"No Service" when using 3G

[supermum]

Is anyone else having this problem? If I turn on my 3G and am in a non-3G area my phone refuses to function (in the sense of making and receiving calls) and says "NO SERVICE" instead of showing bars. Standing in the same location, I can turn off 3G and my phone shows FULL bars and indicates E (Edge)... I am again able to make and receive calls.
This is a huge no-bueno for me. Anyone else or is my phone really broken?
Anyone else read about this happening on another site/forum/etc.? If so, please point me in the direction as I would like to know more. Thanks.

 

[gadgetluva]

try letting it sit there for a few minutes.

 

[supermum]

I will try this, however, I think it is inacceptable to have to wait a few minutes for my phone to get service in a place with excellent reception. I could be missing important calls while waiting.. Assuming it ever does get service.
I might be heading up to apple to exchange... Which is a bummer since my phone is already wrapped in an invisable shield.

 

[iLoveiPhones]

3G service is in select places. I think where you live the 3G service isn't that strong. You should check AT&T's 3G coverage map.

 

[supermum]

Perhaps you are missing the point.. I don't care about 3g service.. I just want phone service where I should be getting it.. Doesn't matter if it is 3g or whatever. The radio should switch automatically.

 

[iLoveiPhones]

Perhaps you are missing the point.. I don't care about 3g service.. I just want phone service where I should be getting it.. Doesn't matter if it is 3g or whatever. The radio should switch automatically.

Yes with edge you can make calls.

 

[schartzr]

You cannot use 3G where 3G isnt there. You have to keep it in EDGE until you get 3G coverage there. I am in the same boat no 3G here. But soon

 

[Libuff]

You cannot use 3G where 3G isnt there. You have to keep it in EDGE until you get 3G coverage there. I am in the same boat no 3G here. But soon

thats not entirely true... I'm in an area where 3g is present about 85% of the time... when I'm NOT in the 3g area, the phone automatically goes to EDGE...

 

[schartzr]

thats not entirely true... I'm in an area where 3g is present about 85% of the time... when I'm NOT in the 3g area, the phone automatically goes to EDGE...

well for those of us that dont have 3G why would we want to waste extra battery life trying to search for 3G?

 

[Libuff]

well for those of us that dont have 3G why would we want to waste extra battery life trying to search for 3G?

that i can agree with... i work some very long days 12-16 hours... and many times i am unable to charge the thing... so i play in EDGE all day... just to save battery life...

 

[supermum]

thats not entirely true... I'm in an area where 3g is present about 85% of the time... when I'm NOT in the 3g area, the phone automatically goes to EDGE...

THIS is what my phone does not do. This is my problem. I guess I am not explaining it well... everyone seems to think I am complaining about NOT having 3g service. My phone (if left on 3g and I move into an area that is not 3g INSTEAD of automatically going into EDGE.. just decides to give me "NO SERVICE" at all!)

 

[christyr143]

I *think* I might be having the same issue here. I can only connect to the internet via wi-fi. When I turn wi-fi off and try to use 3g (which it is on, I checked) it tells me it cannot open the browser due to no connection?

 

[hotrod#AC]

I would agree with the first poster. I live in 3g and work in edge and frequently travel in edge areas. My phone doesn't always switch to Edge...sometimes I get no service unless I manually turn off 3g. Sometimes at work, I get better signals when I turn off 3g even though the phone says I'm already connected on edge.

 

[supermum]

Since this is a common problem (at least common enough for three of us in a small-ish forum to have) I would recommend sending this problem to Apple via the iPhone Feedback link that BadAsh (and Rene) provided in a Sticky. This way if they get enough complaints they will (hopefully!) fix it in 2.1. I am going to try a restore later today like BadAsh suggested. I will post to let you know if it fixed the problem. Might be tomorrow before I know as I heard the restore takes a chunk of time.


http://forum.theiphoneblog.com/apple-iphone/166349-report-your-bugs-2-0-apple-link-inside.html

 

[supermum]

It would almost be comical except that it sucks...
So I restored my phone (5% of the calendar, according to the error popup window, didn't make it... which is true.. AND IT ERASED THE EVENTS FROM OUTLOOK!!!! Luckily I was able to download a few of them from Yahoo! before Outlook synced with Yahoo! Calendars and they were erased for good)


AND

My problem is worse... this is now occurring in my home. I will get "No Service" if I enable 3G and if I disable 3G I will get service. I have enabled and disabled 40 times just because I can't believe it.

It goes like this... Enable 3G (count to 3ish) "No Service"... Disable 3G (count to 3ish) two bars of service.

Well, it is time to hit up the legendary Apple customer service. Hopefully InvisibleShield will make good with their "unlimited for life" shields promise. I'll keep you all updated... please do the same if you find out any more info about this problem.

 

[supermum]

Ever since I restore my phone has been freezing at least once a day (often I get a white screen and have to do a hard reset).. my ringtones won't sync... either that or my phone refuses to recognize them and I have had TONS of other problems that I did not have pre-restore. I would think twice about restoring... some have had great luck though.

(As a side note: I have not downloaded any new apps or updates to my phone post-restore so my problems are not due to that.)

 

[Jeremy]

Ever since I restore my phone has been freezing at least once a day (often I get a white screen and have to do a hard reset).. my ringtones won't sync... either that or my phone refuses to recognize them and I have had TONS of other problems that I did not have pre-restore. I would think twice about restoring... some have had great luck though.

(As a side note: I have not downloaded any new apps or updates to my phone post-restore so my problems are not due to that.)

You may have a bigger issue than you think. Nobody should ever think twice about doing a restore is perfectly safe and normal. Think of it as doing a complete format on your PC. All that a restore does is put your iPhone back to the way it is when it leaves the factory. Now I have not read all of the posts in this thread but when you are restoring are you doing so from scratch or from a backup? If you are doing so from a backup delete that backup and do one from scratch. Good luck.

 

[supermum]

Now I have not read all of the posts in this thread but when you are restoring are you doing so from scratch or from a backup?

Do you mind explaining the difference to me? I think I understand what you mean. iTunes downloaded a huge file (225 MB???) then it was installed on my iPhone... then it put the apps/contacts/etc. back on the phone.

 

[Jeremy]

Do you mind explaining the difference to me? I think I understand what you mean. iTunes downloaded a huge file (225 MB???) then it was installed on my iPhone... then it put the apps/contacts/etc. back on the phone.

After the restore is complete it will ask you do you want to restore from a backup or a new iPhone. You do not want to use a backup file. You may have something in a current backup file that is creating your issue. Hope this helps.

 

[supermum]

Don't remember that happening (although I am not doubting I did select one... just don't remember).

Maybe I'll try again... but I am heading in the direction of the Apple Store on Thursday to a photo shoot... I don't want to get to the point I hate my phone.. I still am obsessed with it and would make out with it if it would have me. Just don't want it to consume hours of my life trying to fix it (which is happening more often then not).