HTC One X - Signal Drop Out and Not Regained

[GaWill]

Hi

I have had a HTC One X for the past month, however this problem has been gradually getting worse.

Mainly in work but its also happened other places i can have a great signal and be on HSDPA or 3G, then i will move to somewhere such as the kitchen area in work and the signal will drop out. I will then return to my desk and put the phone in the exact place it was getting full signal and data connection but the Signal will not come back. I will get the No Signal message.

I have tried leaving the phone for over 30 mins but the signal doesnt come back and also looking for the network manually but it doesnt find it.

However, if i restart the phone the full signal and HSDPA/3G connection will come back.

Is this a fault with the phone or a strange network issue?

[benharris]

:smileysad:

Bad news - doesn't seem to have made a difference at all. I've just looked at it and realised it was stuck with "No Signal" again. Turned airplane mode on and off, and the signal came straight back. Then I received a text message which had been sent half an hour earlier which means it had been stuck in it's no signal state for at least 30 minutes... possibly longer.

I've been looking around on various forums (particularly XDA developers) and I'm finding more and more people reporting what appears to be exactly the same problem. As I've had two different One X handsets that have both done it now, I'm starting to think there's a genuine design/software fault with the One X.

[JustPassing]

Hi

I've the HTC One X on Vodafone and haven't had a single issue with the signal dropping like others here (mine is an unbranded open to any network purchase) in almost a month of owner ship.

Are you getting the preparing SIM message when you enable/disable flight mode?

Not sure if this is any help but:

On the phone pad dial *#*#4636#*#* which gives you a hidden menu, click Phone Information.

When you have lost signal does it list here any Radio resets or GSM disconnects?

Click the Menu button top right, select Radio Band, and click EURO Band, then use back to exit

Is the phone reading contacts from the SIM card?  Under Phonebook click the drop down arrow, make sure SIM contacts are unchecked

[benharris]

Sometimes I get the preparing sim card message when toggling flight mode, but not always. If anything I'd say more often than not I don't get it, but I have seen it sometimes. I don't have any numbers stored on my sim at all, and there's a screen on the hidden menu you mentioned that confirms that. I was aware of that screen and have already tried selecting the euro band, but it has done still done it since.

I think what doesn't help is that I live in an area that doesn't have a particuarly strong signal anyway - normally only 2/3 bars and no 3G or edge based connection at all. I suspect what's happening is that when the signal is very weak, it possibly gets to a point where there is just enough signal for it to handshake with the network, but the signal then drops before it succeeds in doing so. I'd guess that something timeout related isn't quite right and it's somehow getting itself stuck in an infinite loop which doesn't get exited until flight mode is toggled on/off again which effectively resets the radio chip and everything reinitialises again. That's what it feels like, anyway (from a software developer's point of view!), although doesn't help to explain why I sometimes see preparing sim, but not always.

My phone's also an unbranded, fully unlocked phone, open to all networks. I've also seen it happen on both an SH24 serial number (Shanghai factory) and a HT24 serial number (Taiwan factory), so it's not just happening on phones from one factory. Next time it does it, I'll go into the *#*#4636#*#* screen (4636 spells INFO as an easy way to remember it!) and pay attention to the radio and GSM disconnects to see what they say and report back here.

[djd3tox]

Thanks for the info JustPassing. I do get the 'Preparing SIM' message when I enable/disable flight mode, but I don't have any Sim contacts. What causes this to happen? Is it a problem?

I have changed the radio band to EURO and will post back with the results shortly.

[JustPassing]

Hi

The phone book is set to look at the SIM card to retrieve contacts by default, I was just wondering if the preparing sim messages was just the phone retrieving contacts (or looking for contacts) on the SIM card. I've seen this message myself although didn't have any connection problems but this stopped (or seemed to) when I had the phonebook set to NOT fetch SIM contacts.

[benharris]

OK, it's currently in "dead signal" state and has been for the last 10 minutes. Here are the results of the *#*#4636#*#* screen:

IMEI: ############ <deliberately masked>

Phone number:

Current network:

Ping IpAddr:

Ping Hostname (www.google.com):

HTTP Client Test:

Signal strength: -91 dBm  11 asu

Location: LAC = unknown  CID = unknown

Neighboring CID: unknown

Roaming: Not roaming

GSM serivce: Emergency calls only

GPRS service: Disconnected

Network type: Unknown

Message waiting: false

Call status: idle

Radio resets: 0

Data attempts: 0

Data successes: 0

GSM disconnects: ========DATA========

PPP send: 323 pkts, 38790 bytes

PPP received: 410 pkts, 95772 bytes

Number of PPP reset since boot: 0

With the exception of the IMEI number which I've deliberately masked, all the other blank entries above are exactly as shown on the screen. In case it is of any use and helps identify anything, my postcode is currently CB24 5UH. All the other radios are working fine - I've just receved an e-mail and a facebook message, whilst in the process of writing this!

I've found another posting on this very forum from someone who's only about 5 miles away from me (as the crow flies), reporting a few weeks ago the very same problem with the HTC One X. What are the chances we're connected via the same cell tower and it's something specific to that?

http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/HTC-One-Series/HTC-One-X-Update-Bluetooth-re-starting/m-p/1112413/hig...

OK - it's been in "dead signal" state for 15 minutes now. Toggle flight mode on/off and...... waiting..... preparing sim card.... 2 bars signal.

Here's what *#*#4636#*#* says now:

IMEI: ############ <deliberately masked>

Phone number:

Current network: vodafone UK

Ping IpAddr:

Ping Hostname (www.google.com):

HTTP Client Test:

Signal strength: -99 dBm  11 asu

Location: LAC = c1  CID = 4697

Neighboring CID: [c11363@7] [c1ed01@5] [0ffff@4] [0ffff@0] [0ffff@0] [0ffff@0]

Roaming: Not roaming

GSM serivce: In service

GPRS service: Disconnected

Network type: GPRS

Message waiting: false

Call status: idle

Radio resets: 0

Data attempts: 0

Data successes: 0

GSM disconnects: ========DATA========

PPP send: 0 pkts, 0 bytes

PPP received: 0 pkts, 0 bytes

Number of PPP reset since boot: 0

If there's any more diagnostic information I can provide, please ask. I really want to get to the bottom of this.

[JustPassing]

Hi

Just seems like the radio has given up trying to connect, perhaps after having connection problems with the tower, hopefully that helps provide Vodafone with some more info.

I'm in the Leeds area with the same phone and software and had no issues at all with disconnections, typically I leave it on 2G now as at my home 3G is marginal and I use Wi-Fi for data, but even at home with it in 2G/3G mode it will sit happily in 3G switching to 2G when I go downstairs or if I take a call it will drop to 2G due to the marginal signal and happily moves back to 3G after the call has ended. It's never disconnected.

Hopefully that gives you some hope that the issue can be fixed, and resides elsewhere other than your phone.

What is your radio version number (Baseband), this can be got from Settings - About - Software information - More - Baseband version, mine is 1.1204.105.14.

[benharris]

Same baseband version here, too.

I've seen some comments on other forums that imply the problem has been fixed in the upcoming software update to Android 4.0.4 which HTC are hopefully releasing soon. Fingers crossed!

[mumyakmaz]

 Baseband  1.1204.105.14.

1). Does the issue happen in just one location? Usually

 
2). Does the issue occur if you try your SIM card in a different phone? Did not try

 
3). Can you check your coverage here? Please bear in mind that this is only a guideline and can never be 100% accurate, particularly for indoor coverage? Coverage is poor but did not this problem with my HTC Desire 

 
4). Can you check our Faults Board, which contains all the mast issues we’re aware of? 
 

5). Does this issue happen on 2G/3G or both? To check this, you can amend your phone's network settings. Our Help Centre contains all the instructions - just select your model of phone and then select "network".

There is no 3G coverage where problem occurs

 
6). What is the full postcode of where the issue occurs? If you’re uncomfortable with this appearing on the forum, then please add it to your profile by clicking “My eForum Settings” on the front page and then selecting “Personal Information”.

ME20 7Q

 
7). How far you have to travel to regain service? nowhere, use airplane mode, then switch airplane off, signal comes back as it should without moving the phone at all.Does not matter how far I travel it does not come back by itself I need to turn on and off Airplane mode 

 
8). Do you get any error messages/tones if you’re having problems with calling/texting?

No

[Retired-Simon]

Hi All

Thanks for your updates. For those posting templates from the network troubleshooting, please could you post your full postcode so that we can identify your local serving cell sites?

Thanks

Simon