Signal Issues

[To-Octavia]

I am using a refurbished Note 3 provided by Verizon.   My signal is horrible.  I have contacted verizon twice.  The contact I was provided with a new SIM card.  This has not helped.  The second contact I was told I would be soon contacted by some sort of representative that would further assist me.  That has also has  not happened. 

I can barely keep a 4G signal.  It is constantly dropping out and to either no signal  or going into roam.  I work out of town on a constant basis and rely on my verizon devices.  They are turning out to be not very reliable.   I am paying for services I can barely get and am becoming very frustrated.   If anyone can point me in the right direction so I can solve this issue  or if I need to start looking for other options.  Thanks.

[stef7]

Yes, reception problems plaguing many Note3 owners based on the many threads and posts in those threads on this site.

Look under your battery for the build date of your device. If 2013, likely there is an incompatibility between the KK operating system, and the low level radio hardware and driver software on your device. People on another non-Verizon site got relief ONLY by asking for a replacement and getting another Note3, but with a 2014 build or refurbish date.

In general, your device is using the new XLTE band, and it is known not to have the same ability to penetrate buildings as the previous band used. Too bad you don't have a way to disable the new band. But if your device is a 2013 build, likely it's not working properly or at least optimally with the KK update that was pushed to everyone, and it probably wont unless Samsung issues a patch.

Regardless, likely you'll need a replacement phone. You won't be able to solve your issue with a new SIM card, or performing a factory data reset, or running your phone in SAFE mode.

It's fairly clear Verizon and Samsung are aware of the issue.

HTH.

[To-Octavia]

Thank you for your response.  I will check to see concerning the dates on the phone.   So i guess I'm just out of the money I've spent on my phone up to this point?  If it is the case that I need a new phone?

[stef7]

I really can't advise you on if you need another make/model device. I would if I were you read up on the topic. Research your build date. Then contact Samsung.

[MaXGTS]

I was considering the Note 3 to replace my aging Droid Razr Maxx.  Think I'll wait for the iPhone 6+ instead.

[vzw_customer_support]

To-Octavia,

We're sorry to hear about your signal issues on the Note 3.  We want to make sure we provide you with a resolution.  I see that we've completed a SIM card exchange which sometimes can help improve the signal strength.  Have you completed a hard reset?  http://vz.to/1nXttUN

Please test the device without any information on it after the hard reset.  If issue persists we can look into exchanging under the manufacturer's warranty. Thanks!


TrevorC_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[To-Octavia]

Thank you.  I am looking into giving this a try right now.

[Hachimitsu]

let me be honest with you, EVEN if you go to ask for a sim card exchange, you will be asked to put onto tech support, wait 3 to 4 hours tops and in the end your phone will supposedly be fixed, when you try again this time, it doesnt work!

In fact, I couldn't get my sim card fixed because the manager said, Ask tech support first!

After that, he just.. VANISHED and left because his job hours was over!

Don't ever feel upset that your alone with signal problems. My samsung galaxy note 3 has NO signal To little signal that i installed a Signal booster app and make believe it works!

Afterwards, i am still waiting for calls from Customer support saying they will send a technician to stop by at my house. NO one came!

*btw I have no GPS.. even if I walked outside, I still have NO GPS at all!... can someone give me a clue why?*

[stef7]

Yes. You have a defective phone. Get then to swap it out for a unit that has a build our refurbish date of 2014.

[To-Octavia]

stef7 

I do indeed have the refurbished phone.   I haven't yet been out of town since I hard reset. My phone doesn't get good reception here at home and mainly stays in WIFI.

When I do get out where I will be using my phone regularly should I expect a better reception after the Hard Reset?

Hachimitsu

I have not had the same issues.   That sounds terrible for you.  I hope you solve you problem.   Maybe its as Stef says , you need to get a new refurbished phone.

[stef7]

If you look under the battery, what build and refurbish dates do you have?

It's possible you need another replacement.

Look, neither Samsung nor Verizon are being forthcoming with information on this, but it looks like early build devices have either low level hardware or software issues that aren't working well with kit Kat... people on another site (we aren't allowed to post a link to it, because people there also discuss modding their devices) got improved reception when they swapped out their phones for recent build/refurbish date devices.

[japetty]

This is exactly the reason I am leaving the android world with VZW and Samsung.  I purchased an SIII when they came out, phone worked perfect until VZW update the system.  The update turned many SIII phones into a BRICK.  They never admitted to anything or really fixed that problem all they wanted to do is send you a refurbished piece of junk which was only 16 GB mine was 32 GB.  I purchase a new S4 when the come out with the 32 GB model.  Phone worked great up until they do the update to 4.4.2 now I may as well just have a brick and again VZW don't have anything but 16 GB and they wanted me to give up the 32 gb for a 16 GB again.  Well this time the phone at least works to make phone calls but that is about it so VZW keep your worthless to me 16 GB phones and YOU KNOW WHERE YOU CAN PUT THEM!  I am going to wait until the next update and see if that fixes my S4.  If that don't fix my phone as VZW has told me then I will just move elsewhere and VZW can keep their very very poor customer service and very very poor phone software updates that you claim is #1 that I have not seen from VZW in many many moon.  No one wants that from anyone and putting up with it is something that is going to stop with me.  I am not looking for any of VZW canned response or any other response for that matter.  I am just done with VZW and their Android platform they can't make work properly.  They should not try to fix something that is not broken, Keep the stupid update for those who want to deal with them.  Don't force feed your customers.  LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE.  No reply wanted or needed...

[stef7]

..."VZW can keep their very very poor customer service and very very poor phone software updates that you claim is #1..."

Since you had replied to me, just to set the record straight, I think you meant to write: "phone software updates that THEY claim is #1". FWIW: the updates that VZW have pushed to my devices (LG Spectrum and LG G2) while I've been with VZW have been of fairly good quality, but even KK broke some things with my LG G2 (battery consumption up - I think because of the Band4 XLTE frankly), and the voice dialer got turned into junk... well that's a Google issue. I digress. Some people with LG G2s are complaining about MMS texting. I'm not sure what is going on there.

Perhaps Samsung's engineering group is offering a few too many models and not supporting them adequately. I'm not defending VZW here. I would think together they'd have a vested interest in getting each and every customer with a problematic Samsung device into something that works properly, but people have been complaining not only about the Note3, but the SIII, the 4, the 5. Hmmmm.

I can't explain why bug-fixes are so long in coming - it could be their product development group is different than their maintenance / bug-fix team and they are under-resourced, but I'd have to agree, there doesn't seem to be sufficient regression testing occurring on the part of VZW before they give the OK to a release, and customers are simply not protected by warranties that do little more than replace broken technology with equally broken technology.

[Hachimitsu]

that was a new refurbished phone, they told me to go through customer service, that transfered me to tech support, then to billing, and then BAck to Tech support. I didn't had my sim card exchange but spent so much hours on to it.

It got so out of hand that they said "we are unable to help, but if we can you can give us $100 to get you a replacement phone!

In translation: I am very certain these people are NOT trained to handle problems from samsung issues!

the refurbish date reads 7/04/2014, back then it was 6/24/2014..

I really envy other samsung galaxy note III users who has their phone still working~!

I had to lose my delivery job because of a GPS issue!