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NYC Thread: 3G issues

Here's an idea: in my experience, Cingular does 'cap' data - if their servers find that your phone has been Grabbing too much data at one time, I've found that they temporarily cap or cut out data throughput to your ip.

I noticed it when I would use slingbox or download torrents on my AT&T tilt. It seems like a definite similarity with how the iPhone reActs without a data connection.

If you have isssues, try powering off the devicefor a few moments, therefor taking it off the network, the restart the phone. I've found that works for me
 
I've already posted this several times on these forums, but I'll do it again here:

I work on 51st and 6th Ave, on the 20th floor of my building, and I have barely any signal at all. Any. I sit right near a window and I can barely keep a call from dropping or access my email. Web browsing? LOL.

I spoke to an AT&T rep and she said that being so high up, I should have the best service possible because I'm closer to the towers... LMAO!!! Are you kidding??

I have had my iPhone 3G since launch and I have never seen speeds higher than 300kb/s ANYWHERE... Manhattan, Brooklyn, NJ, etc. The same goes for my wife's iPhone 3G.

I have replaced my iPhone 3 times already and have seen no improvements. Of course, the AT&T tech support guy blames it on the phone and says I should replace it at the Apple store, yet also claims that "several towers in my area have been having major issues". Lovely.
 
Well, that didn't take long: I'm now back to pre-restore levels of crappy speed and reception. Don't care if it's Apple or AT&T to blame, I'm ready to shove an exploding LiIon battery up someone's a$$.
 
HyQuality said:
Oh, and I also found this article (in case anyone hasn't seen it yet):

http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/08/25/mapping-the-iphone-3gs-dead-zones/

Scroll down to the paragraph/image of the NYC area and you'll see that things are real ****** around here.
Click to expand...

That's a very interesting article actually--thanks for posting it. However, I've read in dozens of place that other models of phones that utilize 3G service on AT&T's network are performing much better. Also, there are several users in the NYC area that report fast, reliable speeds all over NY--suggesting a hardware/software issue on some of the phones.

The cause of this problem continues to be somewhat elusive.
 
i'm still experiencing terrible service throughout NYC. so far today, i've been unable to get any edge or 3G data service (57th & 8th Ave).
 
mcdjI live in that hood and walked all around the same area today. I had mostly very good speeds. When I did lose connection said:
Toggling does work for me occasionally. Yesterday on the west side highway I had to toggle a couple times just to recieve/send email, and the length of connectivity ranged from about 2min to 10min. This seems like a really terrible "fix." Hopefully it's not the only solution apple/at&t come to the table with.

Also, spent sunday in The Bronx - had to do the toggle fix there too.

Since I JUST got this iphone, I'm considering returning it until there is a concrete fix that actually works. The toggle solution isn't a solution just a stopgap, and I can't be sure that apple is going to actually address the widespread grievances of so many customers if it's a hardware issue after all.

Any thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
 
crayzaysean said:
Since I JUST got this iphone, I'm considering returning it until there is a concrete fix that actually works.

Any thoughts on this?
Click to expand...

I hear ya. I've contemplated a return many times. But I bought on day 1, so my window of return is closed. What kept me going, when I wanted to chuck it in the East River, were all the things that DO work, like the calendar, the iPod, most of the apps I've downloaded, etc. Even with a shoddy 3G connection, no phone I could replace the iPhone with can touch the overall user experience.

If 2.1 doesn't fix connection issues, I think there is going to be a pretty big uproar, to the tune of a large scale recall/refund/rebate scenario. The sense I get from recent reports is that it is in fact not a hardware issue, but a network/software problem. Hopefully that's correct and 2.1 will help. I'd say stick it out til 2.1 if you can.
 
We need to get a class action lawsuit going here. 3G iPhones are the worst on AT&T's network. All their other 3G phones work just fine. I can barely even use my phone in the heart of NYC. No 3G, always drops calls. This sucks!!!
 
MatthewStorm said:
We need to get a class action lawsuit going here. 3G iPhones are the worst on AT&T's network. All their other 3G phones work just fine. I can barely even use my phone in the heart of NYC. No 3G, always drops calls. This sucks!!!
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You people and your frivolous lawsuits. Lets solve everything with lawsuits...not patience and common sense...cuz clearly logic is out the window when it comes to browsing the internet on your phone. :rolleyes:

If people just stopped and looked at the bigger picture and calmed the hell down for a few days they'd live better lives. If u got pissed off at an employee at starbucks and decided to sue him for getting your latte wrong then nothing will ever get solved. From my tests, this is NOT an iphone 3g issue this is an AT&T network issue at best. Go try several other 3G phones and you'll get the same experience...or...just go forth with your lawsuit.

The biggest whiners are most likely new iphone users and new to 3G users, who have no experience with a crappy browser or any other 3g phone at that. (also yankees fans who don't know anyone else other than Jeter and A-Rod :p)
 
TrunksGoku said:
You people and your frivolous lawsuits. Lets solve everything with lawsuits...not patience and common sense...cuz clearly logic is out the window when it comes to browsing the internet on your phone. :rolleyes:

If people just stopped and looked at the bigger picture and calmed the hell down for a few days they'd live better lives. If u got pissed off at an employee at starbucks and decided to sue him for getting your latte wrong then nothing will ever get solved. From my tests, this is NOT an iphone 3g issue this is an AT&T network issue at best. Go try several other 3G phones and you'll get the same experience...or...just go forth with your lawsuit.

The biggest whiners are most likely new iphone users and new to 3G users, who have no experience with a crappy browser or any other 3g phone at that.
Click to expand...

Perfect example of engaging your mouth before engaging your brain. You don't live in NYC so you have no idea what we're going through. At an AT&T store today I checked the 3G speeds of another phone of theirs and the iPhone. The iPhone speed was TERRIBLE.The AT&T phone was blazing. I looked at getting an internet card for my laptop. When I complained that the 3G speed was terrible (coming from my experience with the iPhone) the salesman said I would get true 3G speeds with the modem unlike the crap speed with the iPhone (crap is my word).

Maybe you want to pay for a service you don't get but not me. I'm sick of this crap. We need to stand up for ourselves. I could barely use my phone AT ALL today!!! NO 3G AT ALL!!! In the center of Manhattan this is BS.
 
MatthewStorm said:
Perfect example of engaging your mouth before engaging your brain. You don't live in NYC so you have no idea what we're going through. At an AT&T store today I checked the 3G speeds of another phone of theirs and the iPhone. The iPhone speed was TERRIBLE.The AT&T phone was blazing. I looked at getting an internet card for my laptop. When I complained that the 3G speed was terrible (coming from my experience with the iPhone) the salesman said I would get true 3G speeds with the modem unlike the crap speed with the iPhone (crap is my word).

Maybe you want to pay for a service you don't get but not me. I'm sick of this crap. We need to stand up for ourselves. I could barely use my phone AT ALL today!!! NO 3G AT ALL!!! In the center of Manhattan this is BS.
Click to expand...

Well if YOU WANT TO PAY for a service you dont get here's a novel idea, CANCEL AND DON'T USE IT.
 
MatthewStorm said:
3G iPhones are the worst on AT&T's network. All their other 3G phones work just fine. I can barely even use my phone in the heart of NYC. No 3G, always drops calls. This sucks!!!
Click to expand...

What other 3G phone do you have? There have been numerous reports that this is an AT&T network issue and given the stellar performance I've had with the phone while traveling out of NYC, I tend to believe it's cause is related to the overloaded 3G network here in NY. This is going to affect other 3G phones in NYC on AT&T as well.

2.1 is not going to fix it, so if you're going to return it, you might as well do it now. 2.0.2 was the software update that changed the bars sensitivity. But the signal is the same.

The problem isn't going to really fix itself until AT&T figures it out. I'd give it at least a year, maybe more.
 
MatthewStorm said:
How about fixing the problem instead?
Again, engaging mouth before brain.
Click to expand...

How about calling and asking att&t "Hey, what's up with your network today?" Maybe you'd see that the network in the entire east cost is suffering. I'd listen to a customer service rep high in the chain of command over a sales rep at some att store. Again, common sense.
 
It's the network

AT&T's network is garbage. The phone has no problem. I've been traveling across the country and realized that AT&T's network in the NY metro area (not just NYC) is horrendous.

I was out in Nappa Valley, CA where EDGE was really fast (web pages actually loaded). Same thing in New Haven, CT. I can barely check my email when I'm in the City or anywhere in NJ.

I knew this going into it though. I had Cingular several years ago. It was crap back then and is crap today. I must say, Versizon has a solid network. They are bloodsuckers though.

Doesn't AT&T offer free wifi in at Starbucks?
 
They won't fix it

BTW, AT&T won't fix their network. Not in a year, not in 2, not in 15 years. And what are you going to do, take your iPhone to Verizon???

as much as I'd hate to admit it, Apple needs to feel the heat on this one.
 
Im sorry and surprised to hear everyone's issues w/ 3G. Im on 5th Ave by Washington Square Park and I am getting full service consistently. I just did a speed test and got 1.5 Mbps. Maybe resetting the phone helps? I have had 3G issues at times, reset the phone and it came back to full speed.
 
its definitely the network

i think that there are two issues at hand:

1. the phone itself has a hard time flipping between 3G and Edge.. ESPECIALLY during phone calls. When I was in kansas city two weeks ago, i was driving and lost my call repeatedly. I switched to Edge and was golden. If I am stationary and in one spot for the whole phone call, I could keep the phone call on 3G..no problem.

2. ATT's network in NYC is crap. i work at 34th and 8th Ave and 3G does not work for crap. I live in Brooklyn, same problem. I actually bought my iPhone in North Carolina and it worked amazingly with 3G and Edge. If I were a betting man, I'd say that there enough towers etc...and that the backbone connecting all those towers together is overloaded, hence the crap performance. Unfortunately I think that for ATT to upgrade the "backbone" connecting all the towers to their POP will take a month or two as they then have to deal with Verizon to interconnect them all with upgraded bandwidth as well as install and configure new equipment..etc etc.

just a random thought for someone who deals with telecom often :)
 
TrunksGoku said:
You people and your frivolous lawsuits. Lets solve everything with lawsuits...not patience and common sense...cuz clearly logic is out the window when it comes to browsing the internet on your phone. :rolleyes:

If people just stopped and looked at the bigger picture and calmed the hell down for a few days they'd live better lives. If u got pissed off at an employee at starbucks and decided to sue him for getting your latte wrong then nothing will ever get solved. From my tests, this is NOT an iphone 3g issue this is an AT&T network issue at best. Go try several other 3G phones and you'll get the same experience...or...just go forth with your lawsuit.

The biggest whiners are most likely new iphone users and new to 3G users, who have no experience with a crappy browser or any other 3g phone at that. (also yankees fans who don't know anyone else other than Jeter and A-Rod :p)
Click to expand...

Had a 3G phone capable of 1.8 MBS on Verizon's network for 2+ years before the iPhone.
So **** before I gobble you up like Godzilla (to throw a Yankees reference in there)
 
just came back from seattle and wifi was blazing fast, almost as fast as my wifi at home. as soon as i landed i checked some stuff online and most of the pages wouldnt load. I was getting 60k speeds, this is garbage
 
asb396 said:
just came back from seattle and wifi was blazing fast, almost as fast as my wifi at home. as soon as i landed i checked some stuff online and most of the pages wouldnt load. I was getting 60k speeds, this is garbage
Click to expand...

Huh? Wi-Fi? Did you mean 3G?
 
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