High TWS issue possibly resolved?

[VSpike915]

On my EVO, my TWS (TIme without signal) is usually over 90%. From what I understand, this is VERY high. Some blame the GSM-CDMA trick for this, but I'm not sold. Granted, I have a bad signal in my house due to all the electronics from my home office. BUT, I called Sprint and talked to them and they're solution was the following: They're sending me a free AIRAVE with free service for a year. ($5 month after that, but I'm sure that could be negotiated when the time comes This boosts 2G signal ONLY. However, the tech said to use wi-fi, turn 3G off and that should solve my high TWS. Not a bad solution IMO, but I'll update with a review when I get it in about a week.

NOTES

You have to be firm, they started at the usual price with free service, but after a few call backs and re-routes, I got it down to $25 with a $30 credit when it comes.

Service is usually $5 per month, and they said it WILL be after a year, but I'm pretty convincing when I need to be.

They are currently back-ordered, so 7-10 days until it ships.

If you have poor service in your area, they will usually not think twice about doing this, but my service is excellent here besides my house which is a total dead zone.

Cheers!

 

[Misbehavin']

However, the tech said to use wi-fi, turn 3G off and that should solve my high TWS. Not a bad solution IMO, but I'll update with a review when I get it in about a week.

You don't have to turn 3G off, as then you would need to remember to turn it back on again when you leave the house. If the WiFi and 3G are on, and the WiFi signal is good, the phone will use WiFi instead of 3G. It doesn't try to run the WiFi and 3G radios together. Once you leave the house, the 3G will take back over as the WiFi signal will have been lost.

The Airave works well. I use one at my house.

 

[krazykevy]

I also have an Airave at my house, went throught the same process as you when I switched from Verizon to the EVO. Although, my monthly Airave fee was waived for for life (as long as I stay a Sprint customer). I will tell you that that little machine is truly amazing. I had ZERO service in my house and could not connect to ANY calls (not even through roaming) and now, as soon as I pull into my driveway, my phone surges up to 5 bars and never goes down from there. I think you will be quite pleased with the Airave.

 

[PAFisher]

My boss has one of those in his house because he used to always get dropped calls inside his house.

MY question to him was, could you hook it up at your hotel in, say, London, and then proceed to use your sprint phone as if you were at home with it? Having the cell signal travel over the internet.

This has great potential as he travels there 2-3 times / year and having that would cover it's cost with savings from international calls while he is there.

Any thoughts?

PAFisher

 

[VSpike915]

My boss has one of those in his house because he used to always get dropped calls inside his house.

MY question to him was, could you hook it up at your hotel in, say, London, and then proceed to use your sprint phone as if you were at home with it? Having the cell signal travel over the internet.

This has great potential as he travels there 2-3 times / year and having that would cover it's cost with savings from international calls while he is there.

Any thoughts?

PAFisher

I believe it uses a high speed internet connection, so if the hotel had it, then I don't see why not

 

[meyerweb]

OTOH, you'd be operating an unlicensed radio transmitter / receiver, which the local authorities might take issue with, especially if you interfered with some licensed devices on the same frequency.

 

[EarlyMon]

On my EVO, my TWS (TIme without signal) is usually over 90%. From what I understand, this is VERY high. Some blame the GSM-CDMA trick for this, but I'm not sold. Granted, I have a bad signal in my house due to all the electronics from my home office. BUT...

Yes, some people need an Airave.

It is to solve a problem that's mutually exclusive to the very necessary GSM-CDMA radio set.

 

[VSpike915]

OTOH, you'd be operating an unlicensed radio transmitter / receiver, which the local authorities might take issue with, especially if you interfered with some licensed devices on the same frequency.

Not unlicensed in any way shape or form. Do you know what an AIRAVe even is?

 

[VSpike915]

Yes, some people need an Airave.

It is to solve a problem that's mutually exclusive to the very necessary GSM-CDMA radio set.

I really thought the CDMA-GSM trick was crucial on 2.1. On froyo however, I don't think it's AS necessary. They took away our way to get to the testing menu without 3rd party software like "Network" SO that being said, my phone has been awake for 8hrs and has only dropped 20% (according to the bar in about battery)