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Understanding NetMonitor

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Posted by: toolhead

A couple people have PMed me how to understand netmonitor on the 6230b's they got from chippery9. So hopefully we can help each other learn what more of the screens mean here.

First off, when selecting Netmonitor, you need to enter a screen number to start. 0101 is the first screen, so entering that and hitting ok takes you to the first screen.

Screen 0101: On the first line, the first number is the channel you are on. If you are on a channel from 128-251, you're using 850mhz. If you are on a channel from 512-735, you're using 1900mhz.

The second number is the signal strength in decibels. The signal will read somewhere from say the -40's to -110's. The higher the number (-40's) the better the signal. In the mid -110's is where you usually cut out and lose reception. In the mid 50's and mid 40's you should be able to look around you and see the tower. This is how you can locate towers, and know if cingular has a site on a specific tower.

Screens 0103-0104-0105: Appear to be additional channels (on different towers i assume) and the signal strength of the connection to them. I'm assuming when one of these signals become stronger it hops to that channel.

Screen 0109: Top line says CC: 310 NC 410. This is the country code (310 is USA) and network code, 410 being cingular. This is how you can tell who cingular extend really is. 380 is at&t, 260 is tmobile, and there are many others.

Next line is LAC which i assume is the location area code, which is assigned to a group of towers. This is how they control the roaming availability in specific areas, such as when at&t and tmo roaming was open in boston and stopped outside the metro area, it was assigned to certain LAC's.

The next line is the channel once again. The fourth line is the tower and sector id. I find in general this to be a 5 digit number. The first 4 digits being the tower id. This is assigned to the specific tower. All 3 sectors of it. The 5th number is the sector 1, 2, or 3. Sector 1 faces at 20 degrees, 2 at 140 degrees, and 3 at 260 degrees. This is another way to confirm the tower is a cingular tower. If you drive around it and the tower id stays the same, but the sector is changing 1, 2, 3 then you are definitely circling a cingular tower. If you're signal is really strong but the tower id is the same, then you are close, but not circling a cingular tower. You can figure out from the sector in what general direction the tower is from you.

Screen 0612: The only other screen I just learnt about is 0612: The top line EGPRS_SUP: 1 tells you EDGE is active on the tower, or a 0 means no EDGE.

Using netmonitor I have located and confirmed where 8 towers in my city are. I can see wherever I am which tower I'm using by recognizing the tower id in netmon. Funny thing is at home I pull a signal of 3023 the downtown tower, when tower 3131 is a mile closer to my house! strange.

If anyone else knows more info about these screens or the other ones, please share


Posted by: toolhead

A few things I've learnt. Holding * down will switch the netmonitor screens between the actual readings, and a little explanation as to what the numbers stand for. Holding * down will switch it back again.

Some of the screens are just info. Some are interactive. To change the options on the interactive ones, Enter the screen number in the NetMonitor field. Every time you enter the screen number and enter that screen, the option will be changed to the next choice.

For example, screen 01-13 is Cell Barr Accepted. Opening NetMon at screen 01-01 or any non interactive screen, and scrolling to 01-13 will show you the current setting. Opening NetMon with 01-13 will change it to Cell Barr Reverse. Opening it again at 01-13 will change it to Cell Barr Discard. One more time will cause it to go to Cell Barr Accepted once again.

Cell Barr Accepted will use only towers meant to be used. Cell Barr Reverse will only use towers currently barred on the network, not meant to be used. Cell Barr Reverse will use all of them. I believe this to only be on the same network, and therefore only makes a difference if there are towers barred bc they are in testing, or not open to the public yet, and therefore will normally make no difference.

Compliments of DeloranMcLaren: Screen 04-09 will enable or disable the transmitter of the phone. This means FLIGHT MODE!!


Posted by: efrant

Here is a pretty thorough guide on Net monitor --- it was written before the 6230 came out, but most of the menus are the same (although labeled differently. It also has some stuff in there for series 60 phones.

http://tinyurl.com/57qo2


Posted by: jqr

Quote:
Originally posted by efrant
Here is a pretty thorough guide on Net monitor --- it was written before the 6230 came out, but most of the menus are the same (although labeled differently. It also has some stuff in there for series 60 phones.

http://tinyurl.com/57qo2


Thanks for sharing my work

The most recent phone added to the guide was the 7650.

Where can I get one of these Net-monitor-ready 6230s?


Posted by: efrant

Quote:
Originally posted by jqr
Thanks for sharing my work

The most recent phone added to the guide was the 7650.

Where can I get one of these Net-monitor-ready 6230s?


I got mine from chippery9 on e-bay -- he is also a member of these forums. He is a great e-bayer to deal with.


Posted by: techfury90

Just so you people know, standing directly under a tower doesn't give optimal signal. You have to have a clear line of sight to it and be at a higher elevation to get a VERY good signal. Using a hill, I got -38 on an ALLTEL tower in my area.


Posted by: jqr

Quote:
Originally posted by techfury90
Just so you people know, standing directly under a tower doesn't give optimal signal. You have to have a clear line of sight to it and be at a higher elevation to get a VERY good signal. Using a hill, I got -38 on an ALLTEL tower in my area.


Yep, due to the usual antenna polarization and patterns etc.

I've achieved around -9dBm at an underground railway station in Melbourne. Microcells are mounted just above the platform and are a single omni-directional antenna.

I've also seen -20 from a standard 'metro-cell' in Sydney, where I was on a pedestrian walkway and sectorised antennas were mounted on a nearby building pointing towards me.


Posted by: ozziegn

toolhead

thanks for the info. its very informative.


Posted by: IRONLUNG

So, my question is: how do you activate it?


Posted by: jqr

Quote:
Originally posted by IRONLUNG
So, my question is: how do you activate it?


For what handset?


Posted by: IRONLUNG

6230b


Posted by: shaolinmonk

thanks very helpful

how do you turn it off?
0000?


Posted by: jqr

Quote:
Originally posted by IRONLUNG
6230b


As of several years ago you can no longer just 'activate' NetMonitor (i.e. run-time activation). It must be compiled into special firmware.


Posted by: JP

should indefinitely be pinned, but in a more universal forum....


Posted by: Bugmenot2

Quote:
Originally posted by jqr
As of several years ago you can no longer just 'activate' NetMonitor (i.e. run-time activation). It must be compiled into special firmware.


Hi,

Until now this is the only place where I found people that know about this subject: programming NetMonitor in new Nokia.

Here you can find info: pictures+video about NetMonitor - Field Test in Nokia DCT-4 generation:

http://www.phones-direct.ro/uk_netmon.htm


Posted by: jqr

Quote:
Originally posted by Bugmenot2
Hi,

Until now this is the only place where I found people that know about this subject: programming NetMonitor in new Nokia.

Here you can find info: pictures+video about NetMonitor - Field Test in Nokia DCT-4 generation:

http://www.phones-direct.ro/uk_netmon.htm


Time for an update to my Net Monitor guide then


Posted by: jqr

Quote:
Originally posted by jqr
Time for an update to my Net Monitor guide then


Actually on that note if anyone is willing to lend me some Netmon activated DCT-4 phones to add to my manual (other than 6230) that would be great


Posted by: mobileNEWB

Quote:
Originally posted by toolhead
A couple people have PMed me how to understand netmonitor on the 6230b's they got from chippery9. So hopefully we can help each other learn what more of the screens mean here.

First off, when selecting Netmonitor, you need to enter a screen number to start. 0101 is the first screen, so entering that and hitting ok takes you to the first screen.

Screen 0101: On the first line, the first number is the channel you are on. If you are on a channel from 128-251, you're using 850mhz. If you are on a channel from 512-735, you're using 1900mhz.

The second number is the signal strength in decibels. The signal will read somewhere from say the -40's to -110's. The higher the number (-40's) the better the signal. In the mid -110's is where you usually cut out and lose reception. In the mid 50's and mid 40's you should be able to look around you and see the tower. This is how you can locate towers, and know if cingular has a site on a specific tower.

Screens 0103-0104-0105: Appear to be additional channels (on different towers i assume) and the signal strength of the connection to them. I'm assuming when one of these signals become stronger it hops to that channel.

Screen 0109: Top line says CC: 310 NC 410. This is the country code (310 is USA) and network code, 410 being cingular. This is how you can tell who cingular extend really is. 380 is at&t, 260 is tmobile, and there are many others.

Next line is LAC which i assume is the location area code, which is assigned to a group of towers. This is how they control the roaming availability in specific areas, such as when at&t and tmo roaming was open in boston and stopped outside the metro area, it was assigned to certain LAC's.

The next line is the channel once again. The fourth line is the tower and sector id. I find in general this to be a 5 digit number. The first 4 digits being the tower id. This is assigned to the specific tower. All 3 sectors of it. The 5th number is the sector 1, 2, or 3. Sector 1 faces at 20 degrees, 2 at 140 degrees, and 3 at 260 degrees. This is another way to confirm the tower is a cingular tower. If you drive around it and the tower id stays the same, but the sector is changing 1, 2, 3 then you are definitely circling a cingular tower. If you're signal is really strong but the tower id is the same, then you are close, but not circling a cingular tower. You can figure out from the sector in what general direction the tower is from you.

Screen 0612: The only other screen I just learnt about is 0612: The top line EGPRS_SUP: 1 tells you EDGE is active on the tower, or a 0 means no EDGE.

Using netmonitor I have located and confirmed where 8 towers in my city are. I can see wherever I am which tower I'm using by recognizing the tower id in netmon. Funny thing is at home I pull a signal of 3023 the downtown tower, when tower 3131 is a mile closer to my house! strange.

If anyone else knows more info about these screens or the other ones, please share


quick question this only for cingular network?? or USA since im from toronto is there any difference??


Posted by: jqr

Quote:
Originally posted by mobileNEWB
quick question this only for cingular network?? or USA since im from toronto is there any difference??



The tests themselves are relevant to all networks.

The cellID numbering conventions however are network specific, although the 5 digit convention that Cingular use is quite common on other networks.

In the GSM specs, the only requirement is that a LAC:CellID pair is unique across the whole PLMN. Although, many networks also make it such that the CellID on its own is unique across the whole PLMN.

Some networks extend it further - for example, the Optus GSM network also uses 7,8,9 as the last digit to indicate the 3 sectors that are GSM1800. i.e. 34561 = GSM 900 sector 1, 34567 = GSM1800 sector 1. Also, the first digit can indicate the state (3=VIC, 2=NSW/ACT, 7=QLD, 1=Federal highways, etc)


Posted by: Paolo

I seen some sector numbers ending in 0, and also seen some channel numbers in the sub 128, can somebody explain that?


Posted by: Paolo

Quote:
Originally Posted by mobileNEWB
quick question this only for cingular network?? or USA since im from toronto is there any difference??


CC 302 MCC 720 will be what you see instead of cingulars (310 410)

LAC will be 5400 on Rogers

channels 100 are rogers 850 channels, channels 500 are former fido 1900 only sites, and channels 700 are rogers 1900 channels.


Posted by: macizcool

So does anyone know the code to disable AMR-HR with net monitor? A certain someone on the forums says he did it with his 6230, but cannot remember the code.

Thanks


Posted by: jqr

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paolo
I seen some sector numbers ending in 0, and also seen some channel numbers in the sub 128, can somebody explain that?


Perfectly normal. Sector numbers are totally up to the operator, and not all use the last-digit convention.

Sub 128 channel numbers (or probably you mean sub-126) are GSM900 base stations.


Posted by: SymbianBlack

I cant Find NtMonitor/Field Test anywhere for my 6682... PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Posted by: SymbianBlack

:: is the same procedures that people follow on the series 40 the same for series 60??


Posted by: Dr. Dave

1100b works, have one in front of me right now that I just reflashed.




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