No signal, bad data connection

I’ve been having problems lately with my FP2. Sometimes the signal is completely dropped, and I can only make emergency calls. It can stay that way for quite a while, and I miss important calls. Then the signal might return and be perhaps G or 3G for a while, but often without a working connection - no up/down-loading. Most often, perhaps half the time, I have a 3G or H+ connection with decent speed. But once or twice a day I have a 4G connection. I often have an exclamation mark in the connection symbol where the carrier’s name is displayed.

When I compare with another phone (a Lumia) with a SIM from the same carrier (Sonera), the other phone has a stable 3G or H+ connection, fully functional. I tried to put the SIM from the Lumia in the FP2, and the same problem appeared. So there is something wrong with the FP2.

I didn’t have this problem during the first two weeks, there was always a signal and mostly quite stable.

Does anyone have any clue about where the problem might be?

4 Likes

Yes, I seem to have a similar problem, the cellular data connection dropping and being instable. I have had this for several months in The Netherlands, using Robin Mobile as provider (which is the KPN network, up to 3G only).

Then I purchased a Vodafone NL SIM this week with 4G, to test the FP2 with another sim card. The same problem occurs: even when I am in the middle of a big city (The Hague, Utrecht, Amsterdam), or in the train in populated areas, regularly when browsing I need to wait several minutes as the connection is constantly switching between G, H+, 3G, 4G, back and forth, then the signal strength drops completely. Sometimes it comes back after a few minutes, sometimes the page cannot be loaded and I need to wait until the phone ‘figures it all out’ again.

At the moment I have both SIMs in the FP2, whichever SIM has the cellular data enabled and set to 4G max, has the connection problems, including the weakest signal strength. I suspect there are 2 antennas and/or cellular chips in the FP2, one that can go up to 4G and the other up to 2G (see options in mobile network settings). The problem seems to relate to the 4G chip/antenna.

I am running Fairphone OS 1.3.6, as updating to 1.4.2 does not work (but that is another matter).

Anyone else?

If necessary I can provide more details and send screen shots of running Speedtest and of the signal strength.

1 Like

I have a similar problem - sadly no solution. My previous phone (iPhone 4S) would pick up 3G where the FP2 doesn’t. Same SIM card. Signal is intermittent anyway, working in the rural parts of Norfolk, but I live on the edge of the city which should give more consistent 4G when I am at home.

This morning has given me another example of the phone losing signal despite having not moved from the table where it has sat for the last hour, and has failed to reconnect. The only solution…a classic: turn it off and on again. This seems to allow signal back to the phone, but is not an ideal fix for the regularity of this problem. Any suggestions?

I only have one SIM in the phone, which is in port one currently. I will try a switch to the other port to see if this makes a difference…

At least I have been able to update to OS 1.4.2. …albeit after several attempts.

2 Likes

I too am having this issue. It only appears to have started relatively recently, I don’t remember it happening more than a month ago. I find my phone frequently losing all reception/signal - people tell me they have tried to ring and not got through, bar shows no signal, then a few minutes or more later it comes back. Then it will randomly go again. Thankfully wifi is fine, otherwise it’d be awful.

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Wifi works for me, too. I’ve several important calls dropped this week, so this is a real problem.

I have the problem. Signal strength changes continuously or sometimes disappears. Was not previously,I think it has something to do with the antenna. What about the supports thinking?

I had the same problem during this week. It starts to be very annoying, especially if you use the phone for work. Maybe something wrong with the latest update? Please help us.

For me, the problem was solved by changing the carrier. I bought a prepaid SIM card from a different carrier, just to see what happened, and after that I haven’t had any problems at all. The phone has been connected 100% of the time. So in my case, it was either a faulty SIM card or bad coverage.

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Since the latest update I’m getting the same thing. calls dropping and reguarly no signal at all

Maybe it is related to this issue:
https://forum.fairphone.com/t/pencil2-network-disconnects-gps-problems-and-re-entering-sim-possible-workarounds/20642?source_topic_id=19065

Try disabling GPS or another workaround as described there.

Hi, the deactivation of GPS won’t help with my problem. I have the same issue. Sometimes there is a H+ connection and a few seconds later the data connection is completely lost. This issue occures since about 3-4 weeks.
Another strange thing is, that if this happens, in the status bar is only “H”, despite in the screen with all status information (it appears if you drag the status bar down), the symbol hat the mobile connection is a “H+”.
Can anyone give me a hint, what to do or if this is a hardware problem.

Hello there

I am recently and just now as well, loosing signal. WIFI working fine. Sim I changed from one to two cleaned etc. and still remains the same. From what i have read above it’s not the fault of the sim card but of fairphone 2. If this is so and it is a mobile whose first function is preciselly to be able to make/receive calls does that mean I have bought a non mobile phone?
Wile writing I managed to solve the problem once again but this time I had to swith off localization (gps)

Hi

I bought the fairphone about a month ago and cannot fix this problem. Have tried a new sim, etc. The phone is more or less useless to me outside of wifi areas. From reading these linked threads, it seems my only option is to return it? Are there any other solutions that people have found?

Thanks
whoosh

I have the same problem! I’m so happy I’m not alone!
Did anybody already found a solution? I contacted the team about it, I hope they will answer soon. It is really annoying! I’m a general practitioner so I need to be constantly available and that is not the case with this phone.

So if there is an answer from fairphone or a solution please tell!

Thank you!

For me, it’s also becoming a problem.
My FP2 often has no connection at the office. No problem, I still have a fixed phone on my desk. And I will see those smses coming when it suddenly has a connection.

But now… We just bought a new house. You know, a house that has some insulation, right in the city center. Too much insulation, apparently: my phone has no signal in my own house :frowning:
I guess I will have to contact support, because this can’t be normal behaviour…

Same issue here.

I do neither see crashes nor are there issues with re-entering the SIM PIN. However, it seems that mobile internet works only occassionally for few seconds - sometimes on demand (e.g. open browser, whatsapp, …). Typically, the connection is lost after a short time again, even when it is used. There are phases, however, where mobile internet is enabled for hours, but no packets are recieved. Also, the mobile connection (for phone calls) shows similar behaviour. The connection is displayed to be “ok”, but calls won’t work and a bunch of missed calls will be shown some hours later, although the phone was definitely turned on and displayed working connection. Again, in some cases, calls are working after trying several times. During calls, once they are established, the connection is usually okay a few minutes.

The same provider (Germany, E-PLUS/O2) works for others at the same time and location flawlessly.
I’m running FPOOS 16.09, currently updating to 16.11.

I also have these issues. How are all of you doing with it? Replacement parts or other solutions?

1 Like

Hello everyone !

I have the same problem of loosing data connection (2G/3G/4G).
In the beginning I thought the SIM was broken so I order a new one but the problem is still here.
I tried several solutions but no results (switch to SIM 2; disable 4G; activate roaming; reset APN; disable GPS, try with another SIM…)

I’m going to open a support ticket

suggested solutions for signal problems

I had severe signal problems twice with my Fairphone 2.

App blocking signal
The first time the signal dropped when beeing indoors, still having the operator sign but I was not able to make or receive calls, nor connecting to wifi. The first suggestion was a broken contact in the hardware or the antenna. If I remember correctly (I had some chances of troubleshooting with my phone) I went to the secure mode and checked if the signal and connection to the operator worked. As it did I started deleting several apps I had installed, finding out that one app blocked the signal.

Loose Antenna:
The second time last week, the contact to the operator broke completely indoors (no operator available) or I I had low signal, changing from 4G to 2G, no signal, no operator connection. while making calls the connection broke down from one second to the other.
The phone fell on one corner (half meter hight) two days before the problem occurred, the day before I made a software update.
I went to the operator to get a new SIM which didn’t solve the problem. I checked the forum, which didn’t help me that much. I tried to contact Fairphone for repair suggestions, I set the phone back to factory settings, checked it in the save mode if any app causes the problem. neither of them helped.

I fond one post helping me. It described how to get to the antenna, which may can get loose.
When you remove the display the the Antenna can be seen on the back on the left side. Left to the microphone module the antenna is clipped on a small plastic pice covered under a small plate which you can take out (you need a small torx-wrench. The antenna can be clipped back to the piece, then you should have full signal again.
(notice, the antenna can get loos because you dropped the phone like me, or due to other reasons. it is a simple clip-connection.)

hope that may be some help.

7 Likes

Hello, I’ve been having the same problem, and changed my SIM card. Then it all worked perfectly, but now I’m experiencing the same problem again. I’ve tried everything Fairphone recommends but it doesn’t change anything : signal is OK, then drops during phone calls. Or it simply drops because I’m walking and then I have to reboot the phone for signal to come back.

What should I do? Open a ticket? Mess with the antenna ? Note quite sure about doing this…