Why Does Your Phone Signal Fluctuate Standing Still?

The influx of smartphones and tablets accessing video and pictures has increased the amount of data flowing across cell phone networks.  Cell phone towers can only hold so many more concurrent phone calls or users accessing video or data.  Cell towers can typically handle up to 500 simultaneous voice users at once while drastically less and only about 50 data users. Once this capacity has been reached, the cell tower rejects the calls or data connection which ends up dropping those calls.  You may even see full bars on your phone which is a good indicator of network congestion.

This is why it's usually impossible to get good data access inside stadiums during games with thousands of people clogging the network. This theory of network data congestion holds true with too many people accessing data on the same cell tower.  Everyone is competing for the same access on the cell phone tower and the tower only has so much capacity.  The more people accessing data on a cell tower, the weaker the signal. You might notice the strength of your cell signal in a certain area change depending upon the time of day because of rush hour or you are near a heavily populated area.

The number of simultaneous callers on a single tower was the primary cause for dropped calls years ago.  However, smartphones and their ability to view and stream data can put considerable strain on tower data and voice backhaul. All these factors cause the cell tower cell signal strength to constantly change or breathe.

This is one of the main reasons why many Verizon customers have suddenly started experiencing a lack of coverage in areas that they previously had 3, 4, or 5 bars of signal strength.  Coverage is not guaranteed and coverage maps don't really mean much these days.  It's up to you to submit your coverage complaints to our map where you experience frequent poor coverage.  Deadcellzones.com seems to be the only service that is trying to hold carriers accountable for coverage the promise in areas.  

Top 5 Major Troubleshooting Network Connectivity Issues

There can be many reasons behind network connectivity troubleshooting issues. It can be hardware failure, router failure, interruption because of other electronic devices and internet service provider’s planned outages.

Before starting the troubleshooting, we should scan our PC with anti-virus to check if it is free from malware and viruses. After running an antivirus scan, we should delete cookies and temporary files from our computer, as they may be the reason behind our computer’s slow performance. We should also call up our internet service provider and ask if there is any problem with their service or any kind of planned outage in our area.

Modem or wireless dongle issues

This is the simplest step that can solve the network connectivity problem without putting in much time and effort. All you have to do is shut down the modem from the main switch, and start it back after two minutes. In case of hardware or modem failure, we won’t be able to see any indicator on the modem.

Computer’s task manager issues

Network troubleshooting should always begin with opening the computer’s task manager. After opening the task manager, just select networking. The networking section will show if the internet connection is active or not. If the connection is not active, we should check the modem or wireless dongle indicator.

Check network settings & version of device driver

Network connectivity issues can also occur if network service settings are incorrect.  One should check service settings, login settings, and adopter settings if we are not able to get connected to the network even if the network signals are strong.

Network settings will automatically change whenever we reinstall our computer’s operating systems or device drivers. After reinstalling the operating system or device drivers, we should check if the version of our ISP’s device driver is compatible with our new operating system or not. We will have to download a compatible version in case if the old one is not compatible.

Check the network’s cell signal strength

The browser and other applications on your computer will not work if the ISP's signal strength is very low. Our computer’s task manager can show us our internet service provider’s signal strength. A number of factors around our computer can reduce the network’s signal strength. Devices like Microwave, radio, mobile phone and other electrical devices should be kept at least 1m away from our computer as they can interfere with internet service provider’s signals and reduce the signal strength.

Signal strength can also reduce in case of too much load on the internet service provider’s network. There is nothing much that we can do in this situation, except for calling our ISP to log a complaint.

Problems while authentication

If we are putting an incorrect user name or password in the network settings, we will get an error that says “authentication failure”. In this case, we should try to reset our password or just call the internet service provider’s customer service number.

A proper, consistent and logical approach is necessary for troubleshooting network connectivity issues. Hitting your PC will not help. There is no need to be tech-savvy to understand some basic connectivity issues. The above tips can help you to solve basic issues all by yourself.

About the author: Kelly Marsh is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology, health and parenting. Besides this, she is fond of computer technology. She also likes reading various articles on DIY health & gizmo watch.

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Which Cable Companies Share WiFi Hotspots?

Cable Free WiFi Hotspot Consortium 

A group of major U.S. cable companies has joined forces to offer a new Wi-Fi network that will allow each other's high-speed Internet customers to use their Wi-Fi networks across the country.  A group of 5 cable providers announced plans to partner on the deployment of 50,000 “metro Wi-Fi” hot spots under the “CableWiFi” brand. The service will allow customers of Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications, and Time Warner Cable to access the Wi-Fi networks when roaming outside of their home cable provider’s footprint.

The cable providers' partnership is similar to how cell phone carriers allow their customers to roam on other networks when traveling. That's intentional: The cable companies say they are looking to compete with mobile carriers' new 4G networks that make broadband-like speeds available everywhere.

"We believe that Wi-Fi is a superior approach to mobile data, and that cable provider is best positioned to build the highest-capacity national network offering customers fast and reliable Internet connections when away from their home or business broadband service," said Kristin Dolan, Cablevision's executive vice president of product management and marketing

For years a number of cities throughout the U.S. have floated the idea of vast Wi-Fi zones offering free Internet access, but the results have been spotty at best, often hindered by complicated business issues and even political considerations.  The roaming partnership comes as the cable industry is seeking to differentiate its offerings from rival phone and satellite companies—and when the entire pay-TV industry is trying to keep up with consumers watching greater amounts of video on mobile devices.

A similar roaming agreement was announced in 2010 by Comcast, Cablevision, and Time Warner Cable but it has had limited impact. The hot spots appeared on customer's devices under the separate brands of Cablevision's Optimum, Time Warner Cable's Road Runner, and Comcast's Xfinity. The service wasn't fully built out in some of the denser areas—like Manhattan—and some customers reported difficulty signing on and getting decent Internet speeds. Cablevision's hot spots have been around since 2008, but only 30% of its broadband customers have used them. Cablevision said that about 250,000 customers use its Wi-Fi every day.

The bulk of the hotspots are currently located in New York City and the surrounding tri-state area. A handful of other markets, including Los Angeles, Orlando, Philadelphia, and Tampa are also included from the onset. The cable companies expect to add more coverage and availability over time.  Cable operators say they will continue to increase the number of available hotspots, particularly in high-traffic locations such as parks, beaches, shopping areas, malls, cafes, restaurants, and sporting and concert arenas.

Wireless carriers are increasingly relying on Wi-Fi technology to help offload traffic from their oversubscribed networks, particularly in crowded areas. But new "femtocell" technology may give carriers an edge over their rivals. Though many carriers are aggressively deploying Wi-Fi hotspots on their own, cable companies would like a piece of the action.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless already offer something similar. AT&T has for years given its smartphone customers free access to AT&T-run Wi-Fi hotspots. AT&T owns more than 20,000 of them in the United States, many of which are located in Starbucks coffee shops and the like. AT&T also has a huge number of hotspots operating in the Times Square and theater district of Manhattan. It put this Wi-Fi network up years ago in part to help reduce the capacity crunch on its cellular network in that area. AT&T has made it seamless for smartphone subscribers to connect to Wi-Fi. As long as they are using an AT&T device, it automatically authenticates with the available AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot.

A new standard called "Passpoint" coming this summer from the Wi-Fi Alliance governing body will allow carriers to automatically switch customers to their Wi-Fi hotspots in crowded areas, without requiring any authentication from the user. That kind of seamless transition will make Wi-Fi a much more appealing option than it is currently for cellular customers.

How will it work? Subscribers will use their log-in credentials for their service provider through a new website called "CableWiFi.com." The credentials will allow them to gain access to the Wi-Fi hotspots run by their own provider, as well as those operated by the other four providers.

Sprint Femtocell Growth Up 240% in One Year

Sprint (NYSE:S) now counts 600,000 femtocells on its network in 2012 according to this Fierce Wireless article. This is a big jump from the 250,000 femtocells Sprint said it had deployed as of March of 2011. Sprint also it plans to update its Airave femtocell product to support CDMA services over its 800 MHz network and to enable the products to better work together to coordinate coverage.  The updates would be available sometime in 2012.

What is a Sprint femtocell and how much does it cost? Femtocells are essentially mini cellular base stations that users can install in their house or workplace for voice and data coverage, and can route the resulting cellular traffic through a standard wireline Internet connection.  The device made by Samsung costs around $99.99 and carriers a $5 monthly fee.

What does the growth of femtocell usage say about carrier macro networks and WiFi alternatives?  It says that carrier macro networks are still very congested and that most people are still using their cell phone and smart phones to access data at home and in the office.  Will consumers finally learn to use WiFi whenever possible?  T-Mobile allows customers to make WiFi phone calls and it works great.

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T-Mobile + MetroPCS Is Good For Consumers

A MetroPCS (NYSE: PCS) and T-Mobile USA owned by Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DTEGY) merger makes a lot of sense for the following reasons.  Here are 10 reasons this would be good for consumers.  

1. Keep the integrity of a discount carrier intact.  
2. MetroPCS has LTE spectrum that T-Mobile USA could use.
3. More purchasing scale 43M customers (MetroPCS 9M + T-Mobile 34M)
4. T-Mobile & MetroPCS have dead zone coverage gaps both can fill.
5. Consumer friendly unlimited data plans would likely continue at both companies. 
6. Fewer competing customers on a network = less data congestion.
7. Consumers might have the option of using a GSM or CDMA 3G phones.
8. T-Mobile HSPA+ 4G is very fast and the network is not congested.
9. MetroPCS 4G LTE is very fast and the network is not congested.
10. MetroPCS has been very aggressive using femtocell and DAS to improve coverage.

Deutsche Telekom is considering a stock swap transaction. However, I would support raising more capital in a T-Mobile USA IPO after the acquisition. MetroPCS shares jumped almost 30% instantly on the deal and currently has a market capitalization of around $3 billion.  MetroPCS seems to have plenty of cash in the bank of $2B and has annual revenue of approximately $5B.  So the combination would appear to be a strategy combining entities to have more scale for handset purchasing and spectrum allocation.  Considering the closest competitor is AT&T and Verizon who each have 90 to 100M+ subscribers.

MetroPCS has began deploying their LTE network before Verizon. MetroPCS is currently built around a CDMA 3G voice network and would be incompatible with T-Mobile’s GSM/HSPA network. However, in the future T-Mobile could use MetroPCS's LTE channels.  Reuters reported in an article "MetroPCS and T-Mobile are not a good technological or customer fit, one analyst said".   MetroPCS is a CDMA carrier in 3G and T-Mobile is a GSM carrier.  However, LTE is LTE and new handsets should be cross carrier compatible if the industry does the consumers right.

A combination of Leap Wireless 7M subscribers also makes sense in the future but right now LTE spectrum is more important to T-Mobile I would bet.

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What is Phone Bill Cramming?

Phone Bill "Cramming" is the placement of unauthorized or misleading charges on phone bills.  Ever wonder what those strange charges are on your home phone or cell phone bill?  Crammers use confusing telephone bills in an attempt to trick consumers into paying for services they did not authorize or receive, or that cost more than the consumer was led to believe. One company Billing Services Group makes a living by scamming customers like you and me.  They charge you for "enhanced services," which may include the following:  collect calls, voicemail services, streaming video service, identity theft protection services, directory assistance, and one job skills training services.

Billing Services Group (Ticker: BILL) placed charges on nearly 1.2 million telephone lines on behalf of a serial phone crammer. The charges were supposedly for "enhanced services," such as voicemail and streaming video, that consumers never authorized or even knew about.  The Federal Trade Commission is seeking a civil contempt ruling against the nation's largest third-party billing company, alleging that Billing Services Group (BSG) placed more than $70 million in bogus "cramming" charges on consumers' phone bills.

What should you do?  Review your telephone bill every month with fine-tooth comb. Treat your telephone service like any other major consumer purchase or service. Ask yourself the following questions as you review your telephone bill:

• Do I recognize all the charges listed on my bill? 
• What services did the charges provide?
• Does my phone bill include charges for calls I did not place or services I did not authorize? 
• Are the rates and line items consistent with my quoted price? 

Please comment below if you have any other evidence of carriers colluding and experience about getting refunds.