topic Re: Aino 3G issues, will not recognize coverage in XPERIA archive

Aino 3G issues, will not recognize coverage

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:00:09 GMT

So I bought an 'unlocked' SE Aino about 2 weeks ago...I received the phone, and it was seemingly unlocked as in i could make calls and send/receive sms only through AT&T here in the US...But the phone was locked, internet profile wise, through Vodafone UK...and had all the Vodafone live! stuff everyone hates all over it...

I then went through the Davinci Team instructions on debranding the phone...Worked perfectly, and now has the latest generic firmware from SE...No vodafone BS loaded all over it, and SEUS recognizes the firmware as the 'latest available'...This also allowed the phone to download the internet profile settings from AT&T, and now everything works...GPS, MMS, web browser, etc. all function as they should...

The problem though is that the phone still does not recognize 3G coverage...I never get the little symbol on the upper left of the phone...Only EDGE service...I have a full unlimited 3G data plan from AT&T, and my old phone (which was just a junk free LG xenon that came with the contract) easily picked up 3G coverage in my area...

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this?...AT&T won't even begin to figure out why, as its not a phone offered by them yet...Also, the phone never recognized 3G before the debranding process...So it wasn't that it had it with the vodafone firmware, and then lost it with the generic one...i've searched on here and other SE community sites and found nothing like the problem I am having...

Any help would be greatly appreciated...I have never done anything to 'unlock' the phone through passwords or other means...I only did the debranding/flash process through Davinci Team's client, and it did exactly as it should...although one interesting detail is that the Sim Status when that client scans the phone still says 'locked'...could that have something to do with it?...

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Re: Aino 3G issues, will not recognize coverage

Dr_Chris — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 23:31:26 GMT

Settings- Connectivity-Mobile networks-GSM/3G networks-choose GSM and 3G.

Re: Aino 3G issues, will not recognize coverage

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:39:55 GMT

I should have mentioned that. When I force the phone to use 3G only, through the settings you mentioned, it simply says 'network not available', but there still are bars...When i use 3g and GSM, it still never gives me 3G connectivity...

I'm leaning more towards the phone somehow being partially locked, as I never 'unlocked' it, just debranded it...

Re: Aino 3G issues, will not recognize coverage

Dr_Chris — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:16:35 GMT

Two things to check: 1) Make absolutely sure that your SIM card is 3G-enabled

2) When you go to : Settings-Connectivity-Mobile networks-Select network: When you press this, does the list of available networks include the 3G version of your operator or is this barred or absent? If it's available, what happens when you select it?

Also, it's probably best not to choose only 3G, otherwise you won't even get 2G if 3G is not available(bars for 2G, 3G or H icon for 3G/HSDPA).

Finally, try using a 3G SIM card from a different operator to see whether your phone is actually unlocked.

Let me know the result.

Re: Aino 3G issues, will not recognize coverage

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:20:44 GMT

ok, might be getting somewhere, thanks...

The SIM card has been the same since I got this contract through At&t, about 1 year ago...I opened the 2 year contract, which included a full 3G data plan, and a free LG Xenon phone, around labor day 2009...That phone had 3G and everything, and aside from At&t's notoriously spotty 3G coverage, it more or less did everything it was supposed to...

When I bought the Aino, I simply used the same SIM...so I would assume that card is 3G enabled, right?...as 3G worked with the same Sim card in a different phone...

but you mentioned something about choosing a network...If I go to the connection settings and choose a network...I am given MEdia NET, and MEdia Net MMS...both seemingly work fine...but neither give me 3G...and there is no MEdia Net '3G' or anything mentioning 3G...Should there be a 3G version of this network, that is being locked out or not shown because of the phones lock status?...

that could be it...as when I used the Davinci Team debranding client, the sim status was said to be 'locked' when the phone was scanned after debranding...I thought nothing of it, as the phone worked properly other than the 3G...and I had no idea only 3G could be locked out or something...

I will try unlocking the phone when I get home...its relatively cheap, and I've pretty much decided to keep the phone even if I don't get 3G to work (as the wifi is what i will use mostly anyway)...

One last detail...when i debranded the phone I used an Australian version of the generic firmware, as the US version won't be available to davinci team until the end of August...i'll reflash it then, but that wouldn't have anything to do with this would it?...

Re: Aino 3G issues, will not recognize coverage

Dr_Chris — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:22:57 GMT

Did you try to update the software over the air? This would tell you whether you have the latest software, or not, as the case may be.

Anyway, it's probably best to first of all unlock your phone, or establish that it is actually unlocked to all networks.If this doesn't cure the problem, you could try a master reset because it is possible that the network branding/debranding process could have introduced some software bugs which are blocking 3G reception. I used to have a W395 which refused to send MMS until I did a master reset on it, despite the MMS settings being correct all along.

I don't know whether your mobile network has a separate 3G option, but here in the UK all the major operators have the option to choose between the normal (2G-but not designated as such) and the 3G-designated connection.

Hope everything gets sorted out.

Re: Aino 3G issues, will not recognize coverage

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:43:51 GMT

Yeah i've been bouncing back and forth between this forum, and that of the website that debranded it...When I get home this evening i'll try updating it through SEUS, even though it says i have the latest firmware...I'll also fully unlock the phone through their client; if that doesn't work...that was their recommendation...as like you said, small bugs can create major problems with reception...and that if the phone had a hardware problem radio wise, it would affect a lot more than just 3G...

When i try to update over the air it simply says I already have the latest firmware...I did do a master reset when I first got the phone, which didn't do anything because of the vodafone firmware...but that was before it was debranded, and at the time I didn't even know the difference between a locked phone, and a branded phone...The only good news so far is that I did confirm that all the Aino's use the same 3G/HSDPA radio chip...so any Aino should be able to use any 3G network hardware wise...its the software thats messed up somewhere...

thanks a lot for your help...