iPhone Carrier hack patch, get better service/bars from your carrier.

[dokindo]

I didn't note any major battery issues during the couple days I had the patch installed but there was another problem which led me to remove it--at home I have weak Tmobile cell signal so my phone would switch to wifi calling, which worked flawlessly. With the hack my signal "improved" so the phone apparently would not switch to wifi calling. But I was now getting dropped calls.

I followed the instructions above to remove, with no issues. After the first reboot I was at 18.0, and the phone asked me to do a carrier update. After this I was at 18.1. I did another reboot and still at 18.1.

Appreciate the effort to put this together and support it.

 

[iParis]

This works perfectly to revert the hack. It's from the iTweakos website:

1. In iFile or some other file system browser for iOS, navigate to var/mobile/Library/Carrier Bundles and delete the entire folder named iPhone.

2. Tap the remaining folder, Overlay, and delete all files located inside of the Overlay folder.

3. Exit the file browser and reboot the device 2 times. After the 1st reboot, allow the device to acquire cellular signal, then proceed to the 2nd reboot.

4. Your device should now be at stock settings.

That's what I did.. And it didn't repopulate after rebooting and didn't know what network it was on.

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Wouldn't a complete restore through iTunes revert it?

Theoretically, but what if iTunes backs up and restored edited carrier bundles folder? That's why I didn't want to go through trying it.

 

[iaymnu]

Battery seems fine to me.

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Since 8.1 signing window is still open I went ahead and reinstalled the Carrier hack&CommCenter. I will test it again while the 8.1 signing window is still open.

 

[iaymnu]

You guys are brave.
I'm not touching anything near carrier commcenter files.
The carriers know their network, the devices on it, what values work best, what sites are added, updated or removed and how each device will connect best.
Tons of engineering tech and work goes into that from wireless providers and it's not something without great knowledge and details on the particular network should be done or be toyed around with.

Also carriers will limit you using their network. Yes, they know what values work best, but will just limit you under that threshold for what ever reason that is beneficial to them.

I don't know if the "signal bars" means much but it does increase my signal.
That hack does alter or even adds the function to prioritize which tower to connect to. What else does it enable/force is still unknown. The creator doesn't go into detail and I don't see why he wouldn't explain it further. On reddit I keep asking if this means the radios increases output. No avail and only down voted to oblivion.

I have no knowledge how all this works it is all my guessing.

 

[HankHowdy]

This works perfectly to revert the hack. It's from the iTweakos website:



1. In iFile or some other file system browser for iOS, navigate to var/mobile/Library/Carrier Bundles and delete the entire folder named iPhone.



2. Tap the remaining folder, Overlay, and delete all files located inside of the Overlay folder.



3. Exit the file browser and reboot the device 2 times. After the 1st reboot, allow the device to acquire cellular signal, then proceed to the 2nd reboot.



4. Your device should now be at stock settings.

I have don't this before and it did not work.

Was never able to connect to anything and lost my 7.1.2 jailbreak.

I had to wait for iOS 8 jailbreak.

I tried it again when iOS 8.1 was still being signed and it didn't work again. I was lucky and 8.1 was still available.

 

[shenan1982]

I have don't this before and it did not work.

Was never able to connect to anything and lost my 7.1.2 jailbreak.

I had to wait for iOS 8 jailbreak.

I tried it again when iOS 8.1 was still being signed and it didn't work again. I was lucky and 8.1 was still available.

Worked fine for me 2 times on 3 devices. Sounds like you didn't follow the directions right.

 

[HankHowdy]

Interesting side effect.

I'm on a Verizon 5S and ran the hacked bundle, then went back to stock, but the mobile hotspot remained. It works good too.

Thought that was interesting.

I'm on 18.0.

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Worked fine for me 2 times on 3 devices. Sounds like you didn't follow the directions right.

I did word for word.

What devices and what carriers were they on?

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That's what I did.. And it didn't repopulate after rebooting and didn't know what network it was on.



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Theoretically, but what if iTunes backs up and restored edited carrier bundles folder? That's why I didn't want to go through trying it.

Worked fine for me 2 times on 3 devices. Sounds like you didn't follow the directions right.

iParis had the same result.

Perhaps it's a Verizon thing.

 

[shenan1982]

I don't know if the "signal bars" means much but it does increase my signal.That hack does alter or even adds the function to prioritize which tower to connect to. What else does it enable/force is still unknown. The creator doesn't go into detail and I don't see why he wouldn't explain it further. On reddit I keep asking if this means the radios increases output. No avail and only down voted to oblivion.

It's scary to me how many people are willing to blindly install such a major modification to their phone without any fundamental understanding of how RF works. This CANNOT create signal where signal doesn't exist. It's like an FM radio signal. No amount of software can improve your radio signal. You can only deal with the level of signal you have. It's simply smoke and mirrors. It's giving the phone a higher threshold to hold on to what would normally be considered (by apple and your carrier) to be a level of quality which meets their level of requirement in user experience.

ANYONE who says they have reception where reception didn't exist doesn't have an understanding of basic RF technology.

And anyone who is just blindly applying this thinking something magical will happen and not understanding what they're doing is setting themselves up for headache.

The only benefit to this hack is to open hotspot where the carrier restricts it.. and to lower the threshold where the phone hangs onto LTE... but to do that it's going to use more battery. Its not rocket science, anyone saying there's no change in battery life is a liar.

 

[dlmart2]

It's scary to me how many people are willing to blindly install such a major modification to their phone without any fundamental understanding of how RF works. This CANNOT create signal where signal doesn't exist. It's like an FM radio signal. No amount of software can improve your radio signal. You can only deal with the level of signal you have. It's simply smoke and mirrors. It's giving the phone a higher threshold to hold on to what would normally be considered (by apple and your carrier) to be a level of quality which meets their level of requirement in user experience.



ANYONE who says they have reception where reception didn't exist doesn't have an understanding of basic RF technology.



And anyone who is just blindly applying this thinking something magical will happen and not understanding what they're doing is setting themselves up for headache.



The only benefit to this hack is to open hotspot where the carrier restricts it.. and to lower the threshold where the phone hangs onto LTE... but to do that it's going to use more battery. Its not rocket science, anyone saying there's no change in battery life is a liar.

How is it possible that Apple can release software patches that improve wifi performance?

 

[shenan1982]

How is it possible that Apple can release software patches that improve wifi performance?

Because in an OS update, software handles how packets are handled when sending over wifi\network connection. A carrier bundle doesn't handle that.

 

[fisherking]

It's scary to me how many people are willing to blindly install such a major modification to their phone without any fundamental understanding of how RF works. This CANNOT create signal where signal doesn't exist. It's like an FM radio signal. No amount of software can improve your radio signal. You can only deal with the level of signal you have. It's simply smoke and mirrors. It's giving the phone a higher threshold to hold on to what would normally be considered (by apple and your carrier) to be a level of quality which meets their level of requirement in user experience.

ANYONE who says they have reception where reception didn't exist doesn't have an understanding of basic RF technology.

And anyone who is just blindly applying this thinking something magical will happen and not understanding what they're doing is setting themselves up for headache.

The only benefit to this hack is to open hotspot where the carrier restricts it.. and to lower the threshold where the phone hangs onto LTE... but to do that it's going to use more battery. Its not rocket science, anyone saying there's no change in battery life is a liar.

because i want to understand this...the improved reception showing on the signal strength meter, and the improved speed showing in the ookla speedtest... are you saying the numbers are just different? and the speed etc is NOT really happening?

 

[shenan1982]

because i want to understand this...the improved reception showing on the signal strength meter, and the improved speed showing in the ookla speedtest... are you saying the numbers are just different? and the speed etc is NOT really happening?

You have signal coming into your phone. It doesn't come in as 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 bars. It comes in as a signal strength... if the software says "if the strength it medium, display 3 bars, if it's good display 5 bars, and if it's poor, display 1 bar" this tweak changes that programming to say "if the signal is medium, display 4 bars, if it's poor display 2 bars" and so on. I can't make it any easier than that to understand. If you can't even understand that, DONT MESS WITH IT, and don't even jailbreak, because one should have a basic understanding of the technology behind these things before doing it.

 

[fisherking]

You have signal coming into your phone. It doesn't come in as 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 bars. It comes in as a signal strength... if the software says "if the strength it medium, display 3 bars, if it's good display 5 bars, and if it's poor, display 1 bar" this tweak changes that programming to say "if the signal is medium, display 4 bars, if it's poor display 2 bars" and so on. I can't make it any easier than that to understand. If you can't even understand that, DONT MESS WITH IT, and don't even jailbreak, because one should have a basic understanding of the technology behind these things before doing it.

here's a thought: if you can't discuss this stuff with some dignity, don't even post on the forum, because one should have a basic understanding of human nature before posting.

seriously, calm down. am just looking for clarity, wanted to be sure of what you're saying. i'm in field test mode, and my signal strength numbers are higher than previously. AND i've had less dropouts over the last few days. but you're saying the numbers are NOT accurate...

anyone else?

 

[shenan1982]

seriously, calm down. am just looking for clarity, wanted to be sure of what you're saying. i'm in field test mode, and my signal strength numbers are higher than previously. AND i've had less dropouts over the last few days. but you're saying the numbers are NOT accurate...

anyone else?

How do you ascertain your signal strength numbers in which you speak? Define a "dropout"... and no I said nothing about the numbers, I said the signal bars are not accurate.

 

[Tmlfan3]

You have signal coming into your phone. It doesn't come in as 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 bars. It comes in as a signal strength... if the software says "if the strength it medium, display 3 bars, if it's good display 5 bars, and if it's poor, display 1 bar" this tweak changes that programming to say "if the signal is medium, display 4 bars, if it's poor display 2 bars" and so on. I can't make it any easier than that to understand. If you can't even understand that, DONT MESS WITH IT, and don't even jailbreak, because one should have a basic understanding of the technology behind these things before doing it.

You seem to be ignoring the people who have given the actual signal strength numbers (not number of bars) as well as the speed test numbers.

I'm not using it so can't say either way, but you keep repeating the same thing and ignore the stats that some have provided

 

[shenan1982]

You seem to be ignoring the people who have given the actual signal strength numbers (not number of bars) as well as the speed test numbers.

I'm not using it so can't say either way, but you keep repeating the same thing and ignore the stats that some have provided

Do as you please. I'm done trying to educate you. You ask for advice then discredit the response when you don't even understand the technology. Sorry i tried to help. You may want to do some background research on the fundamentals of IP technology, radio frequency, backhaul, etc... and you'll answer some of these questions yourself.

 

[fisherking]

Do as you please. I'm done trying to educate you. You ask for advice then discredit the response when you don't even understand the technology. Sorry i tried to help. You may want to do some background research on the fundamentals of IP technology, radio frequency, backhaul, etc... and you'll answer some of these questions yourself.

will give this some more time, see how my actual experience goes. meanwhile, thank god you're here to intelligently, politely, correct everything. (and everyone)..

 

[Applejuiced]

Also carriers will limit you using their network. Yes, they know what values work best, but will just limit you under that threshold for what ever reason that is beneficial to them.

I don't know if the "signal bars" means much but it does increase my signal.
That hack does alter or even adds the function to prioritize which tower to connect to. What else does it enable/force is still unknown. The creator doesn't go into detail and I don't see why he wouldn't explain it further. On reddit I keep asking if this means the radios increases output. No avail and only down voted to oblivion.

I have no knowledge how all this works it is all my guessing.

It could just increase the little lines or dots displayed on the phone.
I dont see how if you're at the same exact place that shows 2 now shows 5 bars
The tower didn't come any closer or the hack changed the towers transmission.
I don't know, not something I trust I guess
Unless it amps up the battery used to send and receive by the phone and that's why many report battery life takes a big hit.
Not sure.

 

[shenan1982]

It could just increase the little lines or dots displayed on the phone.
I dont see how if you're at the same exact place that shows 2 now shows 5 bars
The tower didn't come any closer or the hack changed the towers transmission.
I don't know, not something I trust I guess
Unless it amps up the battery used to send and receive by the phone and that's why many report battery life takes a big hit.
Not sure.

Ok... let's simplify..

You have $50,000 in the bank. On a scale of 1 to 10, in America, you're about a 5 in financial health. However when you go to the Philippines, you're about a 9 in financial health with the same amount in the bank.

A "bar of service" is based on a scale. The phone says "I think xxx amount of signal is 3 bars" ... what the hack does is change the display, and the phone then says "I think xxx amount of signal is 5 bars" ... so you have the same signal, it's just the scale in which it's reported is altered, thus making the same thing look like more.

 

[fisherking]

Ok... let's simplify..

You have $50,000 in the bank. On a scale of 1 to 10, in America, you're about a 5 in financial health. However when you go to the Philippines, you're about a 9 in financial health with the same amount in the bank.

A "bar of service" is based on a scale. The phone says "I think xxx amount of signal is 3 bars" ... what the hack does is change the display, and the phone then says "I think xxx amount of signal is 5 bars" ... so you have the same signal, it's just the scale in which it's reported is altered, thus making the same thing look like more.

fieldtestmode. my numbers (at home) averaged around -101db before the hack, now they're averaging around -80db. you're saying that THOSE numbers are inaccurate? just want to be sure...

 

[Tmlfan3]

Do as you please. I'm done trying to educate you. You ask for advice then discredit the response when you don't even understand the technology. Sorry i tried to help. You may want to do some background research on the fundamentals of IP technology, radio frequency, backhaul, etc... and you'll answer some of these questions yourself.

You're not educating me. I'm not using the hack anyways. But you're not mentioning anything about people using field test data or speed tests. Most of us get that number of bars is arbitrary.

 

[iaymnu]

You have signal coming into your phone. It doesn't come in as 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 bars. It comes in as a signal strength... if the software says "if the strength it medium, display 3 bars, if it's good display 5 bars, and if it's poor, display 1 bar" this tweak changes that programming to say "if the signal is medium, display 4 bars, if it's poor display 2 bars" and so on. I can't make it any easier than that to understand. If you can't even understand that, DONT MESS WITH IT, and don't even jailbreak, because one should have a basic understanding of the technology behind these things before doing it.

In other words you are claiming that all the carrier hacks does is to change how signal strength is displayed.
Then those claiming increase in upload/download are not actually experiencing it. It is just another trickery of the carrier hack/commcenter to display higher
speeds...

 

[shenan1982]

fieldtestmode. my numbers (at home) averaged around -101db before the hack, now they're averaging around -80db. you're saying that THOSE numbers are inaccurate? just want to be sure...

So before you claimed to have gone by what others are saying about getting their dbm readings, and that you were just going by how many bars you had, and didn't even know HOW to get your dbm reading, now you've figured out how to google and searched how to find it, and 20 minutes later you'e claiming you now knew what your dbm reading was before the hack? LOL, classic.

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In other words you are claiming that all the carrier hacks does is to change how signal strength is displayed.
Then those claiming increase in upload/download are not actually experiencing it. It is just another trickery of the carrier hack/commcenter to display higher
speeds...

Are someone who bought those antennae stickers back in the 90s to improve signal strength? All of those people swore their phones were faster too.

You can run 5 speed tests in a row and get 5 completely different outcomes, without modifying or moving the phone.

I'm simply saying no carrier hack is going to improve reception, PERIOD. Unless you're somewhere that AT&T allows usage of another carrier's network, but prohibits that in their carrier file (which I've yet to see or hear of in the US), then there's no basis to the claim that your signal comes in stronger. Your field test mode reading is just a reading of the signal that's in the air.

 

[iaymnu]

fieldtestmode. my numbers (at home) averaged around -101db before the hack, now they're averaging around -80db. you're saying that THOSE numbers are inaccurate? just want to be sure...

Its witchcraft... Again we assume he has knowledge in this subject. He would tell you it is nonsense. You won't get signal where you don't have signal.

 

[fisherking]

So before you claimed to have gone by what others are saying about getting their dbm readings, and that you were just going by how many bars you had, and didn't even know HOW to get your dbm reading, now you've figured out how to google and searched how to find it, and 20 minutes later you'e claiming you now knew what your dbm reading was before the hack? LOL, classic.

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Are someone who bought those antennae stickers back in the 90s to improve signal strength? All of those people swore their phones were faster too.

You can run 5 speed tests in a row and get 5 completely different outcomes, without modifying or moving the phone.

I'm simply saying no carrier hack is going to improve reception, PERIOD. Unless you're somewhere that AT&T allows usage of another carrier's network, but prohibits that in their carrier file (which I've yet to see or hear of in the US), then there's no basis to the claim that your signal comes in stronger. Your field test mode reading is just a reading of the signal that's in the air.

making up your own interpretation of the facts does not make you smart.
i've been using the fieldtest mode on my iphone for a long time. since running the hack, my numbers have gotten better...a fact i am simply reporting...
so again, you're saying the numbers are NOT accurate? ie they look better, but are not actually better...?