Fyi - Gingerbread 2.3.4 / build 2.11.605.3 pulled back

[KeifR]

Phone state: As the subject line suggests, I am currently running the Gingerbread 2.3.4 build 2.11.605.3 posted on the various forums.

I just spoke with a VZW tier 2 tech support person about my data connection totally dropping periodically post-update.  She said that this update has been pulled back and they are overnighting me a new phone.  Said that the new phone will not have the update, nor get the OTA update until they finish working on it some more and re-release.  She was unsure about any particular build number to keep an eye out for.

For reference, I'm in Houston.

[Wildman]

There is a number of post already about this, the update was pulled about a day or two after the original release.  The update was pulled because of the voice mail notification bug where the notification did not work.

As for the data connection completely dropping, there has been netwotk issues with this happening and the update was not the nature of the issue, i really think you are wasting your time with getting the replacement device.  Try hard resetting the device before recieving the new device..

[KeifR]

Did hard-reset, no change.  I looked through a few threads to see if had been pulled back, but didn't see much of anything about it.  Sorry for the duplicate thread.

[patt3332]

Hi KeifR,

I started having the same problem right after the Gingerbread update, but starting Sunday, my connection improved a lot and it's now better than it was before the update. I don't think I've lost my 4G connection at work since Sunday and that's where I had the biggest problem. I'm inclined to agree with Wildman that it's probably a network problem and not the 8 to 10 restarts I did over about a 2 1/2 day period. My phone was exhibiting a few other odd behaviors after the update, but has since pretty much straightened out and is working great except for the voice mail notification.

I'm sure you'll check out the replacement very well when you get it and if it's possible to compare the data connection between the two phones, I'll be interested in hearing if there is any difference.

Good luck and keep us informed

[KeifR]

In another thread ("Thunderbolt drops 4G off and on"), ChristinaB_VZW suggested switching from using eHRPD to just regular Rev A.  I assume that the implication will be hopping to different IPs when you move between 3G and 4G networks instead of maintaining a single IP -- and thus getting network errors at in apps as a result.  Thoughts?

Anyone know if much of the eHRPD functionality is implemented on the phone itself, or whether it is mostly somewhere from the tower back?  If on the phone itself, then maybe the radio/sw update could have had an impact, and going back to the original setup will indeed help.  (hoping so!)

[Wildman]

eHRPD setting is present in the programming menu but I do not see any option to edit its settings without the programming password, can you share the link so I can investigate a bit further?

[patt3332]

I just thought I'd mention that I made the change Christina suggested and posted that I thought it did improve my 4G connection. The operative word being "thought", since to me, it's difficult to gauge something like that if there isn't a fairly significant change. I didn't sit up all night and count the number of times it dropped out before and after the change, so it was purely subjective. Others tried it and thought it did nothing to help. I have the Gingerbread update and just checked the modem settings and it is set at Rev. A by default.

[Wildman]

---

patt3332 wrote:

I just thought I'd mention that I made the change Christina suggested and posted that I thought it did improve my 4G connection. The operative word being "thought", since to me, it's difficult to gauge something like that if there isn't a fairly significant change. I didn't sit up all night and count the number of times it dropped out before and after the change, so it was purely subjective. Others tried it and thought it did nothing to help. I have the Gingerbread update and just checked the modem settings and it is set at Rev. A by default.

---

I am planning to allow it to run through the SDK all night and investigate the system log to verify any change, I do not plan to judge strickly by a feeling that it helps are not, this is more reliable data because any issues or errors will be noted during the test and I will know how helpful this is...  

Thanks for the feedback, may I ask are you running the latest 2.3.4 build update or the stock MR2 still?

[patt3332]

I have the recent Gingerbread update, 2.3.4. I downloaded it before it got pulled.

The lack of precision was why I qualified that statement the way I did. I know that having a feeling, or impression that something has or has not improved isn't very scientific. It may just be the difference between having a positive or negative attitude toward something to start with. In the case of the 2.3.4 update, my data connection dropped to almost no connection at all for about two days, then suddenly changed to being constantly on for the last 5-6 days. That is an obvious and significant change that was most likely the result of an improved network connection and probably had  nothing to do with the phone itself. Probably. I'm old enough not to make absoulute, positive statements about things I'm not certain of, or that I don't understand very well and Android qualifies as one of those things.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the SDK? Does that stand for Software Development Kit? I'm not a developer, just a googler, so although I am totally clueless, I'm also curious and like to learn and know what these things mean. Are you in a position to be able to test/compare two different phones, one with the MR2 update and one with the latest 2.3.4 Gingerbread update?

Thanks

[Wildman]

Please do not misread my statement, I meant no disrespect...  In most cases first impression are very accurate but I perfer to look at it in a deeper level.

A simple way to explain SDK (Software Development Kit) is that it is a tool that developer use to access and modify system configuration and data.

When a developer is developing a application this application is released from original OS developer that allows 3rd party software developers to monitor the load and access time that files takes to communicate the the API and other resources so the app can be modified to optimize the software for best performance.

Now as for being able to test a MR2 version and the latest build it can be done if I had access to a device with MR2 still installed but Im on the latest update already but I could load a stock image into emulator and test the change through the emulator but this isnt a real life situation and can make the test unreliable at some level.

[patt3332]

No problem, that wasn't the way I took it. I just thought maybe you had misunderstood what I said originally.

Thanks for the explanation. I thought that was what you were doing, but like I said, I'm not a developer. I do enjoy learning however and after 3 years of iPhone predictability, Android is definitely providing an opportunity to learn.

[Wildman]

---

patt3332 wrote:

No problem, that wasn't the way I took it. I just thought maybe you had misunderstood what I said originally.

Thanks for the explanation. I thought that was what you were doing, but like I said, I'm not a developer. I do enjoy learning however and after 3 years of iPhone predictability, Android is definitely providing an opportunity to learn.

---

I understand....   Well I can say that at this moment the results looks promising but I think I realize why this setting wasn't used as a default for the device, it does show a increase in bandwidth signal and holds a more stable lock on the towers BUT it effects the battery and processor access time that shorting the battery life even more than the stock settings...

Since I tested on a already modified device (Apps , customizing and personal tweaks) I have decided to wipe the device back to stock and then try the test again to verify it simply isn't a stray app tainting the outcome..

I will update finding later but at the moment I have noticed improved web access and so far no more data connection fluctuations.

[Wildman]

Well hear is the latest on the setting, it does work to help with data connection but the original battery drain issue was still there and noticeable and also it makes the signal strength act a bit erratic but I checked a few new devices and it appears that this has been refined in other devices and now is the stock configuration.

The HTC Rhyme has the Rev A enabled, eHEPD disabled and a few new setting changes has been added to optimize the data connection and I hope they will revised other HTC devices for this option to be used...

KeifR dropped you a Kudo for pointing this out because I never experimented with this option...   Helpful info, thanks.. 

[PJNC284]

The Rhyme is a 3g only phone and only uses Rev A.  eHRPD is verizon's transitional network to lte so only lte devices are using it.  This is why we also lose 3g whenever there are lte network related issues.  Switching to Rev-A  will bring back 3g.

[KeifR]

Well, the new phone came in running 1.70.605.0, it has Rev. A set to eHRPD, as expected.  While it does drop data briefly, it's only very briefly and is clearly when hopping between 3G and 4G -- it's nowhere near as long as on 2.11.605.3, and doesn't just go into never never land.

Prior to 2.11.605.3, I had updated to - if I recall correctly - maybe 2.11.605.0 and had no noticeable issues with the dropping signal.  I just did the 2.11.605.3 update because it fixed the camera crash issue present in 2.11.605.0 (where you have to set the date manually back to 8/1/2011 briefly to get the camera to work).  However, the 2.11.605.3 introduced the dropping signal and no front-facing camera in GTalk.  The camera/date thing was tolerable and the 2.11.605.0 build was otherwise great.

[KeifR]

---

KeifR wrote:

Well, the new phone came in running 1.70.605.0, it has Rev. A set to eHRPD, as expected.  While it does drop data briefly, it's only very briefly and is clearly when hopping between 3G and 4G -- it's nowhere near as long as on 2.11.605.3, and doesn't just go into never never land.

Prior to 2.11.605.3, I had updated to - if I recall correctly - maybe 2.11.605.0 and had no noticeable issues with the dropping signal.  I just did the 2.11.605.3 update because it fixed the camera crash issue present in 2.11.605.0 (where you have to set the date manually back to 8/1/2011 briefly to get the camera to work).  However, the 2.11.605.3 introduced the dropping signal and no front-facing camera in GTalk.  The camera/date thing was tolerable and the 2.11.605.0 build was otherwise great.

---

That being said, does anyone know when the radio update came in?  Was there one included with the 2.11.605.0 build, or just one of the more recent builds?

[Wildman]

Lately all of the recent builds used a updated radio but the only issue is that unless you liberate your device you can not pick which radio you want to install because the radio is bundled with the ruu and cant be installed separately under a stock device status.

[Wildman]

---

PJNC284 wrote:

The Rhyme is a 3g only phone and only uses Rev A.  eHRPD is verizon's transitional network to lte so only lte devices are using it.  This is why we also lose 3g whenever there are lte network related issues.  Switching to Rev-A  will bring back 3g.

---

Yes I got that but the statement was to point out that you recieve a more stable data connection on Rev A like the CS originally reported, this helps with a 4G device as well and does not effect the 4G reception.

EHRPD represents Evolved High Rate Packet Data and actually isnt dedicated to Verizon network, this usually handles all large data packets to a mobile data connection, the LTE and WiMax network uses this configuration to assist a stable transfer of data packets, once KC gets 4G it may be worth checking to set this option back to eHRDP but until then the Rev A option is stable.  Also after looking through the Rhyme setting files the eHRPD is present in the programming but disabled.

[Ann154]

@wildman
I sent you a PM with the password. Although it is posted on this forum buried in the LTEpocalypse threads.

[Wildman]

Thank You Ann... Ill have to investigate into it more..

[ChristinaB_VZW]

Hello KiefR! 

I would be concerned as well if my device lost it's data connection. I assure you that this issue has been lifted up to HTC for a fix. In the meantime, I have a work-around for you that I have had much success with. Please follow the steps below, especially if you are still experiencing this issue. 

Dial ##778

Call

Hit edit

Enter 000000

Choose modem settings

Choose Rev A and change to enable

Press commit

Please post back and let us know how this works for you. 

Thank you!