topic Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection in Mobile Network discussions

5G coverage but only 4G connection

Weatherman478 — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 09:11:11 GMT

I am hoping one of you wise people can find a solution which has beaten the whole of EEs tech support. I have a S22 Ultra on EE. I live in a 5G area but my phone only ever shows the white 5G symbol ( there is no 5G data)but it only connects to LTE. I have looked at Net Monster which tells me that I am in a 5G area but it is disconnected.
However if I moved in another part of town I pick up 5G. To further complicate matters I have tried a couple of friends phones (IPhone 13 and Fold 3) in my house and they pick up 5G and have speeds to confirm that. MY S22 gets,around 70 Meg on 4G but both of my friends phones get over 200 meg. We have tried swapping sims and phones and the results are the same.EE tech support have checked and can see Iam only connecting to LTE in my house and when they checked my friends numbers they were connected to 5G. So the problem with my phone seems to be in my post code area only but it affects just my phone.

Can anyone think of anything else to do before I throw the phone out of the window.

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Chris_B — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 09:36:26 GMT

@Weatherman478 Just ask is that only in your house ? what’s it like outside? What does EE status checker say ? see here on that page it also says if you’ll get 5G indoors also. I live in a 5G area and that pages says “You'll get good coverage outdoors, but weak or no coverage indoors”. but I get a great signal indoors. Don’t forget all signal checkers are a guide and not a guarantee of service.

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Weatherman478 — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 10:23:21 GMT

Hi, The coverage checker says I should have full 5G coverage. This problem is around my whole post code. Yet as soon as I move to the other 5G mast in the area I get 5G.

The screen shot show what .y phone says

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Weatherman478 — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 10:33:51 GMT

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Weatherman478 — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 10:36:47 GMT

The first phone was from my S22 and as you can see its connected to Lte .This shot is from a Fold 3 both in the same house at the same time.

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

bristolian — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 10:40:38 GMT

@Weatherman478 wrote:

We have tried swapping sims and phones and the results are the same.

Can you clarify what you mean by "results are the same". Did the issue follow the SIM? Or remain with the phone?

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Northerner — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 11:12:01 GMT

Hi @Weatherman478

Comparing two different manufacturers just highlights the software or radios are different will and therefore produce different results. If your S22 picks up 5G at other locations then it's not your phone which is the issue. You could try factory resetting although that is an extreme option.

You could also ass EE for a new SIM (or go into store as it's quicker)

Lastly (and this is my own observed) I have an S22 ultra and it says 5G but I never seem to receive those speeds. Maybe as the infrastructure improves it will get better. In your case it seems local which means it's an authentication issue.

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Weatherman478 — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 11:22:18 GMT

Just to clarify. If I put my sim in a friend's Iphone 13 or Fold 3 my sim connects and gives 5G speeds. If either of my friends put their sims in my S22 ultra they have the same problem as myself. No 5G throughput. However if I put my spare Three sim card in my S22. That connects to 5G with speeds over 200 Meg. Both Three and EE share the same mast so coverage should be the same.

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Northerner — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 11:35:07 GMT

Hi @Weatherman478

3 is a difference provider. Just becase they share a mast this doesn't mean anything to your network reception.

Your phone will always connect to the strongest signal which might not be 5G. It all depends on the radio in your phone.

Try turning off automatic network selection on your device and manually selecting EE.

You said early you S22 connects to 5G in other areas so it's not your phone.

Thanks

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

EssexBoyEE — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 13:36:32 GMT

If Netmoster is telling you the 5G is Discounted, then you are not connected to the 5G Signal Layer, irrespective of what the Phones 5G Signal Bar is telling you. There's another App I use called G-Mon Pro (its Free), that App will also give you 5G Info like 5G Cell ID, RSRP SNIR etc, which is good Signal Info, the 5G Info appears in a Second Box below the normal 4G Signal Info Box BUT only if you are actually connected to the 5G Signal Layer so this is also a good indicator of your 5G Connection Status.

Another thing to point out is that on the EE Network even under normal 5G Signals that you can use are not always shown as Connected or Available until you do a reasonable heavy Data Download, an Ookla Speed Test would normally suffice, Do a Speed Test then as it comes towards the end of the DL Test, stop the Test than immediately do another Test, while all this is going on look at the 5G Signal Info on either Netmonster or G-Mon Pro and see id the 5G Connection State changes. By the way Ookla will also pull off 5G connection states and these can be viewed in the Ookla Speed History's Tests as either LTE (4G) or 5G.

Is you S22 Dual Sim?, if so try swapping the Sim Card to the other Sim Slot check the Preferred Network Settings are correct of 5G or NR for each of the Sim Slots.

Can you access Phone Info (*#*#4636#*#*), being a Samsung it may not let you do it, or you could try the Phone Info in the Netmonster App, bottom left three dots. if you can check the 'Set the preferred network type' is correct and includes a reference to 5G or NR, again check both Phone Info 0 and 1 if its a Dual Sim.

Lastly, Ive come across this before, EE us a 5G NR Feature called ENDC, basically what this means is that you are able to pick up a 5G Signal from a different Mast that your 4G Signal is registered to, ie you may have more 4G Masts than 5G in your Area, so ENDC will if the 5G Signal is good enough use both the 4G masts and the 4/5G mast for a 5G Connection, but it could be the local 4G Mast at your Home Area has a Fault or a mis configured ENDC on the Network, but that does go against the grain a bit if other Phones are being able to use 5G in your Home or it could be they locked onto a different Mast?

Lastly as already been said, ask EE Tech to send out another Sim to you and ask them to Recycle your Connection Setting at their end.

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Weatherman478 — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 14:20:47 GMT

Thanks for the advice. Here is a scree shot from my S22. What I don't understand is why various speedtest say my S22 is connected to 4G and the speeds are a lot slower (about 100 meg) then the Iphone and the Fold 3. Nperf says with both of them 5G connection.

Updating Media

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

EssexBoyEE — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 14:29:23 GMT

Pics need to be approved so will check out later.

Whats does Ookla Speed Test report 4G (LTE) or 5G

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Weatherman478 — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 14:57:13 GMT

Ookla says connected to 5G. But every other test I run says 4G. I spent about 45 minutes to a very helpful tech support chap the other day. With my friends present he checked which mast everyone was connected to. He confirmed that the Fold and Iphone were connected to 5G and using 5g data. My S22 was connected the whole time to 4G.

If I go into the centre of town and connect to another 5G mast the little 5G symbol goes black to show its in use But at home it just stays permanently white.

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Weatherman478 — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 14:59:05 GMT

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Weatherman478 — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 15:37:14 GMT

and finally the service menu from my S22.

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

EssexBoyEE — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 21:46:49 GMT

If you look at my Posts a couple of Posts up (5th paragraph down) I mention briefly about EE using 5G ENDC, a 5G Signal Layer that is avaible whilst your not looged on to the same Mast, and I mention briefly about what it is, and how it functions. Now if we look at your G-Mon Pro Screenshot it is reporting 5G ENDC is connected but there is no 5G Band info (I would expect either n78 or n28) no PCi, which I would expect, and no 5G RSRP or SNIR which I would also expect, now it could be just that Samsung do mess around or restrict with the way Android reports its Signal Info.

However, if you then look at Samsungs Signal Info Screenshot, the first one shows a 5G Signal Layer, that's fine it's found it but doesn't mean it's connected. The second Samsung Screenshot (Last one) shows that 5G ENDC is inactive and confirms this by also showing no 5G Signal info like 5G RSRP.

The above info regarding the 5G ENDC in your Area would be my starting and talking point when you next talk to EEs Tech Support, ask them to check that the ENDC is current and configured correctly on the 4G Site that you connect at your Home, EE need to confirm the correct operation or a Fault in order to rule the issue out and move on to possible other issues.

As said, I've had ENDC configuration issues before on the EE Network, and if I'm totally honest it was a bit of an issue trying to put the point across but we did get there in the end.

Once EE confirm either way regarding the ENDC Network configs, you can move on to other possibles which will probably be Handset Issue or 5G Settings issue.

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Weatherman478 — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 16:15:42 GMT

Thanks for the advice. Would that explain why some handsets pick up 5G and why the S22 does not?

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

EssexBoyEE — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 20:00:40 GMT

It's a possibility if the other are logged on to a different 4G Mast, yours does pick up 5G but not in your Home Area.

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Weatherman478 — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 14:41:48 GMT

Thanks for all the replies. I am currently many miles from my home and picking up 5G without any problems. See attached photos. I have spoken with EE who said there was some work to be done on the mast and they would not look at anything else untill the work was completed. So will have to wait until iam back home to see if there is any improvement

Re: 5G coverage but only 4G connection

Weatherman478 — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 14:42:41 GMT

Well sadly after a few week of going round in circles. EE tech support are no further forward and just scratch their heads. This photo clearly shows the problem I am having. All 3 phones on EE and taken at the same time. S22 Ultra left far behind. Next step letter of deadlock and a call to the ombudsman.