• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

4G speed

E

elgibby

Member
If there are any St. Louis area lurkers here, please chime in and tell me what kind of download speeds you're getting.

Just got the S2 and love it, way better than my Vibrant; but I'm hugely disappointed in its speed. Coverage map shows massive magenta where I live and work, but my download speed has ranged from a low of 0.20Mbps to a "high" of 1.88Mbps.

Also, phone shows UMTS as the network. Is that right? Should I ever see HSPA?

thx!
 
elgibby said:
If there are any St. Louis area lurkers here, please chime in and tell me what kind of download speeds you're getting.

Just got the S2 and love it, way better than my Vibrant; but I'm hugely disappointed in its speed. Coverage map shows massive magenta where I live and work, but my download speed has ranged from a low of 0.20Mbps to a "high" of 1.88Mbps.

Also, phone shows UMTS as the network. Is that right? Should I ever see HSPA?
Click to expand...

Your download speeds are certainly pathetic. Something is definitely wrong. I am in Portland, OR and I normally get 15-20 Mbps down and 4-6 Mbps up. My SGS2 says it is UMTS.

T-Mobile has several levels of data service: 2G (Edge), 3G, and two versions of 4G: HSPA+21 and HSPA+42. My city has HSPA+42, but it is one of few cities that have it so far. Most cities have at least HSPA+21, but there are a few places where the best you can get is 3G. And there are rural areas where all you can get is 2G.

I don't know what level is available in St. Louis, but a quick call to a local T-Mobile store should get you the answer. And you can follow up the question by asking what is wrong with your phone. Even if all that is available is 3G you should be getting 3-4 Mbps down and 0.5-1 Mbps up. Something is definitely wrong. What it might be exceeds the level of my job description. :mad:
 
If you haven't yet, look on the T-Mobile coverage map online, you have to zoom in close at your location to make sure you're really seeing the coverage. From afar their map would show magenta color but many times zooming in the color would change.

If you have HSPA+ 4G (look at the icon on your phone) and your speeds are slow, I'd drive to a part of town that's labeled on the T-Mobile maps as having HSPA+ coverage and test there to make sure it's not the phone
 
That sounds like a horrible average speed but alot of things can effect 4g if you look at the ads that telus and tmobile put out they all have asterisks saying

"*Manufacturer
 
It probably is geographical.

T-Mo was cooperative about it, supposedly got case bumped to engineers. Haven't noticed much different at home or at work, but there are other places in between where I'm getting 4, 5 or more. So geographical is probably it.

I love this phone anyway.
 
its tmobile...they are yhe worst man. i have them in california and i get edge everywhere. im lucky if i get a g!!!! switching to att soon. the phone is great service is terrible
 
I live in Santa Clarita CA and do get 4G service although not all the time within the house. I am wondering if there's a setting I need to change in order to force the phone to use 4G since it is available.
 
I live in scv too in newhall fringe area. I usually get 4g but at home I get only 3g. Since poor coverage and Wi Fi calling works sporadically I was sent a T-Mobile cell booster now I get 4g most of the house now.

Samsung Galaxy S II T-Mobile
 
BruceAllen said:
I live in scv too in newhall fringe area. I usually get 4g but at home I get only 3g. Since poor coverage and Wi Fi calling works sporadically I was sent a T-Mobile cell booster now I get 4g most of the house now.

Samsung Galaxy S II T-Mobile
Click to expand...

Is that booster like the AT&T MicroCell Tower? Did you have to purchase or was it given to you free of charge??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom