Is it network, WM6, or the unit problem?

[Adigital]

The problem is one of the most annoying ones you can have: it appears only from time to time and you don't know when and even when it does you don't notice.

Simply my phone is not accessible for others even it shows full range and so on. The message "...the phone is switched off...". This problem occurs in as far as I remember 3 releases of ROMS (full, vanillas, etc). The radio ROM was also changed. I don't remember having such issue in early WM6 or in original 2005.

Since it's not related directly to any of the releases I post it as a new thread.

Now I have 3 options:
1. Downgrade to 2005
2. Throw the unit through the window, wait until end of contract and buy an iPhone
3. Try to fight with T-Mobile UK - which is not really an option since I just recovered from fighting with Orange for over a month

Does any of you experienced such problem?
Any known issues with downgrading to 2005 like ISPL required before flashing original ROM?
Any suggestions?

[Adigital]

...
Any known issues with downgrading to 2005 like ISPL required before flashing original ROM?
..

Well, I got the answer - couldn't wait and did the downgrade using original ROM. If anyone interested it went without problems. No ISPL needed. Connected, fired-up the exe file and worked OK.
I'll see how about the availability problem.

[Adigital]

Ok, seems that it's only me having the conversation ;o)
I apologize for the thread location - it doesn't seem to be related strictly to WM6 anymore as I...

...installed WM5 and did some tests:
(I have voice mail switched off)
- Call waiting enabled = no calls allowed when GPRS active
- Call waiting disabled = no calls when transferring data (large file) but received when no transfer
- Used W660i SonyEricsson handset - could receive calls regardless of GPRS activity

Rang T-Mobile tech support where they told me that this is network feature that when internet connection is active no calls are allowed and since my voicemail is turned off all callers get message that my phone is switched off. In the light of GPRS specification and my tests this is a bullshit.

Now I'm asking anyone on UK T-Mobile Web'n'Walk and who wants to help - please do such test. Just try to call your number from different phone when opening a web-page.

This is pretty important to me - I need internet on the move and don't want to get rid of my MDA.
Thanks in advance!

[Al66]

Hi there,

I'm on T-Mobile UK too and I ran some tests myself and found that you are absolutely correct. When you transfer data you cannot receive phone calls.

I've got an O2 device with me I can do some more tests on and I'll also try and borrow my Wife's Samsung and test that too. I'll post my findings here.

Cheers

Alex

[Al66]

ok, i've just tested this on an O2 3G device and there was no problem, next to try a none windows mobile t-mobile phone.

[Al66]

seems this problem has been around for while and on other networks.

http://www.freenfo.net/mobile/archive/index-t-64022.html

[Al66]

ok, final test and conclusion.

I tested the same o2 phone as above but in a NON 3g area (i.e. gprs only) and found the exact same issue.

conclusion: this seems to affect all types of phone and multiple networks but only when using gprs NOT 3g.

I'm suprised we havent heard more about this problem.

cheers

Alex

[Adigital]

Thank you Alex very much for your help.
I did some research on the topic last night and found the same info as guys in the thread your linked. It must be that T-Mobile UK operates in NOM-2, which allows to suspend GPRS session only when no data is transferred. When packets are transmitted the device doesn't 'see' incoming calls as it's 'busy' with dealing with the packets. NOM-1 is 'able' to encapsulate information about incoming call into one of the packets and the device is notified about - so it can react, suspend the transmission and pick up the call.

The fact is that our MDA/Artemis uses Class B of GPRS which doesn't allow simultaneous CDA/GPRS at the same time. Even if it can suspend active data transfer it is the network that has to support that feature.

What I must notice is that I had lot more problems wiht this when I was using WM6. It seems that there were some packets transmitted by the system or something. I had my mail set to check servers every 15 mins at the beginning but lately ony once an hour or two. Other soft that could transmit anything was Weather module from SPB or Touch. Now when I'm on WM5 and was checking the issue during loading a page I was unavailable but as soon as a page was completely loaded my phone was accessible back.

My surprise is that if the 'issue' seems to be quite normal and there is nothing to do about it why I couldn't find any info about it here. Doesn't it affect anyone of our community?

I may be wrong with the WM6 expirience but still. If WM6 works fine in that respect it must have happened that someone missed a call when browsing the net.

[mugglesquop]

i hadnt noticed to be honest :P

[Adigital]

i hadnt noticed to be honest :P

Did you try ringing your phone when it was loading a long page or downloading a file?

[Al66]

TBH I think I've noticed it just as much on WM6 as I did (or didn't) on WM5, I think I put these odd voice mails turning up down to weird WM issues! Now I know the truth though.

Obv. there isn't a lot we can do about this and I'm not prepared to turn off my Windows Live Mail or my direct push. I think we just have to wait until our contracts are up for renewal and get over to a 3G device - I'm liking the look of the Touch Cruise myself, or the Touch Dual if I want that keyboard back and by the time my contract is up I think they should be on T-Mob UK.

[ffelan]

does the same thing happen in Edge areas or as that rolls out will the problem disappear?

[Al66]

I'm not sure about how EDGE works but the problem affects GPRS rather than 3G due to the fact that GPRS and the incoming call are submitted alongside each other and 3G is seperate. I don't think t-mob uk have edge running yet so I can't test, perhpas some else can test for us.

[MasK]

Bro.. My first 3rd party ROM is the Touch 3.0.. and yes.. my connnection did go off once a while (no bars as well).. that was kinda irritating. I have to go to connection manager and toggle my data connection or something like that, before my phone will get the GSM signal.

And yea.. the original WM5 and WM6 have no such issues.. I wonder if this is because of the new radio version..