No Data - Full 3G Signal

[rhettbr2004]

Hey I'm re-posting this because I'm pretty sure there has to be an answer to this issue out there somewhere:

I have AT&T with all 5 bars on an iPhone 4S. I can receive SMS messages and phone calls without fail. However, even with a full 3G signal, I get a terrible data transfer speeds or it just doesn't work at all.

This is the weird part... It only occurs when I'm at work, inside my office. If I go outside, even just 20 ft, I get clear data transfers and Safari loads perfectly... when I go back inside, it breaks.

So does anyone know what kind of interference would preclude getting a full data signal? It makes absolutely no sense to me. Is there equipment or hardware that has known issues with receiving data with mobile devices, yet doesn't affect the overall 3G signal?

I've been banging my head for weeks trying to figure this out... Thanks!

 

[xrayeyes]

Do others in your office have the same issue or is it limited to your phone? You say you have 5 bars, but that is not the 3G , that is your cell signal. Do you have a 3G icon beside the signal icon?

 

[rhettbr2004]

Yes, others are having a problem but its not as bad as mine... seems that others will have trouble, but mine will immediately stop working and I have to restart my phone. Doesn't seem as bad on my co-worker's HTC Evo.

I would think "Full 3G Signal" in the title of the post was a dead giveaway... Yes, it's full 3G bars, sometimes 4, but mostly 5.

 

[rhettbr2004]

My goal is to determine if there are any known physical interferences that can keep you from receiving data, yet you can still get SMS and phone calls.

 

[xrayeyes]

There are no signal bars for 3G. The signal bars are for cell service only. There is a 3G icon showing if you have 3G service.

 

[EWyatt]

rhet.... I know what you're writing about! 3G reception is so different from cellular/voice reception. As you indicate, 20 feet can make all the difference, and there's NOTHING you can do about it in your workplace. I'm in the same situation, I've tried everything, and nothing seems to help. It could be the construction of the room you're in (metal reinforcements, environmental windows, etc...) or even 2.4 GHz phone systems in the area.

In my situation, I have a wireless Internet modem that effectively services several computer systems. If I move that modem just 3 inches, I lose half my signal strength and my speeds are cut drastically. IOW, data transmission is apples/oranges when compared to cellular voice.

Get back here if you find a solution.

 

[Oscar_D_Grouch]

I have the same issue with my Sprint 4s and my grandmother's house. Full signal and 3G outside, but I go inside and everything goes to hell. And this is a 50 year or so old house phone is a 6ghz.

 

[bab2010]

There are no signal bars for 3G. The signal bars are for cell service only. There is a 3G icon showing if you have 3G service.

Are you sure about this? Because I have signal bars for 3G on my iPhone whenever I insert the 3G capable sim into my iPhone.
But while I may have 1 or 2 bars for 3G and with the 3G icon displaying near by, once the 1 or 2 bars disappear and the 3G icon disappear too I will then see a full 5 bars signals there but an o icon nearby instead of 3G.
My understanding is that 3G signal bars override the cell phone signal when 3G signal is available, once the 3G signal is not available, and the 3G icon is not displaying then the phone will show the cell phone signal bars. So yes there is a 3G signal bars on the iPhone.

 

[DRad2003]

I travel a lot for work. So I take notice while on the road of my signal strength. The signal bars are just cell signal. It really doesn't match up with data at all. I can have 5 bars but my data is jumping from 3G to 1x. The speeds on data differ as well even with 5 bars. I've even had instances where I've had one bar but getting excellent data. Call quality was spotty though.

 

[Thomasjtsi]

It's a matter of bandwidth. You can have excellent signal strenght (full bars or whatever you want to call it) but if the network is being used heavily at that moment your download/upload speeds are going to suffer. No different than WiFi at your house... if you're kid is playing his Xbox online and you're in the living room 10 feet from the router of course you're going to have excellent signal strength. However, gaming on Xbox live is going to absorb a good portion of the bandwidth made available by your internet connection.

 

[nikstar]

I seem to have the same problem if I am trying to use data on my phone in my car (and no, I am not driving at the same time!) Yesterday, I pulled over to check my bank balance with the Westpac App on my phone and it just would not load. I tried other apps and safari and they would not load either. Then, the same again today. Is it possible that radio signals could affect 3G reception??

 

[rhettbr2004]

Thanks for all the responses... Everyone has really gave me a better understanding of how I receive 3G data.

Here are some environmental factors in my building:

Current, on-going construction
Always within 10 ft of computer equipment (Desktop PC, monitors, servers, VOIP phones, external HDDs, etc)
Modern design so no excessive concrete or metal materials, mostly glass


So here's the kicker... If I restart my phone, many times I will instantly receive clear data transmission when I reboot, and will lose the signal after 10 mins or so. I'm pretty sure it's not the phone, but has anyone else had this issue?