Forced "Extended Network"

Not sure if this is it but you could try going into the menu to change it.
Hit Menu, then 0-000000, near the top of the menu there should be something that says mode preference.

 

You could either force your phone into a different Mode (Cell, PCS), like MobilePrincess suggested to see if that makes a difference, or set up your NAM2 to roam on the carrier you wish. All of this can be done by going into the Menu-0-000000 screen.

 

I'm not sure exaclty as to what their SIDs may be in your area. Check out the Mountain Wireless SID page and see if that helps You:
http://www.mountainwireless.com/sid.htm

 

Andy do you know if Verizon will allow roaming off of their network as long as a customer is still within one of their coverage areas? It was my understanding that Verizon never allowed their phones to be forced into roam mode, but I could be wrong though.

 

Roaming is dependent by your area- some area Verizon allows in-market roaming, other areas they don't. Ever since Verizon started their America's Choice Plans they allowed roaming on Sprint in my area(which Verizon generally covers solidly). Well, with the last PRL update, Verizon no longer allows roaming on Sprint in my area, but, with CDMA, roaming is determined at the phone level, not exclusively on the network level, so there are ways around the PRL.

 

After you get into the Service Menu, hit 1 for Service Programming or whatever. When you get to NAM1 settings, edit that and copy ALL the different information down. Once you finish NAM1, continue hitting OK/CONTINUE until you see NAM2, once you see that hit edit again and copy all the information from NAM1 into your NAM2 except for the HOME SID, which you will change to whatever you want(Sprint, ALLTEL, etc.).

~Andy

 

is there a way to do this on a Sprint RAZR V3m?

cuz i know that you can force roam but i know that in certain areas like in Virginia the Alltel coverage sucks compared to VZW but ALLTEL is higher thgan VZW on the PRL

 

Motorola RAZR's are a little more difficult to hack then the LG phones are. You can find information on getting into your phones hidden menu on this site. http://www.motomodders.net/ I don't like going into this menu with the moto's though because it is to easy to accidentally change one of the settings on your phone once you are in there.

 

For MI it is Alltel 0244, Sprint 4126, VZW 0021, Thumb Cellular is 1350....

Assuming Sprint didn't put their own SPC code into the phone. You type in very quickly, menu + 073887 + *

Then you punch in the code, default is 000000. extended nam, nam 2, put in the new SID, change the active line to the second one, then set settings to home only.

Are you 100 percent sure you are on Alltel when you are there? UFO is around there and he says his coverage is great. You might be on a fringe area.

 

I think SmArTeStChIlD is referring to the same thing that was discussed in this thread re: Williamsburg. But I don't think it's anywhere near accurate to say that in Virginia Alltel sucks compared to VZW. In the area I think you're referring to, Alltel has performed better for me and on the whole through the state.

Since the last thread, I've been up to Wburg a couple times and ran some field tests with VZW in my NAM2 and really not noticed much of a difference. +/-2 dB in most cases depending on how the wind blows and the creek sounds. Nothing that would survive any statistical t test or anything like that. I also found out that VZW is the B side provider for Williamsburg and Alltel is on the A side which might account for a very small difference in some places, but probably moreso important is the phone as long as you're not using a PCS provider like Sprint since most all the towers are congregated in similar areas (I'll try to bring a pic back next time I'm there). I still, after previously being with VZW and now Alltel, can't really find any real noticeable difference in Williamsburg in terms of coverage or sound quality. Is there any specific location, a street? a store? you're referring to? I'll be up there again this weekend and and can run a field test on each SID with the same phone and share the results.

 

i know that ALLTEL was really bad to roam on in colonial Williamsburg and also in this one timeshare we were staying in.........Green Springs Plantation and Powhattan.........coverage was sucky down there.........

 

lol ... I will say that I've not previously done any testing at the plantations or motels. Just one of the things that comes with living 45 mins away... But I'll get to those 2 places and try to find a few more places and run some comparative field tests this weekend but in Colonial Williamsburg, I really don't think there'll be any outstanding results from anybody. I can't remember any towers at all being visible from the area you're talking about.

 

How does one enter the programming menu on a samsung a990 phone? I only roam when I'm in the poconos, but I'd like to be roaming elsewhere as well.

 

This might work, but you are also going to need the SIDs for your area. And do not touch the MIN and MDN in the NAM 1, only use the NAM 2, unless you don't have one.....

Go to the "Settings & Tools" main menu, and press "*". Enter "000000" careful though, make sure you check the PRL to make sure the SID you are trying to go onto is not neg'd on the PRL. If it is you may get charges for it. You can look through the SIDs here.....

http://www.mountainwireless.com/prl.shtml

 

alright let me know...........cuz that vacation was last summer and since then something might have ben done about coverage around there

 

Alltel vs. Verizon in Williamsburg

Alright, I spent some time driving around those areas you mentioned earlier today and here's what I got. I focused on Monticello and the downtown/Colonial Williamsburg area for this focus. The results did surprise me, Alltel SID 83 vs. VZW SID 170. All tests were performed in a car and are (-) values.

Going down Monticello Avenue: (It looked like all the carriers were on the same tower that had about 6 sets of panels on it just off of Monticello Ave.)
Monticello Marketplace parking lot: Alltel 61 dB, VZW 68 dB
Powhatan: Alltel 67 dB, VZW 63 dB
Greensprings Plantation: Alltel 80, VZW 74
Braemar Creek (just before golf courses): Alltel 81, VZW 76

Downtown area near Colonial Tourist Events:
Williamsburg Shopping Center: Alltel 78, VZW 77
WaWa across from William & Mary: Alltel 89, VZW 84
Merchant's Suare (just before Colonial area): Alltel 94, VZW 68
Patrick Henry Inn (Just after Colonial area): Alltel 87, VZW 84

Just a few observations if you do return to the area. In the areas you mentioned, according to my own testing, VZW is a few dB better if you can get their SID programmed into your NAM 2. A very interesting observation on Monticello, was how Alltel was far better near the tower but Verizon got better away from the tower. I speculate that this is either because of poor panel aiming on Alltel's part, or Verizon having a much higher tower position. There was an Alltel store right across the street from the Monticello Marketplace, so I hope they didn't aim their panel based on which configuration gave them the strongest reading just several hundred yards away from the tower at the store because it is costing them in distance.

As for the downtown/colonial area previously mentioned as a place Alltel was poorer in the shops than VZW, VZW gave me stronger readings there also. However, because of the reading I got at Merchant's Square, I'm thinking that Verizon has an extra tower location in downtown that Alltel should seriously consider getting on. I looked up the area on cellreception.com and found a Cingular tower downtown which is my best guess of the tower that Verizon could be on. Or it could be disguised downtown as something I couldn't pick out. But I was really disappointed with Alltel in this area where it appears other providers have come up with a solution.

In my previous travel, the tourist plantations down on Monticello and downtown are two areas that I generally try to avoid. I really should note, for anybody that ever comes across this thread looking for service in Williamsburg, that Alltel has in the past given me better readings in so many places in Williamsburg that it really came as a surprise and disappointment that they are lacking in coverage in the downtown area where there is William & Mary college, many shops, and many tourist events. And considering the population of Williamsburg, this is something that should probably be addressed as soon as possible. It's just such a shame to have great, possibly the best coverage throughout the area but drop the ball so poorly downtown. But I've found Alltel to be much better in many other places of the city: out near the Wal-Mart, near James City Park and Centerville Rd., even going into downtown on Merrimac Trail, Penniman, York Street, Colonial National Historic Pkwy, and all over Yorktown. I've previously done field testing throughout these locations with Alltel consistently being better, but I don't remember the exact numbers and haven't done any recording prior to today. It's rarely a large difference, much like the numbers I got for today except in reverse. Overall, both do a good job in the area, but both could still improve.

Later on this summer when I get some more free time, I'd like to do some more testing to get more of a comprehensive report on Williamsburg because I've previously never recorded any of my findings. But in an area like Williamsburg with many tourists, large population, and spotty cell service, it might be a big help to some. In conclusion, because of the frequency Alltel and Verizon are both, in my opinion, good choices for the area. My posting on this day in these specific location comes out in favor of Verizon, but in the scope of my other testing, I believe that to be primarily because of two towers and not a constant finding at all for Williamsburg. One on Monticello which VZW has a better position/aiming possibly, and another downtown that Alltel should consider improving. Both providers will place an outdoor call anywhere in the area. And with the Cingular towers in the area, they may be a good viable 3rd option. I don't have anything to test their signal with but it does seem overall like I hear more complaints about everybody else other than Alltel or Verizon who are the 850 MHz band providers.

Hope this clears things up for you a little bit SmartestChild in the areas you were concerned with.

 

cool thanks for that.............i guess they might have made some changes since my vacation.............although down by Greensprings especially in the condos Alltel would be 2 or 3/6 whereas Verizon was 6/6 everywhere across the resort........my aunt and uncle will build up their timeshare and we will be going down again in a few years.............it'll almost def be better knowing the competition between Verizon and Sprint and ALLTEL in the boonies

 

I will make a disclaimer about Greensprings Plantation. The readings I took were actually across the street in a gravel area off the side of the road. The Plantation itself is now gated access so that's as close as I could get. But the readings I got there, Alltel at 80 and VZW at 74 (With the lower # being better), especially with me being outside, I don't know how VZW could be a 6/6 at that spot in the condos unless they have some kind of amplifier tuned into the VZW frequency which could be possible. Or perhaps at the specific plantation area, if the VZW panel is on top of the tower, it has an unobstructed shot to the plantion above all the trees while the Alltel panels are obstructed? And perhaps changes have been made since then? I can really on theorize why you saw what you did last summer but my measurements didn't show a huge difference. On my phone, I had 3 of 5 bars with Alltel and 4 of 5 bars on Verizon with those dB readings.

But as you said, it very well could be improved by the time you return with the competition and the spotty nature of Williamsburg at the moment, making my readings useless. It's probably the largest city I know where cell coverage really still needs to be improved by everybody.

 

yeah..i didnt spend much time over in the plantations.........jut in the residential areas...........like the condos..........i went into town for a little bit..........don't know where...........but there was a big Yankee Candle store............it was practically a mall..............we didn't spend as much time in Colonial Williamsburg because of how hot it was..........but when we were there........coverage was kinda sucky

 

2 or 3 bars out of six are not necessarily bad, though. I make a lot of calls with no bars at all on my phone in rural areas and I can make/receive calls just fine.

 

I agree. The Motorola E815 that I had with Verizon was capable of making and receiving calls even when no bars were showing, but with my GSM phones I find that they need to at least have one bar to make and receive calls.

 

yeah but i was inside the condo and i had like 3 bars at most and that was rare but with that there were really long connect times..........and when it was connected chances were high that it would drop.........and if it doesnt drop the quality really sucked............even outside it was bad

 

Very Nice report UFO, Next time I get down there I will have to give a Cingular & Sprint readings in these area's.

I know at Jamestown the coverage was spotty last year & don't know if it has improved with the anniversary coming up.

I know my Sister & Brother in laws are very happy with their Verizon so far over their old Alltel service, especially in some of the stores you mentioned.