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Help Antenna (includes GPS), reception discussion

Download an app called Network Signal Info, what does it say your dBm and asu is?

You also might be able to get this info via Settings -> About Phone -> Status (or thereabouts).
Settings > About > Network is where you'll find it (at least it is on mine, running a 4.3 Sense ROM).

Note that small variations in position can change these things - I just moved mine one phone width to the side and it went from -71 dBm to -69, moved it back, turned to type this, and it's now reading -75. So don't read too much into small differences, and if you compare 2 phones do swap their positions after a while.

Different phones, or different software on the same phone, give you different numbers of bars for the same signal. The real test is, as said, whether it works - if you can make and receive calls in all of the places you could previously then it's fine, whatever the bars say.
 
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Ideal? If you get higher than about -60 dBm (or about 25-26 asu) you are probably camped out next to a basestation. Conversely if it's lower than -110 dBm/couple of asu then that's a weak signal (much lower and you'll lose contact). The sort of thing I was seeing in my previous post is a strong signal.

But if the objective is checking whether the phone is working properly, you need to know what's normal in that location.
 
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Welcome to the forum :)

What is it using for the calls, 2G or 3G? No phone uses LTE for voice yet, so it will be switching to a different band/protocol for that. And are the call drops localised? If so it might just be that the network are doing something in that cell (I had such a coincidence myself just after I changed phones, a bit of network tuning that meant that calls in one of my regular locations tended to drop).

I don't have an answer, just trying to pin down the symptoms a bit.
 
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When it switches to make a call the display goes from 4G LTE to just 4G (which I assume is really 3G). I changed to preferred network type to WCDMA preferred to see what would happen and, instead of have 3-1 bars or less, it held on to 5-3 bars, so it seems to hang on to the 3G signal better when it doesn't have to switch. As I said, when I have it on LTE, I have a steady 5 bar signal, until it switches for the call.
 
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I've had my One for about a month with zero issues. Now I have a few...

My 3G/4G never kicks on anymore. Basically can't use my phone on break/lunch at work (not in WiFi range). Can't send pics or anything using 3/4G.

I occasionally get the 'No Service' at the top of the phone as well.

...and one last issue (which isn't a huge deal)every time I log out and back into Facebook I get the "HTC Sense needs Facebook Permissions" alert. Also have to switch to 'most recent' in the news feed menu every time I sign in. I'd stay signed in but I keep missing messages and whatnot so I've been logging out lately

Although I love the design of the phone and the style, looks, etc...I hate that I can't take it apart. I'm wondering if somehow my Sim card is loose or if there's something wrong inside. It hasn't been dropped or anything like that.
 
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Hi all, hope you can help!

Whenever I lose signal, and regain it, my One refuses to connect to the internet, stating that it's unavailable. The only way to make it work is to either remove the sim card and replace it, or turn my phone off and on.

I went into Vodafone and asked them, and they said that it means my phone isnt recognising my sim card each time; so I need to do an update via HTC software on my computer.

The only software I have for it is the Sync Manager, and I can't find on that where it would allow for an update to take place.

So can anyone help? I don't want to have to send it away to get fixed; when it seems like a silly reason to do so!

Thanks in advance,

Jenny/Disconfigured.
 
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I'd ask why THEY don't update my phone. That's their job, not yours. If a salesdroid doesn't understand that, ask to speak with the manager. If they have incompetent managers, call corporate and ask to speak with someone who have a vague idea of how this industry works. The carrier is responsible for providing software updates to phones. Many users don't have access to computers, so how can they put that burden on the user?
 
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I'd ask why THEY don't update my phone. That's their job, not yours. If a salesdroid doesn't understand that, ask to speak with the manager. If they have incompetent managers, call corporate and ask to speak with someone who have a vague idea of how this industry works. The carrier is responsible for providing software updates to phones. Many users don't have access to computers, so how can they put that burden on the user?

They said they can send it off, but they never said they can do it in store. If they send it off, it'll be wiped, plus I don't have a second phone to use in the meantime for something so basic! It's ridiculous.

I told them I have a computer and it shouldn't be an issue, but the software for the PC update I can't seem to find; unless I'm being silly and it's on the Sync Manager but I can't find it regardless. It doesn't show up straight away saying it needs an update, like a normal update would!
 
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Anyone who's done mobile radio installations with those "universal" quarter wave antennas onows the trick of bringing your hand near the antenna while watching the SWR meter to determine id the antenna is too long or too short. I don;t care how they "tune" them, the laws of physics don't change because they want to use a metal case. If you hold a cellphone you're detuning ALL the antennas. The amazing thing is that the nanovolt signals from the GPS satellites produce enough voltage in those random length antennas (which they are, considering that everyone's hand is a different size and conductivity) for any receiver to even notice them.

At least back in the day, the antenna (and there was only one) stuck out of the top of the phone, so your hand (and the rest of you) was just part of the ground plane. When you think about it, it's amazing that an antenna with a hand wrapped around it (any small enough phone with an internal antenna) actually works. This is not the physics we learned when I was in school.
 
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Hi all, hope you can help!

Whenever I lose signal, and regain it, my One refuses to connect to the internet, stating that it's unavailable. The only way to make it work is to either remove the sim card and replace it, or turn my phone off and on.

I went into Vodafone and asked them, and they said that it means my phone isnt recognising my sim card each time; so I need to do an update via HTC software on my computer.

The only software I have for it is the Sync Manager, and I can't find on that where it would allow for an update to take place.

So can anyone help? I don't want to have to send it away to get fixed; when it seems like a silly reason to do so!

Thanks in advance,

Jenny/Disconfigured.

Look in your settings, About, for any update options on your phone.

Failing that, it sounds like it's their network and they want to put it off on you.

That sort of failure to reconnect with a data link can happen to any of us - it hit me for a solid week while they were screwing around with towers near me.

You get a fringe signal that nets you voice but it deadlocks or goes into an endless loop when it's supposed to complete the sign in.

Try just toggling airplane mode off, wait a few seconds, then back on.

Much less hassle that tinkering with your sim and it does the same thing as cycling power as far as your phone and their network is concerned - it re-initiates the negotiation to get on the network.

And, it's far less hassle.

You've likely got a widget in your phone for that (check your status bar pull down), or you can install an app for it.

Check out "3G Connection Fix Free" for one you toggle -

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lrm4android.tgcfFree

You'll also find various "3G booster" apps in the Play Store claiming to fix this problem - again, they're simply toggling your radios off, then on.

Hope this helps. :)
 
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You can also check HERE to see if there are any network issues in your area. However this is a very common complaint with Vodaphone. It's not about not having internet access, the speed is so slow at times your connection just times out. Vodaphone "No internet" issues last 12 months

The only reason I bring this up is that I travel a bit and have been on Vodaphone's network before (using an unlocked Sprint HTC One-M7). I had so many problems I just threw their SIM out and got one from 02 and did not have a problem for the rest of my trip.
 
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I happen to of been using a LG Optimus F3 for at least 6 months now and the signal strength for 4G was always fine. Just it started to decide to not want to automatically switch to 4G and I had to force it into 4G mode. So now I am with Sprint with a HTC One and its signal strength is terrible. It refuses to automatically switch into 4G as well and most of the time it doesn't even want to go into 4G mode when I force it even though my F3 happens to get 4G easily in that same spot. So what is up with that? It is connecting to the same towers as the F3 so what in the heck is wrong other than the antenna built into this HTC One is total crap compared to the much cheaper LG Optimus F3?
 
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I happen to of been using a LG Optimus F3 for at least 6 months now and the signal strength for 4G was always fine. Just it started to decide to not want to automatically switch to 4G and I had to force it into 4G mode. So now I am with Sprint with a HTC One and its signal strength is terrible. It refuses to automatically switch into 4G as well and most of the time it doesn't even want to go into 4G mode when I force it even though my F3 happens to get 4G easily in that same spot. So what is up with that? It is connecting to the same towers as the F3 so what in the heck is wrong other than the antenna built into this HTC One is total crap compared to the much cheaper LG Optimus F3?

It's more likely that you have a defective phone. Probably a good idea to take it back and get it replaced.
 
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I doubt that is going to happen. As I got it from sprint over the phone and I don't know if they will send me a replacement. And if I end up sending it to them and they find nothing wrong with it they are going to expect me to pay the full price of the phone.

Actually, you can contact Sprint, have them schedule a test at your nearest corporate store with service center (presuming one is within driving range for you), take it in at the appointed time with zero hassle because the paperwork will already be done for you, and have them check it. They can't argue or mess around because it will be a corporate appointment with corporate watching.

I did that for an HTC I got from Radio Shack a few years ago, and I had a bad radio chip. They wrote me out a form that Radio Shack had to honor (they did) and swapped me out for a new phone.

Zero cost from Sprint and zero cost from Radio Shack.

So if you bought it from Sprint, you're likely to do as well or better.

But calling Sprint directly, not your local store, and having them set it up, that's the key. Others have followed that advice since with equally good results.

Best luck, hope you get it sorted.

No software tricks can fix a lemon and lemons happen.
 
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Thanks for the info. Just there is no corporate stores around close to me. Just 3rd party ones. Also I am not sure about the radio chip being bad as it works perfectly fine in a bigger area. Just not at my place. I am almost certain that it is the strength of the antenna.

Strength of the antenna?? I have no idea what that means.

If you're trying to say that the design is defective rather than your particular phone when everyone else isn't having the problem then there's not much more I can suggest.

Hopefully you'll get it sorted out without selling it to someone unsuspecting.
 
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