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[sevenlayermuddle]

Another issue with my new Samsung  Galaxy Fame, Android 4.1.2...

I've noticed, when I am out and about and try to make a call, quite often  I get 'Not registered on network', despite the status display looking perfectly normal with reasonable(/full) signal strength and an appropriate 2g/3g data symbol.   It is fixable by ploughing through settings->more settings->Mobile networks->Network Operators and then choosing either 'Automatic' or 'Vodafone'.  It then whirls an icon for a minute or so and reconnects, and works fine.  But by that time, of course, the moment has passed for making the call I wanted to make.

So the Android is back to being a bit useless again.     Any suggestions?

PS: It could conceivably be a Vodafone network problem but I'm reluctant to make that assumption as the onset coincided with buying the Android, has persisted for the few weeks I've owned the Android, and the same SIM worked flawlessly in previous phones.

[Ronski]

I think a lot of your problems stem from the phone, not Android. There are phones with good reception, and then there are phones with bad reception.

Edit. My friends got a fame and she can't wait to get rid of it, it's a low end phone.

[sevenlayermuddle]

I think a lot of your problems stem from the phone, not Android. There are phones with good reception, and then there are phones with bad reception.

Edit. My friends got a fame and she can't wait to get rid of it, it's a low end phone.

That doesn't really add up as, after I force it to reconnect, it shows good or full signal strength.    It's as if, when connection is lost, as can happen on any phone, Android lacks the logic to detect and correct by ( I assume) polling to see when reconnection is possible.

See the following discussion that I have found, most likely the same issue, that seems to date back to 2009 and affect multiple network operators.   I'll be exlporing the suggestion in that thread, and other forums, of setting '2G' only for data, to see if it fixes the problem.   No good as a permanent solution of course, as I want it to switch automatically between 2G and 3G.

http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=2845

Sudden theory occurs... Lots of people on lots of forums support the idea that 2G/3G switching causes this problem.   I wonder if the Android 'network selection' logic might be prioritising a network that has 3G over one that does not, without checking that the 3G network is valid for registration...

[kitz]

I'm afraid I can't say I've had the  same problem, but that's no comfort to you when you have an item that doesn't work how it should.

Before reading your second post, I started on a google hunt myself, because I know its disappointing when you have a new toy that feels a bit of a let down.

I stumbled across a thread whereby the common denominator seemed to be samsung and vodafone.   I can't paste the relavant bits, but it would appear that the outcome wasn't sure if it was samsung or a vodafone fault, but it was as you summised, a problem between switching between the technology on some phones on the voda network.   Since you found a thread where a htc is affected, I guess that counts out samsung.   

The only difference is that in that thread it was 3G to 4g.

http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Samsung-Galaxy-S4/Not-Registered-on-Network/td-p/1575230/page/2

[kitz]

I wanted to paste the link before continuing, because I usually lose the whole post if I paste anything into a long post,  but I think you are correct in assuming that there is an issue with auto switching between the network types.   For some reason it doesn't appear to affect all phones, but as this had also happened in the past with 2g/3G and now people are complaining between the issue switching 3G/4g, there is an obvious issue somewhere that should be known about,  but no one seems to have got to the bottom for a silt ion yet.

All I can suggest is an app that allows you to switch easily between the different network technologies.   I think I may have recommended power toggles to you in the past.   This used to have a 3G switching mode.  I've just had a quick look on mine and it has a4g switching mode.

Sorry it's not a full solution, but it may help.

[sevenlayermuddle]

All I can suggest is an app that allows you to switch easily between the different network technologies.   I think I may have recommended power toggles to you in the past.   This used to have a 3G switching mode.  I've just had a quick look on mine and it has a4g switching mode.

Thanks, I may try that.  Another thing I may try is to get in the habit of religiously switching on data only when it is needed and switching off afterwards, quite easily done with just a swipe and a tap.  Given the factors that seem to affect the problem, my hunch is that may also get around it.    In fact I need to discipline myself to normally disable data anyway, as my PAYG tariff has a minimum data cost of £1 a day as soon as I use any, but is free if I use no data at all.  That suits me perfectly as, once the novelty of the new toy has worn off, I will only very rarely have any need at all for data, as long as I can invest that £1 and get data on the occasional day I want it.

BTW, I also found this thread, suggesting that Samsung S4s on o2 are affected by a similar issue.  Together with the Vodafone thread so I'm now thinking  it's pointing to a Samsung fault.   I don't really want to change the phone however as despite Ronskis lack of enthusiasm (sorry Ronski  ) I did careful research before buying it fitted all the main requirements (mainly, had to be cheap as chips!).  I'll keep an eye out for any Samsung firmware upgrades.

http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Android-Devices-Samsung-HTC-Sony/Samsung-Galaxy-S4-Active-Not-registered-on-network-message/td-p/519234

I'm afraid I know very little about how the technology in a smartphone is partitioned.  I'm guessing here, but it would make sense if the phone manufacturer provided the radio parts with their own firmware to handle cell selection and registration, and offering just some low level configuration API to allow Android to set  things up?   That would explain why this issue seems to affect several phones, but all from the same manufacturer (Samsung), and why Android (/google) seem to have no particular interest in it

[Ronski]

Sorry if I was a bit grumpy earlier  But I have found that various phones have differing reception, even the mighty Apple was guilty of that, sorry it was the user not holding it correctly. And you are quite right, you can load different code into Android which can improve the reception, or the opposite.

I remember when I was rooting ZTE Blades there was recommended 'radios' to use, which is I guess is basically like a different hardware driver, so I guess it is the same for other Android phones as well.

Edit: Try some of these apps - scroll to the bottom and it lists similar apps.

[sevenlayermuddle]

Apple was guilty of that, sorry it was the user not holding it correctly.

Indeed, I remember it well 

iPhones are not without other problems. Other half's (ex ebay) iPhone 3G initially had a battery life of less than a day, even untouched in her handbag.  This was a 'virgin' phone with no Apps at all installed, we initially thought we'd simply bought a pup, as happens on ebay.

But closer investigation yielded that the 'usage' time was always the same as 'standby', whereas on iOS 'usage' would just the time it's awake in use and should be much less than 'standby. So it began to look like a software bug.  I never got to the very bottom of it but after reading various tales on various forums I found that by disabling data (which on Vodafone PAYG is essential) it seems to trigger some process that perpetually tries to do something. 
But by leaving data enabled in the iPhone setup, but trashing the APN login parameters to ensure actual access to data  will fail, 'usage' retuned to nearly nothing and battery life to about two weeks.  Other half is happy without data, just wanted an iPhone as a phone and for running Apps.   It would seriously annoy me though.   

[kitz]

I put power toggles on dad's phone as he has similar contract to you.
I've used it for about 4/5 yrs now on my own phone, basically cause I only have a small data allowance and I'd hate for some app to accidentally update when it isn't supposed to.

Plus I also use it to turn on/off Bluetooth & sat.... or even wifi if I'm driving for a few hours to save battery life.   It's just one click from a bar widget that's permanently on my home screen.

You can choose which buttons to put on the widget, and 6 or 7 of the various options will comfortably fit on the widget bar.  Just select in the options Which you want.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.painless.pc&hl=en_GB

[sevenlayermuddle]

I put power toggles on dad's phone as he has similar contract to you.
I've used it for about 4/5 yrs now on my own phone, basically cause I only have a small data allowance and I'd hate for some app to accidentally update when it isn't supposed to.

Plus I also use it to turn on/off Bluetooth & sat.... or even wifi if I'm driving for a few hours to save battery life.   It's just one click from a bar widget that's permanently on my home screen.

You can choose which buttons to put on the widget, and 6 or 7 of the various options will comfortably fit on the widget bar.  Just select in the options Which you want.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.painless.pc&hl=en_GB

Thanks, I've installed it, will have a play with it when I have time.