No 2g (GPRS) data on three Ireland

Kaskade

I know threads exist specific to the iPhone and issues people are having on three. I am being told by three that the issue is the iPhone4 and nit the network. Would love to know if anybody else has no data at all when on 3s 2g network.

I have read that 3 have a roaming agreement with vodafone for voice and text but not data. I have also read that people with blackberries had 2g data but in July it all stopped. Seemingly on august 13th 3 turned on 2g data and it seems to be working for some people. Not me though!

My other issue which may or may not be iPhone related is that the phone is that I seem to find the phone on 3 rather than 3(3G) in areas where I know there is good 3G signal. It looks like the phone picks the stronger signal and doesn't prioritise 3G.

I would love other peoples experience. I would love to stay with 3 but I cannot survive having no data most of the time. I can live with 2g data for email, gps etc but trying to get the phone to automatically pickup 3G in a good coverage area is also very frustrating.

angel01

That's interesting because I was considering moving to three, do you know is this a widespread problem?

Kaskade

I dont know, I suppose that is the reason for this thread. Three have great packages and prices for the iphone but it is no good paying for a smartphone with data when you actually cant use it.

angel01

At the moment I am on O2 and not very happy, can't really use my phone in work because I can't get on the internet :eek:

I am still considering which phones I am interested in on three, seems to be better value on 3.

mathew

I'm fairly sure its a problem with settings that is causing the problem.

How I have it working

(Not sure if this step is necessary) On mythree > Account Settings > Access Settings I have set Internet access on - Local and International.

On my phone I have told it to allow data when roaming (because thats effectively what you are doing when on 2g with 3.

My APN is set to 3ireland.ie


The above settings are also necessary to use data on a 3 like home network (UK, Australia etc)

If you go to a country that doesn't have 3 like home you can just disable data when roaming on your device.

Kaskade

I just spoke to somebody in 3 technical support and he was very helpful. He said they are aware of the problem. On friday last they turned on data on 2g but there seems to have been an issue with some of the masts and thats why it works for some people and not others.

The issue where the phone doens't stay on 3g requires a carrier update as the iphone tries to use 2g to save battery life where possible. He said this will also be done.

Here is hoping it is done within the next week before my cooling off period expires.

evolutionqy7

three doesnt have 2G or otherwise called EDGE

It has GPRS -> 3G

Max Power 2010

evolutionqy7 wrote: »

three doesnt have 2G or otherwise called EDGE

It has GPRS -> 3G

2g Gsm voice and text
2.5g GPRS
2.75g Edge
3g Wcdma
3.5g HSPA

evolutionqy7

sorry actually googled it and your right :P

it still doesnt have edge network :P

Max Power 2010

evolutionqy7 wrote: »

sorry actually googled it and your right :P

it still doesnt have edge network :P

I know, the 2g service is provided by vodafone who dont have edge at all!

evolutionqy7

hence why i preffer metoer...their small unpopulated and non congested speeds provide reasonable speeds outside 3G, and good 3G speeds when in area

Kaskade

Max Power 2010 wrote: »

2g Gsm voice and text
2.5g GPRS
2.75g Edge
3g Wcdma
3.5g HSPA

Thanks for the explanation. I suppose my concern is that 3 should have some sort of data when not on 3g. Looks like if they are roaming with vodafone it should be 2.5g in order to get gprs. Really the phone is no good when there are so many areas without 3g or where the phone wont stay on 3g

mathew

Kaskade wrote: »

I just spoke to somebody in 3 technical support and he was very helpful. He said they are aware of the problem. On friday last they turned on data on 2g but there seems to have been an issue with some of the masts and thats why it works for some people and not others.

The issue where the phone doens't stay on 3g requires a carrier update as the iphone tries to use 2g to save battery life where possible. He said this will also be done.

Here is hoping it is done within the next week before my cooling off period expires.

Data on 2g has been working since I joined 3 in May, so they didn't just 'turn it on' on friday.

It's just a matter of how the phone is set up. People who cant get online when they don't have 3g coverage simply have settings wrong somewhere.

The iPhone 4 should work on GPRS with 3 (via vodafone) with its battery saving thing. The problem is that it will be very slow. It also wont be able to change to 3g since to do so it has to change network (form vodafone to 3).

Kaskade

mathew wrote: »

Data on 2g has been working since I joined 3 in May, so they didn't just 'turn it on' on friday.

It's just a matter of how the phone is set up. People who cant get online when they don't have 3g coverage simply have settings wrong somewhere.

The iPhone 4 should work on GPRS with 3 (via vodafone) with its battery saving thing. The problem is that it will be very slow. It also wont be able to change to 3g since to do so it has to change network (form vodafone to 3).

Have you any idea how I get these settings, 3 have told me that it was switched on back on Friday the 13th but there was an issue with come cells. I was in Galway, Clare, Limerick and Cork this weekend but I never got the little blue o when I am not in 3g coverage. Twice this morning I have seen the little blue o for about 2 seconds after I hang up a phone call. I'm surprise at how many people have data working, both of our two phones on 3 dont work other than when we have 3g. This is seriously frustrating.

electrolinks

Ive just got the iPhone 4 with three.ie and it doesnt work properly. When I lose 3g connection 2g doesn't kick in. It makes the smartphone into well just a phone.

Im going to leave the netwrok and return my phone. What a waste of time.

Walkman

It does work, you'll see by the poll more people than not have 2G data working

electrolinks

Some people say its a phone hardware issue, some people say its that three.ie dont have GPRS on all cells. Either way it doesnt work for me and three dont know why. Not good.

stringy

if it does work, i.e. 2g works, can someone please explain how I get my phone to work it, when there is no 3g available.

if i switch to 3 (not 3[3g]), in carrier settings I still get no 2g or an icon on my screen.

thanks

electrolinks

I persisted and their tech support made some change on their side now I have 2g as well as 3g on my iPhone 4. So the solution is to call them and insist they fix the issue. Why dont they make sure it works by default?

angel01

They told me just now 2g data is just for iphone 4 users

mathew

Works perfectly on my SGS...

drunkmonkey

mathew wrote: »

Works perfectly on my SGS...

Getting my SGS today, can't wait : )
Have my fill of iPhone and the brutal reception on it.
Have roadtested the SGS and it's amazing how quicker and better the 3G reception is by simply changing phones.

angel01

mathew wrote: »

Works perfectly on my SGS...

Can't say it works for me..:mad::(

I will give it another try tonight but I am frustrated to say the least..

drunkmonkey

Have you no 3G at home angel? 2G data seems to be a bit hit and miss.

angel01

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Have you no 3G at home angel? 2G data seems to be a bit hit and miss.

I get 3G at times and then I lose it so I get "R" and no data. So I have to manually check and then get connected again. I lost it again earlier on my way to work and 3 tell me, 2g data only works for iphone users so they won't do anything for me

mathew

angel01 wrote: »

I get 3G at times and then I lose it so I get "R" and no data. So I have to manually check and then get connected again. I lost it again earlier on my way to work and 3 tell me, 2g data only works for iphone users so they won't do anything for me

I put a possible solution in your other thread. Did you try it?

angel01

mathew wrote: »

I put a possible solution in your other thread. Did you try it?

I have, my signal is ok at the moment but I will test it on the way home, thanks

jay93

I've got GPRS over the vodafone network working for me i had other profiles saved in my phone with differant 3 APN'S i deleted all the other ones and kept the one that had the APN of 3ireland.ie and it works great

aFlabbyPanda

just to chime in here but I'm also having the same problem. Bought my phone 2 days ago and have had nothing but problems (no mms working, no 2g access, phone not ringing even in coverage).

Been on to tech support everyday regarding 2g access but no joy so far. going to return it if I dont get it sorted within the 2 weeks.

drunkmonkey

BrianjG wrote: »

just to chime in here but I'm also having the same problem. Bought my phone 2 days ago and have had nothing but problems (no mms working, no 2g access, phone not ringing even in coverage).

Been on to tech support everyday regarding 2g access but no joy so far. going to return it if I dont get it sorted within the 2 weeks.

What phone are you using and where are you, sounds like a dodgy phone best off go back tomorrow and get it swapped for a new one.

angel01

BrianjG wrote: »

just to chime in here but I'm also having the same problem. Bought my phone 2 days ago and have had nothing but problems (no mms working, no 2g access, phone not ringing even in coverage).

Been on to tech support everyday regarding 2g access but no joy so far. going to return it if I dont get it sorted within the 2 weeks.

I can give you a good contact for 3 who got my 2G data working if you like. PM me for their name

Vurnon San Benito

PM me it too Angel, cheers.

aFlabbyPanda

drunkmonkey wrote: »

What phone are you using and where are you, sounds like a dodgy phone best off go back tomorrow and get it swapped for a new one.

iPhone 4 in Cork.

pdelacy

angel01 wrote: »

I can give you a good contact for 3 who got my 2G data working if you like. PM me for their name

Please send me the name/contact details for the good tech support guy at Three, I can only get 3G data on my iPhone4, and no data on the 2G network. Not a great situation but I can live with it for now. I was told by one of their customer support reps that they are working on a fix and it should be rolled out in a couple of weeks. I'll believe it when I see it.

jay93

Must be only certain areas i can access 2G data on two 3 mobiles that are in my house even can use windows live messenger over 2G also altough its not very fast its still better than nothing especially when 3's 3G network goes down always have voda 2G to be backed up by is very handy thing to have

pdelacy

jay93 wrote: »

Must be only certain areas i can access 2G data on two 3 mobiles that are in my house even can use windows live messenger over 2G also altough its not very fast its still better than nothing especially when 3's 3G network goes down always have voda 2G to be backed up by is very handy thing to have

Yes, my old Nokia 5800 worked just fine on both networks, this problem appears to be iPhone 4 specific. Cheers P.

devnull

It is not just related to iPhone4, as people with other handsets have had the problem - read the thread and you will se.

sethasaurus

I joined 3 in June last year and had 2g data from then until last week.

Emailing the helpdesk is a waste of time.
I've had to email them every single month with some kind of problem. I know their outsourced helpdesk staff speak English, but it's not quite good enough English, as they have given me conflicting answers and ignored attached previous emails and not understood the problem almost every time. Often, I was on the phone, telling person number 2 or 3 the exact same story over and over again.
Their website was outdated, the offers are misleading unless you read the fine print.

Three is actually the worst company for customer service that I have ever dealt with in my life, and that really says something, considering some of the other halfwits I've encountered!

I even attempted to apply for a job so that I could fix the problems from the inside, but their job listings were hosted by a third party and the site was down at the time!

Unfortunately, they have the mobile deal that suits me and I can use my phone as a modem, etc (well, I used to be able to). The real kicker is that I'm forced now to evaluate other options, and the reality is none of them really care what the consumer wants. Mobile companies offer a number of plans and if you want something else, then tough $hit. As long as they get a monthly payment, they're happy.

Oh, and who else has seen the "SORRY" page when trying to log into my3.three.ie? You know, the woman in the white coat, laughing at you.

Their free credit offers are not automated, so I wonder also how many people have ported to Three and not received the extra 5 euro per month for switching. It's not a lot of money, of course, but does anyone recognise the term 'False Advertising'?

The way this company operates is to set up a system whereby nobody in the company is required to take responsibility for anything.
Gone are the days of speaking to the boss and getting satisfaction. This kind of business only resolves to defuse you.

angel01

sethasaurus wrote: »

I joined 3 in June last year and had 2g data from then until last week.

Emailing the helpdesk is a waste of time.
I've had to email them every single month with some kind of problem. I know their outsourced helpdesk staff speak English, but it's not quite good enough English, as they have given me conflicting answers and ignored attached previous emails and not understood the problem almost every time. Often, I was on the phone, telling person number 2 or 3 the exact same story over and over again.
Their website was outdated, the offers are misleading unless you read the fine print.

Three is actually the worst company for customer service that I have ever dealt with in my life, and that really says something, considering some of the other halfwits I've encountered!

I even attempted to apply for a job so that I could fix the problems from the inside, but their job listings were hosted by a third party and the site was down at the time!

Unfortunately, they have the mobile deal that suits me and I can use my phone as a modem, etc (well, I used to be able to). The real kicker is that I'm forced now to evaluate other options, and the reality is none of them really care what the consumer wants. Mobile companies offer a number of plans and if you want something else, then tough $hit. As long as they get a monthly payment, they're happy.

Oh, and who else has seen the "SORRY" page when trying to log into my3.three.ie? You know, the woman in the white coat, laughing at you.

Their free credit offers are not automated, so I wonder also how many people have ported to Three and not received the extra 5 euro per month for switching. It's not a lot of money, of course, but does anyone recognise the term 'False Advertising'?

The way this company operates is to set up a system whereby nobody in the company is required to take responsibility for anything.
Gone are the days of speaking to the boss and getting satisfaction. This kind of business only resolves to defuse you.

Try the 3 section of boards. You may get somewhere

jay93

sethasaurus wrote: »

I joined 3 in June last year and had 2g data from then until last week.

Emailing the helpdesk is a waste of time.
I've had to email them every single month with some kind of problem. I know their outsourced helpdesk staff speak English, but it's not quite good enough English, as they have given me conflicting answers and ignored attached previous emails and not understood the problem almost every time. Often, I was on the phone, telling person number 2 or 3 the exact same story over and over again.
Their website was outdated, the offers are misleading unless you read the fine print.

Three is actually the worst company for customer service that I have ever dealt with in my life, and that really says something, considering some of the other halfwits I've encountered!

I even attempted to apply for a job so that I could fix the problems from the inside, but their job listings were hosted by a third party and the site was down at the time!

Unfortunately, they have the mobile deal that suits me and I can use my phone as a modem, etc (well, I used to be able to). The real kicker is that I'm forced now to evaluate other options, and the reality is none of them really care what the consumer wants. Mobile companies offer a number of plans and if you want something else, then tough $hit. As long as they get a monthly payment, they're happy.

Oh, and who else has seen the "SORRY" page when trying to log into my3.three.ie? You know, the woman in the white coat, laughing at you.

Their free credit offers are not automated, so I wonder also how many people have ported to Three and not received the extra 5 euro per month for switching. It's not a lot of money, of course, but does anyone recognise the term 'False Advertising'?

The way this company operates is to set up a system whereby nobody in the company is required to take responsibility for anything.
Gone are the days of speaking to the boss and getting satisfaction. This kind of business only resolves to defuse you.

What APN is your phone set to in your internet settings?

srsly78

Thread is barking up the wrong tree.

Nothing wrong with 2g on (vodafone roaming) 3. Problem is switching back to 3g afterwards bugs the phone. This made me ragequit from 3 last year because various android phones would keep losing connection. Terrible network, they won't even anknowledge there is a problem. Note I was in Dublin city center the whole time, this is nothing to do with poor signal out in the sticks.

It seems to be related to an "always on connection" during the 2g<->3g switch. Many users that do not use apps like pushmail or skype all the time may not notice it. Anyway, useless network, my devices did not work as they were supposed to. Terrible support as well.

sethasaurus

It's all irrelevant now.
There used to be an option to enable/disable 'Out-of-bundle billing' (which I always had disabled).
I had the 500MB Add-on, which I expected to expire while downloading something. It just ran on and on and sucked the remaining 37.93 from my account!
I logged into the my3 page again (avoiding the laughing blonde in the white coat, luckily), and found that this option does not even exist anymore!

Wrote the monkeys at three an email, telling them their company is $hit, basically, and now I walk on.

There are more expensive options out there, but I'm hoping not to receive as bad product and customer service.