Root Can updating change your connection

[nate51]

I am using an HTC Desire on the Fido network in Canada and have been with Fido for awhile now with no trouble.

I rooted and installed Oxygens 2.1.6 ROM and now notice a 3G icon in my status bar that was not there before with the stock Android 2.2 Froyo. I now also have noticed that the call quality has more static noise, almost like the calls are coming through a cheap speaker. I am not sure if changing to a rooted phone with the Oxygen ROM now connects the phone with 3G instead of GSM or something. All I do know is the call quality is not the same, has anyone encountered a problem like this? If so what did you do to solve it?

Also is there a way to check in my Android settings how I am connecting like the type of service my phone is using for voice calls and if there is a way to switch?

 

[SUroot]

The phone picks up the best network. So 3g is better than edge or gprs. Even if the 3g network is weaker, it will pick it up and only connect to a 2g network for voice and data if 3g is not present.

Why you're only noticing it now is beyond me.

 

[amlothi]

Perhaps the 3G icon for that ROM is different, so it only looks like you have a different connection?

Unless you are using a different radio, a new ROM by itself shouldn't affect signal quality or call quality - at least, that's my understanding.

 

[SUroot]

Theoretically it could, depending on the RIL supplied with the ROM (which interfaces between the radio and Android telephony services), however I have not known a RIL be that incompatile and it can only be one of a handful of RIL's available anyway

 

[Hadron]

Some aspects of call quality could be affected by the ROM - call volume is an obvious one, and I recall one early patch for the "gingerbread call answer delay" that lead to echos on all calls. But we have a lot of GSM Oxygen users here who aren't reporting problems with call quality.

As others have said, unless you also changed radio I'd not expect the 2G/3G behaviour to change (even if you have, those changes are normally subtle, frequently unnoticable). Amlothi's suggestion of a different 3G icon seems possible - that is something that depends on the ROM.

If you are not using 3G data then you could always select "use 2G only" under wireless settings. If the phone is hanging onto a marginal 3G signal it could be that call quality (and battery life) might be better that way, but it will be painfully slow if you do use data.

 

[nate51]

Some aspects of call quality could be affected by the ROM - call volume is an obvious one, and I recall one early patch for the "gingerbread call answer delay" that lead to echos on all calls. But we have a lot of GSM Oxygen users here who aren't reporting problems with call quality.

As others have said, unless you also changed radio I'd not expect the 2G/3G behaviour to change (even if you have, those changes are normally subtle, frequently unnoticable). Amlothi's suggestion of a different 3G icon seems possible - that is something that depends on the ROM.

If you are not using 3G data then you could always select "use 2G only" under wireless settings. If the phone is hanging onto a marginal 3G signal it could be that call quality (and battery life) might be better that way, but it will be painfully slow if you do use data.

I haven't updated the radio, but now that you bring up the radio aspect I am wondering if I should. I do use 3G for my data plan but I found with my older stock OS the 3G icon only turned on when I turned on my data connection and would then disappear when I turned off the data connection. I am going to play SIM swap with some people and see if it changes my call quality, if it does I will be harassing Fido for an updated SIM.

 

[SUroot]

3G is for voice and data. If you simply turn off data (as opposed to use 2G only) then your voice is still connected to 3G. The icon that says "3G" is literally just informing you about the data aspect however.

 

[nate51]

3G is for voice and data. If you simply turn off data (as opposed to use 2G only) then your voice is still connected to 3G. The icon that says "3G" is literally just informing you about the data aspect however.

This is the 3G icon in the top left, I get at all times. I know some will say it's because of 3G watchdog, but I was getting the icon even before installing the app.

The second screen shows when my data is connected and I get the 3G on the right beside my bars.

It's not even an issue for me if the 3G icon wants to stay there, I just want my calls to be clear like they were before.

 

[Hadron]

The 3G watchdog notification icon has 3 settings - never visible, visible when 3G active, always visible. So it's quite possible for that one to be visible at all times.

Don't understand it being there before you installed the app though. Have you tried going into 3G watchdog settings and setting visibility to "never" and see whether it disappears?

OK, that doesn't address the call quality issue, but I'd feel that we understood something if it did

You weren't using something with your previous ROM that switched to 2G mode when you turned data off?

 

[SUroot]

This is the 3G icon in the top left, I get at all times. I know some will say it's because of 3G watchdog, but I was getting the icon even before installing the app.

The second screen shows when my data is connected and I get the 3G on the right beside my bars.

It's not even an issue for me if the 3G icon wants to stay there, I just want my calls to be clear like they were before.

Oh I see. Sorry never seen that but.top left is app related icons

 

[handy5876]

Strange my 3g connection shows as 'H' which is hsdpa whereas u are getting '3G' symbol for the same rom.

 

[Hadron]

Not all 3G is HSDPA - I get both H and 3G at different times, depending on what's available.

 

[nate51]

The 3G watchdog notification icon has 3 settings - never visible, visible when 3G active, always visible. So it's quite possible for that one to be visible at all times.

Don't understand it being there before you installed the app though. Have you tried going into 3G watchdog settings and setting visibility to "never" and see whether it disappears?

OK, that doesn't address the call quality issue, but I'd feel that we understood something if it did

You weren't using something with your previous ROM that switched to 2G mode when you turned data off?

No I checked to make sure 2G was not on when the data was disconnected, I tried switching to 2G just to see if call quality would be better, if it is it's very minimal. Anyways problem isn't the icon it's the call quality, so I will switch with some friends SIMs since my phone is unlocked and see what I come up with.

 

[nate51]

Strange my 3g connection shows as 'H' which is hsdpa whereas u are getting '3G' symbol for the same rom.

Yeah as Hadron mentioned I also only get the 3G symbol on the right when there is no data passing through, the second I open a browser or program that starts sending data I also get the "H" symbol and you see the arrows flashing.

 

[amlothi]

This is the 3G icon in the top left, I get at all times. I know some will say it's because of 3G watchdog, but I was getting the icon even before installing the app.

It's impossible for you to have that icon before installing 3G Watchdog, because that IS 3G watchdog.

As Hadron noted, there are settings in the app to control whether it is visible or not.


You aren't the first person who has been confused about this though. I wonder if the 3G Watchdog developer would consider changing the icon.

 

[nate51]

It's impossible for you to have that icon before installing 3G Watchdog, because that IS 3G watchdog.

As Hadron noted, there are settings in the app to control whether it is visible or not.


You aren't the first person who has been confused about this though. I wonder if the 3G Watchdog developer would consider changing the icon.

The only thing I can think of then is I did still have the app folder in my phone after doing a wipe, so I am not sure if the app was running on the new rom, which makes no sense. Trust me it makes no sense to me either, but it was there when I flashed.

I have been playing with the network settings and did a search for available networks and selected Fido from the list, I do notice the call quality is better, still not 100% what I remember, but I might just be playing mind games with myself. I will still try the SIM swap tomorrow but so far, selecting my network seems to have solved most of the problem with the poor call quality.

 

[amlothi]

The only thing I can think of then is I did still have the app folder in my phone after doing a wipe, so I am not sure if the app was running on the new rom, which makes no sense. Trust me it makes no sense to me either, but it was there when I flashed.

If you only flashed a new ROM, you will still have all your applications installed.