Network is Unknown wherever I go

HI all! I noticed recently that the call quality on my S3 isn't very good when I wander to the edge of coverage areas. During troubleshooting with VZW tech support, I noticed that Settings>About phone>Status>Network=Unknown. This setting remains set this way regardless of where I go and my signal strength. I've tried turning airplane mode on & off to "re-register" my phone when I've got excellent signal but it makes no difference. I've done an informal survey of about 30 Verizon customers with different devices and they're Network setting all says "Verizon Wireless", including my wife's Droid4 (and she gets much better call coverage/quality than I do). Any ideas? Tech support says it doesn't make a difference, but....FWIW, I am a former AllTel customer. I had to replace my S3 to "undo" the build 3 software update and that also didn't make any difference with this setting. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Accepted answers

budone

My Dinc, when it was active, it never showed Verizon Wireless in the header. It does now since it is no longer under an Alltel PRL

All comments

budone

Are you on an Alltel plan. Mine has said that forever

Verizon_Support

Thanks for your post MikeOHag. I know how important it is to have reliable service. As budone mentioned, this could possibly be related to the plan, but shouldn't be a deciding factor in the call quality. In your survey, did you check with other Galaxy S III users as well? If the problem is everywhere you use your phone, it may be an issue in the phone itself. Have you had the SIM card replaced? Did this issue start when you first got the phone or have you had the phone for awhile?

Marquia_VZW

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MikeOHag

I switched from a grand-fathered AllTel plan 2 weeks ago as instructed by tech support to possibly resolve the call quality issues, had the SIM card replaced, had the device replaced (to return to S3 software Build 1)...and no change. I upgraded to the S3 in Dec 2012 but never had any call issues until the Build 3 update hit my phone on June 1 and I just happened to notice the Network setting during troubleshooting.

I have checked with 2 other Galaxy S3 users and their phones both reflect "Verizon Wireless" as the Network. Neither user was ever an AllTel customer.

I have checked the S3 devices in 2 stores and they both show Verizon as the recognized network.

Tech Support has approved exchanging my S3 for a Droid RAZR HD. My wife has great cell service with her Droid 4 and I had great service with my DroidX before upgrading to 4G LTE.

I'm thinking I might want to get a new SIM card for the Droid RAZR HD instead of "poisoning" it with the SIM card from my S3. Thoughts?

MikeOHag

I was an AllTel customer more than 5 years ago before I switched to VZW and was operating on a grand-fathered AllTel plan up until 3 weeks ago when I switched to a standard Verizon plan.

I am almost convinced that being a former AllTel customer is the problem. With the shutdown/elimination of the AllTel infrastructure by Verizon, there has got to be some setting in our accounts that says "Go look for All Tel infrastructure first". That being the case, I do wonder if that's going to affect the priority given my cell service when my calls hit a Verizon tower, but that tower doesn't recognize me as a "Verizon customer" - of course, I do appear to get billed appropriately...;-)

Ann154

What is your PRL number?

MikeOHag

PRL is 14617

Verizon_Support

MikeOHag,

We need a VZW medic, stat! After all, we don't want you feeling like your device can get "poisoned" from the SIM you're using. Now, I'm ecstatic to learn you've gotten a replacement but please know you've got nothing to worry about with your current SIM as it seems to have been a device issue only.

Evan_VZW

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budone

What plan is listed when you look at your account online?

MikeOHag

My plan says "NATIONWIDE TALK & TXT 450". Where do I find the SID?

MikeOHag

Evan...I'm not convinced this is a device issue yet. Yes, the radio signal on the S3 might not be the greatest for users who are the edge of coverage areas, but as you can see from other comments in the thread, still having ties to AllTel reflected in my account may also be causing problems.

Is there a way you, Evan, can push a "Verizon" PRL to my device? I'm still using the S3. I believe a Verizon user should reflect a PRL of at least '15XXX'.