johnr: Sounds like you still don't need Sure Signal

Geektastic:

sbiddle:

Geektastic:
As a non-comms person, logic suggests that 5 bars always ought to be better than 3 or 4.....

Yes and no.

In the GSM world yes, but in the 3G or LTE world the "number of bars" isn't quite the same as the GSM (or old AMPS/DAMPS) days where it was purely measuring the RSSI.

In the 3G and LTE world calculating signal is very different, and the "number of bars" isn't necessarily just representing RSSI but factoring in lots of other network variables. Having 3 or 4 bars isn't always going to mean your call quality or data performance will be any worse than having 5 bars.

Maybe better to move to a simple traffic light display then?

Green - good signal

Amber - may be patchy

Red - likely to be bad

sbiddle:

Geektastic:

sbiddle:

Geektastic:
As a non-comms person, logic suggests that 5 bars always ought to be better than 3 or 4.....

Yes and no.

In the GSM world yes, but in the 3G or LTE world the "number of bars" isn't quite the same as the GSM (or old AMPS/DAMPS) days where it was purely measuring the RSSI.

In the 3G and LTE world calculating signal is very different, and the "number of bars" isn't necessarily just representing RSSI but factoring in lots of other network variables. Having 3 or 4 bars isn't always going to mean your call quality or data performance will be any worse than having 5 bars.

Maybe better to move to a simple traffic light display then?

Green - good signal

Amber - may be patchy

Red - likely to be bad

A traffic light display with 3 colours would be no different to signal bars.

If you wanted to move to colours it just needs a green and a red, because you either have signal and it works, or you have no signal and it doesn't work.

Geektastic:

coffeebaron: What are your xDSL line stats? Do you have a master filter installed?

DSL synchronization status:  Up Connection status:  Showtime Upstream line rate (kbit/s):  3024 Downstream line rate (kbit/s):  28671 Maximum upstream rate (kbit/s):  2872 Maximum downstream rate (kbit/s):  27664 Upstream noise safety coefficient (dB):  11.4 Downstream noise safety coefficient (dB):  11.6 Upstream interleave depth:  0 Downstream interleave depth:  0 Line standard:  VDSL Upstream line attenuation (dB):  0 Downstream line attenuation (dB):  0 Upstream output power (dBmV):  6.8 Downstream output power (dBmV):  13.5 Downstream interleave depth:  None DSL up time:  49 days 17 hours 2 minutes 47 seconds   

sidefx:

Geektastic:

coffeebaron: What are your xDSL line stats? Do you have a master filter installed?

DSL synchronization status:  Up Connection status:  Showtime Upstream line rate (kbit/s):  3024 Downstream line rate (kbit/s):  28671 Maximum upstream rate (kbit/s):  2872 Maximum downstream rate (kbit/s):  27664 Upstream noise safety coefficient (dB):  11.4 Downstream noise safety coefficient (dB):  11.6 Upstream interleave depth:  0 Downstream interleave depth:  0 Line standard:  VDSL Upstream line attenuation (dB):  0 Downstream line attenuation (dB):  0 Upstream output power (dBmV):  6.8 Downstream output power (dBmV):  13.5 Downstream interleave depth:  None DSL up time:  49 days 17 hours 2 minutes 47 seconds   

Sorry a bit OT, but It might be worth seeing if you can borrow a modem that correctly reports attenuation from someone around here?  Your upstream sync seems very low for VDSL, but your modem reporting 0 for both attenuation doesn't seem right either.

sidefx:

Geektastic:

coffeebaron: What are your xDSL line stats? Do you have a master filter installed?

DSL synchronization status:  Up Connection status:  Showtime Upstream line rate (kbit/s):  3024 Downstream line rate (kbit/s):  28671 Maximum upstream rate (kbit/s):  2872 Maximum downstream rate (kbit/s):  27664 Upstream noise safety coefficient (dB):  11.4 Downstream noise safety coefficient (dB):  11.6 Upstream interleave depth:  0 Downstream interleave depth:  0 Line standard:  VDSL Upstream line attenuation (dB):  0 Downstream line attenuation (dB):  0 Upstream output power (dBmV):  6.8 Downstream output power (dBmV):  13.5 Downstream interleave depth:  None DSL up time:  49 days 17 hours 2 minutes 47 seconds   

Sorry a bit OT, but It might be worth seeing if you can borrow a modem that correctly reports attenuation from someone around here?  Your upstream sync seems very low for VDSL, but your modem reporting 0 for both attenuation doesn't seem right either.

johnr: Sounds like you still don't need Sure Signal

gzt:

johnr: Sounds like you still don't need Sure Signal

Unless your local cell node stops delivering data services ; ).

Geektastic:

gzt:

johnr: Sounds like you still don't need Sure Signal

Unless your local cell node stops delivering data services ; ).

Is that likely?

Demeter:

Geektastic: It sounds very similar to a call where one or more callers is in a poor signal area - we even tried it with both phones using the SS and it was still bad.

Have you checked if our mobile coverage has by any chance been upgraded in your area recently? The device might not even be needed at all anymore, and may in fact cause handover issues if your coverage is now okay.  The number of faults that cross my desk for SS issues because coverage has been upgraded is mind boggling.

froob: Yes unfortunately my phone seems to be a little too eager to switch from the SS to a cell site, even if the signal isn't really good enough to support a call. I noticed a lot more dropped SS calls when the coverage in our area improved in the last year or so... combined with me getting a new cell with better reception, which wouldn't have helped. Probably not the easiest thing to explain to your average punter - the coverage in your area has improved, meaning your calls are now worse.

Demeter:

froob: Yes unfortunately my phone seems to be a little too eager to switch from the SS to a cell site, even if the signal isn't really good enough to support a call. I noticed a lot more dropped SS calls when the coverage in our area improved in the last year or so... combined with me getting a new cell with better reception, which wouldn't have helped. Probably not the easiest thing to explain to your average punter - the coverage in your area has improved, meaning your calls are now worse.

The Sure Signal will try to hand over an active call to a mobile tower when one is within range. The trouble is that the tower doesn't have the Sure Signal on it's network map of available nodes so when it looks for an avilable node to pass the call to it can't 'hand it back' to the Sure Signal - result: dropped call. As mentioned earlier in the thread, theoretically you should be able to use your phone just fine with just a couple of bars. I would strongly recommend turning the SS off for a few days to gauge if you really still need it.

With it being a mobile phone, it sounds counterproductive I know, but walking around or moving through a building with a call active rarely results in the best call experience. Your best bet would be to stay in one spot if you can when you're on a call. This way the SS won't just randomly hand over when you move through the house.

Geektastic: Still off and still no issues, so I guess that can stay off now!

Cell signal varies from 2 to 4 in the house.