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How do I verify HSPA+ on iPhone 4S on AT&T?

A

akaSurreal

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 3, 2009
32
0
So far I am very annoyed at the fact that my 4S is not performing any differently whatsoever from my 4 on speed tests. Depending on time of day, both devices average about 1-2Mbps down, 1 Up, and 100-200 ping. I have yet to see any difference between the two devices and have tried at multiple locations around town.

Is there any way to verify that my 4S is actually using HSPA+? If my towers are just congested in this area (South Denver) then fine, but if this is some issue where AT&T has my account setup wrong, I want to know. AT&T is clueless when I call them. My account does specifically say "Data Unlimited for iPhone4S" while my other phone says "Data Unlimited for iPhone", so that should indicate I am on the 4S data plan if that is necessary to get HSPA+ speeds.

Would love any help or insight on this? Thanks!
 
HazyCloud said:
You can check your coverage map, but that's about it. Don't blame Apple if AT&T's speeds aren't any better.

http://www.att.com/network/
Click to expand...

If I am blaming anyone, it's AT&T, I just want to know what's going on here. There must be some way to get to the bottom of this. Some diagnostic tool, jail break tool, something.

Edit: and yes, I did check my coverage map, one of the first things I did, I am surrounded in dark blue everywhere.
 
Its congestion and your backhaul may not support much faster speeds. Since you are already at snails pace, doesn't make a difference if its HSPA or HSPA+ because the air interface is probably not the bottleneck.
 
akaSurreal said:
If I am blaming anyone, it's AT&T, I just want to know what's going on here. There must be some way to get to the bottom of this. Some diagnostic tool, jail break tool, something.

Edit: and yes, I did check my coverage map, one of the first things I did, I am surrounded in dark blue everywhere.
Click to expand...

Have you tried calling AT&T and see what they say?
 
HazyCloud said:
Have you tried calling AT&T and see what they say?
Click to expand...

Yup, they are clueless as usual. No idea what I am talking about, "HSPA what"? One guy in tech support was claiming the unlimited plan had speed caps, but then after being transferred to another they said that was 100% false and the speed caps are only if you hit very high data usage which I was not even close to, so not really getting anywhere.

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apprunner said:
Its congestion and your backhaul may not support much faster speeds. Since you are already at snails pace, doesn't make a difference if its HSPA or HSPA+ because the air interface is probably not the bottleneck.
Click to expand...

I just would like to know for sure if that's the case, because I have read a number of reports in this forum of people getting 1.1 on 4, and 5x that on 4S.
 
akaSurreal said:
Yup, they are clueless as usual. No idea what I am talking about, "HSPA what"? One guy in tech support was claiming the unlimited plan had speed caps, but then after being transferred to another they said that was 100% false and the speed caps are only if you hit very high data usage which I was not even close to, so not really getting anywhere.

----------



I just would like to know for sure if that's the case, because I have read a number of reports in this forum of people getting 1.1 on 4, and 5x that on 4S.
Click to expand...

You could always find another person with a 4S and test that way. :D
 
megapopular said:
Activate this phone? Did you use your iPhone 4 sim or did you get a new hspa+ sim?
Click to expand...

New SIM, and it's all correct #'s on AT&T's side, verified this.

----------
gillybean said:
There was a rumor that AT&T wanted to add it, but Apple declined to.

https://www.macrumors.com/2011/10/0...4g-network-indicator-to-iphone-4s-status-bar/
Click to expand...

Maybe Apple realized that many people would see no speed difference, so they didn't want to look bad by labeling you on a faster network. Just want to know for sure what's really going on here.
 
There is no way to currently tell which network you are connecting to with the 4S. AT&T is asking Apple to change the icon to say 4G when you are connected to the HSPA+ network, but no telling when that will happen, or even if it will. Even so, if AT&T does not have the backhaul capability to handle the amount of traffic in your area, you won't get the faster speeds no matter how you are connected.

As far as the coverage map goes, it is a joke. The map showed that 3G coverage was at our house about 2 1/2 years ago, when in true life, it stopped over 10 miles away. Yes, 10 MILES!!! It was that far off. Now, we are in the 4G dark blue, and I get 4-5MB on my AT&T Shockwave, and 5-8MB on my 4S!!! But we only actually got 3G back in June, and HSPA+ (I won't call it 4G, because I don't think it is) in September! I went with the 4S, since I know we won't be seeing LTE for years to come, and my 3GS was getting old and used. Good luck.

Kevin
 
goofy1958 said:
There is no way to currently tell which network you are connecting to with the 4S. AT&T is asking Apple to change the icon to say 4G when you are connected to the HSPA+ network, but no telling when that will happen, or even if it will. Even so, if AT&T does not have the backhaul capability to handle the amount of traffic in your area, you won't get the faster speeds no matter how you are connected.

As far as the coverage map goes, it is a joke. The map showed that 3G coverage was at our house about 2 1/2 years ago, when in true life, it stopped over 10 miles away. Yes, 10 MILES!!! It was that far off. Now, we are in the 4G dark blue, and I get 4-5MB on my AT&T Shockwave, and 5-8MB on my 4S!!! But we only actually got 3G back in June, and HSPA+ (I won't call it 4G, because I don't think it is) in September! I went with the 4S, since I know we won't be seeing LTE for years to come, and my 3GS was getting old and used. Good luck.

Kevin
Click to expand...

I am not too concerned with the map being accurate in my case. I think congestion could be the case, but then it would seem that in off-peak hours I should see a huge spike in speed, and I only see about 1Mbps difference at most. I tried at all times of the night and early morning hours, 11PM, 2AM, 4AM, etc.
 
gillybean said:
There was a rumor that AT&T wanted to add it, but Apple declined to.
Click to expand...

I have seen nothing to indicate that they have declined this request?!?! The article did not say that, and nothing official has been released by either company. Do you have a link to an Apple release that says they won't? I, for one, would like to see an H+ or some other indication that I am on the HSPA+ network (I agree that it isn't true "4G", so I won't get into that argument). My Shockwave shows H+ when I am connected, and I would like that on my 4S as well.

akaSurreal said:
I am not too concerned with the map being accurate in my case. I think congestion could be the case, but then it would seem that in off-peak hours I should see a huge spike in speed, and I only see about 1Mbps difference at most. I tried at all times of the night and early morning hours, 11PM, 2AM, 4AM, etc.
Click to expand...

So in your case, I would bet that they still have some backhaul upgrades to complete before you will see better speeds.

Kevin
 
Last edited:
megapopular said:
Activate this phone? Did you use your iPhone 4 sim or did you get a new hspa+ sim?
Click to expand...

I'm seeing pretty low speeds. (Below 1Mbps) And I activated with and am using my iP4 sim. Does this affect anything? Should I get AT&T to switch it?
 
goofy1958 said:
I have seen nothing to indicate that they have declined this request?!?! The article did not say that, and nothing official has been released by either company. Do you have a link to an Apple release that says they won't? I, for one, would like to see an H+ or some other indication that I am on the HSPA+ network (I agree that it isn't true "4G", so I won't get into that argument). My Shockwave shows H+ when I am connected, and I would like that on my 4S as well.
Click to expand...

Well, they declined it in the sense that they didn't make it available at launch.
 
apprunner said:
You could always find another person with a 4S and test that way. :D
Click to expand...

I did get one other person about 2 miles away that just got a 4S to test and she is only getting 0.3Mbps down, lol, so even worse. Ugh, maybe H+ coverage here is really congested or something. Still hoping for an indicator in 5.01 update or something.
 
akaSurreal said:
I did get one other person about 2 miles away that just got a 4S to test and she is only getting 0.3Mbps down, lol, so even worse. Ugh, maybe H+ coverage here is really congested or something. Still hoping for an indicator in 5.01 update or something.
Click to expand...


I could jump in my truck and run over to Best Buy, (quicker that the site will load on her 4s) :eek:
 
akaSurreal said:
I did get one other person about 2 miles away that just got a 4S to test and she is only getting 0.3Mbps down, lol, so even worse. Ugh, maybe H+ coverage here is really congested or something. Still hoping for an indicator in 5.01 update or something.
Click to expand...

Honestly, they may have implemented HSPA+ on the air interface but not the backhaul so you are SOL. The difference between VZW's LTE launch and AT&T's HSPA+ launch is that VZW is investing in backhaul as much as its air interface. That is why VZW can see speeds upwards of 15 mbps... Too bad VZW 3G tech kinda sucks...
 
apprunner said:
Honestly, they may have implemented HSPA+ on the air interface but not the backhaul so you are SOL. The difference between VZW's LTE launch and AT&T's HSPA+ launch is that VZW is investing in backhaul as much as its air interface. That is why VZW can see speeds upwards of 15 mbps... Too bad VZW 3G tech kinda sucks...
Click to expand...

I agree that is probably the case, I just would like to know for sure that AT&T doesn't have me on the wrong account type or something stupid. I have had problems like this in the past that took months to track down because some checkbox wasn't ticked in the system.
 
Did you check your AT&T account to make sure that you have the new Data Plan for iPhone 4S - IHN1 (SOC Code)?

Check your account and see if this is the one selected in your Features and is active without a future date.

Dave
 
goofy1958 said:
I have seen nothing to indicate that they have declined this request?!?! The article did not say that, and nothing official has been released by either company. Do you have a link to an Apple release that says they won't? I, for one, would like to see an H+ or some other indication that I am on the HSPA+ network (I agree that it isn't true "4G", so I won't get into that argument). My Shockwave shows H+ when I am connected, and I would like that on my 4S as well.
Click to expand...

I am with you that an H+ or 3G+ would be fine and not supporting this fake G crap AT&T and T-Mobile are pushing. LTE and WiMax they can put a 4G label but H+ or 3G+ would be fine for what it is currently is at.
 
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