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SMARTY cannot connect to 4G

orange

Regular Member
Been on SMARTY for a few weeks now, but I seem to have this issue that it does not want to connect to 4G. This seems to be an issue everywhere I go which is strange because I'm in North London and the coverage checker indicates good 4G almost everywhere. Either I get 5G in a few places (understandable) or it drops back to 3G (H or H+). It sits on 3G around 98% of the time.

The weird thing is I can connect to 4G/4G+ on a 200MB three data SIM just fine. Attached 2 screenshots of this, taken today, minutes apart. The first is SMARTY, where if I try to manually select the 4G signal it says 'Can't connect'. The 2nd with the three SIM which connects to 4G automatically.

Things that I've tried:
  • Restarted my phone many times
  • Trying the SIM 1 and SIM 2 slots
  • The default APN settings, the ones on the SMARTY website and the 3 APN - all have the same issue
  • Contacted SMARTY help, who have checked my account and said there is nothing wrong.
  • Got a replacement SIM - which has the same problem.
Any ideas on what the issue is and how to fix?
 

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Been on SMARTY for a few weeks now, but I seem to have this issue that it does not want to connect to 4G. This seems to be an issue everywhere I go which is strange because I'm in North London and the coverage checker indicates good 4G almost everywhere. Either I get 5G in a few places (understandable) or it drops back to 3G (H or H+). It sits on 3G around 98% of the time.

The weird thing is I can connect to 4G/4G+ on a 200MB three data SIM just fine. Attached 2 screenshots of this, taken today, minutes apart. The first is SMARTY, where if I try to manually select the 4G signal it says 'Can't connect'. The 2nd with the three SIM which connects to 4G automatically.

Things that I've tried:
  • Restarted my phone many times
  • Trying the SIM 1 and SIM 2 slots
  • The default APN settings, the ones on the SMARTY website and the 3 APN - all have the same issue
  • Contacted SMARTY help, who have checked my account and said there is nothing wrong.
  • Got a replacement SIM - which has the same problem.
Any ideas on what the issue is and how to fix?
what phone are you using? I don't recognize the UI at all.
 
Been on SMARTY for a few weeks now, but I seem to have this issue that it does not want to connect to 4G. This seems to be an issue everywhere I go which is strange because I'm in North London and the coverage checker indicates good 4G almost everywhere. Either I get 5G in a few places (understandable) or it drops back to 3G (H or H+). It sits on 3G around 98% of the time.

The weird thing is I can connect to 4G/4G+ on a 200MB three data SIM just fine. Attached 2 screenshots of this, taken today, minutes apart. The first is SMARTY, where if I try to manually select the 4G signal it says 'Can't connect'. The 2nd with the three SIM which connects to 4G automatically.

Things that I've tried:
  • Restarted my phone many times
  • Trying the SIM 1 and SIM 2 slots
  • The default APN settings, the ones on the SMARTY website and the 3 APN - all have the same issue
  • Contacted SMARTY help, who have checked my account and said there is nothing wrong.
  • Got a replacement SIM - which has the same problem.
Any ideas on what the issue is and how to
Hi orange, a bit obvious I know, but I guess you've checked that your sim settings preferred network are both set to 4G, you can set them seperately.
 
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what phone are you using? I don't recognize the UI at all.

Sony Xperia 5 II

Hi orange, a bit obvious I know, but I guess you've checked that your sim settings preferred network are both set to 4G, you can set them seperately.

Yes, I've tried all the options there, default is 5G/4G/3G/2G which I normally keep it on but also tried 4G/3G/2G and 3G/2G. Of course, the last one would only connect to 3G.
 
Been on SMARTY for a few weeks now, but I seem to have this issue that it does not want to connect to 4G. This seems to be an issue everywhere I go which is strange because I'm in North London and the coverage checker indicates good 4G almost everywhere. Either I get 5G in a few places (understandable) or it drops back to 3G (H or H+). It sits on 3G around 98% of the time.

The weird thing is I can connect to 4G/4G+ on a 200MB three data SIM just fine. Attached 2 screenshots of this, taken today, minutes apart. The first is SMARTY, where if I try to manually select the 4G signal it says 'Can't connect'. The 2nd with the three SIM which connects to 4G automatically.

Things that I've tried:
  • Restarted my phone many times
  • Trying the SIM 1 and SIM 2 slots
  • The default APN settings, the ones on the SMARTY website and the 3 APN - all have the same issue
  • Contacted SMARTY help, who have checked my account and said there is nothing wrong.
  • Got a replacement SIM - which has the same problem.
Any ideas on what the issue is and how to fix?
Have you tried your SIM in another phone to triple check it's not a SIM/account issue? Smarty customer services are full of lip service.
 
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So I tried the SIM in an old phone today and it works fine on 4G. Put it back into my phone and its back to 3G only, no idea why my phone doesn't want to connect to 4G.

At least that rules out the sim being the problem.
 
Was the phone brand new? Not 2nd hand? If it was 2nd hand then perhaps someone had applied some rat/band locking before reselling and didn't reset it
 
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but surely this would affect the 3 SIM aswell?
You're right, yes it would - I skimmed too much yesterday!

Having re-read this topic with a clearer head this morning I'm now leaning towards it being an issue with a lack of VoLTE configuration being available for smarty in the phone in question, which is then why its denying connectivity to 4G on VoLTE restricted sites. (or smarty not having the phone on their allowed list - this was similar with my wife's iPhone XS which couldn't use wifi calling with smarty until they changed things on their end)

I'd guess the areas the OP visits has a wide deployment of Ericsson and the 5G connectivity is the interesting bit - those sites must be more legacy (Huawei) without such restriction.
 
Was the phone brand new? Not 2nd hand? If it was 2nd hand then perhaps someone had applied some rat/band locking before reselling and didn't reset it

Owned since new, used it for 2 years on o2 with no issues accessing 4G. Also, 4G works fine on a 3 free data SIM I have.

@orange if you install cellmapper what LTE bands can you see available?

I've downloaded cellmapper but not sure how to interept the results - the cells that come up on the home screen are UMTS or HSPA. The UMTS band name is IMT-2000, RX frequency 2112.8 MHx, Band 1.
 
Owned since new, used it for 2 years on o2 with no issues accessing 4G. Also, 4G works fine on a 3 free data SIM I have.



I've downloaded cellmapper but not sure how to interept the results - the cells that come up on the home screen are UMTS or HSPA. The UMTS band name is IMT-2000, RX frequency 2112.8 MHx, Band 1.
Have you tried creating a clean APN for smarty in that device? As the auto settings may be incorrect for whatever reason.

APN: mob.asm.net
User name: [leave this field blank]
Password: [leave this field blank]
MMSC: http://mms.um.three.co.uk:10021/mmsc
MMS proxy: mms.three.co.uk
MMS port: 8799
APN type: [leave this field blank]
 
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Yes I have, it doesn't make any difference :(
I agree with Gavin its a VoLTE issue. SMARTY didn't like my old Xiaomi, but Three did - this was all down to VoLTE support. A lot of Three masts don't allow a 4G connection if the device/SIM isn't capable of VoLTE due to the 3G switch off and most new Phase 8 pole installs being 4G/5G only. Its in case you're in an area with 4G&5G but no 3G and need to make an emergency call, no calls would go through hence no VoLTE.
 
I agree with Gavin its a VoLTE issue. SMARTY didn't like my old Xiaomi, but Three did - this was all down to VoLTE support. A lot of Three masts don't allow a 4G connection if the device/SIM isn't capable of VoLTE due to the 3G switch off and most new Phase 8 pole installs being 4G/5G only. Its in case you're in an area with 4G&5G but no 3G and need to make an emergency call, no calls would go through hence no VoLTE.
Yes my other halfs mi a2 had same issue
 
I agree with Gavin its a VoLTE issue. SMARTY didn't like my old Xiaomi, but Three did - this was all down to VoLTE support. A lot of Three masts don't allow a 4G connection if the device/SIM isn't capable of VoLTE due to the 3G switch off and most new Phase 8 pole installs being 4G/5G only. Its in case you're in an area with 4G&5G but no 3G and need to make an emergency call, no calls would go through hence no VoLTE.
I thought that was only the case for b20 or have there been further changes? Interesting to know the phase 8 poles don't include 3G, not surprising but interesting to know.
 
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