Anyone a Cell phone expert?

DTVuser2009 · 08-19-2009, 01:18 PM

I just got a (used, probably my first mistake) Samsung SGH-A707 Sync. it's a 'Cingular' Branded model, and of course they're now the 'NEW AT&T' so i think that's part of my issue.

Basically it's a 3G/Edge compatible phone. has a great browser, multimedia capabilities, and apps. problem. the 3G is non-existant and Edge is very, VERY spotty. if i am browsing or trying to send a multimedia message, it will 'hunt' or switch between Edge to GPRS and then back. while it's 'hunting' like that it completely ruins any downloads, or messages sending. it will then charge me data or at least take from my data plan (i have a 100MB plan and failed attempts cost a little of that evey time) and it's annoying. we have great GPRS coverage out here but it appears i'm sitting in between a GPRS and an Edge tower. problem is the Edge tower is too distant and the phone won't work. so it 'hunts' like it does. whenever it sits on GPRS or Edge for a long enough time it works fine.

I've called AT&T about it numerous times but there were some things they didn't know. first of all they assume i cannot enter the service menu of the phone since to them it was non-existant. not true. you can get into that menu by using code *#0523# and hitting the right softkey three times.

So they tell me there's no way in heck the phone can just STAY on GPRS and not search for other networks. i find that as untrue as their faith in there being no service menu. sadly i find no option within the service menu to disable Edge and just use GPRS. i did disable it hunting for 3G(when it tried it would give a no service alert), but it still hunts for Edge/GRPS all the time.

My hope is there to be a way to turn off any 'find any network available' option and just stick the phone in GPRS-only, not search for Edge or 3G at all. I don't use anything requiring Edge so it's only causing me more problems than it's worth. i don't see a menu regarding Network selection as i have in the past. so i'm sure a code is there somewhere.

O-O · 08-19-2009, 02:01 PM

+ YouTube Video

DTVuser2009 · 08-19-2009, 02:12 PM

I thought AT&T (Cingular) made that ad? whatever the case, the ad is correct about the dead zones, wrong about AT&T having a cure.

It's not that i want 3G or Edge. it's too spotty. i want my phone to pick and STAY on GPRS. NOT hunt around for Edge or other networks. it causes issues. i found a 'GPRS ATTACH' option and enabled it but it still has that big 'E' in the home screen meaning 'Edge Network Connected' i don't WANT edge!!! i want the big 'G' instead. as in GPRS Packet Data. having the phone switch back and forth causes problems with internet. and i use the internet on my phone.

Does the Motorola RAZR phone allow one to change the data bearer? is so i'll gladly trash this one for a RAZR--they're on sale for $90 at wal-mart.

Jay · 08-19-2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DTVuser2009

Does the Motorola RAZR phone allow one to change the data bearer? is so i'll gladly trash this one for a RAZR--they're on sale for $90 at wal-mart.

If you're thinking about a RAZR, you might want to pick one up soon. I was told this past weekend by a Verizon store rep that Motorola has discontinued the line. Seems hard to believe though.

DTVuser2009 · 08-20-2009, 06:18 AM

That's probably how the price at Wal-mart went from $199.99 to $90.00.

I had AT&T 'reregister' the SIM again, and i found a code to turn the 'GPRS ATTACH' feature off, and i rebooted the phone to be greeted by three nice bars and no E. that is great because now it won't eat my battery alive (was lucky to get one day of standby too with that on all the time) and when i launch an app or the browser it picks GPRS first, and if available it picks Edge. that seems to make it more reliable on the internet. before it was always hunting around and the time you use the browser it's still hunting around and caused tons of errors.

So far i've fixed it to where it's useable, but hopefully i can upgrade soon. with Prepaid i have to pay full price so it's nice that the RAZR is only $90 at Wal-Mart.

Sad how the Samsung Sync is full of bugs and has no sync cable out of the box.

I think AT&T markets the Motorola RAZR.

Verizon Wireless markets the exact same phone as the SLVR or something to that effect. the difference is that the SLVR is a CDMA phone and the RAZR is a GSM Quadband.

Piggie · 08-20-2009, 11:46 AM

I dont know where it works, by my daughter in law dropped and killed her phone. She was broke, went to Walmart bought a $10 el cheapo pay as you go phone, put in her sim card and bingo, she was back on the air. Even funnier was next time she logged in the ATT site, her pay as you go, sim card converted phone showed up as her phone. They never said a thing to her.

DTVuser2009 · 08-22-2009, 03:09 PM

I just splurged at Wal-Mart for a new RAZR V3 GoPhone (same prepaid service) and aside from a huge issue with my old SIM card giving me a 'CHECK SIM' error and having to transfer my existing number to the new SIM packaged with the phone it works WAYYYY better than the Samsuck Sync.

The Sync had major issues getting on a data network. no MediaNet at all. and only one bar or zero. the RAZR V3 gets 4 bars, and a capital 'E' meaning i guess EDGE connec tivity but i still wish i could force it into GPRS Packet Data. EDGE is very VERY Spotty here. it shows up all the time but it may or may not work. there's nothing in the manual which states that the 'E' means it's there or just available nor does it show any connection status (GPRS shows up different for available and a darker or different symbol for not available but looking. but the E doesn't. just says 'E')

It works bar none though. i mean the Mobile Email on the Sync always said 'communication failed (20) please try again later' no matter what. the RAZR shows up perfectly. flawlessly. until today i didn't know what the app would look like as i never got past 'signing in'.


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