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HSDPA with w910i on Orange UK |
lukeross
Joined: Apr 15, 2008
Posts: 7
From: London, UK
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Has anyone had any success with this combination? I've got an Orange-branded w910i but it doesn't see HSDPA even in central London. Sony's website suggests it should support HSDPA, but Orange say they believe the handset's hardware doesn't. Have Orange hobbled their w910s, or are they just confused? (I get a slightly different answer every time I call!) |
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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Not every HSDPA firmware displays a H symbol when HSDPA speed is available. My V640i doesn't yet I have speed tested it at over 1.1 Mbps which is obviously HSDPA speed. Try connecting it to your PC and visting www.speedtest.net. - there is a speedtest thread here
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lukeross
Joined: Apr 15, 2008
Posts: 7
From: London, UK
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I'll try the speed test, but browsing in central London was pretty slow when I gave it a try on Sunday. Some people at Orange suggested that the Orange firmware on other SE handsets uses a "3G+" icon instead of an "H" icon, but I haven't seen either - just the "3G" one. |
gudgin
Joined: Aug 17, 2006
Posts: 79
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Orange's HSDPA network is shockingly small. The only place I've been able to get a signal is at the MoD in Bristol.
Oh, I've also had it for 30 seconds in Birmingham New Street and some random field on the train near Stevenage.
Never had a signal in the centre of Manchester, Bradford, Leeds or London, all of which I seem to remember being listed as in their coverage.
Oh, I used a k850 though |
carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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I only see a 3G symbol too.
UK K850i owners often see the H symbol.
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darrengf
Joined: Dec 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
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Im on O2 and I get a H on my K850i, On occasions it does go to 3g, but very rarely.
However it does depend on the firmware you have on the phone.
If its the early version then it probaly wont show H on 3g or 3g+
The latest firmware will show both 3g and h as mine does.
Hope this helps, |
lukeross
Joined: Apr 15, 2008
Posts: 7
From: London, UK
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I think the firmware is OK - it's revision R1EC001. Interesting about Orange's HSDPA being so lame. I asked in the Orange shop on Oxford Street about whether the area was 3G+ enabled and they believed it was, although this information is of questionable validity. It's a shame they don't publish coverage maps. |
gaming_guy
Joined: Oct 10, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: UK
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On 2008-04-15 13:21:53, gudgin wrote:
Some random field on the train near Stevenage.
do you know what field it was? 
if my k810 supported hspda, i would try and see if i could get signal on it
K700i > K750i > K810i (current phone)
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gudgin
Joined: Aug 17, 2006
Posts: 79
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Oh, and just to clarify, the icon does say 3G+ on orange k850i. A little plus appears in the gap above the letter G |
lukeross
Joined: Apr 15, 2008
Posts: 7
From: London, UK
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I shall go for a walk round with a speed tester this evening and see if I can get anything useful.
There are mumblings every so often that you need an HSDPA SIM card, although this often seems to be disputed. I'm assuming you all had HSDPA on your existing 3G SIM and didn't need a replacement?
Also, SonyE have suggested that the whole icon thing is a product of the network and firmware and only loosely related to the actual speed available (http://www.a site/2007/11/se-k850i-and-w910i-hsdpa-problem.html) so I'll see what speedtest thinks and go from there |
lukeross
Joined: Apr 15, 2008
Posts: 7
From: London, UK
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No joy so far. The best I got was about 400kbps outside Bank station, although of course I've no idea where the fabled HSDPA base stations in London are so don't know if it's the phone or the network. |
carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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On 2008-04-15 16:36:30, gaming_guy wrote:
On 2008-04-15 13:21:53, gudgin wrote:
Some random field on the train near Stevenage.
do you know what field it was?
if my k810 supported hspda, i would try and see if i could get signal on it
Sounds like Orange are outstanding in thier field...
Send them an email asking them to get thier act together or at least give you details of were the good reception is. Even directions to that field might help. 
_________________
My V640i review
"Innovation in styling comes from innovation in packaging" - Gordon Murray
[ This Message was edited by: carkitter on 2008-04-20 00:28 ] |
lukeross
Joined: Apr 15, 2008
Posts: 7
From: London, UK
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Send them an email asking them to get thier act together or at least give you details of were the good reception is. Even directions to that field might help.
Hmm, I tried an email but was told to call 156. I emailed saying that 156 hadn't been able to help; the reply asked me to call 156 again. I'm considering a (written) letter... |
lukeross
Joined: Apr 15, 2008
Posts: 7
From: London, UK
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I wrote that letter to Orange, and after a while have received a few callbacks. In summary, I've been assured there's nothing wrong with the handset and everything wrong with the network. Apparently because of network congestion in the London area it's highly unlikely I'll get any HSDPA coverage. The suggestion was that the masts only offer it when the network traffic falls below a certain level. |
Wuz
Joined: Nov 01, 2002
Posts: 319
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If its a help, on my Orange n95 8gb, it (v.occassionally) displays 3.5g, rather than 3g...which I believe indiactes HSPDA.
On a connected subject, according to the Orange website, you are charged per minute when using HSPDA, rather than it coming out of your data bundle. This is ridiculuous - I was not made aware of this when I took out my data plan. Can anyone else confirm this is true? |
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Posted: 2008-04-15 12:06
