frustraded! dropped calls/not able to call despite good reception

In article <[email protected]>,
"DavyDE" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> "Pat" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I have been with sprint since 1999 and been decently happy with their
> > service (free&clear).
> > I have a samsung a400 and over the last couple months am getting more
> > and more frustrated as a huge number of calls get dropped or i am even
> > unable to place a call despite having 4 bars reception.
> > I am getting messaged from "call failed", "no synch" to "signal faded"
> > or just no message at all.
> > In addition i seem to not receive some calls. they show up hours later
> > on my voice mail, even though i had the phone and it showed
> > reception....
> > What is going on ?
> >
> > Tech at *2 wasnt really helpful just said that "i might need a new
> > phone" but I am hol;ding out for a bluetooth phone...
> >
> > this is all in major metropolitan areas (dc/nyc/boston) on the east
> > coast...
> >
> > thanks!
>
> Shouldn't this be a sign to get a new phone?

That's what Justin was told, and it turned out to be the Sprint Network.

---

› See More: frustraded! dropped calls/not able to call despite good reception

In article <[email protected]>,
"DavyDE" <[email protected]> wrote:

> > More likely it's 100% Sprint's fault, others want to blame the phone or
> > the user, and use a Network problem as an excuse to sell a new phone.
>
> So you leave no room for the possibility that the problems could the phone?



I said "likely", that leaves a great than zero percent chance.

I just recall EVERY ONE of the Sprint evangelists insisting in many cases
(and Justin's is just my favorite) that a new phone would solve
everything; and IT WAS THE NETWORK. He wasted many weeks trying new
phones, only to conclude IT WAS THE NETWORK.

Certainly there is a greater than zero percent chance its the phone, but
a Network can degrade more readily than a phone can.

You did read the rest of my post where I suggested he try dialing *18 ?

"Røbert M" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "DavyDE" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >
> > "Pat" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > I have been with sprint since 1999 and been decently happy with their

<snip>

> >
> > Shouldn't this be a sign to get a new phone?
>
> That's what Justin was told, and it turned out to be the Sprint Network.

Either way, it's not going to be solved on this newsgroup. It needs to be
addressed by Sprint, one way or the other.
Unfortunately, the easiest way for the carrier to try to resolve this is to
test the current phone.
Then if necessary, switch the phone out and see it that helps. You could be
right, it could be a network issue.
We are not going to find out here though.

It's good that the OP checked here to see if there are any other reported
issues in this NG but, after that, even if a bunch of people in this NG say
they are having the same issue, OP's fate lies in the hands of Sprint. At
least they wouldn't be alone and their may be a master trouble-ticket on the
issue.

Scotty

DavyDE wrote:

>>As with what happened to Justin, if the Network has locally
>>deteriorated, a different phone helps not at all, in which case the
>>poster may want to consider switching carriers if it is indeed a Network
>>issue which isn't quickly resolved.
>
>
> And how exactly, if you know, does a network ''locally deteriorate'' for
> just one user? If there is a local network issue in Boston or anywhere else
> in the state, would it not be a known issue?
>


Yes, well, I'm running into a bit of that right now. I live in a rather
small town just outside a medium-large city. This city is about 1500
strong and has two truckstops, one featuring a fast-food drive through -
to my knowledge, the only one in town. I can see a major interstate
outside my window, and can hear the cars as I type this. The tower here
was likely built more to expand a corridor than to provide coverage to
the residents. I called an issue into Sprint Sunday. I called again
after midnight monday morning, and they said they still had had no other
reports. The limited number of people here probably didn't result in
enough people that live here caring enough to call in and wait on tech
support and such. It's probably a very busy tower, because of the sheer
traffic passing under its coverage, but for most people, it's a five
minute outage. I'm the only person, probably, that has been hit enough
to call sprint. I suspect most of the residents have some sort of
landline service in addition to their cellular.
-mike

In article <[email protected]>,
Mike <[email protected]> wrote:

> Yes, well, I'm running into a bit of that right now. I live in a rather
> small town just outside a medium-large city. This city is about 1500
> strong and has two truckstops, one featuring a fast-food drive through -
> to my knowledge, the only one in town. I can see a major interstate
> outside my window, and can hear the cars as I type this. The tower here
> was likely built more to expand a corridor than to provide coverage to
> the residents. I called an issue into Sprint Sunday. I called again
> after midnight monday morning, and they said they still had had no other
> reports. The limited number of people here probably didn't result in
> enough people that live here caring enough to call in and wait on tech
> support and such. It's probably a very busy tower, because of the sheer
> traffic passing under its coverage, but for most people, it's a five
> minute outage. I'm the only person, probably, that has been hit enough
> to call sprint. I suspect most of the residents have some sort of
> landline service in addition to their cellular.

Or maybe they're trained to tell anyone who calls : "This is the first
report of that we've had". I would get that kind of report from Warner
Cable when their Call Waiting message would have word of the outage.

If you think you're giving the first report of an outage:

- It make you feel important

- Perhaps you have lowered expectations of getting it fixed promptly

I have learned to disbelieve CSRs that tell me "This is the first we've
heard of it". I was told that weeks after the Samsung Black 8500 recall
had started when I called in to ask about not having analog working.

In article <[email protected]>,
"Scott Nelson - Wash DC" <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Røbert M" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > "DavyDE" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > "Pat" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:[email protected]...
> > > > I have been with sprint since 1999 and been decently happy with their
>
> <snip>
>
> > >
> > > Shouldn't this be a sign to get a new phone?
> >
> > That's what Justin was told, and it turned out to be the Sprint Network.
>
> Either way, it's not going to be solved on this newsgroup. It needs to be
> addressed by Sprint, one way or the other.
> Unfortunately, the easiest way for the carrier to try to resolve this is to
> test the current phone.

Thats what comes of having improper coverage maps. Little Elm was a
known dead zone. Carriers tend to hold back information about issues
with their network.


> Then if necessary, switch the phone out and see it that helps.

Justin was given a new contract, and charged Activation Fees and ETFs
when the replacement phones didn't help, and he returned them, and it
took writing to the Texas Attorney General before Sprint did the right
thing, to zero out the improper charges and let him out of a new
contract.

> You could be
> right, it could be a network issue.
> We are not going to find out here though.

Less likely, but perhaps someone else from Cambridge, Mass is passing
through.

>
> It's good that the OP checked here to see if there are any other reported
> issues in this NG but, after that, even if a bunch of people in this NG say
> they are having the same issue, OP's fate lies in the hands of Sprint. At
> least they wouldn't be alone and their may be a master trouble-ticket on the
> issue.

Assuming the Sprint rep actually does the paperwork for that, rather
than viewing it as an opportunity to sell some phones. Thats one of the
perils of the commission system.

There is a greater than zero chance my suggestion of dialing *18 could
solve the problem.

"Røbert M" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
<snipped>
> Thats what comes of having improper coverage maps. Little Elm was a
> known dead zone. Carriers tend to hold back information about issues
> with their network.

Phillipe, why are you bringing Justin's prior problem, which has nothing to
do with the OP's hit and run post here. Justin's in the boondocks.in Texas.
The OP was complaining about dropped calls or no coverage in the major
cities, and oh, by the way, the OP has an old phone, which does need to be
check out at a SPCS store.
>
>
> > Then if necessary, switch the phone out and see it that helps.
>
> Justin was given a new contract, and charged Activation Fees and ETFs
> when the replacement phones didn't help, and he returned them, and it
> took writing to the Texas Attorney General before Sprint did the right
> thing, to zero out the improper charges and let him out of a new
> contract.

Again, Justin has nothing to do with the OP's post.

You like to quote Justin here. You've done a few times recently. Surprising
that you would support someone who spouted ALL the words you abhor ...

Bob

In article <[email protected]>,=20
[email protected] says...
> That's what Justin was told, and it turned out to be the Sprint Network.
>=20
>=20

Justin didn't have a three year old phone. Please stay on topic.

--=20
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for Sprint PCS
I *don't* speak for them

In article <[email protected]>,=20
[email protected] says...
>=20
> There is a greater than zero chance my suggestion of dialing *18 could=20
> solve the problem.
>=20

Until he leaves his local area, and then can neither make *nor* take=20
calls, period. You'd simply be changing the problem, not solving it.

--=20
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for Sprint PCS
I *don't* speak for them

In article <[email protected]>,=20
[email protected] says...
> You did read the rest of my post where I suggested he try dialing *18 ?
>=20
>=20

I sure did. And the OP would be calling us again in the future,=20
because that shuts off the ability to take or make calls outside=20
one's local calling area.

--=20
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for Sprint PCS
I *don't* speak for them

Sync happens after every call.
In the future Phillip, why not just suggest calling *4, waiting for it to
connect, then hang up and wait 3 seconds.
That's all it takes for the phone to re-sync.
Then make the call you want. If someone is doing this or having 'sync'
issues often, I would say it's a handset issue.
However like you said, there are exceptions to everything but, *18 shouldn't
be done on the Sprint Network at all.

FWIW

Scotty


"O/Siris" <0siris@sprîntpcs.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> You did read the rest of my post where I suggested he try dialing *18 ?
>
>

I sure did. And the OP would be calling us again in the future,
because that shuts off the ability to take or make calls outside
one's local calling area.

--
RØß
O/Siris
I work for Sprint PCS
I *don't* speak for them

In article <[email protected]>,
"Scott Nelson - Wash DC" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Sync happens after every call.
> In the future Phillip, why not just suggest calling *4, waiting for it to
> connect, then hang up and wait 3 seconds.
> That's all it takes for the phone to re-sync.
> Then make the call you want. If someone is doing this or having 'sync'
> issues often, I would say it's a handset issue.
> However like you said, there are exceptions to everything but, *18 shouldn't
> be done on the Sprint Network at all.

NOPE, I had the same problem last week, and the next day had CSRs
saying, "Yup we had a Call Provisioning Problem with the Network".

Its the first time that had happened to me in 5+ years with SprintPCS.

Wow! so many answers!

Ok, so I need to go to the store and have my phone checked out.... How
do they break?
So far i have done no kinds of firmware/prl upgrades to it, how does
one do that ?

Also, i am curious, what does *18 do?


thanks!

O/Siris <0siris@sprîntpcs.com> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> > That's what Justin was told, and it turned out to be the Sprint Network.
> >
> >
>
> Justin didn't have a three year old phone. Please stay on topic.

In article <[email protected]>,=20
[email protected] says...
> Wow! so many answers!
>=20
> Ok, so I need to go to the store and have my phone checked out.... How
> do they break?
> So far i have done no kinds of firmware/prl upgrades to it, how does
> one do that ?
>=20
> Also, i am curious, what does *18 do?
>=20
>=20
> thanks!
>=20

*18 re-registers your phone on the network, but it ALSO turns off a=20
setting (whose name I forget) in the network that enables your phone=20
to take and make calls outside its local calling area.

How does it break? Do you know how small those circuit traces are=20
inside a phone? It doesn't a lot of corrosion to break one. That's=20
just one example.

--=20
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for Sprint PCS
I *don't* speak for them

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Pat) wrote:

> Wow! so many answers!
>
> Ok, so I need to go to the store and have my phone checked out.... How
> do they break?

Cips get hot while making calls. Make enough long calls, and the
electronic circuits may get degraded.