Help Strange signal issue

[JayJayW]

My new Desire was delivered Monday evening. It is on the 3 network.
Have a great signal at home - H.

Took it to work for the first time yesterday and had a great signal in my office too. I'm also getting H there most of the time, occasionally it drops to 3G but only for a few seconds then goes back to H. Internet browsing is fast and smooth.

So far so good then, I went downstairs however and noticed that I had no signal. How can it go from the strongest possible signal upstairs to no signal at all downstairs?

 

[LECTER]

Thicker concrete?

 

[snowmobile]

I'm the same. At home I have a strong H signal upstairs but only a very weak or non existent G signal downstairs.

 

[JayJayW]

Thicker concrete?

Well I am under a concrete ceiling downstairs whereas upstairs is just a thin factory roof, but there is also windows to the outside all along one wall.

I think I've read somewhere on this forum that you can force your phone to stick to a 2G signal if a 3G one isn't available*; I wonder if that is the problem, no 3G coverage and my phone isn't going onto 2G for some reason?

*Although I may have dreamt that.

 

[snowmobile]

Yes that is worth a try if you have no signal at all. You will find the network mode option in settings (wireless and networks ) and you can set it to Gsm only.

 

[JayJayW]

Yes that is worth a try if you have no signal at all. You will find the network mode option in settings (wireless and networks ) and you can set it to Gsm only.

Just tried that here (at home) where I have full signal - ticked GSM only and it went to no signal, so that's not the answer.

 

[Deleted User]

Just tried that here (at home) where I have full signal - ticked GSM only and it went to no signal, so that's not the answer.

Does 3 have a GSM/EDGE/GPRS network?

 

[JayJayW]

Just found a 3 forum and this thread.

I think 3 is 3G only and according to this thread they have been letting users roam onto Orange's 2G network in areas of poor coverage but is being withdrawn where they believe their 3G coverage is strong enough. This would explain why I can't get a GSM signal.

 

[JayJayW]

Not really sure what to do about this. I'm still in the 7 day cancellation period as I bought my phone online but don't know where else to go.
O2 I've just left because they were waaay to expensive for the Desire, Orange I already know have poor coverage at my place of work, which only leaves T-Mobile - what's to say that if I sent my phone back and went with them I won't get the same issue?

 

[Deleted User]

Not really sure what to do about this. I'm still in the 7 day cancellation period as I bought my phone online but don't know where else to go.
O2 I've just left because they were waaay to expensive for the Desire, Orange I already know have poor coverage at my place of work, which only leaves T-Mobile - what's to say that if I sent my phone back and went with them I won't get the same issue?

How about signing up with T-Mobile today with the stipulation that you may cancel if the signal isn't good and see how the phone works. You should know in one day if it's any better or not with them. If it's better, then just return the 3 phone and keep T-Mobile. I had to do something similar when I moved and Bell service was poor here. I signed up with the other two carriers nearby and tested the service, and returned the one that didn't work.