No 4G

[#1]

Well today - in an area in Central Gloucester which is solidly "Excellent" for 4G on PlusNet Mobile's coverage checker, upstairs at my office which has large windows - I only got this miserable signal on my phone:

The phone is set to "4G (recommended)" but it's hardly managing to pick up a 3G signal!

Clearly you can place no reliance whatsoever on PlusNet Mobiles coverage checker service.

Unless there's an explanation I'm cancelling the contract tomorrow.

(Apologies for the multiple edits)

[#2]

It is almost impossible to predict coverage inside of buildings. Many modern well insulated properties are very effectively screened from high frequency wireless signals. Even if there is a window in the room there is no guarantee that the nearest mast is on that side of the building. It would be very helpful if the Networks published the location of their masts but as far as I know only the 02 coverage maps do that and even then it does not tell you what service is provided from each mast.

[#3]

In modern buildings, energy-efficient (low emissivity or low-e) glass is often used in the windows.
These windows can often block radio frequency signals. If such buildings do not also have a distributed antenna system, they will probably experience degraded mobile phone reception, irrespective of the network used.

[#4]

Same here. I am disgusted with plusnet 4G is very limit. Before I was on EE 4G as I always getting 4G on the signal bar at all times in the last 12 months but end up 3G / 2G with plusnet. Not happy at all. If plusnet network decide to search 2G / 3G first then switch to 4G after a long waiting but I think it misleading to put 2G / 3G on first before decided to put on 4G later are not accepted. I think I have to switch to giffgaff 4G with unlimited data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts £20 a month. Very disappointed with plusnet mobile. 4G are not guaranteed at all times. I hope plusnet will sort this out to put 4G on priority network first.

[#5]

@dr

I'll ask the obvious question that no one else has asked.

Were you getting a good 4G signal just before you went into your office.

This is the site for anyone wanting information on the location & details of masts.

http://www.mastdata.com/

P.S. If you put your office postcode into the OpenSignal coverage checker it may give you an answer as there could be someone in your building whose phone is linked to their site.

https://opensignal.com/

[#6]

I am now considering going back to EE. Fed up of 3G and 4G kept switching over in between. I wish Samsung Galaxy Note 4 network mode fixed lock at LTE (not autoconnect LTE/WCDMA/GSM)

Bit odd as before when I was on EE Double Speed as the signal bar always stayed at 4G/4G+

[#7]

@goldenfibre

That's odd since Plusnet use the EE network.

[#8]

They probably use 3G & 4G switch over under EE with cheapest deal (I take it as not a premium EE network) That's why EE are more expensive with SIM ONLY plan with 12 months contract because they use a 'Premium EE network'

[#9]

caravanj wrote:

@drj I'll ask the obvious question that no one else has asked. Were you getting a good 4G signal just before you went into your office.

Thank you for responding but please note what I wrote previously:

drj wrote:

I have NEVER seen 4G on the display since putting the SIM in last Tuesday. That's not just at home but in various places around Gloucester, Tewkesbury (on Friday) and yesterday in North Bristol. I've checked my phone and the setting it's using is "4G (Recommended)".

________________________________________________________

caravanj wrote:

@drj This is the site for anyone wanting information on the location & details of masts. http://www.mastdata.com/ P.S. If you put your office postcode into the OpenSignal coverage checker it may give you an answer as there could be someone in your building whose phone is linked to their site. https://opensignal.com/

mastdata.com isn't working on my home computer - I'll check at work.

[#10]

On O2, my home in Rugby has a strong 4G signal. My car has a built-in 4G LTE module with an external antenna, and uses my SIM through Bluetooth rSAP. All the way down the M1 to Milton Keynes I get a strong 4G signal. Likewise, when I arrive at work in Milton Keynes I have a strong 4G signal both outside and inside my office building, with no discernible loss of signal once I'm inside the building.

When I tried a Plusnet SIM. The ONLY place I managed to get a (1-bar) 4G signal was by the window on the 3rd floor of my office building. Everywhere else (including down the M1) it switched between 2G and 3G.

[#11]

Now I've got to the office I've found it's even worse reception this morning. I can only get a 2G signal on Plusnet (and incidently only 3G on Three). Outside it's a poor 3G signal on Plusnet - two sides of the building:

I was going to post a picture of the PlusNet Mobile coverage checker but that's not showing the map this morning! I've tried three browsers.

EDIT - I've now got the coverage checker to work - look - 4G excellent coverage

[#12]

---

@caravanj wrote:

@drj

This is the site for anyone wanting information on the location & details of masts.

http://www.mastdata.com/

---

If you put Gloucester into that site you may like me find no EE symbols at all?

[#13]

---

@caravanj wrote:

@drj

P.S. If you put your office postcode into the OpenSignal coverage checker it may give you an answer as there could be someone in your building whose phone is linked to their site.

https://opensignal.com/

---

That shows (even when set to 4G) a fairly solid green signal - but I can't get it.

Are we concluding I've got a hopeless phone?

[#14]

If you use the mastdata site look for Orange and T-Mobile sites as they are EE of course. There are plenty in Gloucester. However the data is not complete or up to date and some recently erected masts close to me are not shown.

[#15]

I've been watching this thread with interest, and, the performance of my own data connection. In the last four or five days I'm mostly (but certainly not always) connected to a 4G service and this is in a good variety of locations in Yorkshire - urban, suburban and rural.
This morning I'm on a train from Leeds to London and am monitoring it again. According to Network Cell Info Lite so far (90 minutes in) I've been connected to 4G 80% of the time.