Getting an ATT phone to work under 1900mhz T-mobile refarm?

[spinedoc77]

I've got a Note 2 I purchased from ATT and I decided to go for the T-mobile $30 unlimited data plan. I just activated this morning and filled my first month up. The note 2 was purchased full price and ATT provided me an unlock code.

Well using it today I note I'm stuck on Edge speeds, asking T mobile support and looking at maps I'm in an excellent data coverage area. They say that ONLY the unlocked iphones have issues with getting 4g on T-mobile, so that shouldn't be the issue with me and they forwarded this to engineering to check on.

Has anyone had any other experiences using an ATT unlocked phone on Tmobile and getting 4g? I'm wondering if the tech was wrong and if my phone is just in an unfarmed 1900 area.

 

[sc4rf4c3]

I've got a Note 2 I purchased from ATT and I decided to go for the T-mobile $30 unlimited data plan. I just activated this morning and filled my first month up. The note 2 was purchased full price and ATT provided me an unlock code.

Well using it today I note I'm stuck on Edge speeds, asking T mobile support and looking at maps I'm in an excellent data coverage area. They say that ONLY the unlocked iphones have issues with getting 4g on T-mobile, so that shouldn't be the issue with me and they forwarded this to engineering to check on.

Has anyone had any other experiences using an ATT unlocked phone on Tmobile and getting 4g? I'm wondering if the tech was wrong and if my phone is just in an unfarmed 1900 area.

If you are rooted flash a Tmobile radio. Check XDA forums for the correct APN setting for T-Mobile.

 

[2298754]

T-Mobile isn't even remotely done with refarming. Couple that with an already pathetic network and you will have a horrible experience.

Sell the at&t note and pick up a T-Mobile one that supports their PCS, AWS and LTE bands

 

[NewAnger]

Once you get a phone that supports T-Mobiles network, you will see just haw amazingly good their network has gotten lately. On AT&T I get 0.00 to 9Mbps.
On T-Mobile on my Nexus 4, I get 17-12Mbps. My 4S on T-Mobile has only been able to pick up a 3G signal once in two weeks and it was slow.

 

[2298754]

Once you get a phone that supports T-Mobiles network, you will see just haw amazingly good their network has gotten lately.

it doesn't matter how "good" their network is, when you drop to full EDGE once you leave a metro area.

 

[NewAnger]

it doesn't matter how "good" their network is, when you drop to full EDGE once you leave a metro area.

Or while at home. I dropped Verizon after one year because I could not get 3G or make calls from my house. AT&T is just about as bad at home but I CAN make calls, just low data speeds usually around 30Kbps.

T-Mobile kicks them all to the curb in my entire area, even at home. I should have switch a long time ago.

 

[Dontazemebro]

I believe there is a 50 pager over at xda on this exact issue. Might be worth it to check it out.

 

[spinedoc77]

I enabled the t mobile AWS band but still getting Edge, but I live on the boonies. I'll be in Newark today so will test if I get 4g.

 

[spinedoc77]

Well I got the AWS band to work, getting 4g everywhere outside. But building penetration SUCKS, I can have full bars and 4g signal and as soon as Im inside its 1 bar and edge, kind of defeats the purpose.

Its got to be embarrassing for t mobile, my iphone right next to it on ATT is getting 5 bars and full LTE.

 

[2298754]

Well I got the AWS band to work, getting 4g everywhere outside. But building penetration SUCKS, I can have full bars and 4g signal and as soon as Im inside its 1 bar and edge, kind of defeats the purpose.

Its got to be embarrassing for t mobile, my iphone right next to it on ATT is getting 5 bars and full LTE.

Yup. One of the downsides to AWS versus the 700 band for penetration

 

[spinedoc77]

Yup. One of the downsides to AWS versus the 700 band for penetration

does tmobile hardware. have the 700 band? I'm starting to think I should sell my note 2 and buy a tmobile note 2.

 

[NewAnger]

Yup. One of the downsides to AWS versus the 700 band for penetration

In my case, in my house, AT&T and Verizon were horrible with dropped calls and with Verizon, I had no 3G and no data. With AT&T in my house, I get 3G but data speeds are bad, about 0.00 to 1.5Mbps but it is usually about 40Kbps.

On T-Mobile on my house. I get between 17-21Mbps. The T-mobile speeds are on my Nexus4, the AT&T speeds are on my 4S.

 

[spinedoc77]

In my case, in my house, AT&T and Verizon were horrible with dropped calls and with Verizon, I had no 3G and no data. With AT&T in my house, I get 3G but data speeds are bad, about 0.00 to 1.5Mbps but it is usually about 40Kbps.

On T-Mobile on my house. I get between 17-21Mbps. The T-mobile speeds are on my Nexus4, the AT&T speeds are on my 4S.

It's kind of funny because in my travels I've found ATT to be miles ahead of Tmobile in both reception and data EXCEPT at my freakin house where I barely get one bar of ATT if I stand by the window and drop calls like crazy, for some reason I get 3-4 bars with Tmobile. But most of that benefit is moot IMO because even with good reception the data is usually only Edge if I'm inside a building.