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data issues using UK GSII in America??

FirebirdStud

FirebirdStud

Android Enthusiast
Hi All,

I have returned to American from studying in the UK for a year. I brought my I9100 with me, and I purchased it in the UK on the Vodafone network.

Now that I am back, I went to AT&T to get a SIM and start using my old saved number. They let me try putting one of their SIM's in my phone before I purchased, and it locked onto H+ data. Great I thought! I loaded up a youtube video and it downloaded excellent.

However, now that I am out and about, the phone seems to act up a lot. It will sometimes get into this switching loop where I can watch the data switching from 3G to H to H+. While it is doing this, it wont send or receive data at all, and it varies in the length of time it takes to figure out which service to use.

I chose AT&T because T-Mobile told me the frequencies didn't line up exactly with theirs, and I would only get 2G data with them.

When I went to AT&T and they let me try their card, the rep was surprised I was getting their first layer of 4G data (that is what their H+ is) so I decided to do their GoPhone plan for $50 a month (great deal!) (I also wasn't in the store long enough for it to act up either... how convenient)

Anyways, does anyone know why my phone will freak out and keep switching the data service some times? I haven't had the SIM long enough to see location simililarities or what the common thing that makes this happen is... if their even is one.

Any ideas welcomed! I want to get this figured out!

Many Thanks
Cody
 
As there is a difference between North American networks and European ones, my suggestion would be to root your phone using the guide, here, and then installing a modem more suited to the North American market, say the UGLD3 and XXKG6, as shown in this guide, here.
 
Ok, Ive gone through and read this information. What I cant figure out is why the modem used by my phone, BULP7, isn't mentioned anywhere? Does that mean it isn't a very good modem?

Also, I see the two that you recommend were based on reviews in Canada. What about a modem used in America? Im guessing the networks are probably the same, but if I assume I make an "ass" out of "u" and "me." haha.
 
FirebirdStud said:
Ok, Ive gone through and read this information. What I cant figure out is why the modem used by my phone, BULP7, isn't mentioned anywhere? Does that mean it isn't a very good modem?
Click to expand...

The BULP7 is indeed the UK, Vodafone optimised, modem. Is available from the modem links.

Also, I see the two that you recommend were based on reviews in Canada. What about a modem used in America? Im guessing the networks are probably the same, but if I assume I make an "ass" out of "u" and "me." haha.
Click to expand...

There is no official Samsung firmware/modem for the GT-i9100 for the USA as it has its own variants, such as the Skyrocket and the Hercules, etc; with compatible modems that cannot be used on your GT-i9100. The nearest is the Canadian, "M", variant. Those are the modems that have been shown to work best on the Canadian networks which are the same as the US ones AFAIK.
 
ironass said:
The BULP7 is indeed the UK, Vodafone optimised, modem. Is available from the modem links.
Click to expand...

Thanks for verifying!

There is no official Samsung firmware/modem for the GT-i9100 for the USA as it has its own variants, such as the Skyrocket and the Hercules, etc; with compatible modems that cannot be used on your GT-i9100. The nearest is the Canadian, "M", variant. Those are the modems that have been shown to work best on the Canadian networks which are the same as the US ones AFAIK.
Click to expand...

Ahh, ok now I am starting to understand what is going on. I know what you mean, as I went to the t-mobile store and they showed me their GSII and it looked nothing like mine!! haha. Same with the AT&T one.

I guess Ill give the rooting a shot and try installing another modem. Hopefully this works! I was looking around some other threads, is there a way to save everything the way my phone is now? Like the Vodafone branded operating system and their modem? That way if I do go back to the UK I can reload that modem and take advantage of the vodafone apps?
 
I've got the phone rooted, works great! I've done a backup using the clockwork mod app that was installed during the rooting process and saved it to the SD card. Now, with Titanium backup, that is just to back up apps, correct? Do I need to back up every app I want the data saved from before I download the new modem? I'm not sure it this factory resets the phone and I lose everything I've done to the phone or not.
 
FirebirdStud said:
Okie Dokie. Guess I'll do that too before I proceed. I really hope that modem works!

Thanks again for all of your help!
Click to expand...

As I mention in the Modem Guide, you may have to try a few to see which works best on your network. Obviously you will not be able to use the 4G/LTE signals as the GT-i9100 is not equipped to receive them.
 
Yeah I know about not getting 4g. That's fine for me right now.

When I chose the "backup user and system apps" (365 of them) does that backup game data too like my levels I've attained? Also, what is app external data? Does that need to be backed up? Mine is set at only 32mb..
 
I must confess, I never play games on my phone!

A nandroid backup is a mirror image, a snapshot in time, of your phone.

The Titanium backup of app's and data is similar. As for restoring gaming data... I honestly do not know.

As for backing up external, that's a good idea as a belt and braces approach.
 
Ok, fair enough.

I have installed the first modem you recommended. We will see how that one works in the next couple of days.

Again, thank you so much for your help. I hope this makes the data work better on my phone.

Cody
 
Hi again ironass,

I now have an issue with my phone. When my phone upgraded to ICS 4.0.1 from Vodafone, I had an issue with the wifi toggle switch getting stuck on half lit up when you tried to turn the wifi on. It would never fully turn on until I restarted the phone. I wasn't the only person with this issue, lots of people posted with my on the Vodafone forums. Well, with 4.0.3 they fixed the issue.

Now, after rooting my phone (with the CF-Root-SGS2_XX_NEE_LPD-v5.5-CWM5 file) and using the modem I9100M_radio_UGLD3_CWM this issue with the wifi is back! :(

After reading through the modem thread, I see that the modem DOES NOT affect the wifi or the switching of it off and on. So, does this mean that the rooted LPD file I flashed onto it is now the problem? I really cant stand having to restart the phone to get the damn wifi to turn on. What can I do to get this to work?

This definitely is an unexpected consequence of trying to get the data to work on my phone. :(

Just as a thought, is there a way to flash to Jellybean?
 
ironass said:
Sounds like a kernel problem. Try flashing the Siyah kernel, here.
Click to expand...

I see that SiyahKernel S2-v4.1.5 is the latest one, is that the one I should use?

Also, this cleaner .zip, should I run this first? I see it deletes a lot of files, but I shouldn't ever have issues with the files it deletes if I have ran the backup in clockwork mod, backed up all apps with titanium backup, and saved the /efs file to my computer, correct?
 
*moved to Samsung Galaxy S2 (International) > Galaxy S2 (International) - All Things Root forum*
 
Would rooting my phone have modified the kernel to begin with? I'm trying to wrap my head around why this problem came back in the first place.
 
Sorry, busy day. What method did you use to root? It's possible you replaced the stock kernel during root. Using the latest Siyah can clear things up.
 
I rooted my phone with the CF-Root-SGS2_XX_NEE_LPD-v5.5-CWM5 file using Odin and used the modem I9100M_radio_UGLD3_CWM installed through ClockworkMod.

The whole reason I rooted was because this is a UK phone and I installed the Canadian modem on it so I get better data connection in Minnesota.

Does that help clear it up? Or no?
 
Came aross this thread with tapa (Latest category) because I saw OP has same avatar as me, but mine is better :p

Sorry about derailing...
 
sammyz said:
Came aross this thread with tapa (Latest category) because I saw OP has same avatar as me, but mine is better :p

Sorry about derailing...
Click to expand...

HAHAHAHA I love that yours is animated! Nice touch. Dont worry, I wont steal it, but it made me chuckle. :)
 
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