Iphone 6 Plus Won't Receive Calls - Try Switching to 2G

[southpolesurfr]

Hi,

I'm posting this in case it helps someone.  I have a possible solution which isn't mentioned in most of the online advice I found, and I looked extensively. 

Summary: 

Switch your phone to 2G, turn off and on, then make a test call and see if it works. After days wrestling with this problem, this enabled me to receive calls.

Extended Version:  

Up until earlier in the week I had no problems with my Iphone 6 Plus.  Then suddenly, I started getting emails from clients saying my phone was going straight to voicemail.  I checked it by calling from different lines and sure enough, straight to voicemail, not ringing at all.  I could still make calls, and send and receive text messages, and emails. Just not receive calls.

I googled for help.  Various solutions suggested were:

- Ensuring the do not disturb setting wasn't on (it wasn't)

- Switching on and off  flight mode

- Various types of switching on and off

- Factory reset

- Switching off all call forwarding (there wasn't any on to begin with)

- Upgrading the phone software (I had resisted doing this as had heard it caused problems, but went ahead now in the hope it would fix this problem. It didn't)

- Calling Vodafone customer services.  They disabled my voicemail (before telling me it would be down for 24 hours and I would have no way at all to receive calls in that time as incoming calls would now have nowhere at all to divert to) and told me to retest when it came available again. Thanks guys.

- Putting my sim card into my partner's phone and seeing if it worked then.  It didn't.

None of this made any difference to the problem.

Then I found a piece of advice online which said try the 2G network.  I did, and suddenly I was receiving calls again.  Switched back to 3G network. No calls received.

I live in a rural area and 3G coverage is actually better where we are than 2G.  Because of intermittent signal dropoff I purchased a SureSignal V3 in November, and it works brilliantly to really boost the 3G signal, I get full bars with the Sure Signal on, as opposed to 1-2 bars with dropping signal without it.  We're running BT Infinity via BT Openreach Echolife Modem connecting to Apple Airport Extreme Router which has the Sure Signal plugged into it.  We need the Apple Router because it boosts the wifi signal throughout the house.  Up until a few days ago all of this was running perfectly fine.  I don't know what changed, but something has, and it stopped working.

So now I can receive calls on the 2G network.  But not 3G network.

I hope this posting may be of help to anyone experiencing similar problems, and interested in any feedback if anyone knows another way to fix this.

Cheers

[BandOfBrothers]

Thank you for sharing.

Yes it's a known generic solution to toggle off 3G to force the phone to 2G which can help stabilise call quality.

[southpolesurfr]

Really strange though, because my 3G signal is actually much much stronger than the 2G.  The 2G signal is so bad that I can't make calls out on it and have to switch to 3G to do that.  But I can't receive calls on 3G and have to switch to 2G, stand on one leg and wave my phone out the window to receive the call.  Does anyone have any other solutions?  I'm probably going to have to switch my contract to EE or O2 (who have much better network coverage in my area) if I can't sort this out soon.

[BandOfBrothers]

With Vodaphone and O2 Mast sharing hopefully signal should be improving.

Sure Signal may be a help at home if you have Home Wifi. Info here http://support.vodafone.co.uk/Network-and-coverage/Sure-Signal/

I always suggest to people to obtain Networks Payg Sim Cards and test them out where they Live, Work and Commute to ensure signal and speeds are adequate.

[Raz7]

bandofbrothers1 - What numbers should we be looking for in terms of speed and signal? I am in London where signal is weak despite Vodafone coverage map - barely two bars and drops regularly. I now have a network operator name 23415 and no Vodafone on the list with a signal strength -107dBm 3 asu. Is 23415 a vodafone pseudonym? and how does this strength rate? Thanks

[BandOfBrothers]

Speeds and signal strength fluctuate dependant on area , fringe coverage , weather , mast status and the amount of people in the area using those masts at any one time and if your travelling you switch from mast cell to another which can affect signal as well as not spots ,and sometimes the actual device being used.

Some handsets hang onto signal better than others.

My signal on my iPhone 6 Plus is full bars where I live and by using the Ookla Speed Test app I attain between 44mpbs and 35mpbs which is pretty good.

Perhaps download the app from the App Store and check out yours.

I'm not sure what that result is for a Network name search I'm afraid.

Perhaps try googling to see if any further info is fed back to you.

[Raz7]

Thanks bandofbrothers1 - I am considering upgrading from a HTC One X to an iphone 6 on carphone warehouse bank holiday weekend in store promo.

So I am trawlling this forum topic for what to watch out for. I came across the number 23415 in reference on this forum to a network error for Vodafone which is why I think it may  be Vodafone's but don't know a way of confirming that. So far got no reply on here in the networks topic. I was considering getting the sure signal to boost it here at home. The numbers I shared are home based signal strength.

Seem to be a number of postings with SIM activation problems when doing what I am proposing at carphone warehouse. It seems to be a suck- it- and- see approach...let's see how it works out. I presume you are happy with your iphone 6 plus purchase and have not bent it!!

[BandOfBrothers]

I wish you well on your quest.

My choice for a long time has been  iPhones.

I chose the iPhone 6 Plus because of its faster A Chip , larger battery / battery life and bigger screen.

No it's as flat as the day I bought it.

That said I don't keep it in my back pocket.

I remember looking at all the hype with #BendGate 😎

Now the Samsung Galaxy s6 is being targeted as the next phone to bend.

[jeffkinn]

The whole bending thing is ridiculous just like so many of these silly issues.

The iPhone 6+ is a terrific phone and had phenomenal battery life. And I've had a lot of android phones as well as Apple products and not am Apple fanboy.

[BandOfBrothers]

The bending issues was brought upon by certain blog sites seeing if they could bend the iPhone 6 plus, along with other smartphones.

Well of course of one applies an unnatural amount of force on the iPhone in a place where it wouldn't normally be out against such stress under normal usage conditions it can bend.

Some of the other smartphones snapped back into position because they were made of plastic.

The iPhone 6 plus has strengthening plates within it to protect it.

I agree the iPhone 6 Plus is a formidable device. 😎

I've tested and reviewed many handsets and tablets for another Netwirk and find each and every one brings it own pro's and con's.

The terminology '  FanBoy ' makes me smile. 😄