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Root Help. How to improve signal coverage on THREE network

E

Elumonq

Newbie
Dear All,
I have quite a weak signal / bad coverage at my post code.
I read a lot and found one thread on Moneysavingexpert.com which suggest the following solution to improve the signal. It says:


  1. Go to the phone dialer and dial *#*#4636#*#* (DO NOT press send or call button) just wait a second and you will get the 'test' menu.
  2. In the test menu choose 'Phone Information'
  3. scroll down and choose on the first drop down - GSM auto (PRL) (for high speed data) or GSM only (You may get 3g if not use GSM auto (PRL). I have chosen GSM (PRL) setting and it works fine on my HTC desire.
  4. Back out to test menu then back into 'Phone information' to see if it sticks (if not try again) then back all the way out. Mine stuck with my chosen "GSM (PRL)" setting on the first attempt itself.
  5. You might want to reboot (power on and off for those who arent familiar with reboot terminology), but I found the settings worked straight away and I didnt need to reboot.
  6. I don't take any responsibility for step 6 - 6) Try other settings on the dropdown if you are brave as I don't know the consequencies of using settings like "EvDo only" and "unknown" as they may be better depending on the way your provider provides information. I have not tried any other setting changes. (..... yet!
    tongue.gif
    )

I wanted to see how the test menu looks like, but when I dialed *#*#4636#*#* I got: Custimzation Setting and not the suggested one. Is it because I have a rooted Desire?

My question, is this suggested solution adequate and reliable? If yes, how can I get to this menu on my rooted desire?

Thanks for your input.

Cheers
 
Rooting doesn't change that menu. Have you got 3 branded firmware?

Having said that, I don't think you will have any luck. Three never had a 2g (GSM) network, and if I recall correctly they no longer have a roaming agreement with any of the other networks. So that trick, which works by reducing the phones preference for 3g (generally weaker) over 2g, won't apply to the 3 network.
 
Was this 3 specific?

The reason I ask is yes on a network like O2 or Vodafone, if the 3G signal is weak, switching to GSM (2g) would indeed help.

The thing is networks like O2 and Vodafone do have a legacy 2G network to fall back on.

3 is different, it emerged as a 3G network. There is no 2G network fall back. If I put my phone into 2G only, I get no signal for this reason.


Didn't actually read hadrons post but now having read it, I conform everything he says as a new 3 user.
 
Thanks to you both.

I understood the point about the 2g/roaming.

Before switching to Three I had a look on their coverage on our postcode comparing to the others and found it to be very similar. That's why I decided to go for Three especially when compared the prices for a plan including "Eat as you go data".

Now that I had the contract for almost two days, I found the coverage almost like my other half's O2. The only bother is that it seems to be quite lunatic!!
For example, when I have no coverage I put down the phone on the table and few minutes later, I see 2bars signal. if I dial my landline number for a test without moving the phone, the call is successful. But, if I take the phone to my ear, the signal is lost.

The signal is very sensitive. That's why I wonder whether there is any tweak to make it more stable.

Hadron, you say: Rooting doesn't change that menu.
What do you mean by that? Is it possible to get to the test menu on a rooted desire, or not? If yes, how? Is there another way to invoke the test mode?

I saw some other people advising the installation of a hardware repeater/booster... Any good?

On a different subject, I read a lot on this forum about battery saving and calibration.
I think my battery is not enough good to try any solution but a replacement. I had a look on Ebay and Amazon to buy, but I am lost with the comments and feedbacks of the buyers who contradict themselves.
So, I wonder if you guys have a link to buy a good quality/price battery?

Thanks for your help.
 
I meant that I had that menu before I rooted and I still had it afterwards. Rooting didn't change that. That is why I asked whether you had 3 branded firmware, because if the menu is missing it is due to the phone's firmware rather than having rooted. That it might be something 3 have done was a guess, but 3 used to have 2g roaming and didn't want people setting phones into 2g only mode, so it's not a crazy guess.

3g signals are more sensitive than 2g, especially indoors. I get a much weaker 3g than 2g inside my house, despite having line of sight to a transmitter a few hundred metres away. Have no experience of repeaters.

Funnily enough I am trying a new battery today - first charge cycle. Got from handtec.co.uk for
 
There is one way you may be able to get to that menu. Install an app called Any Cut, which lets you create shortcuts to anything. Run it, select "activity", then find an activity called "testing". That is this configuration menu. If you don't have that activity then it must have been removed before you got the phone.

However, my original point about it was that that trick for improving stability relied on having a 2g network to fall back on. The improvement comes from spending more time on 2g rather than switching aggressively to 3g when the 3g signal is weak. So since 3 has no 2g that won't help you at all.
 
Did you know three have a product called "home signal"? It's like Vodafone sure signal although apparently better. As you're contract, you may be eligible. Call them and find out.

There's a favour in there too... I too would like one. Im on payg so not eligible. Id like to go on contract but would prefer a better signal at home. If you do call them about eligibility, please would you ask what the criteria is for me?
 
Hi Hadron and SUroot.

Thanks for your input.

Hadron, I bought my Desire rooted and unlocked (without any visible branding) before getting my new contract with THREE.
I do not know how to check the firmware, but here the info I see in About Phone/Softwrare Info.:
And.ver.: 2.3.5
HTC sense ver. 3.5
Software No. Runny Rom v6.0

It is bizarre that you can get the test mode with your rooted, but not me.
I wanted to download the Any Cut app you mentioned, but I couldn't find it on Play!

Anyway, I have been called by the technical department of Three following a feedback I left on their website about the coverage where I was saying that the coverage was poor and that I am going to retract my recommendations to my friends and family for switching to Three. The guy promised that a technical team will come over to my postcode and check all the mats and antennas which cover the area.
He said that sometimes they need to make some adjustments to these devices to improve the signal.
He said that they may also make me change some settings on my Desire as it is not provided by them.
I talked about the Home Signal SUroot mentioned. The guy said that the technical team may decide to install this device if it needed. He said that I needn't to worry as they will surely find a solution and that I will be happy.
I asked him about the eligibility for the Home Signal device. He said that if needed it will be installed with no problem at all. I asked whether pay as you go contracts are also eligible. There, he wasn't sure and said that I better tell my friend to call the Pay As Yo Go support team and they will certainly find a solution.
The guy was really very nice and seems to be very positive about the outcome of the coverage.

SUroot, if you are considering to switch to contract, I guess you have after getting your SIM card, 14 days to change your mind. My contact I signed is the SIM600 which a Sim only contract with 600 minutes, 3000 text and All you can eat Data for
 
OK, I now know why you don't have that menu - it must be because of the custom ROM you are using. Runnymede was the pre-release codename for the HTC Sensation XL, so what you have there is a port of that phone's software, and I guess it just doesn't include that hidden menu (or uses a different shortcut).

My replacement battery seems OK so far. Currently 25% left after 3 hrs 10 mins screen on (mostly forums and games), which isn't spectacularly better than the previous battery but it is only on its second charge cycle so should improve a bit further.

Good luck with 3's signal check :)
 
Hi Hadron,
Is it better to have another ROM?
If yes, can you suggest another one?
I will let you know when I will have received and tested the other battery.
Have an excellent evening...
Happy for Torres, but very sad for Ireland... Are you watching?
Cheers,
 
Jf you are happy with that ROM then stay with it. As I say, I don't think that menu will help with 3. You may as well set to 3g (WCDMA) only if you have that option, except if you take it abroad.

I'm afraid football is something I don't understand. ;)
 
I understood the point about the 2/3G.
I am experiencing some problems with my phone as it sometimes gets stuck and reboot itself. In this case it doesn't chow the white HTC screen, but directly the android one.
In the beginning blamed it on the low level of internal memory with all the apps installed. But when I started reading about the different ROMs installed by the fellow forumers, a lot of them describing theirs as stable and not very hungry in term of memory usage, I then started to wonder whether the ROM I am using had a problem of stability. That's why I wanted to know which ROM you are using and/or which one would you recommend that I install.

Then, please do not tell me that you are a cricket fan!!

Cheers
 
Nah, I don't really do professional sport at all. I've occasionally watched a game with some mates over a few beers, but without the friends and beer I'd never watch the game.

As for ROMs, I'm actually using dGB, which is SUroot's ROM. More or less the complete opposite of a Runnymede ROM - very small, stripped-down Gingerbread, no sd-ext, intended to be used with a custom HBOOT to give more space for user apps and data. There's a thread about it near the top of the forum at the moment.

It's really a matter of whether you like Sense or not. Most of the old hands here are in the "not" camp :)
 
I like the screens and the functionality of Sense, but I am fed up with it being stuck every few minutes when I am doing something on the phone.

dGB seems to be the right one for me. Just one clarification: I read somewhere that it is for GSM only! What does that mean?
I would love to give it a go, but when I started to read the thread and then trying to understand how to install it step by step (including HBoot) I ended up by opening some 20 odd threads with tens and tens of pages and as I result I am sitting in nowhere's man land wondering what am I doing next.
Is it a big hassle if I kindly ask you to list step by step how to do the installation, including links to the files and tools I need to download?
Cheers
 
GSM is the most widespread phone standard, and all European Desires are GSM. There is a rival one used mainly by some North American networks, referred to as CDMA, and HTC in their wisdom released both GSM and CDMA versions of the Desire with the same name, which is a bit of a booby trap. You don't need to worry about it.

There are a few different things to do here, and I'm not sure which ones you are unsure of:

* changing ROM (including necessary backups)
* obtaining S-Off (if you have not got that already)
* changing hboot

I guess the first question is, are you S-On or S-Off? Boot into hboot (boot while pressing "volume down") and see what it says at the top of the screen.

The rooting faq should include the steps to flash a different ROM. The important one is to back up everything first: start with app/data backups such as Titanium Backup and SMS Backup (and if you are thinking of dGB an APN backup is a good plan too), then take a backup from recovery (aka a nandroid backup). Only when you have done all of this should you think of wiping and flashing a new ROM.

For hboot changing the adb and fastboot faq is your friend. The critical things here are to check that you have a good download of the hboot file (md5 check) and to take a nandroid before flashing a new hboot. Don't rush this step, if at all unsure of anything, ask first, because a bad hboot flash is a very bad thing indeed (potentially unrecoverable).

If you are S-On then the revolutionary guide is the key, but only as far as obtaining S-Off, since you already are rooted and have a custom recovery.

I really should get back to work, but hope that at least clarifies which of the many documents you should be looking at. As I say, take your time and don't rush this stuff - I did this over a period of months, not hours ;)
 
Thanks Hadron for your explanation and the time you dedicated.
When I rebooted by holding the volume down and power, I found at the top of the screen that I had HBoot 0.93 and S-OFF.
So, I assumed I do not need to do anything else but installing the dGB ROM.
Yes, I've done it.
It feels awkward after the Sense Runny 6.0 I had. I will give it a couple of days and see how it goes.
Thanks again for your precious help.
Wish you an excellent week-end.
Cheers
 
That's a good plan - run for a few days & see how you get on. Since you are S-Off already, if the ROM works for you we can later go through how to change hboot to get more storage space (as described in the root memory faq).
 
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