New: XDA launches forum for app developers. Discuss coding, tools, marketing, and more.
XDA Developers Android and Mobile Development Forum
Forgot your password?
View Poll Results: How do you rate Verizon's Network performance?
1 worst 3 2.34%
2 5 3.91%
3 17 13.28%
4 46 35.94%
5 best 57 44.53%
Voters: 128. You may not vote on this poll

 
Post Reply+
Tip us?
 
trevorwhopkins
Old
#1  
Member - OP
Thanks Meter 0
Posts: 89
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Dallas
Default Verizon Network Performance...

What are the forum's opinions on Verizon's network? Especially those of you who changed to Verizon from another network for the Incredible.

I'll be honest. The network has not been bad, I have service most places and 3g is decently reliable and fast. Not really digging that antenna indicator that makes up the bars on it's own, but performance was pretty good.

However, I didn't expect 'ok.' I expected 'The Network.' I expected moving from tmobile, the smallest carrier, and the n1, a phone with horrible antenna problems for alot of people, to get reception anywhere other people had reception. But in my area [suburb of Dallas TX] ATT seems to actually have more reliable coverage. In my house Tmo gets no reception [my house is a dead zone apparently.] ATT gets full reception. So in changing to verizon I checked their coverage map.... full 3g everywhere in my area. 1 bar in my house. 3g in my garage. Better than Tmo but ATT is 5 bars 3g!

And as far cities or major areas... never had a probl with Tmo there, always good HSPA. But leave a city and roll the dice.

Overall I rate Verizons network a 4 for North Texas Area. Tmo 3 Sprint 2 Att 5.
 
286
Old
#2  
Junior Member
Thanks Meter 0
Posts: 7
Join Date: May 2010
For Boston, my TMobile phones had much better call quality/clarity. I have not dropped any Verizon calls yet, but it is sometimes hard to understand what the other person is saying on the far side of the line.

On the other hand, the 3g speed and coverage has seemed good.
 
Pops_G
Old
#3  
Pops_G's Avatar
Senior Member
Thanks Meter 8
Posts: 364
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: San Diego
I have noticed the greater 3G coverage. I came from AT&T and this weekend I traveled across the country and spent some time in 6 different states, CA, IL, TX, NY, NJ, PA. Some were just driving through, others were airports. Never once did I notice a lack of 3G coverage. However most of the time I was at 1 or 2 bars, although that didn't seem to effect my experience.

It even worked in the plane at 30k feet, but only when I was above a major city. Gave me enough time to download an app. (yeah I know they don't want you to do that, I'm bad)

Coming from AT&T I do miss one thing, Data+Voice at the same time. More than a few times I was on a call with the hotel or car rental and they asked me for information I did not have handy. It was in my emails, but I couldn't access data to get them while on the phone. So I was put in a position where I had to anticipate what information I needed before a call and pull it up first. Another time I was talking to a friend about where we were going to meet, and I couldnt access Google Maps. It's kinda annoying.
Phone: Galaxy Note LTE, Epic 4G, EVO 4G, DROID Incredible, HD2, AT&T Tilt2, AT&T Tilt
 
seanhassars
Old
#4  
Senior Member
Thanks Meter 1
Posts: 262
Join Date: Feb 2009
Default Re: Verizon Network Performance...

I switched from T-mobile and while I'm gonna be missing my nexus once that 2.2 update comes out, my coverage is amazingly better, and my service overall wasn't that bad to begin with. Verizon has far surpassed my expectations.
 
tlp5002
Old
#5  
Junior Member
Thanks Meter 0
Posts: 8
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Columbia, MD
Verizon user here who left Big Red, went to Big Orange, and then back to Verizon.

In my experience (here in central and western Pennsylvania), AT&T is hands down faster. This is simply the case with GSM as opposed to CDMA. However, 3G coverage with AT&T is spotty, whereas Verizon is awesome.

I have also noticed a misconception that # of bars is best indicator of performance. A better measuring tool is to check the following:

Menu > Settings > About Phone > Network

Take note of the Signal Strength. Somewhere around 50 dBm is almost excellent coverage while the closer you get to 100 dBm is borderline questionable coverage.
 
askwhy
Old
#6  
askwhy's Avatar
Senior Member
Thanks Meter 0
Posts: 217
Join Date: Jun 2009
I am back with Verizon after less than a year with Sprint, and I am glad to be back. I had left VZW because of their crippled phones (reduced memory - disabled features - etc.), and not because of their service, which was fine.

I was quickly reminded that no matter how good a phone is, it's not worth a damn when paired with lousy service. Obviously YMMV, but where I live, near the edge of town but supposedly in a perfectly normal coverage area, Sprint is seriously lacking.

Average signal at my desk with Sprint was -95db or worse, and maybe as good as -92 if I went upstairs. Calls would drop fairly often, but even worse were the ones that *didn't* drop completely, and instead just went all flaky with audio cut-outs (with both phones I had on Sprint, the Touch Pro & the Hero). I was always running upstairs anytime an important call came in, just for the few db less signal loss, in the hopes that Sprint wouldn't ruin the call and make an ass out of me again (I can do that just fine on my own, thanks). Data throughput was also pretty inconsistent on Sprint. Sometimes it would work great while I was at some other location such as onsite with a client, but that just wasn't good enough. I need my phone to work where I live.

Anyways, back with Verizon things seem pretty steady for me. I get an average of -90db or better at my desk, sometimes as good as -85db, and if I go upstairs I have seen signals as good as -78db hold for a while. I have only had a single dropped call, and I saw no sign that it was a signal issue at the time. All of my calls have been clear, with no detected or reported audio cut-outs. Real-world data throughput is also much better for me than it was with Sprint. Web pages load consistently where they used to be sporadic, downloads don't stall anymore, and videos buffer just fine that I couldn't even touch on Sprint. No complaints about service here.

I wish Sprint all the best, but they won't be getting any more $$$ from me anytime soon. As for Verizon...well...what can I say except "Hey baby, thanks for taking me back! I missed you."
 
socalracer
Old
#7  
Member
Thanks Meter 1
Posts: 89
Join Date: Aug 2009
Quote:
Originally Posted by trevorwhopkins View Post
Overall I rate Verizons network a 4 for North Texas Area. Tmo 3 Sprint 2 Att 5.
Att 5, lmao

Try this get speedtest from the market, have your friend get speedtest from the app store, whenever you have the chance post run the test 3 times simultaneously and see how bad att network is. att network is like a ford fiesta, nobody wants it, but some are forced to endure it.

my conclusion on vzw is i am ususlayy getting 1.5-1.75 Mbps down and 600-1000Kbps up all the time at different locations. My friends iphone has never hit more than 1.2 , usually its 400-800Kbps down and up 200-500Kbps

i know different areas have different speeds, but in my area and most areas i have been to, mostly west coast, these results seem to be the norm
 
eazid
Old
#8  
Junior Member
Thanks Meter 0
Posts: 8
Join Date: May 2010
Default Re: Verizon Network Performance...

VZW coverage has always been great for me. Everywhere I go I ubersexual great reception in voice and 3g. I work in the Nevada desert sometimes and had data coverage where I wouldn't have expected it. And voice coverage was nearly always there. Can't wait for LTE.

-------------------------------------
Sent from HTC Incredible via XDA Tapatalk App
 
tdavis42
Old
#9  
tdavis42's Avatar
Senior Member
Thanks Meter 12
Posts: 500
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Orange County, CA
Once I exchanged my phone for another because of something unrelated to signal I have noticed a difference. Before my phone would stick on 1x but now sitting in the exactly the same spot I only get as low as Rev-A. So there was an obvious problem with the radio on my last Incredible.
Nexus 7 8gig

Sprint:
SGSIIE4GT
Nexus S CyanMod

T-Mobile:
Nexus 4
Galaxy Nexus CyanMod current
HTC G2 CyanMod retired
HTC G1 CyanMod retired (found my true love)
HTC MT3G CyanMod retired

Verizon:
HTC Thunderbolt CyanMod (sold, battery life unacceptable)
MOTO DroidX retired
HTC Droid Incredible CyanMod retired (Fav)
MOTO Droid, CyanMod retired
HTC Eris CyanMod retired

Hope you girls like cat food and pickles because that's all I've got!
 
larsdennert
Old
#10  
larsdennert's Avatar
Senior Member
Thanks Meter 8
Posts: 147
Join Date: Dec 2007
I've seen a few places where ATT could get out and VZW can't. Usually on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Having said that VZW is always crystal clear where ATT is garbled. I drop a VZW call about every 6 months.


XDA PORTAL POSTS

Voice Control Your Phone with Tasker and AutoVoice – XDA Developer TV

XDA Developer TV Producer Kevin set up his phone to respond to … more

Guide to Take Better Control of Your Volume Levels

Would you like to know one of the things that really annoys me on a daily basis? Tough, … more

Get the Android 4.2.2 Status Bar on Your Gingerbread-Based Samsung

There are still quite a few of folks who run Gingerbread on their … more

Responses From Ubuntu Pouring Into Ubuntu Touch Q&A Thread

Ubuntu has become the most successful *nix distribution for a number of reasons, … more