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iPhone Jailbroken iPhone 3GS to use overseas sim -> awful signal!

E

euanmarshall

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 16, 2012
7
0
Hello all, this is my first post here. I have searched this forum for similar problems but couldn't find anything that really applies to my particular issue.

Situation is this:

I own a UK iPhone 3GS (was locked to Orange at time of purchase), and I have since moved to São Paulo, Brazil. My Orange sim card worked fine here, but the overseas charges meant that I had to go about getting a Brazilian SIM.

I then Jailbroke my iphone and successfully unlocked it, able to use my new Brazilian SIM, however my network reception is so weak, at home I can't get any coverage whatsoever.

I don't think it is just the reception in our area, as my wife has a 3GS bought in Brazil and is on the same network as myself, I can put our 3GS's side by side on the kitchen table, hers will have full reception, mine will display No Service.

However, when I am in the centre of São Paulo, my reception is reasonable and can use my phone with minimal problems.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to what this may be. My phone is running an untethered jb on iOS 5.1.1 with the iPad baseband (06.15.00). If I need to provide any other info please let me know.

Thanks!

EDIT- Also, none of my location services are working, even with stable Wi-Fi connection. Although I believe this is a known problem. Any way to fix it?
 
Last edited:
I have done as you suggested and successfully downgraded to the 05.13.04 BB, however the problem still persists. My reception is very poor and my GPS services are still not working! Any idea where I'm going wrong here?
 
Doesn't change anything. I put my wife's SIM in, no reception, no GPS functionality.

Meanwhile I put my SIM into my wife's phone, worked perfectly, good network coverage and location services working fine.
 
I appreciate TriJetHero's help in suggesting a few things to try, however I'm still getting the same problem.

I have downgraded the BB to 5.13.04, but my reception is still awful outside of the centre of São Paulo. In addition, the location services don't work altogether.

Anyone have any other ideas/suggestions? I have a friend in São Paulo who is also a British ex-pat, and he has a UK-bought 3G which is unlocked and gets good reception, whereas my unlocked UK-bought 3GS is having terrible problems.
 
euanmarshall said:
Doesn't change anything. I put my wife's SIM in, no reception, no GPS functionality.

Meanwhile I put my SIM into my wife's phone, worked perfectly, good network coverage and location services working fine.
Click to expand...

If changing the sim makes a difference and both sims are from the same carrier, you must have a damaged sim.

If they are from different carriers, you are comparing apples to oranges.
 
dhlizard said:
If changing the sim makes a difference and both sims are from the same carrier, you must have a damaged sim.

If they are from different carriers, you are comparing apples to oranges.
Click to expand...

No, changing the sim isn't making a difference. Neither my sim nor my wife's (same carrier) are working on my jailbroken UK- bought 3GS, while both sims work perfectly on my wife's Brazil-bought 3GS.
 
Will give that a bash, thanks for your help.

And the GPS services? I had read about people having this problem on 3GSs, but then I heard that the new version of redsn0w had fixed the problem. Again, I'm using the newest version, and after all jailbreaks, restores, reflashing of basebands I've done with it, I still can't get GPS working, even with a solid WiFi connection.
 
euanmarshall said:
Will give that a bash, thanks for your help.

And the GPS services? I had read about people having this problem on 3GSs, but then I heard that the new version of redsn0w had fixed the problem. Again, I'm using the newest version, and after all jailbreaks, restores, reflashing of basebands I've done with it, I still can't get GPS working, even with a solid WiFi connection.
Click to expand...

You don't have Location Services because you didn't use sn0wbreeze to create a custom firmware or you didn't hacktivate with redsn0w(you had official SIM inside after you ran redsn0w).

Your signal doesn't work because the #7 antenna connector in the lower right when you pull off the screen came out. You'll always get 2-3 less bars when you don't plug this in. Find a #00 Philps screwdriver and suction cup(included in all screen repair kits). Remove the two screens near the charging port. Then use the suction cup to pry up the screen from the bottom. Undo the #1 and #2 plugs at the top right for the screen. Lift the #3 tab and slide out the #3 flex cable. Use precision to gently plug in the #7 flex. Don't force it in. Then carefully reattach the screen. If it so happens that the #7 isn't unplugged, you might need to change the flex or are screwed if that fails.
 
LandonDonovan said:
You don't have Location Services because you didn't use sn0wbreeze to create a custom firmware or you didn't hacktivate with redsn0w(you had official SIM inside after you ran redsn0w).

Your signal doesn't work because the #7 antenna connector in the lower right when you pull off the screen came out. You'll always get 2-3 less bars when you don't plug this in. Find a #00 Philps screwdriver and suction cup(included in all screen repair kits). Remove the two screens near the charging port. Then use the suction cup to pry up the screen from the bottom. Undo the #1 and #2 plugs at the top right for the screen. Lift the #3 tab and slide out the #3 flex cable. Use precision to gently plug in the #7 flex. Don't force it in. Then carefully reattach the screen. If it so happens that the #7 isn't unplugged, you might need to change the flex or are screwed if that fails.
Click to expand...


Activating with redsn0w or official sim doesn't make a difference and does not effect location sevices, it might effect push,kind of strange advice, he didn't say it was openend up.
 
TriJetHero said:
Activating with redsn0w or official sim doesn't make a difference and does not effect location sevices, it might effect push,kind of strange advice, he didn't say it was openend up.
Click to expand...

This has specifically to do with the iPad BB and normal activation. Sorry, I forgot to clear that up. It wasn't patched with redsn0w as of 0.9.12b2. Yes, it wasn't opened up but he lost the antenna connection.
 
LandonDonovan, you are an absolute genius.

Phone had never been opened up before, but I decided to take a look and lo and behold, connector #7 was eeeeeever so slightly loose. I nudged it into place, fired up the phone, full signal and GPS services working.

Phone working perfectly now. I am now a diehard US and Galaxy fan in your honour.

TriJetHero and dhlizard, big thanks to you guys as well for your help!
 
Your Location Services started working because of that? That's just the cellular antenna. You should have been able to pick up your general location with either a WiFi or a weak antenna connection.
 
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