Tired of Slow "E"_edge..lock your phone into fast 3g speeds.

[HtcEvoLemon]

Hey, my phone was constantly going into the slower "E" network, even though I have 3g HSPA+ where I live. It would switch between 3g and E, and mostly stay in E for like 80 percent of the time, giving me slow slow slow internet.

I found a resolution, you can lock your phone into the 3g wcdma network.

Go to :
1)Settings
2)Wireless & Networks
3)Mobile Networks
4)Network Mode

Once you are in Network Mode you have the option of choosing:
1) WCDMA only (this means only 3g)
2)GMS only (This means the slower "E"_edge network only)
3)GSM/WCDMA auto (this switches between gsm and wcdma)

Phone is default set to GSM/WCDMA. Ideally at this setting the phone is suppose to pick up 3g, and only drop to E when 3g signal gets too low. In my experience, this setting doesn't work as planned. It will go to E more often than it should, it seems to prefer E over 3g.

So set your phone to "wcdma only." This locks your phone into 3g.

This has totally resolved my issues. NO MORE "E" for me. Only 3g!!!
No problems with battery life either, same as before.
However, it may lead to more dropped calls possibly, because now there is only 1 network available to your phone, instead of 2. I'm just guessing on that last statement, not totally sure if it causes more dropped calls.

 

[Xian]

no more battery life for you either.

 

[Exaqtion]

Wow. Thank you so much. I was getting Edge in places where I use to never get it with my old phone. I could care less about the battery. The battery is good regardless.

 

[HtcEvoLemon]

no more battery life for you either.

Actually I have seen absolutely no negative impact on battery life what so ever.

Can you provide solid proof that a 3g signal uses substantially more battery than edge to make a huge difference? Also, by your logic, people who are lucky enough to live very close to cell towers and thus receive a 3g signal a hundred percent of the time sadly suffer from terribly low battery life?

 

[AsianSensation]

I have noticed this recently as well. Been on 3G for the last few days without any problem dropping data connection. Before I had it on GSM/WCDMA and it would be on Edge about half of the time. Wonder if T-Mobile purposely tries to force us on Edge because I live about half a mile away from the nearest T-mobile tower, shouldn't be any reason why my phone would want to be on Edge half of the time when 3G is clearly available.

 

[Tangent]

But won't this leave you with no data access at all if you're ever in an area that actually does only have edge reception?

 

[AsianSensation]

that is true, but I'm guessing that if you ever find yourself in that situation, you could always just go back into the settings and set it back to GSM/WCDMA.

 

[HtcEvoLemon]

But won't this leave you with no data access at all if you're ever in an area that actually does only have edge reception?

If you live in a major metropolitan city, like I do, that has HSPA+... there is no reason for my phone to find a need to go into edge. However, if one day I'm bored, and I want to travel to omish town, and take a ride in a horse carriage, then I would set my setting back to "wcdma/gsm auto" to make use of the edge network. So yes, techinically it could drop your data if you are in omish town, but in that case, just turn it back on.

My point was, if you read the original post, that I LIVE in an HSPA+ city, there is no reason for my phone to need to choose E. Yet it seems like maybe t-mobile prefers it this way, less bandwith used. Tricking the customer maybe? I dunno, thats a consipracy theory I just pulled outa my behind.

 

[AutoSortX]

hmm thanks for the info...

 

[ashleynicole]

I just got the slide. I've not rooted yet I'm waiting for someone to do out for me. Now to the question part: I have tip go like 30-40 feet from my building to get 3g. Sometimes I can get it I'm my apartment but it switches between the 2 and I'm on edge most of the time. Will turning it on to the 3g network all the time fix this problem? The ppl at the t mobile store say I live I'm a great area according to there computer and souls always b on 3g and they don't know y I'll not! Plz help

 

[HtcEvoLemon]

I just got the slide. I've not rooted yet I'm waiting for someone to do out for me. Now to the question part: I have tip go like 30-40 feet from my building to get 3g. Sometimes I can get it I'm my apartment but it switches between the 2 and I'm on edge most of the time. Will turning it on to the 3g network all the time fix this problem? The ppl at the t mobile store say I live I'm a great area according to there computer and souls always b on 3g and they don't know y I'll not! Plz help

Hey that was kinda the point of this thread. My phone was switching between 3g and E... and staying on E like 80 percent of the time, even though according to T-mobile i'm in a perfecly fine HSPA+ area. Still, the phone would go into E!
This totally solved the problem for me, I don't know, it sounds like it should resolve your issue.

BTW... rooting your phone will void your warrenty.

 

[brightico]

If you lose signal it automatically switches back to GSM/WCDMA auto. I know because I can't get G3 here.