[Help][Guide][Philippines]SM-N9860 TGY/BRI/CHC Snapdragon Users|5G Reception Fix|Updated Guide for OneUI4.0

[tribalfs]

Hi! I created this thread for SM-N9860 HK/TW/CH variant users from Philippines.

The GOAL is to make our units work with our local carriers':

• 4G Carrier Aggregation (4G CA) (i.e. 4G+/LTE-A).
• 5G network

and resolve any carrier related issues that you want to address.

First, I will share my personal experience with my unit using my Globe 5G enabled postpaid sim. My N20U 5G unit is from Hongkong with TGY (Hongkong) CSC.
While on TGY, 4G CA and 5G on my unit were NOT working. I am only getting max 20mbps with 4G and not getting the 4G+ signal.
Note: To check the existing CSC, go to settings > about phone > software info >service provider SW ver. You should see something like TGY/TGY,TGY/TGY.

However, I was able to change my CSC from TGY to BRI (Taiwan's CSC) using the procedures in this thread.
I am now on BRI and I am glad that 4G CA is now working. I am already getting 70-125mbps on speedtest with it. Check this post on how to check 4G CA.

However, I have not tested the 5G signal yet as I am far from a 5G enabled location.
It's noteworthy though that Taiwan telcos use 5G bands n78, n257 and LTE DSS which include that n78 5G band being used by telcos in the Philippines (source: List of 5G NR networks
)
I am hoping for fellows to hit this thread try this change and test if this will work on his/her network, hopefully on 5G network too.

UPDATES/SOLUTIONS

How to access ServiceMode menu on pre-OneUI 3.0

1. Install Google Phone app from Play Store and set it as default dialer.
2. Open Google Phone app and key in *#*#27663368378#*#*

How to access ServiceMode menu on OneUI 3.0/3.1

I just saw a method for opening the menu again for Android 11. I saw this on the US thread.


Just check the code on my N9810 BRI
This method only works on Qualcomm versions
I use *#*#276633683782#*#* on Google phone dialer
and it brings up a service mode screen.

Press [5] RF Test and choose [2] PREF MODE SET
（or other options also works ）
It will show Please use *#2263# for mode set
Then just tap three dots on right top menu and choose back
It will bring you back to the main menu.

by kent800129

I can finally go to UE settings with this.

Enabling 5G Stand Alone mode

Go to UE SETTING&INFO -> SETTING -> PROTOCOL -> NR5G -> NR5G SA/NSA Mode Control > SA/NSA ENABLE Exit

Solution to make 5G work in PH (also works in some countries with compatible 5G bands)

Try this. On UE Settings>Protocol>GCF>Remove NR Whitelisting. Then reboot. That's the first step I did.

Unhide/Enable 5GNR bands 3 and 28

Hi there,
Please go to [2] UE Settings >> [2]System
On the last page choose [1] SET LTE BAND CONFIG
Then click on [1] SET DEFAULT LTE BAND
Reboot your phone and check again the available NR bands.

How to check what 5G bands are enabled

4. Go to UE SETTING&INFO -> SETTING -> PROTOCOL -> NAS -> NETWORK CONTROL -> BAND SELECTION -> BAND SELECTION SIM * -> NR5G Band Preference -> (enabled ones are marked with asterisks)

If not yet enabled, select each then -> GO MAIN -> APPLY BAND CONFIGURATION. Exit then reboot

Better 4G Carrier Aggregation (4G+)

UE Settings>System>Diversity Control Menu>LTE Diversity Control>LTE 4RX ALL Enable.

Note: You may need to redo the above procedures after software updates.



5G Bands Supported by the device

Bands 1, 3, 28, 41, 78 and 79

5G Bands in PH

The following are the mobile 5G bands being used in the Philippines from foi.gov.ph:

- Smart: 1, 3, 5, 8, 40, 41 and 78
Update: According to this article in smart website, they are using NR28, NR41 and NR78 with 5G CA.

- Globe: 1, 3, 8, 28, 40, 41
Update: According to Globe's website, they are using NR41 and NR78
View attachment 5327677

-DITO: 1, 28, 34, 41, 78

The 5GNR bands missing is in N9860 are 5, 8, 34 and 40. Theoretically, our device should work in 5G sites utilizing 5GNR bands 1, 3, 28, 41 and 78 which our device is capable of. Otherwise, 5G will not work.
[/B]

You can also check enabled bands using this app (already blocked by Samsung in June 2022 update)

Enable DITO Internet and VoLTE to enable call and sms

Add the following DITO's IMS APN (in addition to internet APN)

DITO IMS APN:
Name: IMS
APN: ims
MCC: 515
MNC: 66
APN type: ims
APN protocol: IPv4/IPv6
APN roaming protocol: IPv4/IPv6

---------------------------
DITO INTERNET APN:
Name: DITO Internet
APN: internet.dito.ph

Update: Confirmed working on TGY and BRI

METHODS FOR ONEUI4.0

Here it is.

Windows PC required.

Preparation

1. Install samsung usb driver from here.

2. Install Qualcomm QPST tool from here.

3. On your phone's stock dialer, dial *#0808#, select RNDIS + DM + MODEM (+ ADB) and click OK. This enables your phone's diagnostic mode needed to access phone's EFS files.

4. Connect your phone to the USB port of your pc.

5. Open QPST Configuration installed on your PC. Go to Active Phone tab and check if your phone already appears. If not yet, do the ff:

- Go to Ports tab and Click on the Add new Port button at the bottom.

- You can see the list of ports. Select the one that says SAMSUNG Mobile USB Serial Port. If more than one appears, you can add them both. But It's usually the COM5 port.

- Once you select this you can see the Active Phone tab the connected phone. There should be non-zero ESN value on the correct port.

6. Go to Start Clients menu and click EFS Explorer. Select the correct port and click Ok. Wait for EFS Explorer to finish loading.

7. Once loaded, ensure that Exclusive Access is checked under Phone menu.

Removing 4G Carrier Aggregation (CA) pruning/limitation to improve 4G+detection
- In EFS Explorer, navigate to nv/ item_files/modem/lte/rrc/cap and delete prune_ca_combos and prune_ca_combos_Subscription01 files.

Info: These 2 files limits the 4G CA that our device can do. The 2nd file is for SIM2. Some of our telcos 4G CA combinations are not included in these files. Deleting them removes the limitation.

Update: This stopped working after a certain update.

Fix 5G Reception

L2 are config files for layer 2 of 5G protocol stack. The other directories are a ML1 (for layer 1) and RRC (for layer 3, which contains the CA control files for 5G. ). Think of them as rules implemented by samsung. Other files that I changed using QPST are the ff for those interested (use Copy data file from PC):


IMPORTANT: Always backup the original files that you will be replacing or deleting.

• • carrier_policy.xml and carrier_policy.xml_Subscription01 : added 5G Stand Alone bands for PH telcos. SA bands are disabled by default even if NSA/SA is selected in dev menu.
    
    
  • policies.xml : updated so that changes on the above files will not reset on sim change.
    
    
  • lte_feature_restrictions.xml : added PH telcos to the Dynamic Spectrum Share (DSS) network list
    
    
  • also deleted policyman/persistent_items to refresh the contents
    
    
  • edit: also deleted cap_prune and cap_prune_Subscription0 files inside nv/item_files/modem/nr5G/RRC (layer 3). This removes defined limitation on 5G CA.

Don't know which worked, just sharing.

You can check the enabled bands on your phone using this app

The good thing though is that it seems that we do not anymore need to manually remove the NR whitelisting on SM-N9860. 5G now works right out-of-the-box on the latest firmware even after performing factory reset on the device .

 

[blackphnx]

Looking forward on updates regarding this. I'm planning to get the HK version of Snapdragon.

 

[papubhai]

I have n9860 TGY amd while i dont have 5g working...4g + was there on Optus and in Pakistan, zong 4g+ is fine..speeds dod exceed over 100mbps as well at s low load time. How do u check carrier aggregation?

I m certain not stuck on lower speeds

 

[chelvsjc]

Hi! I created this thread for SM-N9860 HK/TW/CH variant users from Philippines.

The GOAL is to make our units work with our local carriers':
1. 4G Carrier Aggregation (4G CA) (i.e. 4G+/LTE-A).
2. 5G network
3. Other carrier related issues that you want to address, if any.

First, I will share my personal experience with my unit using my Globe 5G enabled postpaid sim. My N20U 5G unit is from Hongkong with TGY (Hongkong) CSC.
While on TGY, 4G CA and 5G on my unit were NOT working. I am only getting max 20mbps with 4G and not getting the 4G+ signal.
Note: To check the existing CSC, go to settings > about phone > software info >service provider SW ver. You should see something like TGY/TGY,TGY/TGY.

However, I was able to change my CSC from TGY to BRI (Taiwan's CSC) using the procedures in this thread.
I am now on BRI and I am glad that 4G CA is now working. I am already getting 70-125mbps on speedtest with it. Check this post on how to check 4G CA.

However, I have not tested the 5G signal yet as I am far from a 5G enabled location.
It's noteworthy though that Taiwan telcos use 5G bands n78, n257 and LTE DSS which include that n78 5G band being used by telcos in the Philippines (source: List of 5G NR networks
)
I am hoping for fellows to hit this thread try this change and test if this will work on his/her network, hopefully on 5G network too.

Hi! I am planning on buying HK Variant of N20 Ultra 5G. I see that the 5G capability is not automatically integrated with PH couriers with this version. I am not that quite experienced in playing around with ROMs. May I just ask if the procedures you mentioned require rooting?

 

[shadowlight57]

Hi bump i have TGY and 4G+ is working. Any update on VoLte and VoWifi though. Works on my old Note 10 + N975f but not on my N9860

 

[keanuV]

Guys I just changed my CSC from TGY to BRI and voila 4G+ is now working on my N9860.

 

[shadowlight57]

Guys I just changed my CSC from TGY to BRI and voila 4G+ is now working on my N9860.

Isn't it working out of the box with TGY?

 

[keanuV]

Isn't it working out of the box with TGY?

Here in my place in the Philippines, I live just a few hundred meters away from a tower and all I get is 4G. I opted to change my CSC and now I get 4G+.

 

[shadowlight57]

I'm from ph also QC. Just upgraded my sim to 5G sim Globe got VoLte Activated.

 

[shadowlight57]

I'm from ph also QC. Just upgraded my sim to 5G sim Globe got VoLte Activated.

 

[shadowlight57]

Update:
First problem after using is no VoLTE and VoWiFi. Changed to BRI CSC and still not working.
4G CA works on TYG and BRI

Upgraded to 5G Globe sim VoLTE and VoWiFi was activated again (was working on my note 10+ on my old sim) but 5G signal still no where to be found.

 

[tribalfs]

Hello mga Kababayan!

Glad to meet you here. Just an update on my case. I am back on TGY and 4G c.a. is working fine now on my unit with the latest update. I still don't have a chance to test 5G as there's no 5G here in our province.

But for those interested, here's the ff new hopefully useful info that I read somewhere.

The following are the mobile 5G bands being used in the Philippines from foi.gov.ph:
- Smart: 1, 3, 5, 8, 40, 41 and 78
Update: According to this article in smart website, they are using NR28, NR41 and NR78 with 5G

- Globe: 1, 3, 8, 28, 40, 41
Update: According to Globe's website, they are using NR41 and NR78

-DITO: 1, 28, 34, 41, 78

The 5GNR bands missing is in N9860 are 5, 8, 34 and 40. Theoretically, our device should work in 5G sites utilizing 5GNR bands 1, 3, 28, 41 and 78 which our device is capable of. Otherwise, 5G will not work.


However, there are config issues that possibly keep our device from working on our country's 5G.
- 5G Stand Alone (SA) mode is disabled by default in our device. But there's a way to enable it.
- 5GNR band 28 in TGY and 5GNR bands 3 and 28 in BRI are disabled by default. But there's a way to enable it.

To enable 5G Stand Alone Mode:
1. Install Google Phone app from Play Store and set it as default dialer.
2. Open Google Phone app and key in *#*#27663368378#*#*
3. Go to UE SETTING&INFO -> SETTING -> PROTOCOL -> NR5G -> NR5G SA/NSA Mode Control > SA/NSA ENABLE Exit then reboot.

To enable 5G bands 3 and 28:
1. Same steps 1&2 above.
2. Go to UE SETTING&INFO -> SETTING -> PROTOCOL -> NR5G -> NR5G SA/NSA Mode Control > NR5G PRUNE STATUS -> Remove NR5G Prune. Exit then reboot.
3.

Hi there,
If you want to activate the n3 n28 bands on BRI
Please go to [2] UE Settings >> [2]System
On the last page choose [1] SET LTE BAND CONFIG
Then click on [1] SET DEFAULT LTE BAND
Reboot your phone and check again the available NR bands.

4. Go to UE SETTING&INFO -> SETTING -> PROTOCOL -> NAS -> NETWORK CONTROL -> BAND SELECTION -> BAND SELECTION SIM * -> NR5G Band Preference -> (select bands 3 and 28 both SA and NSA; they should have asterisks) -> GO MAIN -> APPLY BAND CONFIGURATION. Exit then reboot

The above guides are based on this thread.

Share if you have tested the above and if it does work on your unit or not.


UPDATES:

New method to access ServiceMode in Android 11 in this post.

Finally a working solution to Enable 5G - Huge thanks to @xUtsumi for discovering and sharing this solution.

Try this. On UE Settings>Protocol>GCF>Remove NR Whitelisting. Then reboot. That's the first step I did.

 

[shadowlight57]

Hello mga Kababayan!

Glad to meet you here. Just an update on my case. I am back on TGY and 4G c.a. is working fine now on my unit with the latest update. I still don't have a chance to test 5G as there's no 5G here in our province.

But for those interested, here's the ff new hopefully useful info that I read somewhere.

The following are the mobile 5G bands being used in the Philippines. Apparently the info officially came from NTC itself:
- Smart 5GNR bands: 1, 3, 5, 8, 40, 41 and 78
- Globe 5GNR bands: 1, 3, 8, 28, 40, 41
(yes no NR78 in Globe; NR78 seems being utilized by Globe only on its wireless modem/ fixed broadband)

The 5GNR bands missing is in N9860 are 5, 8, 28 and 40. Theoretically, our device should work in 5G sites utilizing 5GNR bands 1*, 3*, 28**, 41* and 78*** which our device is capable of.

*Globe/Smart
**Globe Only
***Smart Only

However, there are config issues that possibly keep our device from working on our country's 5G.
- 5G Stand Alone (SA) mode is disabled by default in our device. But there's a way to enable it.
- 5GNR band 28 in TGY and 5GNR bands 3 and 28 in BRI are disable by default. But there's a way to enable it.

To enable 5G Stand Alone Mode:
1. Install Google Phone app from Play Store and set it as default dialer.
2. Open Google Phone app and key in "*#*#27663368378#*#*
3. Go to UE SETTING&INFO -> SETTING -> PROTOCOL -> NR5G -> NR5G SA/NSA Mode Control > SA/NSA ENABLE Exit then reboot.

To enable 5G bands 3 and 28:
1. Same steps 1&2 above.
2. Go to UE SETTING&INFO -> SETTING -> PROTOCOL -> NAS -> NETWORK CONTROL -> BAND SELECTION -> BAND SELECTION SIM * -> NR5G Band Preference -> (select bands 3 and 28 both SA and NSA; they should have asterisks) -> GO MAIN -> APPLY BAND CONFIGURATION. Exit then reboot

Share if you have tested the above and if it does work on your unit or not.

Does this reset files?

 

[tribalfs]

Does this reset files?

No

 

[shadowlight57]

No

Will try and update. I'm in 5G area quezon city

 

[shadowlight57]

Hello mga Kababayan!

Glad to meet you here. Just an update on my case. I am back on TGY and 4G c.a. is working fine now on my unit with the latest update. I still don't have a chance to test 5G as there's no 5G here in our province.

But for those interested, here's the ff new hopefully useful info that I read somewhere.

The following are the mobile 5G bands being used in the Philippines. Apparently the info officially came from NTC itself:
- Smart 5GNR bands: 1, 3, 5, 8, 40, 41 and 78
- Globe 5GNR bands: 1, 3, 8, 28, 40, 41
(yes no NR78 in Globe; NR78 seems being utilized by Globe only on its wireless modem/ fixed broadband)

The 5GNR bands missing is in N9860 are 5, 8 and 40. Theoretically, our device should work in 5G sites utilizing 5GNR bands 1*, 3*, 28**, 41* and 78*** which our device is capable of. Otherwise, 5G will not work.

*Globe/Smart
**Globe Only
***Smart Only

However, there are config issues that possibly keep our device from working on our country's 5G.
- 5G Stand Alone (SA) mode is disabled by default in our device. But there's a way to enable it.
- 5GNR band 28 in TGY and 5GNR bands 3 and 28 in BRI are disabled by default. But there's a way to enable it.

To enable 5G Stand Alone Mode:
1. Install Google Phone app from Play Store and set it as default dialer.
2. Open Google Phone app and key in *#*#27663368378#*#*
3. Go to UE SETTING&INFO -> SETTING -> PROTOCOL -> NR5G -> NR5G SA/NSA Mode Control > SA/NSA ENABLE Exit then reboot.
View attachment 5176209

To enable 5G bands 3 and 28:
1. Same steps 1&2 above.
2. Go to UE SETTING&INFO -> SETTING -> PROTOCOL -> NR5G -> NR5G SA/NSA Mode Control > NR5G PRUNE STATUS -> Remove NR5G Prune. Exit then reboot.
3. Go to UE SETTING&INFO -> SETTING -> PROTOCOL -> NAS -> NETWORK CONTROL -> BAND SELECTION -> BAND SELECTION SIM * -> NR5G Band Preference -> (select bands 3 and 28 both SA and NSA; they should have asterisks) -> GO MAIN -> APPLY BAND CONFIGURATION. Exit then reboot
View attachment 5176207View attachment 5176191

The above guides are based on this thread.

Share if you have tested the above and if it does work on your unit or not.

I have missing bands

 

[tribalfs]

I have missing bandsView attachment 5176535

Did you perform the remove NR5G prune?

 

[shadowlight57]

Did you perform the remove NR5G prune?

I think prune is removed

 

[syber shaman]

I think prune is removed View attachment 5176891

I’m in the same situation as this guy. Additionally, @tribalfs , when you said the latest update, did you mean the 3.0 update?

 

[tribalfs]

I think prune is removed View attachment 5176891

I’m in the same situation as this guy. Additionally, @tribalfs , when you said the latest update, did you mean the 3.0 update?

Try to do the following to force refresh 5GNR band list, you can revert settings after to sub6.

UE SETTING&INFO -> SETTING -> PROTOCOL -> NR5G -> NR5G sub6/mmWave > ALL ENABLE then reboot

After that, redo step 3 above.