Unable to make calls

[KenPaterson]

I use wifi when I am in my house in Portugal to use internet, no problem browsing in the house or by using mobile data out the house.  I want to use my IPhone to make UK calls in and out of the house, the phone does everything else it should do apart from be able to make calls.  It worked perfectly for several months until yesterday when I can't make any calls.  My wife has the same issue.

I can still use WhatsApp for calls but normal calls will not connect.

We both have roaming so no issues with that.

I hope this helps the experts.

Ken

[bristolian]

Use of WhatsApp is the same as any other internet-app in proving an internet connection.

Can you confirm the following work when only connected via a mobile network and not WiFi... sending & receiving texts? Receiving calls?

Is there any difference in symptoms between calling in-country, and calling internationally (including to the UK)?

Are you & your wife connected to the same local network? And are the symptoms the same if you manually select a different local network?

[KenPaterson]

Answers next to questions, thank you for trying to help

Use of WhatsApp is the same as any other internet-app in proving an internet connection. - OK I note that, thank you.

Can you confirm the following work when only connected via a mobile network and not WiFi... sending & receiving texts? Receiving calls?  I cannot make calls to UK or to a Portuguese number, regardless of whether or not I am connected to Wifi

Is there any difference in symptoms between calling in-country, and calling internationally (including to the UK)?  -  Can't make calls anywhere

Are you & your wife connected to the same local network? And are the symptoms the same if you manually select a different local network? - I can't see anything on my Iphone that indicates I can select a different local network.  I know I could do this with phones I had in the past but nothing shows on my current Iphone, same with my wife's phone.

As I said previously, everything worked perfectly for many months until yesterday.

[KenPaterson]

hello, an update.  Incredible, contacted EE using a friends phone as 150 will not connect.  They said it was an EE mast problem in Portugal.  I don't think this is true, as I can see signal bars with NOS & MEO, the Portuguese providers.

I am receiving some texts, but not all.  Everything seems to work except I have no ability to make calls from the phone.

[Schockwave]

@KenPaterson , you go to settings, mobile service, Network Selection and switch automatic off, then you should be able to choose a different network.

[bristolian]

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@KenPaterson wrote:

hello, an update.  Incredible, contacted EE ...They said it was an EE mast problem in Portugal.  I don't think this is true, as I can see signal bars with NOS & MEO, the Portuguese providers.

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That's an absolute classic of CS agents not having a basic understanding of mobile networks.

EE are a UK operator and only have radio sites within the UK. Roaming services allows you to connect to foreign radio networks using your UK subscription. You'll still be using the EE's UK-core network but are accessing the coverage from local operators.

Swapping to another local operator is standard troubleshooting to rule out issues with one. That you can't make in-country calls either, disproves this from being an international call bar issue - that's another favourite.

Is there any pattern to the texts you can or can't receive?

[KenPaterson]

Hi everyone, many thanks to all those sending messages.  I have persevered all day with changing network selection, and only this afternoon by removing automatic my phone is working.  Quite why I have no idea as it's been on automatic for several years.

Lesson learnt.  Thanks to bristolian who stuck with me, really appreciated.

Ken 

[bristolian]

Good-oh.. looks like a network-specific issue in your case then. Either that, or you had some legacy core-network data and changing operators cleared it  (would be unusual but not impossible)

Automatic selection is always a better idea the vast majority of the time - by being on manual selection, your phone will only retain coverage as long as you're using the selected network. Lose that for whatever reason, and automatic selection would resolve for you, while manual will give an on-screen prompt of "select network" or somesuch.