Charge inability to connect to the 3G network

[vidguy7]

Well, let's try this again.  It appears my first post was removed for some reason.

There is a serious issue with the Samsung Charge that affects either handoff from 4G to 3G network connections or simply being on a 3G connection from the start.  When you try to access a website, connect to your email or do anything data intensive, you get a prompt that says "Network connectivity problem".  In other words you get ZERO connection to the 3G data network.

Now I love the speeds of 4G, but if 3G is unusable with the Charge, and thus far it is, then this is simply a 'no go' situation for most people.  The problem either resides in the network not properly communicating with the Charge or a more serious issue with the phone itself.

I should note that Verizon already exchanged my first Charge for a 2nd one and I am having precisely the same issues.  Additionally, my wife can be sitting across me from the table with her Verizon IPhone and have no issues on any website while at  precisely same time I get the "Network connectivity problem". Even rebooting the phone, pressing 'airplane mode' on and off does absolutely nothing for this issue.

I have a few more days with this and then I'll be forced to return it for a 3G only phone.  This is just not a workable situation at this point.  I would love to hear from Verizon on this.  Tech support did not know what was going on.

[#2]

Sounds like the Verizon 4G network is still not working properly. I love Verizon, but their implementation of 4G has been a fiasco. I would not purchase a 4G device until this is resolved.

[ballanda]

I am in the same boat.  In a 3G only area.  I have the phone in CDMA-Only mode and it STILL cannot maintain a 3G data connection.  Exchanged it twice!  I really like this phone but data connectivity is killing me!  Verizon / Samsung: FIX THIS!

[vidguy7]

I really think Verizon needs to fully understand how widespread this issue is.  It's beginning to seem it's not just isolated to the N.Y. area.  This seems to be endemic to the 4G phones that drop to 3G connections in many areas.  My visit to the Verizon store today in Lake Grove proved that to me. I couldn't get out on 3G connections with the Thunder Bolt or the new 4G LG either.

I never thought this would be an issue with 4G.  I expected limited coverage, but I never expected zero connectivity that often occurs on 3G.  As you said, this needs to be fixed.

What scares me is that when you call tech support, it's as if it's the first time they've heard it.  Even going to the Verizon store they claimed they hadn't heard it before.  The irony is that when I first got to the store, my phone was getting 3G data.  So I switched it to "CDMA only" and then back to LTE.  That induced the problem once again and I handed it to the tech people and said "try to get to a website, ANY website".  They couldn't.

Not good.

[ballanda]

Vidguy, thanks for keping up the fight.  We need to make this issue known.   I am planning on making a visit to my store in Eatontown, NJ today.... which is just out of 4G land.  Honestly I dont care about 4G speed, I just really like the new phones.... and when Verizon rolls out teired pricing this summer, 4g will become unaffordable anyway.  3G-only needs to work, especially if VZW is going to soon be providing financial disincentives to use 4G!

[ballanda]

Still happening

[vidguy7]

Sure is ballanda.  I sincerely hope this isn't falling on deaf ears.  From this forum and others, many people are having this issue and I've seen it from posters in 3 states thus far:  Florida, N.Y. & Texas.  I'm sure it's happening in other areas too.

I was on with tech support again yesterday telling them this is really a bad issue.  They say they're still researching it.  I'd be more than happy to meet with one of their techs in my area so that I can clearly demonstrate the problem.  They had sent someone to my area and reported no problem, BUT, they were on the street with a fairly solid 4G connection, so that proves absolutely nothing.

I could go in to a solid 4G area and demonstarte the issue by simply switching the phone from 4G to 3G only and then back again.  Once it goes back to looking for 4G, the data on 3G is gone as it searches for a 4G signal.  Likewise, just switching it to 3G in a 4G area will also shut off the data.

Now this may just occur in the areas affected (assuming it's a tower issue and not a phone issue).  But I can tell you that at the Verizon store in Lake Grove, Long Island, I couldn't get to a website from either the Charge, TB, or the new LG.  They were pretty shocked at the store to see that.

[vidguy7]

Well a hopeful development.  I dropped in to 3G this afternoon and had a solid connection!  If this continues, I'm golden and I'm sure many others will be relieved.  On the other side of the equation, I haven't gotten a 4G connection since the good 3G.  So I'm wondering if they're working on it.

[vidguy7]

4G returned and at one point I dropped back to 3G in the house and STILL maintained the data connection!!!  So I'm really hoping they're working on it and it's correcting the issues.

[#10]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.  There is a couple things that I want everyone to test to ensure your data connections are correct.

1) Go to settings> wireless & networks> mobile networks (at the bottom)> make sure use packet data is checked> data

    roaming is checked (no roaming charges in the United States)>  and if you are in a 3G only area, change it to CDMA

    mode.

2) Once these settings are correct, we need to know if it happens everywhere.  If it happens everywhere, it's the device for    

    sure.  If it only happens in particular areas, we may need to have you reach out to tech support (direct number 866-892-

    7957) and open up a trouble ticket for the area.  

3) If you have confirmed that it happens everywhere, I would try a factory reset to rule out any software having an adverse

    impact on the phone and redo step 1. If 1, 2, and 3 fail, please PM me with the following info:

a) IMEI/MEID found under settings> about phone> status:

b) PRL # found under settings> about phone> status:

c) Build Number found under settings> about phone:

d) Firmware version found under settings> about phone:

e) Number of occurrences (can estimate)

f)  Any elaboration besides poor 3G connections

g) Confirm you have tried steps 1, 2, and 3.  Note: If you have not tried all 3 troubleshooting steps, I can't file a

     product issue complaint on your behalf.

h) Address where it occurs the most (where you mainly use the phone). If unknown, any address you have used it

    in the past.

This is how we get issues escalated for a fix: A whole bunch of product issue forms filed.  They must be done correctly though. Please send it to me in the following format to streamline things: 

a)

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

g)

h)

[vidguy7]

Mike, first a sincere thanks for any & all efforts on your and Verizon's part in trying to solve this very frustrating problem. My settings are and have been correct per your email.  But something has definitely changed in my area (N.Y./Plainview) today that is giving me trouble-free service for the first time when in 3G coverage.  When my phone switches from 4G to 3G, the data continues uninterrupted and I am no longer getting the "Data Connectivity Error".

Can you confirm that something was done in this area (towers etc.) that would have brought me from a no-data issue on 3G to having no problems at this point?  It seems to me that's as important as determining the settings on our phones since I changed nothing on my phone since this issue arose.

Thanks again for your attention on this.

[ballanda]

Seems better for me too, since I started using PUSH email to maintain (or try to maintain) a constant data connection.  Still not great.  I had 3G drop once yesterday in my house which only has 1 bar of coverage.  With 2+ bars, it seems to be stabilizing.  I'll report back if I have more trouble.  Hopefully VZW did something.  Also, if you get a chance to put up some 4G towers in eastern Monmouth County, it would be greatly appreciated.  Not like we're in the sticks here

[vidguy7]

Ballanda, my connections continue to be great after yesterday's turnaround.  I'm really curious to hear from Verizon as to what they did to bring this about. I'm hoping we don't hear they did nothing and this was just a random turnaround.  That wouldn't be good either.

I do think we have to give credit where credit was due.  I called tech support, I went to the Verizon stores and demonstrated the problems and they all took notes.  They did take this seriously as it seriously impacted the perception of 4G.  Apparently they made the necessary changes and I can go back to heartily recommending both the Samsung Charge and Verizon's 4G network.

[vidguy7]

Here's a side benefit of my 3G signal returning, I'm getting much better battery life!  Perhaps not surprising if you think that the Charge probably was spending a good amount of energy just searching for a signal.

[e34m5]

I did what you said and it works fine, both ways. I'm in New Hampshire (03810).

[vidguy7]

Glad to hear it!  If we don't make our issues public, Verizon may havve no idea there are problems.

[ballanda]

My 3G connectivity stll is bad/nonexistent from time to time, and nowhere near as consistent as the Thunderbolt was in 3G-only areas.  I am still disappointed.  I am also insulted by the VZW moderator asking me to do a pile of peperwork just to formally submit this issue.  That's his job.  I didnt buy this highly touted phone just so I could do more paperwork.  Here's my issue report:

IT'S BROKEN - FIX IT!

[ballanda]

So far we can't even get VZW to acknowledge that there is a problem. All they did was give us an impossibly long homework assignment to diagnose the issue when they are the ones who should be testing this themselves. I'm keeping these 3G/4G threads going until sombody at VZW acknowledges that there is a problem and that they are working hard to diagnose and fix it themselves. It's not hard to reproduce.

[vidguy7]

The issue are actually very easy to relicate.  Very often problems are intermittent and hard to diagnose, but the fact that these issues are so easy to replicate should make it an easier process for VZW.

[Soulchaser]

ballanda,

It's not like he asked you to write a novel. He is only trying to give you the help you keep screaming for but dont feel that you need to do any work on your behalf to atleast try to fix it yourself. I can also assure you that not everyones phone problems are the same as yours, as to each phone is different. You can continue to kick and scream about the problem or take some initiative and follow the steps the vzw guy told you to do and see if that fixes it, if not move on to step 2 in his post and report the info accordingly in an effort to give them a chance to fix the problem before you go kindergarten mode on them.

[Soulchaser]

ballanda,

It's not like he asked you to write a novel. He is only trying to give you the help you keep screaming for but dont feel that you need to do any work on your behalf to atleast try to fix it yourself. I can also assure you that not everyones phone problems are the same as yours, as to each phone is different. You can continue to kick and scream about the problem or take some initiative and follow the steps the vzw guy told you to do and see if that fixes it, if not move on to step 2 in his post and report the info accordingly in an effort to give them a chance to fix the problem before you go kindergarten mode on them.