion apps since the start and I'm not sure if any of those are affecting it, including Locale. Another issue I seem to notice is that every so often if an app turns off wifi, and then turns it back on, sometimes I'll go into wireless networks and it won't detect any networks whatsoever until I manually turn off and turn back on wifi.

Anyone experienced any of this or have any recommendations?

At the end of November, I will have owned/used the original G1 for one year. I have been waiting and waiting for Verizon to issue an Android based phone. However, I will not be trading my G1 for the DROID. Because the DROID is manufactured by Motorola. All of my friends, who have owned Motorolas in the last few years, have complained of poor signal strength and dropped calls.

With all that said, have you tried a different brand phone on the Verizon network, in your same area?

I hope your issue can be fixed with a firmware update because I would hate for Android to get a bad reputation because of a poor quality phone. The G1 had issues when it was first launched, too. But never for poor a signal.

 

[dean128]

I could be mistaken, but the way I understand it is still connected to 3g, only uses wifi for data. The bars in the square are your cellular signal which is still 3g.

I own a G1. Both 3G and WiFi are used for data. The 3G icon is replaced by the WiFi icon when you connect to a wireless network. When you turn off wireless or lose the WiFi connection, the phone will automatically try to connect to 3G (or sometimes in my case T-Mobile's slower Edge network). For security reasons, my wireless is usually turned-off. I don't want it to inadvertently connect to an open network (and it will). The only reason I turn on wireless is if I get a slow Edge signal icon, instead of 3G AND I can connect to a safe wireless network.

 

[johninbigd]

I am now having similar problems. Yesterday I had 3G everywhere I went and since connecting to my home network I barely have 2 bars and never went to 3G. I am a bit frustrated but I know there has to be a way to fix it.

I'm having a similar experience. I had killer 3G signal two days ago when I got the Droid, but I had much worse signal today including a whole bunch of 1X.

WTH?

 

[Shiggs]

I have been getting one or two bars at work when I was used to getting full strength on my Verizon BB. I asked one of my buddies to hand me his BB on Verizon and he had full strength, but when I looked back at my phone it was at fill strength again. I will try to keep an eye on it today, but as of right now I have full strength and 3G. I have only seen the 1x icon a few times and only for a few seconds.

On another note when I took my phone off the cradle this morning I had no data connection or icon. I had to click airplane mode on and off to get it to pick up a data connection.

 

[gknielse]

My Droid will always have a low signal at my work with only one or no bars, and absolutely no 3G service. My buddy at work has a new HTC Imagio (Verizon Service) that we'll put side by side to my Droid. He'll get 3 bars and full 3G. That's with no WiFi turned on. I don't think it has anything to do with the WiFi turned on, but more rather a poor design on Motorola's antenna receiver or something.

The one thing I did try that seems to get at least some sporatic 3G in my office is to go into Settings...Wireless&Networks....Mobile Networks....System Select and then change the cdma roaming to "Home Only." Like I said, 3G is sporatic, but this setting does seem to at least get 3G occasionally, versus never when it's on Automatic.

 

[shaggymatt]

Let me preface all this by saying that signal bars are not a true indicator of your signal strength. You need to go into the Settings/About Phone/Status and check the Signal Strength there listed as a dBm number. A lower numeric -dBm equates to better signal. -50dBm is a stronger signal than -100dBm.

I've found my Droid to be about on par/a bit better than the BB Storm in regards to signal pickup. Sitting at my desk with the Storm I had routinely -93dBm. Sitting at my desk with the phone in the same place, I have -83dBm right now.

 

[AZDroid]

Well, I went out yesterday to meet friends for lunch and couldn't show off my Droid, had no 3G coverage, sometimes 1x and would get an email but then even that would go away. I could make calls but that's it...couldn't show off the Droid hotness! But my friend with her vzw BlackBerry 8330 had full 1XEV 5 bars signal with data so it was not a network issue. After lunch I went to the vzw store and swapped it out...will drive around testing and comparing this weekend to see if this one has issues.

 

[CRPercodani]

I haven't had any trouble getting a constant 3G signal, and when switching back from WiFi the transition is almost instant. However I have noticed that the signal indicator goes from 0 to 3 or 4 bars very easily, but it doesn't seem to effect my data connection at all. I know signal indicators are generally garbage when it comes to truly relaying how strong your signal actually is. Does anyone know the trick to get it to display the numeral indicator? I know with AT&T you could dial some weird number combination but I'm not sure how its done with VZW.

 

[Barbara]

I haven't had any trouble getting a constant 3G signal, and when switching back from WiFi the transition is almost instant. However I have noticed that the signal indicator goes from 0 to 3 or 4 bars very easily, but it doesn't seem to effect my data connection at all. I know signal indicators are generally garbage when it comes to truly relaying how strong your signal actually is. Does anyone know the trick to get it to display the numeral indicator? I know with AT&T you could dial some weird number combination but I'm not sure how its done with VZW.

If you go menu> Settings> scroll all the way to the bottom About Phone> there is a status indicator in there.

ETA: inside status there is a signal strength indicator

 

[nycdroid]

My Droid currently sits at -58 dBm but only has 1 to 2 bars. I have a Verizon Blackberry Curve right next to it which sits at -80 dBm but reports a full 4 bars. I think the Droid is just under reporting its true signal strength.

I haven't had any issues with reception or call quality.

 

[SSinisterSS]

i get 3-4 bars of 3G in my house, it sits at -70-80dbm

you guys should download cellfinder and see where your closest towers are. mine is 1/4 mile from me

 

[meaker]

I get no 3g and 1 barin my house..

 

[gknielse]

Yeah, I could see where the bars may not be totally indicative of the actual signal strength, but the fact is I've had two different Droids now that I can't get 3G service and can't make phone calls from my office on, or if I do get cell service just outside of my building, the audio quality is choppy with a bad connection. Meanwhile, others that sit around me with different brand phones, but still on Verizon, work fine for 3G and phone.

This tells me the antenna on the Motorola Droid is not that great and more susceptible to a weak signal in areas where the signal from Verizon may not be as strong.

 

[dean128]

Well, after a few people have said their friends phones pick up a strong signal and the droid doesn't, I would suggest the following options:
1) Keep the droid and hope an update fixes it.
2) Keep returning the droid until you get a good one. Motorola's have a reputation for poor signal strength.
3) Return the droid and wait for a different manfacturer.

I have a G1 that pretty much works flawlessly. There are some physical things I don't like about it, but I'm not switching until Verizon has a phone that I'll fall head over heels for. I thought the droid was it until I found out it was a Motorola.

Android and Verizon are awesome. The weak link is Motorola.

Good luck.