Help Can someone tell me how data roaming works?

_-Jay-_ · May 2, 2011

So I was in a store yesterday and tried to look something up on the store website on my epic. My phone kept switching between 3G and 1X on the signal meter. I was trying to show the associate something I was looking for on their website. I stood there for a good 10 mins trying to load the store's homepage. Finally, after being tired of waiting for me (I guess), he pulled out his Verizon phone and loaded up the webpage in about 10-15 secs. By the time he was done showing me the item I was looking for, mine still wasn't done trying to load. It was pretty embarrassing. Does the phone not automatically switch over to another carrier's tower for data when it can't get a signal from Sprint on it's own? I don't want to sound stupid so I apologize if I come across that way.

Gavisann · May 2, 2011

Try updating your PRL (Preferred Roaming List). The phone will not just jump to a random tower, your PRL tells the phone that these towers are fine to use. For example if Sprint lost a contract with tower A but got one with tower B. Your phone is trying to talk to tower A because it was never told to use tower B. I hope I explained it clearly enough for you. Maybe someone else can tack on an explanation.

mojomojo · May 2, 2011

I was at a bad reception location yesterday and tried updating PRL.
It seemed to help.
I just assumed that updating a few weeks back ,at home updated PRL everywhere.So was it a coincidence or do I update at every location where I get bad reception?

Gavisann said:
Try updating your PRL (Preferred Roaming List). The phone will not just jump to a random tower, your PRL tells the phone that these towers are fine to use. For example if Sprint lost a contract with tower A but got one with tower B. Your phone is trying to talk to tower A because it was never told to use tower B. I hope I explained it clearly enough for you. Maybe someone else can tack on an explanation.

Puddin422 · May 2, 2011

Was it before or after Sprint cut their coverage down to crap?

To answer the thread title question, for me, it doesn't!

dksnet · May 3, 2011

Sprint may brag about unlimited everything for a cheaper price but if your paying for it 70.00-110.00 on average you should not have to look like a person that still uses a 10.00 tracfone.....LOL
My friend uses one of those walmart straight talk phones(uses verizon) that downloads pages faster than my Epic 4G..........REALLY

PoundSand · May 3, 2011

_-Jay-_ said:
So I was in a store yesterday and tried to look something up on the store website on my epic. My phone kept switching between 3G and 1X on the signal meter.

um, the epic doesn't have a 1x indicator.

_-Jay-_ · May 3, 2011

PoundSand said:
um, the epic doesn't have a 1x indicator.

Sorry, forgot to add that I am running the Syndicate Frozen 1.1 ROM.

Puddin422 · May 3, 2011

Ha. I knew what you meant and it didn't even dawn on me that others wouldn't. And i've only had Syndicate for like a week. Haha

SlyFerret · May 3, 2011

Even if your PRL is up to date, your Sprint phone is always going to talk to a Sprint tower (if there is one within range) before it will roam to another carrier (like VZW).

So, if you had ANY sprint signal at all, it would have kept your phone from roaming.

Here's my take...

Part of the problem is that Verizon still uses the 800MHz band quite a bit for voice and 3G. Sprint primarily uses the 1900MHz band for voice and 3G. Verizon's 4G (LTE) service is on the 700Mhz and, and Sprints 4G (WiMax) service is somewhere around 2.3GHz (I think).

The 700/800 MHz bands penetrate building materials much more effectively than the 1900/2300 MHz bands.

This is why Verizon's service tends to work better inside of buildings, especially the new steel construction that is so popular these days for big commercial structures.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with Sprint, but I do get tired of losing my signal anytime I go inside of a store.

As far as I'm concerned, WiMax on 2.3GHz is only useful if you're outside... and frankly, the tower hand-off process with WiMax is crap when you're driving, which further limits it.

-SF

Puddin422 · May 3, 2011

...but we're not roaming on Verizon's network anymore..

TheEngineer · May 3, 2011

SlyFerret said:
(WiMax) service is somewhere around 2.3GHz (I think).

Clear starts at 2.5 GHz.

Gavisann · May 4, 2011

SlyFerret said:
Even if your PRL is up to date, your Sprint phone is always going to talk to a Sprint tower (if there is one within range) before it will roam to another carrier (like VZW).

So, if you had ANY sprint signal at all, it would have kept your phone from roaming.

Here's my take...

Part of the problem is that Verizon still uses the 800MHz band quite a bit for voice and 3G. Sprint primarily uses the 1900MHz band for voice and 3G. Verizon's 4G (LTE) service is on the 700Mhz and, and Sprints 4G (WiMax) service is somewhere around 2.3GHz (I think).

The 700/800 MHz bands penetrate building materials much more effectively than the 1900/2300 MHz bands.

This is why Verizon's service tends to work better inside of buildings, especially the new steel construction that is so popular these days for big commercial structures.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with Sprint, but I do get tired of losing my signal anytime I go inside of a store.

As far as I'm concerned, WiMax on 2.3GHz is only useful if you're outside... and frankly, the tower hand-off process with WiMax is crap when you're driving, which further limits it.

-SF

A great phone with a horrible carrier...The best way to describe the Samsung Epic 4G. When I bought this phone a week after its release I was told by a sprint tech and a salesman that 4G would be at my house in a few weeks. currently 4G speeds are about a 1/2 mile from my house...

Puddin422 · May 4, 2011

4g is cool and all, but I'd be happy with having strong 3G along major interstates and suburbs of large cities. That is where Sprint is failing at the moment.

SlyFerret · May 4, 2011

I live out in the country, surrounded by farmland... can't get cable or DSL. I've been using Verizon aircards for years now for home internet. Had great 3G service, and now, great LTE service. I'm REALLY impressed with their LTE network.

I might have switched to Verizon if they had gotten the Galaxy S with the keyboard instead of Sprint.

-SF

Puddin422 · May 4, 2011

Ha. I'm only a step above you. I got DSL, but only because I know people at the phone company (we were placing all their cable in the Tampa area). I whined enough until they got DSL here, and it is not very fast. Still no fiber, no cable. Satellite tv.

Help Can someone tell me how data roaming works?

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