B31 - Birmingham

[ea]

Hi,

I recently received my iPhone 5, upgraded from a HTC Desire. The phone is fine, after some initial problems, but the issue I have is that the signal reception for data is appaling compared to my HTC Desire. My previous phone could connect to HSDPA but the iPhone only gets Edge at best. 

I have followed the signal troubleshooting thread but it does ot improve the issue. I am now locked into a 2 year contract with Vodafone and I can hardly get a decent data signal and that is what I mainly use the phone for. In adidtion, I received an email from Vodafone asking me why I am not using more of my data allowance. The simple answer is I can't!

[Retired-Matt_Vo]

Hi

Please try the steps in our Network Troubleshooting thread.

If you are still experiencing the issue having completed these steps, post the template with your answers here and I'll have a member of the team get back to you ASAP.

Thanks
Matt
Moderator

[ea]

Post Title: 'First half of post code - Area' E.g. ST1 - Stoke on trent

1). Does the issue happen in just one location. If so, how far do you have to travel to regain service ?

Primarily yes, in B31 2TS. However, in previous HSDPA reception areas I get no better than Edge such as Victoria Square in Birmingham.

2). What is the full postcode of where the issue occurs? If you don't want this showing on the forum, add it to your profile here.

B31 2TS

3). Does the issue occur if you try your SIM card in a different phone?

This is my sendcond iPhone5 and the problem is consistent.

4). Are there any issues in your area already reported on the Faults Board?

None that I can see. I've had this problem from day one. If I put another Vodafone SIM in my HTC Desire and sit them side-by-side it reports HSDPA data connection but the iPhone5 report E and sometimes GPRS.

5). Does this issue happen on 2G, 3G or both? To check, go to the Help Centre, select your phone and then select "network".

Both 

6). What errors are seen or heard when the issue occurs?

Slow connection 

7) When did you first notice this issue?

Since upgrading on 23rd October

😎 Is the issue permanent or intermittent (If intermittent, are there certain times of the day when it occurs)?

Permanent

[Retired-Simon]

Hi ea

Thanks for your post. Your serving cell site is 1649 for both 2G and 3G services. There are no known faults in the area at present although we are monitoring the performance of some sites in the B29/B31 area.

As this is a site that hasn't been raised into our networks team as yet I'd like to make them aware of this one also. We'll require some further information that we're unable to ask for on a public forum so I've sent a private message with the details we'll require.

You can find your PM inbox here. If you can't access this link, please ensure that the box next to "Turn on private messages" is ticked on this page, and let us know if you need any further assistance.

Thanks

Simon

[JadeNancy_1991]

1) Does the issue happen in just one location? If so, how far do you have to travel to regain service?

I Cannot receive phone calls anywhere. People are telling me it's going straight to my voice mail. 

2) What is the full postcode (e.g. ST1 1AA) of where the issue occurs? If you don't want this showing on the eForum, add it to your profile here

B31 5EH 

3) Does the issue occur if you try your SIM card in a different phone?

yes

4) What errors are seen or heard when the issue occurs?

non, on my phone it shows that I have full signal but, I can't receive phone calls. Everyone in my household is experiencing the same problem and we are all on Vodafone. 

 5) Does this happen on 2G, 3G, 4G or all?

All

6) When did you first notice this issue?

Last week

7) Is the issue permanent or intermittent? If intermittent, are there certain times of the day when it occurs?

Permanent

I am getting very frustrated with Vodafone now. I have had nothing but problems since switching to you. My data is used up within a couple of weeks even though 90% of the time I am connected to wifi at home and at work and when I do use the phone data it is slow or jon existent. I also spoke with your customer care team about this network problem I am now experiencing and I was spoken to very rudely and in not so many words was told it was my fault and I must have changed a setting on my phone to not be able to receive phone calls. My mother was also told the same thing which clearly states there is a problem your end as we both wouldn't of changed a setting in our phone on the same day at the same time. 

I cannot wait for the day my contract with Vodafone is finished because I am a customer that will not be returning.

[drey_p]

Hi there

If you head over to the Network Status Checker, enter your postcode and zoom out a bit, you will see that there is an issue in the area - this could be having an impact on the signal you receive.  Also, please be aware that there is maintenance work due to start in the area that is due to be completed in the evening of 2nd August.

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@JadeNancy_1991 wrote:

I Cannot receive phone calls anywhere. People are telling me it's going straight to my voice mail. 

---

If this is happening everywhere in the UK as you say, it would indicate a fault with either the phone or the SIM card.

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@JadeNancy_1991 wrote:

My data is used up within a couple of weeks even though 90% of the time I am connected to wifi at home and at work and when I do use the phone data it is slow or jon existent.  

---

It is possible that the handset was still using up your data allowance even though you thought you were connected to WiFi.  Certain handsets, iPhones in particular, have this nasty habit of connecting to mobile data if WiFi drops for even a split second.  They then continue to use mobile data despite appearing to be connected to WiFi. The best way to prevent this from happening is to turn off mobile data when using WiFi.

[JadeNancy_1991]

Hi thanks for your reply but, I don't have an iPhone I have a Samsung so please don't try and fob me off with 4Gs of Internet being used in 2 weeks because it's disconnected from wifi for a second because I do turn my data off when using wifi so how do you explain that?
If there is an issue in the area do we all get discounted bills as surely we can't be expected to pay full price if we can't use our phones to make calls and not receive them? I am currently going through a very serious health problem and my consultant cannot contact me to let me know test results or if I need to attend an appointment urgently, so what am I to do?

[drey_p]

I'm not trying to fob you off, if you read my message I said "typically iPhones " not only iPhones. I also said it was possible that it was using the data whilst connected to Wifi, not that it definitely was.

Do remember that phones are designed to use data in the background without you being aware of it. I'd recommend that you either configure the phone's internal data logs or download a third party app to work out what is chewing through the data on your device.

If there is an issue in the area that means you can't use the services for three consecutive days or more, you will be entitled to a refund of the line rental for the period of the outage. This can be claimed back by calling 191 after the issue has been resolved.

[Retired-Wayne]

@JadeNancy_1991

If this is happening everywhere, then it’s not going to be a network issue.

If it is specific to this location, so that we can investigate things, please get in touch with us by following the instructions in this private message.