Help Data problems with HTC Desire on Orange

[Scubasim]

I have a sim free (stock) Desire now running on FroYo with an Orange sim card. My calls when at home (I also work from home) are being dropped regularly, I think I've only managed to have 3 uninterrupted calls in the week that I've had my Desire.

My old LG phone (not a smartphone) wasn't this bad but it certainly wasn't good. When I have put the bf's Vodafone sim card in my phone I get excellent reception (14+ asu) with my Orange sim I get a wildly fluctuating signal from 8 asu to 0 (very often 0). It seems to make no difference where I am in the house and whether I am holding the phone.

Sounds like an over-subscribed network to me?

 

[bigstu22]

Sorry, I missed this thread and started my own. I don't think I can remove it but I'll not post there anymore-this post will put this thread back above it anyway.

There is one thing I can definitely confirm. The problem is not a network problem alone. It is either the handset alone or a combination of handset/network (the latter I strongly suspect). The reason I know this is that the very same sim I am using now worked flawlessly on my iphone 3G.

I think the poster who states the Orange software as being the culprit probably has the rights of it.

 

[bigstu22]

bump-anybody know anything we don't?

 

[TELREA]

Yeh people still having this problem,am running froyo(not rooted)and this problem plagues my phone everyday...anyone have a fix????

 

[sndwv]

I have a Galaxy S on Dutch Telfort (== KPN network) and have the EXACT same random 3G data loss problem that everybody is describing here. While the signal strength is relatively weak, blocking the signal by shielding the bottom of the phone with my hands does temporarily drop the connection, but it returns afterwards and does not stall the browser as the 'random' problem myself and everybody here are having. Any updates on this?

 

[The Great One]

Guys - sorry for being a bit of a noob here, but what the heck is an unbranded phone?
Is my phone unbranded? Its an HTC Desire with Orange but I purchased it through a 3rd-party site which just gets the airtime off Orange and sends the phone direct from the manufacturer I assume - so does this make my handset 'unbranded'?
I'd appreciate a geekspeak-free explanation.

 

[DCFC79]

Guys - sorry for being a bit of a noob here, but what the heck is an unbranded phone?
Is my phone unbranded? Its an HTC Desire with Orange but I purchased it through a 3rd-party site which just gets the airtime off Orange and sends the phone direct from the manufacturer I assume - so does this make my handset 'unbranded'?
I'd appreciate a geekspeak-free explanation.

unbranded is when it doesnt have any network logos eg on startup or software form orange eg on the homescreen

 

[marcus_london]

Hey all, a newbie so apologies if I don't get all the techie-speak correct. But:
- I stumbled across this forum/thread yesterday as I was researching issues with my Desire/Orange network as I was increasingly frustrated with the all-or-nothing data connection which has steadily got worse and required me to reboot the wireless/the phone several times each day
- when I first got the phone (an early one on the Orange network) it had data problems and dropped call issues in my local area (SE London and Canary Wharf/the City) which Orange put down to a faulty mast and which after badgering they fixed and things improved markedly
- things have gone steadily downhill since then (which suggests to me network capacity issues?) though I have to admit to not understanding why capacity should require me to reboot
- abroad the phone appears to behave more or less impeccably data-wise suggesting compatibility issues between the phone and the Orange UK network (or am I naive? any tech reason it should work perfectly in rural Spain but not London?!)
- went into the Orange shop in Canary Wharf to discuss things with them on Tues 21 Sept and spoke with "Matt" who told me he had the same issues but that they were solved with an upgrade to Android 2.2 (which you guys on here refer to as FroYo) and that Orange customer service would help me upgrade
- when I spoke to customer service they advised I needed to upgrade direct from the HTC website, but when I went there there was no 2.2 available for download (nor via the automatic upgrade check on the phone)
- back to Orange customer service with a very specific question as to how I get the upgrade and I am now awaiting for a call-back from "Jo" and am going to follow-up with "Matt" to ask him where he got 2.2 from!

I will update this as I get any answers....

PS The antenna issue is a thorny one; on the inbuilt signal meter my strength goes from -89dBm when on a table to -97/98dB when I hold it as I would when using data services. That strikes me as ridiculous!

Marcus

 

[ianb11]

I had problems with my desire dropping connection all the time on orange aswell done a few searches on the forums and found a sollution thats worked for me
Dial *#*#4636#*#*
Sellect phone information and scroll all the way down to the bottom
Select the set preffered network type and change to GSM auto (prl)
This has cured all my problems and ive been running it like this for over a month and dont worry you still get hsdpa aswell or 3g+ as orange now call it
Hope this helps
Dave

I have a real problem with 3G either being painfully slow, dropping out or just being unavailable but just put it down to Oranges p**s poor coverage.

Wouldn't mind trying this to see if it improves any but what does it actually do?

 

[barefootpilot]

I always thought the speed of connection was heavily influenced by the number of users in a given cell. I find often in areas of full signal strength (Heathrow T5 for example) the speed is pretty slow. I'd always assumed it was because the building was full of business travellers on their iPhone/Blackberry/iPad/iWhatever's all connecting at the same time.

 

[turbohobbit]

Fed up with calls and signal dropping all the time so I'm giving this a go...

 

[ianb11]

I tweeted Orange Helpers on Twitter today about the poor 3G service in my area & he advised me to contact Customer Service.

Not sure what they can do about it really though.

 

[madmonk]

I have the same problem with connection; I'm on a Desire with Orange contract. phoned Orange three times in last week - the first operator said she'd send me SIM update - she didnt, the second said she apologised for the first and sent me a SIM update. Which didnt solve the problem.

The third, a bloke spent an hour with me (phoned me back several times) and fair play to him, I genuinely thought he was trying to be helpful. He helped me create a new APN, a Wap service rather than the stock Orange Internet (which I assume is normal GPRS), which admittedly did work - the internet connection came straight back on, but has since been intermittent again. The settings for the APN Orange WAP can be found here GPRS Connectivity - Information and UK Settings

However, despite changing the settings in ...4636...[testing] from WCDMA preferred to GSM auto (PRL) and enabling automatic radio, still having problems.

WHilst we're on the subject does anybody know what the advantages and disadvantages are of having WAP or GPRS? (presumably the stock Orange Internet APN) ?

 

[ianb11]

I honestly think it's a network problem.

A girl at work has a HTC Wildfire on O2 & she gets full 3G & H signal pretty consistently throughout the day whereas mine tends to flick between them both & as above 3G is painful.

H is fine when it works but it just isn't consistent enough.

 

[turbohobbit]

Fed up with calls and signal dropping all the time so I'm giving this a go...

After a few days, I can report that whilst I'm not necessarily getting more 3G / H signal than I used to, at least the phone doesn't drop calls every time it flicks between data carriers. I am getting signal drops in the strangest areas (such as Embankment, walking across the Thames in the centre of London, Waterloo station and South Bank...) but I'm putting that down to either Orange dodginess, or the proliferation of government buildings in the area perhaps having bits of kit that play with phone signals...

 

[turbohobbit]

Hmm..... I'm not so sure now. I've been having MMS send problems (see other thread) so I have reverted to the default setting to see what happens...

 

[carperkm]

Any more on this? I'm having more problems than usual today, texts not coming through unless I switch off and on again, missed calls, and very poor internet.

 

[carperkm]

It seems to me that when I turn the phone back on it all works fine until I turn my internet on. When I do this I get about a minute of 3g+ then it reverts to 3g, which is never enough to do anything with (no exaggeration). After that I can't text or make calls. What's going on? Is it anything to do with the weather?

 

[carperkm]

No internet connection at all today. Anybody else?

 

[Andrewolf79]

hi every one i have a HTC Desire branded orange.

Im on my 8th replacement & still having problems..
1st HTC Desire brown new ...
2nd to 7th black brand new.. life expectancy 1 month before developing software fault..
8 Th. one refurbish brown ...problem developed in 4 days!!!! Same as the others.. plus back cover doesn't fit snugly and power button is all wobbly!!!

1.Faults with all htc i had.
2.Car mode kicks in when it wants so goes to loud speaker unexpectedly
3.Unlock screen pattern all out of centre
4.txt go on delay or don't get sent
5.txt get received or notified after several hours
6.E-mails always on delay after few hours or days
7.Typing on calendar the hand set freeze
8.keep loosing or not finding internet connection
9.widget of favourites doesn't show all favourites i choose
10.i chose one txt from the list it opens a completely different one not even close to the chosen one!!!!
11.Call outs get cut off for no reason...
12.Bluetooth is useless always have to reset it.. same as wi-fi

I was one of the first to BUY the phone on orange business contract they charged me 80

 

[spile]

I never get "H" on data only "G" which presumably means I am not getting the fastest data connection. The data setting is already set to auto.
Any ideas?
Phone is 3 branded but on Orange running 2.2

 

[rasobey]

I solved this problem by paying off my Orange contract early and using a Three SIM in my Desire. The improvement over Orange is phenomenal.

@Spire: maybe your SIM card is not 3G enabled. How old is it? Try ringing OCS and asking them to send you a new one.

 

[Robmonster]

Some days are worse than others but its the same issue of great signal, but no data flow... This tends to be on 3G and when it jumps to H it works again... Also have the issue of data dropping out totally and taking ages to reconnect...

I have this exact same problem on an ORange HTC Desire. Mobile Internet only seems to work when the 'H' symbol is displayed. When it says 3G it /occasionally/ works but more often than not it just doesnt send or receive anything.

Did you ever find a solution?

R

 

[jdta09]

I think part of the problem is that we don't really know where the problem is. Is it Orange, the Desire, Android, HTC ? Maybe a combination of the two?

 

[Robmonster]

Is 'H' faster then 3G? If not, is there anyway to get the phone to ignore 3G and drop back to H instead?

R