Issues with 2Degrees Reception

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Issues with 2Degrees Reception

carti003

11 posts

Geek

#133947 8-Nov-2013 20:50

My wife and I are both on 2 degrees and over the last 10 days have been having issues with reception (never used to have problems) in Palmerston North in certain locations. We are using an S3 and S4. Anyone else having any issues or know of any network problems as very annoying

charsleysa

597 posts

Ultimate Geek

#929813 9-Nov-2013 01:23

Yea I've been having issues in certain areas of Palmy for a while, mainly near the edges of town like the river.

Regards
Stefan Andres Charsley

2degreesCare

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#931426 12-Nov-2013 13:46

Hi guys
Sorry to hear you've had coverage issues in Palmy North.

Please ping me the following details after checking you have Network search and selection on 'Auto', GSM/WCDMS, Data roaming turned on and APN set to 'Internet' -

* Your number
* Your phone make/model
* Exact location you're having issues (street name, number if poss)
* Does it happen when you're outside PM or just certain areas?
* Have you tried the SIM in another device and did the signal change?
* Do you know other 2degrees customers affected, if so do you have their numbers?
* When did it start happening exactly?

I'm sure you're both clued up on the settings but there's things we need to double check.

Cheers
^POB

Graymond

145 posts

Master Geek

#1024429 13-Apr-2014 17:01

I have been with 2Degrees for a number of years now and have been very pleased with the improving service that they offer.
But I do have a query regards reception, we travel around NZ, mostly SI in our mobile home and on a number of times we find that sigs are just showing on my Nexus4 phone, however when I do a provider check I have on occasions found 2, 2Degrees listed selecting one of these will give me almost full strength, why, is this because the phone is receiving signals from 2 cell sites and if so how do I tell the phone to only select the stronger signal ?? or is there another reason ?
Another query, are 2Degrees still using Vodafone cell sites ??

Many Thanks,
Ray

Reon

69 posts

Master Geek

#1024551 13-Apr-2014 21:35

I think the 2 you're seeing are just 2G and 3G and generally the 2G has better coverage so shows more bars.

Typically your phone should be set to use 3G as preferred and drop to 2G if 3G isn't available.

Graymond

145 posts

Master Geek

#1024597 13-Apr-2014 22:09

Reon, I do believe you are correct, phone is set for 3G, being the latest technology I'm surprised that the service has not been improved rather than having to drop down to 2G in some areas. If the phone receives a very weak 3G ie R signal and no bars, it stays on 3G even though there is a full strength 2G signal available, is this the correct way that it should behave, can the phone be programed to change at a lower signal level rather than a no signal.

tritex

189 posts

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#1024871 14-Apr-2014 13:09

Another query, are 2Degrees still using Vodafone cell sites ??

Yes they do use Vodafone cell sites for roaming still. A lot of sparsely populated rural areas still don't have 2degrees towers. But most towns seem to have them now.

2degreesCare

1537 posts

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2degrees

#1024970 14-Apr-2014 16:04

Graymond: Reon, I do believe you are correct, phone is set for 3G, being the latest technology I'm surprised that the service has not been improved rather than having to drop down to 2G in some areas. If the phone receives a very weak 3G ie R signal and no bars, it stays on 3G even though there is a full strength 2G signal available, is this the correct way that it should behave, can the phone be programed to change at a lower signal level rather than a no signal.

Hi Graymond, It sounds like you may have your Nexus 4 set to specific connection settings.

If you ensure your Network Operator is set to Auto, Network mode is set to GSM/WCDMA Preferred, Data Roaming is enabled, and the APN settings are correct, you shouldn't run into any problems. You'll find the correct APN settings here: Android Settings This way, it will automatically pick up the strongest signal as a preference (3G).
If you are outside of the 2degrees zone, it will then start roaming (you'll notice the R on your screen).

A mobile phone only uses the signal from one cell-site at a time, but will swap frequently and fluently between them if you have the above settings.

If you still have speed issues, it may be possible your phone is not allowing the correct frequency; did you get your Nexus 4 from 2degrees or another provider?

Cheers
^AB

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Graymond

145 posts

Master Geek

#1025102 14-Apr-2014 20:27

Thanks all for the info, found some of the phone settings were not set as per the Android settings, running Android Version 4.4.2 which didn't quite match up with the 2Degres Android settings but got it sussed out, yes a 2Degrees phone from Noel Lemmings.
Thanks to all and to freitasm for reopening the thread...

Ray

PhantomNVD

2619 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1025697 15-Apr-2014 16:50

Interestingly I have a similar problem on my iPhone4, except to resolve a signal in my (weak) home I need to turn carrier selection OFF auto and specifically select Vodafone instead?

jcddcjjcd

63 posts

Master Geek

#1036721 5-May-2014 08:05

I have a similar issue in North Taranaki. It seems that 2degrees is reluctant to switch over to a stronger vodafone tower when it's signal is marginal. If I manually select vodafone for the duration of my stay there I have better results. I always set the selection back to auto as soom as I can to support 2degrees as I guess they are paying vodafone roaming charges while I am connected to vodafone. I wonder if vodafone also roma on 2degrees?

coffeebaron

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#1036723 5-May-2014 08:19

jcddcjjcd: I wonder if vodafone also roma on 2degrees?

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SteveON

1916 posts

Uber Geek

#1036728 5-May-2014 08:39

jcddcjjcd: I have a similar issue in North Taranaki. It seems that 2degrees is reluctant to switch over to a stronger vodafone tower when it's signal is marginal. If I manually select vodafone for the duration of my stay there I have better results. I always set the selection back to auto as soom as I can to support 2degrees as I guess they are paying vodafone roaming charges while I am connected to vodafone. I wonder if vodafone also roma on 2degrees?

2Degrees will always prioritize their own network over vodafone, this would be why you are receiving so many complaints like yours.

rayonline

1734 posts

Uber Geek

#1036798 5-May-2014 10:15

Just my own 2c.

In 2010, I went skiing. Just around the large carpark in Whakapapa Village (edit - also in Turangi where I stayed). I couldn't make a phonecall I had a Nokia E75 I think then. A much older 6230 worked with my Vodafone SIM. 4 or 5 bars I recalled. I also had issues in Kuala Lumpur but it was fine in Bangkok and Singapore. It would connect if you restarted the phone or manually scan but after a moment it just loses the connection. But there isn't much you can do as a visitor. By the time you get a reply from the company (any of the 4) you may have departed already. As a visitor we might have no internet / landline. Other than borrowing it from the motel owner ... If I am oveseas it's making a international call back to NZ but again what can they do over the telephone and maybe be put on hold for some time and let the clock tick.

I just carry more than one SIM / device now. I suppose for me, the handshaking of roaming isn't that smooth. However from 2010 and 2012 when I went skiing again the issues weren't there. A difficult one.

2degreesCare

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#1037084 5-May-2014 15:31

rayonline: Just my own 2c.

In 2010, I went skiing. Just around the large carpark in Whakapapa Village (edit - also in Turangi where I stayed). I couldn't make a phonecall I had a Nokia E75 I think then. A much older 6230 worked with my Vodafone SIM. 4 or 5 bars I recalled. However from 2010 and 2012 when I went skiing again the issues weren't there. A difficult one.

Can't say what the issue was back in 2010-2012, you should have had a signal on our roaming network. I went there a few weeks ago and can say hand on heart I didn't have any issues, even right to the top where I took and uploaded this pic -

As you can see I'm no David Bailey! ;0)

^POB

eXDee

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#1041807 11-May-2014 18:48

Question on reception, is it normal to lose signal a couple of times on the road south from Auckland? Nexus 5. Can't remember location, maybe just before taupiri was one. I know it dropped at least once in both directions. Definitely hopped between 2d and Vodafone a bit along that road.