Airave, CDMA and LTE

thegame2388 · Apr 26, 2014

I just got the Airave and I was wondering how come when I use CDMA only for "mobile networks", I get 5-6 bars i.e. pretty much perfect but when I select CDMA/LTE, I get 1 bar..sometimes two.

More importantly, Airave hasn't fixed this issue but when I go to CDMA only, it seems perfect. How do I go about fixing this?

Thanks

PS - It seems like at home, I have weak LTE (which is what it's connected to by default) rather than holding onto a STRONG 3G signal....how do I make the S5 favor strong 3G over weak LTE?

thegame2388 · Apr 26, 2014

Which kills more? 3G at -70db or LTE at -102db?

GorillaPimp · Apr 26, 2014

The Airave is only a 3g CDMA over Broadband solution. When you choose CDMA only it's the only choice and is a strong connection. With LTE enabled the device is still trying to keep an LTE link but since your coverage area sucks it keeps falling off. Seems the Sprint GS5 has that issue for everyone where there is bad LTE coverage. It may also be that "Connections Optimizer" crap.

I'd suggest tasker or a similar app for automating setting your mobile network to CDMA Only when at home or elsewhere LTE is crappy and creating another to revert back to LTE/CDMA. There a bunch of threads with people trying to figure out how to optimize their LTE band for their specific coverage. I burned a lot of battery with my N4 constantly trying to decide whether to stick with HSPA+ or other crappy alternative networks. I don't think Google or the manufacturers have done a good job of considering what happens under less than good conditions signal wise.

thegame2388 · Apr 27, 2014

GorillaPimp said:
The Airave is only a 3g CDMA over Broadband solution. When you choose CDMA only it's the only choice and is a strong connection. With LTE enabled the device is still trying to keep an LTE link but since your coverage area sucks it keeps falling off. Seems the Sprint GS5 has that issue for everyone where there is bad LTE coverage. It may also be that "Connections Optimizer" crap.

I'd suggest tasker or a similar app for automating setting your mobile network to CDMA Only when at home or elsewhere LTE is crappy and creating another to revert back to LTE/CDMA. There a bunch of threads with people trying to figure out how to optimize their LTE band for their specific coverage. I burned a lot of battery with my N4 constantly trying to decide whether to stick with HSPA+ or other crappy alternative networks. I don't think Google or the manufacturers have done a good job of considering what happens under less than good conditions signal wise.

It's not so much that it falls off but that the signal for LTE is low....around -112db while CDMA/3G is around -70db (full bards).

I wish there was a way to make "CDMA only" turn on at my house while LTE/4G turning on while I leave it....How do I do this using tasker or a similar app?

Then again, I don't really download anything outside of my house....only time I use data outside my house is for Waze or Snapchat or Instagram or Facebook....and they seem to load fine under 3G...it's not worth the battery drain to use 4G for those applications.

rocket31337 · Apr 27, 2014

The Galaxy S5 only has one radio so this causes huge problems with use of a device like an Airwave. Since Sprint didn't include WiFi calling in the S5 you have no real solution except to force the S5 in to CDMA only mode. It requires a reboot and is annoying. This is ridiculous by Sprint. I went and got a more advanced phone with two radios (The Galaxy S4) and now have no problems with one radio staying attached to 1x Airwave and LTE. I returned my S5 and am now very happy.

GorillaPimp · Apr 27, 2014

thegame2388 said:
It's not so much that it falls off but that the signal for LTE is low....around -112db while CDMA/3G is around -70db (full bards).

I wish there was a way to make "CDMA only" turn on at my house while LTE/4G turning on while I leave it....How do I do this using tasker or a similar app?

Then again, I don't really download anything outside of my house....only time I use data outside my house is for Waze or Snapchat or Instagram or Facebook....and they seem to load fine under 3G...it's not worth the battery drain to use 4G for those applications.

With Tasker or similar you'd want to set it up to switch mobile networks to LTE/CDMA based on your location but like rocket said it's a reboot every time - aka PITA. I just set up a shortcut to Mobile Networks and change if it's a problem. Rebooting often sucks. I don't know why they'd give the S4 two radios and the S5 one. Seems stupid. I'm not sure if you can change to CDMA only via the debugging options - that may not require a reboot. There's a big thread about optimizing LTE bands that has a bunch of info on that.

thegame2388 · Apr 27, 2014

GorillaPimp said:
With Tasker or similar you'd want to set it up to switch mobile networks to LTE/CDMA based on your location but like rocket said it's a reboot every time - aka PITA. I just set up a shortcut to Mobile Networks and change if it's a problem. Rebooting often sucks. I don't know why they'd give the S4 two radios and the S5 one. Seems stupid. I'm not sure if you can change to CDMA only via the debugging options - that may not require a reboot. There's a big thread about optimizing LTE bands that has a bunch of info on that.

Alrighty. Looks like I'll use CDMA at my house for Airave with Wi-Fi for downloading stuff and have CDMA for downloading stuff while I'm beyond the borders of my house.

I don't "download" anything anyway.

tt c6 · Jul 24, 2015

You will be UNABLE TO CONNECT TO THE AIRAVE unless your are in "CDMA ONLY".
Go to
settings/network connections/more networks/mobile networks
and change to CDMA .
( Do NOT select CDMA/LTE until you LEAVE the Airave vicinity)

If you are indeed connected to the Airave, you will hear a recording telling you that you are if you call *99.
You will have to re-enable the CDMA/LTE everytime you leave the vicinity of the Airave to get LTE service.
Sprint Tier II Tech informed be of the above, and I have verified it all by personally testing the above.

Now, here is the real question:
What are the EXACT DIFFERENCES between using the "Wi-Fi Calling Feature" with NO Airave - AND- using the Airave WITHOUT using W-Fi Calling.????

n3tz0mb13 · Jun 4, 2016

tt c6 said:
You will be UNABLE TO CONNECT TO THE AIRAVE unless your are in "CDMA ONLY".
Go to
settings/network connections/more networks/mobile networks
and change to CDMA .
( Do NOT select CDMA/LTE until you LEAVE the Airave vicinity)

If you are indeed connected to the Airave, you will hear a recording telling you that you are if you call *99.
You will have to re-enable the CDMA/LTE everytime you leave the vicinity of the Airave to get LTE service.
Sprint Tier II Tech informed be of the above, and I have verified it all by personally testing the above.

Now, here is the real question:
What are the EXACT DIFFERENCES between using the "Wi-Fi Calling Feature" with NO Airave - AND- using the Airave WITHOUT using W-Fi Calling.????

the differnece is the range of the signal / router range of 2.4 ghz/5.0 vs airave 5k to 6k sq ft. and of course haveing a phone made before the s5. any lte+ or sprint spark device will not stay connected to an airave device without network mode selection and crossed fingers. and due to that- wifi calling was born and pushed to the front lines

RazzMcTazz · Jun 5, 2016

When you're at home, why not just leave WiFi on for data, and WiFi Calling on for phone calls? That's what I do. I used to use an Airave, but I stopped using my Airave when I got a Galaxy S5 because it has WiFi Calling. (BTW. If you leave WiFi Calling on, your phone will automatically switch to cellular calling when you leave the house.)

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Airave, CDMA and LTE

thegame2388

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thegame2388

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GorillaPimp

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thegame2388

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rocket31337

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thegame2388

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tt c6

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