Terrible Internet Service in NYC?

[dougmac21]

Ever since activating my iPhone, I've had terrible issues with Web browsing, e-mail, and visual voicemail not working properly. Generally, it seems like my Internet connection isn't stable or is extremely slow.

Symptoms: Web pages not loading fulling or at all ("cannot find server" "lost network connection"), body of e-mail messages "loading" or not displaying the message, e-mails won't send and go to Outbox, and visual voicemail messages appearing a long time after the call.

These issues are intermittent ... one minute I can't get a Web page to load, and the next it pops up real quick ... but they happen every day all day long.

I live in Manhattan and usually have five bars at the "E" logo. My concern is whether this is a hardware issue (already had SIM card replace) or if it's an EDGE network issue. Any thoughts? Anyone else in NYC find their Internet functionality to be extremely unreliable?

 

[badtzmaru]

i dont live in nyc but i spend a good amount of time there. over a 5 day period in early july I had great EDGE reception everywhere in the city. What has apple told you?

 

[dougmac21]

I went to the Genius bar and they weren't very helpful. They said it was AT&T. AT&T had me get a new SIM card (which did help a lot of "cannot activate EDGE" messages I had been getting) but that hasn't really eliminated the fact that many times Internet functions just don't work. AT&T then told me to go back to Apple because it wasn't the network.

I haven't done that yet. Before I go through all that effort of potentially leaving my phone and getting a loaner, etc., I was hoping to determine if it was in fact the network.

 

[scaredpoet]

Only way to determine if it's the network is to borrow a friend's AT&T phone (preferably another iPhone but it doesn't have to be) and see what its EDGE performance is like. If it's better, it's your phone or account provisioning that's messed up somehow. It it's just as bad, then it's the network.

 

[Shoim32]

I've had the exact same problems in Manhattan with two iPhones. I work in Midtown and I consistently get the "Cannot activate EDGE" error message and coverage jumps sporadically between 5, 2, and 0 bars without moving the phone. After getting my 8GB on July 3, I discovered that the AT&T service sucked, and called Apple and AT&T multiple times. Eventually, after five days of multi-hour phone calls, Apple arranged for me to swap my 8GB with a brand new one. This new unit exhibited the exact same problems. Since the only common part between the two units was the SIM card, Apple and AT&T decided that that piece was malfunctioning and we arranged to replace the SIM card. This "solution" proved to no avail and I have given up trying to fix the issue myself, and instead have resorted to waiting for a firmware update of some kind. Also, whenever my phone has less than 5 bars of service, EDGE doesn't deliver webpages in Safari and phone calls can neither be placed nor received (I test this with my Blackberry 8830 (awesome device with Verizon service) by placing and receiving calls between the two.) Also, on Metro-North, my iPhone can't keep a signal because I guess it has trouble associating with towers while moving which obviously shouldn't occur because tower handoff with Verizon works superbly (I know it's CDMA). I've used other iPhones that don't exhibit the problems that mine does, usually when I am sitting on the train near someone else with an iPhone and compare my device with theirs. Apple refuses to replace the product for a third time, blaming AT&T for poor reception in midtown Manhattan, while AT&T claims that the concentration of nearby towers points to product problems. Any ideas? Apple reading this?

 

[clcnyc]

same thing here!

Also, on Metro-North, my iPhone can't keep a signal because I guess it has trouble associating with towers while moving which obviously shouldn't occur because tower handoff with Verizon works superbly (I know it's CDMA). I've used other iPhones that don't exhibit the problems that mine does, usually when I am sitting on the train near someone else with an iPhone and compare my device with theirs. Apple refuses to replace the product for a third time, blaming AT&T for poor reception in midtown Manhattan, while AT&T claims that the concentration of nearby towers points to product problems. Any ideas? Apple reading this?

I use Metro North often, and I've also noticed it's really crappy while on it, which boggles the mind since it's not underground. Even when I tried to place a call, while above ground, 4 bars, and the E signal showing, the call mysteriously "failed".

 

[dougmac21]

Only way to determine if it's the network is to borrow a friend's AT&T phone (preferably another iPhone but it doesn't have to be) and see what its EDGE performance is like. If it's better, it's your phone or account provisioning that's messed up somehow. It it's just as bad, then it's the network.

Sorry, but what does account provisioning mean?

I'm curious to hear from others in Manhattan. It's so irritating when e-mails won't send and they get stored in the "Outbox" for sending at a later time.

 

[diesel]

i work in midtown and i have no issues whatsoever, i usually get 5 bars. In fact I get a better signal then my previous tmobile bb phone, especially in buildings and elevators (even the bathrooms)

 

[johnzoidberg]

I live in New York and I get fairly decent EDGE service outside when in a stationary position. It can be pretty slow at times, but it works okay. When I'm in a moving car, however, EGDE performance is horribly slow, when it works.

Also, is it just me, or does EDGE seem to drain the battery faster than WiFi?

 

[Canuck4]

I figured is NYC you'd have wifi hot spots up the a$$.
I barelly use edge, there seems to be wifi everywhere around here. Work, home, stop N shops, pharmacys, Dunkin Donuts etc...