WiFi calling issues

[Spencer74]

Although I live in a 5G area (apparently) trying to make mobile calls from indoors is poor as is accessing the Internet. So you think the solution would be to use WiFi calling...... However calls constantly drop out and sometimes do to connect. 

Spoken to the tech team on a few occasions and they can't help...they have witnessed the drop out. 

The only way WiFi calling works smoothly is if you disable cellular. This is because while on WiFi & cellular it picks up the 5G signal (which is rubbish indoors) and as a result drops out. 

The only way cellular works smoothly is outdoors or in the conservatory. 

EE have a plan to remove landlines, which I'm genuinely happy with as they should be redundant.... But not if your WiFi calling doesn't work properly. 

So what's EEs plan if their phone network isn't up to scratch and they remove my landline?..... I may have to change provider. 

This issue is not OS or brand specific. 

[Northerner]

Hi @Spencer74 

What device do you have as on Samsung you can prioritise WiFi over cellular for WiFi calling. 

If an iPhone then you're stuck. 

Thanks 

[bristolian]

Any landline removal plan has nothing to do with WiFi-calling - this is merely a coverage-extension service for the inevitable times when there are indoor coverage issues. Every network has them and they're virtually impossible to completely eradicate.

Network parameters are such that ordinarily "mobile preferred" mode will fallback to VoWiFi if the radio conditions are deemed unusable. If EE's CS can see call failures, I would expect them to offer to investigate further - did they? The caveat to this would be yourself proving this issue away from the individual router and onto the device/SIM being used over WiFi.

Recent Android phones do have an option to use "mobile preferred" or "WiFi-preferred" which is worth experimenting with if you have this OS. It would also be worth noting that EE's current network config doesn't use 5G for voice calls but VoLTE.

[Spencer74]

Good morning, 

I originally had a Samsung, which I tried that setting and it was no different.

t's funny how non of the tech team had any clue as to what to do, they even witnessed the drop out.... So I had to stand in the garden. 

[Spencer74]

Good morning, 

Yes I've tried prioritising WiFi but it's no different. I've had 3 different Android phones and they  are all the same. I also had a router upgrade so during this time and it's again no different. 

Looking at some other forums it's a known problem, the solution being to disable cellular. 

They escalated to a tech team who had no solutions. At the time I worked away from home so it was never an issue, now I've moved back it's becoming a problem. Especially as my wife has regular calls from hospital.

I'm going to give them a ring and start over. 

[bristolian]

If WiFi-calling is not engaging on multiple routers, when mobile coverage is in flight mode, I would tend towards a blocked port or phone fault.

Blocked ports could be ruled out by proving different routers & phones.

[Spencer74]

So 'dedicate' a port to my mobile device (port forwarding)?

I've had this issue on 4 different handsets and two routers.

I'm going to get back on to the tech guys.

Many thanks

[QuickerVicar]

We have had this issue for the past 5 years since we moved to a rural location with vert little mobile signal, not enough to make a call but just enough to make some handsets drop wifi calling in favour of 4g. On Motorola handsets we turn them to airplane mode to disable the mobile signal and that helps a bit. On Samsung handsets we use the wifi calling preferred option which works 90% of the time.

We have had three different routers during the five years we have lived here. 

We need 100% reliable connection due to elderly relatives for whom we are the primary response for falls alarms. So far EE hasn't been able to explain why we get periods when wifi calling won't connect. They ahve checked all the settings and say they are correct.

Today we lost wifi calling again but on the Samsung handset I found that switching roaming and volte off enable the wifi calling to reconnect. No idea how long that will last for. I am looking at other networks to see if we can find a more reliable way to ensure wifi calling stays connected.

[bristolian]

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@QuickerVicar wrote:

Today we lost wifi calling again but on the Samsung handset I found that switching roaming and volte off enable the wifi calling to reconnect.

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Disabling VoLTE could well be counterproductive for call reliability, and I suspect it was purely coincidental that this triggered VoWiFi back on.

I've also experienced scenarios where the behaviour of VoWiFi lends itself to suspicions of optimisation activity.