AWS availability, LTE speedtest

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milan03

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2011
1,439
379
New York City
As many of you already know, Note 3 is one of a few Verizon smartphones that has a Category 4 LTE modem, capable of delivering 150Mbps download speeds. Verizon's been rolling out new LTE layer on AWS or Band 4, and in many cities like NYC, LA, SF, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, to name a few users have been seeing speeds just under 100Mbps, but only using Category 3 devices like GS4, iPhone 5s, etc which are hardware limited at 100Mbps.

Since this is a Note 3 forum, it would be great to have this thread for reports on Verizon's Band 4 LTE, and especially Speedtest.net results which should be north of 100Mbps!
Similar thread exists in GS4 forums: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2502716
And a much more in depth one over at HoFo: http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...ent-and-Verizon-sites-with-Remote-Radio-Units

This article also talked about Verizon's 2x20Mhz AWS LTE: http://gigaom.com/2013/10/14/watch-out-att-verizons-new-lte-network-monster-stirs-in-nyc/

On Galaxy phones it should be easy to access ServiceMode via dial codes, which will allow you to monitor the Band you're connected to, and even force the certain frequency. I don't own Note 3, but afaik Verizon usually tries to block out these codes, although there used to be an app in Play Store that would dial the codes for you (Samsung ServiceMode or Sammy codes)

*#0011# General Debug screen
*#2263# Allows you to force any frequency on your phone
*#27663368378# Main screen

There are a few other codes, please post your findings!
 
Last edited:

keennay

Senior Member
Apr 11, 2012
143
30
That's pretty neat. Thanks for the info!

I wonder what this'll mean for Verizon customers currently grandfathered into the unlimited 4G LTE data plans and if there's any plans of discontinuing that service.

I'll have to check this out once I head back to the city.

Sent from my SM-N900V
 

milan03

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2011
1,439
379
New York City
That's pretty neat. Thanks for the info!

I wonder what this'll mean for Verizon customers currently grandfathered into the unlimited 4G LTE data plans and if there's any plans of discontinuing that service.

I'll have to check this out once I head back to the city.

Sent from my SM-N900V
Unlimited users still get to access this LTE channel with capable device like Note 3.

This is what users are seeing on GS4, but remember GS4 is capable of only 100Mbps on the downlink, so that's the limiting factor. Note 3 can push 150Mbps!
 

NeoMagus

Senior Member
Mar 3, 2010
1,406
471
East Coast
I have read conflicting reports, pretty sure its still disabled on our firmware. One guy said he tried in his AWS enabled area and it wasnt recieving it, still same speed as MI9 and others thought they might since they were seeing speeds of like 60 down.

I'm not in one of those areas and lucky to see 30 down on a good day, so I can't tell you definitively either way.
 

milan03

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2011
1,439
379
New York City
I have read conflicting reports, pretty sure its still disabled on our firmware. One guy said he tried in his AWS enabled area and it wasnt recieving it, still same speed as MI9 and others thought they might since they were seeing speeds of like 60 down.

I'm not in one of those areas and lucky to see 30 down on a good day, so I can't tell you definitively either way.
Have you tried the Play Store apps to get into ServiceMode?
There are a few of them, I use this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amoopa.sammysmode&hl=en
There seems to be a similar free one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kabasoft.util.servicemodeshortcut&hl=en
 
Last edited:

lisek99

Senior Member
Oct 3, 2012
50
4
*#0011# General Debug screen
*#2263# Allows you to force any frequency on your phone
*#197328640# Main screen

Out of those 3 codes only *#0011# General Debug screen worked for me. Hmm are there any other additional steps I have to take to be able to access those other codes?
 

NeoMagus

Senior Member
Mar 3, 2010
1,406
471
East Coast
Have you tried the Play Store apps to get into ServiceMode?

No, as I said I dont live in a AWS area.

Here was the post though

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=47190780&postcount=108

I've confirmed it twice that it's not in the update, as we have both Tmo and VZ LTE in Band 4 here. VZ speeds stayed the same post update and my TMO Sim will only go to H+ vs my VZ-GS4 which goes up to LTE on the TMO SIM.
 

milan03

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2011
1,439
379
New York City
*#0011# General Debug screen
*#2263# Allows you to force any frequency on your phone
*#197328640# Main screen

Out of those 3 codes only *#0011# General Debug screen worked for me. Hmm are there any other additional steps I have to take to be able to access those other codes?
Post screenshot of *#0011# and I'll explain how to analyze it.
 

milan03

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2011
1,439
379
New York City
Ok, so you're looking at the first line where it says LTE Band. Band 13 is the original LTE layer in 700Mhz spectrum.
PLMN: 311-480 is the country/network code, unique to Verizon Wireless.
Bandwidth is the amount of spectrum they're using. Band 13 is 10Mhz nationwide, capable of 73.6Mbps peak speeds. Their Band 4 is in many markets 20Mhz capable of 150Mbps peak speeds!
RSRP is "reference signal receive power" -44dBm being amazing, and -140dBm you're about to drop connection.
SNR is "signal to noise ratio" the higher the better. 30dB is perfect.
RSRQ is "reference signal receive quality" -3dBm being amazing and -19dBm terrible.
PA state displays the new envelope tracking (ET) feature only Note 3 has, it saves battery and should improve upload, etc....

You really should be watching the first line and try to spot "BAND 4" and the third line showing you the BW (bandwidth). Should be between 10Mhz and 20Mhz depending on the market. Please state your market when you post screenshots, it will really help me figure out which areas are getting this massive capacity!

Hope this helps! ;)
 

lisek99

Senior Member
Oct 3, 2012
50
4
So do you know why I can't access those codes?

*#2263# Allows you to force any frequency on your phone
*#197328640# Main screen

I really wanna try to enable that band 4 option
 

milan03

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2011
1,439
379
New York City
So do you know why I can't access those codes?

*#2263# Allows you to force any frequency on your phone
*#197328640# Main screen

I really wanna try to enable that band 4 option
Ever since HTC Thunderbolt which had a similar ServiceMenu, Verizon got paranoid about giving users too much low level control, and started requesting OEMs to block these codes from the final shipping ROMs. T-Mobile variant for instance has all of the ServiceMode pages enabled. So the ServiceMode.apk is still there, but it isn't listening dialer any more. You can try those apps I've posted above, they should get you to the service mode.
There is also *#27663368378# Which is the actual root of the app. Also, certain ROMs enable this. It's really enabling it in the build.prop. ServiceMode is baked into the TW framework, so ROM must be TW based.
 
Last edited:

lisek99

Senior Member
Oct 3, 2012
50
4
Ever since HTC Thunderbolt which had a similar ServiceMenu, Verizon got paranoid about giving users too much low level control, and started requesting OEMs to block these codes from the final shipping ROMs. T-Mobile variant for instance has all of the ServiceMode pages enabled. So the ServiceMode.apk is still there, but it isn't listening dialer any more. You can try those apps I've posted above, they should get you to the service mode.
There is also *#27663368378# Which is the actual root of the app. Also, certain ROMs enable this. It's really enabling it in the build.prop. ServiceMode is baked into the TW framework, so ROM must be TW based.

After using *#27663368378# I navigated thru the menu and I got to this screen but after enabling it and rebooting the phone my band was still at 13

 
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keennay

Senior Member
Apr 11, 2012
143
30
Can anyone else with the Verizon Developer Edition of the Note 3 utilize any of these apps? Both say they're unsupported on my device.

Sent from my SM-N900V
 

NeoMagus

Senior Member
Mar 3, 2010
1,406
471
East Coast
Im trying to do that 2766 long string that ends with the pound nothings happening am I supposed to hit something after that dialer just tries to make a call no menu comes up

** just tried the service mode shortcut app 2nd link doesnt work says not supported when you click it in the app

Well I just tried to buy the app from the 1st link and it says my Note 3 isnt supported and wont let me download it. Howd you get into the menu? The apk for servicemode is showing in Titanium and not frozen dont know why it wont open
 
Last edited:

milan03

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2011
1,439
379
New York City
After using *#27663368378# I navigated thru the menu and I got to this screen but after enabling it and rebooting the phone my band was still at 13

Ah finally! After the reboot, do you have Band 4 ENABLED? Did it stick? Which ROM are you on and what metro area are you in?

Not all areas have Band 4 enabled. NYC, LA, SF, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, but also Lexington, KY, etc... Try testing it in the busiest parts of your city, since Verizon is deploying there first, to alleviate the congestion.
 

changt34x

Senior Member
Sep 1, 2013
153
56
Hi Milan, nice seeing you here, read a lot of your posts over at HoFo and S4GRU.

YES!!! AWS live in Philadelphia!!! I have kept up with the HoFo thread and haven't heard of any sighting in Philly yet.

What I did was first enabled B4 like above and then went into UE setting, settings, protocol, NAS, network control, band selection, and under LTE preference chose B4 to force it. Interesting enough there is no B13 option in there.

I have screenshots of service mode, was speed test, and b13 speed test. Too bad signal on AWS sucks so I can't really use it. I guess this is because Verizon had the lowest number of towers here. My speed test is quite poor but compared to B13 in Philly, otherwise known as the slowest network in Philly other than Verizon CDMA, pretty much anything is improvement.

yge9yjer.jpg

zume8y3u.jpg

sajete5e.jpg


Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
 

milan03

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2011
1,439
379
New York City
Hi Milan, nice seeing you here, read a lot of your posts over at HoFo and S4GRU.

YES!!! AWS live in Philadelphia!!! I have kept up with the HoFo thread and haven't heard of any sighting in Philly yet.

What I did was first enabled B4 like above and then went into UE setting, settings, protocol, NAS, network control, band selection, and under LTE preference chose B4 to force it. Interesting enough there is no B13 option in there.

I have screenshots of service mode, was speed test, and b13 speed test. Too bad signal on AWS sucks so I can't really use it. I guess this is because Verizon had the lowest number of towers here. My speed test is quite poor but compared to B13 in Philly, otherwise known as the slowest network in Philly other than Verizon CDMA, pretty much anything is improvement.

yge9yjer.jpg

zume8y3u.jpg

sajete5e.jpg


Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Hey this is awesome news!!! Congrats! They seem to be running another 10Mhz FDD LTE in the AWS. EARFCN value of 2100 corresponds to B block AWS license they've acquired from SpectrumCo cable companies! So you should be having another 73.6Mbps channel which should alleviate the congestion!

Have you tried testing in a busy areas of Philly during the Off-Peak hours just to see if the capacity is there? Don't forget to put Network Selection back to "Automatic", otherwise you won't be receiving any calls, just LTE Data ;)

Thank you for posting a short guide on how to properly enable B4 on Note 3!
 

NeoMagus

Senior Member
Mar 3, 2010
1,406
471
East Coast
Again how are you guys even getting into the service mode? Both of those apps and none of the codes seem to work what am I doing wrong here?
 

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  • 13
    Ok, so you're looking at the first line where it says LTE Band. Band 13 is the original LTE layer in 700Mhz spectrum.
    PLMN: 311-480 is the country/network code, unique to Verizon Wireless.
    Bandwidth is the amount of spectrum they're using. Band 13 is 10Mhz nationwide, capable of 73.6Mbps peak speeds. Their Band 4 is in many markets 20Mhz capable of 150Mbps peak speeds!
    RSRP is "reference signal receive power" -44dBm being amazing, and -140dBm you're about to drop connection.
    SNR is "signal to noise ratio" the higher the better. 30dB is perfect.
    RSRQ is "reference signal receive quality" -3dBm being amazing and -19dBm terrible.
    PA state displays the new envelope tracking (ET) feature only Note 3 has, it saves battery and should improve upload, etc....

    You really should be watching the first line and try to spot "BAND 4" and the third line showing you the BW (bandwidth). Should be between 10Mhz and 20Mhz depending on the market. Please state your market when you post screenshots, it will really help me figure out which areas are getting this massive capacity!

    Hope this helps! ;)
    7
    As many of you already know, Note 3 is one of a few Verizon smartphones that has a Category 4 LTE modem, capable of delivering 150Mbps download speeds. Verizon's been rolling out new LTE layer on AWS or Band 4, and in many cities like NYC, LA, SF, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, to name a few users have been seeing speeds just under 100Mbps, but only using Category 3 devices like GS4, iPhone 5s, etc which are hardware limited at 100Mbps.

    Since this is a Note 3 forum, it would be great to have this thread for reports on Verizon's Band 4 LTE, and especially Speedtest.net results which should be north of 100Mbps!
    Similar thread exists in GS4 forums: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2502716
    And a much more in depth one over at HoFo: http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...ent-and-Verizon-sites-with-Remote-Radio-Units

    This article also talked about Verizon's 2x20Mhz AWS LTE: http://gigaom.com/2013/10/14/watch-out-att-verizons-new-lte-network-monster-stirs-in-nyc/

    On Galaxy phones it should be easy to access ServiceMode via dial codes, which will allow you to monitor the Band you're connected to, and even force the certain frequency. I don't own Note 3, but afaik Verizon usually tries to block out these codes, although there used to be an app in Play Store that would dial the codes for you (Samsung ServiceMode or Sammy codes)

    *#0011# General Debug screen
    *#2263# Allows you to force any frequency on your phone
    *#27663368378# Main screen

    There are a few other codes, please post your findings!
    6
    Hey this is awesome news!!! Congrats! They seem to be running another 10Mhz FDD LTE in the AWS. EARFCN value of 2100 corresponds to B block AWS license they've acquired from SpectrumCo cable companies! So you should be having another 73.6Mbps channel which should alleviate the congestion!

    Have you tried testing in a busy areas of Philly during the Off-Peak hours just to see if the capacity is there? Don't forget to put Network Selection back to "Automatic", otherwise you won't be receiving any calls, just LTE Data ;)

    Thank you for posting a short guide on how to properly enable B4 on Note 3!

    Sounds great! I actually had to step out of the building I was in to take the speed test, it was barely hanging on to signal inside. Also remembered to switch it back too, as the signal is gone as soon as I am 5 feet into the building.

    9:30PM seems like off-peak hours to me, but tomorrow I am going to walk around to the towers I know in this area to try to identify which one is giving me AWS at this location and do a speed test when I find it. IIRC right now the iPhone 5S is the only handset to automatically get B4 without going into service menu or rooting to enable service menu (things that most people wouldn't do) so I think when I find it the speed test should be impressive even during the day. Nevertheless even with such poor signal I am very impressed with almost 15mb down, now if they could just fix the poor signal problem...

    ---------- Post added at 10:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:10 PM ----------

    Again how are you guys even getting into the service mode? Both of those apps and none of the codes seem to work what am I doing wrong here?

    You need to have root and then go with a root explorer to /efs/carrier/HiddenMenu. Use a text editor to change it from OFF to ON and save. Reboot and the *#0011# to check your current network and *#27663368378# to change settings both work, so far I have found the other codes from other VZW Touchwiz devices like the S4 not to work.

    Be careful to observe where all asterisks are in the menu. It is often not clear whether clicking on an option changes a setting or goes to a different menu, and you want to remember what settings were default before you can't connect back to the network because some setting was changed.
    6
    Not sure if this is why I get solid signal where I live. Hell I don't even know if its a cell tower. But, since i've been with Verizon i've never had any issues.

    Tower is owned by Crown Castle.

    Latitude / Longitude: 39.578611 / -86.115556

    It's no longer on the Play Store, but I like this Cell Tower Locater app that I've been using for a couple years. It ties in with Google Maps quite well. It will tell you if it's a Verizon tower.
    3
    Also, if stop by your existing known Verizon's cell tower, look for a smaller antenna with a larger box attached at the back of it! Those are Remote Radio Heads attached to AWS Band 4 capable panel!

    SBRJreK.jpg