# Weak 3G connectivity with all AOKP roms ics/jb



## L&M (Nov 8, 2012)

I've been lurking this forum for months in search of a fix for this, also have tried various ROMs, Kernels and Radios...
With any rom I install my signal strength drops to 2 bars where I typically have full or almost full bars anywhere in town I go. 3G works, but is very tedious, basically anything from loading my inbox for email or an app download exceeding 40mb or so will kill the 3G and then radio shuts down entirely. Toggling data or airplane mode has no effect, reboot is neccesary.

My steps have been:
Odin to stock
Odin CWM
Flash THS build 2
Reboot to recovery
Wipe cache, etc. 
Flash desired rom (tried Devious ICS, most unofficial JB AOKP roms, even tried just THS build 15)
Currently using USCC mesmerize, latest JB release with devil kernel 1.8

I'm quite experienced with flashing roms, especially of the Samsung variety. I'm also very familiar with the technical side as I've worked in the cellular industry for 10 yrs. I'm at wits end trying to get this right and frankly tired of lurking 2-3 forums in search of a fix for this. I can manage with this phone but I really miss using my streaming music, youtube etc. I'm tempted to just go back to rooted stock but meh... really don't want to.


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## Epicanis (Nov 13, 2012)

At least it's not just me - these are the same symptoms I've been having for quite some time. There seems to be a similar issue with the GPS (when the data drops out and stops working, the GPS seems to stop working as well if I was using it).

Just today I ran into mention of an FE29 modem (apparently been available for a while, but up until today it seemed like EI20 was the most recent available). I don't know if that will help, but I'll probably give it try (not sure if I'll wait until I'm back home or risk it while I'm here in a "roaming" area).

I'm not sure what else to look for either, but this seems to be a moderately common problem.


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## showcasemodr (Dec 31, 2011)

i would try a different modem and see if it works better. uscc mes latest version is fe29. there are a couple different modem files here. http://rootzwiki.com/topic/34614-odin-stock-mesmerize-and-showcase-files-multiple-carriers/


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## mezster (Sep 3, 2011)

Epicanis said:


> At least it's not just me - these are the same symptoms I've been having for quite some time. There seems to be a similar issue with the GPS (when the data drops out and stops working, the GPS seems to stop working as well if I was using it).
> 
> Just today I ran into mention of an FE29 modem (apparently been available for a while, but up until today it seemed like EI20 was the most recent available). I don't know if that will help, but I'll probably give it try (not sure if I'll wait until I'm back home or risk it while I'm here in a "roaming" area).
> 
> I'm not sure what else to look for either, but this seems to be a moderately common problem.


Uscc mez user here. I tried the fe29 modem and it was horrible, could literally sit and watch data repeatedly turn on and off in front of my eyes. Wouldn't hold a signal either. Ei20 has been the most stable for me. Give fe29 a try it might work better for you. Modems are an easy flash and won't screw with your ROM.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using RootzWiki


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## Epicanis (Nov 13, 2012)

mezster said:


> Uscc mez user here. I tried the fe29 modem and it was horrible, could literally sit and watch data repeatedly turn on and off in front of my eyes. Wouldn't hold a signal either.


Once I get back to my "home" territory I'll look up how to flash it with heimdall and give it a shot (I'm under the impression that I shouldn't try it while I'm away in "roaming", in case I need to *228 after flashing the modem). "data repeatedly turning on and off" would be an improvement, sadly, over the current "data and gps turning off and staying off until reboot/poweroff".


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## Epicanis (Nov 13, 2012)

Well, this is a problem...

I tried flashing the FE29 modem, and as mezster describes, 3G would go on, then off, then on, then off every few seconds (and was never actually usable).

I tried *228 and after some hold music, the voice told me the phone had been successfully updated...but the phone complained that it had NOT successfully updated.

I tried flashing all the way back to EH09, still going on/off/on/off...flashed back to ei20...STILL going "on/off/on/off" (eventually seems to give up and stay off).

*228 gives me the voice, some hold music, and the "phone has been successfully updated" message, but the phone complains that it has NOT been successfully updated...

Any advice?

Failing that, any pointers to "stock" firmware I can revert back to via heimdall, just in case I need to try to get it replaced or take it in to let someone official try to get it working? (If nothing else, I wouldn't mind confirming whether or not the original "stock" OS and radio was having the same failing-radio problem that I've been having the whole time).

(I do have a "CI500_USCC_EH09_GB_REL.tar.md5" set of files that appears to have an older factory image - is the most recent "official" EI20 one available somewhere?)


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## showcasemodr (Dec 31, 2011)

heres,a multitude of files that you could try. http://rootzwiki.com/topic/34614-odin-stock-mesmerize-and-showcase-files-multiple-carriers/


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## Epicanis (Nov 13, 2012)

Thanks for the link! I grabbed the EI20 "odin" package, it looks like if/when I decide to flash back to stock I can un-tar those files and, using the Atlas v2.2.2 .pit file and the various individual files from the "odin" tarball, flash them to the phone with heimdall?

I flashed back to FE29 before going to bed last night. This morning, the data connection is actually working, so I may just leave it alone. I saw another thread here mentioning the "data drop-out" problem and saying that they have several friends on stock firmware who are also reporting the problem, so the urgency of trying the stock ROM for me is gone for the moment, but I suspect I'll be needing to flash back to it for testing at some point anyway.

Otherwise, besides these apparently non-ROM-related faults, this phone is working better with the CM10 nightlies than it had been with either the stock ROM or CM7.2, so I'm reasonably happy with it anyway.


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## showcasemodr (Dec 31, 2011)

Epicanis said:


> Thanks for the link! I grabbed the EI20 "odin" package, it looks like if/when I decide to flash back to stock I can un-tar those files and, using the Atlas v2.2.2 .pit file and the various individual files from the "odin" tarball, flash them to the phone with heimdall?
> 
> I flashed back to FE29 before going to bed last night. This morning, the data connection is actually working, so I may just leave it alone. I saw another thread here mentioning the "data drop-out" problem and saying that they have several friends on stock firmware who are also reporting the problem, so the urgency of trying the stock ROM for me is gone for the moment, but I suspect I'll be needing to flash back to it for testing at some point anyway.
> 
> Otherwise, besides these apparently non-ROM-related faults, this phone is working better with the CM10 nightlies than it had been with either the stock ROM or CM7.2, so I'm reasonably happy with it anyway.


Well good. Hopefully the fe29 works out for you. I have only used Odin so I'm not familiar with heimdal, but I think that should work.


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## Epicanis (Nov 13, 2012)

Just a followup - FE29 is actually working no worse than before at this point. The only thing I noticed is that the signal quality shows lower for both phone and wifi. It does not appear that the signal actually IS lower, only that the display now shows it as if it was (I can now use wifi just fine even with the signal level showing as no "bars").

The issue with the radio glitching out is still there, but I do have an observation: I think this is heat related.
It's happened a lot less as the weather has gotten colder. The only time it happens now is mostly when I'm using the phone while it's charging (e.g. in the car, being used for GPS). It tends to recur every time I reset it unless I disconnect it from power and let it cool down a bit.


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## daheazle (Oct 22, 2011)

Have you tried flashing the GB boot loader? I recommend giving that a try. If you can't find it searching around the forum I can upload it.


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## showcasemodr (Dec 31, 2011)

Epicanis said:


> Just a followup - FE29 is actually working no worse than before at this point. The only thing I noticed is that the signal quality shows lower for both phone and wifi. It does not appear that the signal actually IS lower, only that the display now shows it as if it was (I can now use wifi just fine even with the signal level showing as no "bars").
> 
> The issue with the radio glitching out is still there, but I do have an observation: I think this is heat related.
> It's happened a lot less as the weather has gotten colder. The only time it happens now is mostly when I'm using the phone while it's charging (e.g. in the car, being used for GPS). It tends to recur every time I reset it unless I disconnect it from power and let it cool down a bit.


Mine tends to do that. Around the house on wifi I get one bar but it is just as fast as if I have 4 bars. Haven't really noticed it on 3g because the carrier I have has flaky service at times anyways. I'm gonna dig around and see what the various modems have for improvements between EI20 and FE29. I can't imagine there is much change since this phone is getting fairly old as far as smartphones go.

Heat can do crazy things. I know this thing gets fairly warm on the charger and with heavy use, so maybe its not playing nice. I vaguely remember reading something in the past that these phones have always run a little hot.

Just carry around a little fan with you everywhere you go


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