Straight Talk AT&T Data Issues Since August 13th

[bach13]

I tried cycling airplane mode on/off maybe 5 or 6 times and still nothing.

Edit: I turned the phone off and then back on and it is working. I wish there was a faster way to get things moving again.

[mtmjr90]

My ST service end date is today. I think I'm going to give Simple Mobile's $50 unlimited everything plan a try for a month and check back here to see if ST's issues have improved. I missed an important call yesterday because it just decided to turn off my cell radios...not just data, everything.

[silentjudge]

I tried cycling airplane mode on/off maybe 5 or 6 times and still nothing.

Edit: I turned the phone off and then back on and it is working. I wish there was a faster way to get things moving again.

Next time, when you turn airplane mode on, WAIT 30 seconds and then turn airplane mode off.

[ChazzMatt]

My ST service end date is today. I think I'm going to give Simple Mobile's $50 unlimited everything plan a try for a month and check back here to see if ST's issues have improved. I missed an important call yesterday because it just decided to turn off my cell radios...not just data, everything.

Straight Talk and Simple Mobile are owned by the same company, just different names. Been that way for months now.

America Movil’s U.S. based MVNO, purchases T-Mobile MVNO Simple Mobile for an undisclosed amount
http://www.tmonews.com/2012/05/tracf...simple-mobile/

Do you have the ST T-mobile SIM or the ST AT&T sim? If the ST T-Mobile sim, then NOTHING is going to change by going to Simple Mobile. If you have the ST AT&T sim, you might as well try the ST T-mobile sim rather than going over to Simple Mobile just to get the same sim (with a different name).

[mtmjr90]

Straight Talk and Simple Mobile are owned by the same company, just different names. Been that way for months now.

America Movil’s U.S. based MVNO, purchases T-Mobile MVNO Simple Mobile for an undisclosed amount
http://www.tmonews.com/2012/05/tracf...simple-mobile/

Do you have the ST T-mobile SIM or the ST AT&T sim? If the ST T-Mobile sim, then NOTHING is going to change by going to Simple Mobile. If you have the ST AT&T sim, you might as well try the ST T-mobile sim rather than going over to Simple Mobile just to get the same sim (with a different name).

I was using ST AT&T, and I can't really wait for them the mail me a new one...so I just went to a store and bought a Simple SIM. I like that Simple lets you track data/min usage too. Plus it seems like these network registration issues were due to something on AT&T's end...so hopefully I'll be good using Simple until AT&T/ST figure it out.

I use a Google Voice number so I don't ever have to worry about porting either.

[ChazzMatt]

I was using ST AT&T, and I can't really wait for them the mail me a new one...so I just went to a store and bought a Simple SIM. I like that Simple lets you track data/min usage too. Plus it seems like these network registration issues were due to something on AT&T's end...so hopefully I'll be good using Simple until AT&T/ST figure it out.

I use a Google Voice number so I don't ever have to worry about porting either.

OK, that works. You got instant service and changed from troublesome AT&T to T-Mobile.

[ndtv88]

I was using ST AT&T, and I can't really wait for them the mail me a new one...so I just went to a store and bought a Simple SIM. I like that Simple lets you track data/min usage too. Plus it seems like these network registration issues were due to something on AT&T's end...so hopefully I'll be good using Simple until AT&T/ST figure it out.

I use a Google Voice number so I don't ever have to worry about porting either.

Lucky You...

[bach13]

Next time, when you turn airplane mode on, WAIT 30 seconds and then turn airplane mode off.

Thanks. I will give this a shot.

[gyropilot]

If you have the ST AT&T sim, you might as well try the ST T-mobile sim rather than going over to Simple Mobile just to get the same sim (with a different name).

Another couple of things in favor of SimpleMobile...

You can buy unactivated SimpleMobile SIM's from several sellers on eBay for under $1 with free shipping. A StraightTalk T-Mobile compatible SIM still costs $14.99 and you can only order it from StraightTalk.

SimpleMobile has a $40 per month unlimited talk/text/3G data plan with no restrictions in the terms and conditions on streaming audio or video. When purchased using discounts from online retailers, plan refills can be purchased for under $40.

John L.

[ChazzMatt]

Another couple of things in favor of SimpleMobile...

You can buy unactivated SimpleMobile SIM's from several sellers on eBay for under $1 with free shipping. A StraightTalk T-Mobile compatible SIM still costs $14.99 and you can only order it from StraightTalk.

SimpleMobile has a $40 per month unlimited talk/text/3G data plan with no restrictions in the terms and conditions on streaming audio or video. When purchased using discounts from online retailers, plan refills can be purchased for under $40.

John L.

You are right. Having almost-free unactivated sims on hand (with no personal data attached to you until usage) is a plus.

Straight Talk is finally allowing you to buy unactivated (AT&T) sims at WalMart.com and are even being stocked at some Wal-marts, but they still cost the $14.99. Some store stock are being bundled with a regular & a micro sim + 1 month charge for $60. (You can probably only activate one of the two sims, whichever you need).

Still, the Simple Mobile sim deal beats that. And it's the same company. If you can use T-Mobile, that sounds like a better deal.

[BigA77]

I'm not really savvy enough to know why this is, but I do notice that while it doesn't completely clear up the data registration issue for me, disabling 3g data speed on my iPhone 3gs and restricting it to running on Edge seems to help a whole lot. It still drops data connection eventually, but not nearly as often. Any idea why that might be?

Also, I wondered if turning the Data Roaming widget in my network settings to the On postion would help me any. Would this have any negative impacts, such as allowing abnormally large data usage periods that may get my account shut down? I rarely travel outside my home area code, and don't really do any kind of streaming music or video. Thanks in advance for any comments or advice you may be able to offer.

It may help to know that I use a locked iPhone 3gs that is unjailbroken. All I did was get rid of my contract at the end, purchased a ST sim online, and used unlockit.net to get it running. I dont even have MMS working, so I don't use scuds of data.

[silentjudge]

You can turn roaming on, it won't hurt you.

Sent from my LG Nitro HD

[BigA77]

Thank you for answering.

[maestroteague]

I'm not really savvy enough to know why this is, but I do notice that while it doesn't completely clear up the data registration issue for me, disabling 3g data speed on my iPhone 3gs and restricting it to running on Edge seems to help a whole lot. It still drops data connection eventually, but not nearly as often. Any idea why that might be?

well, if it is a data registration issue as has been opined, then that would make sense. The Henry goes that there are too many people trying to connect their phones to the mvno system, so if you are dormant for a time, the server kicks your registration to make room for another, but your phone doesn't know it's been kicked off, so it doesn't try to reregister automatically, hence the problem getting data. I know that's an oversimplification, but it's how I understand what has been posited on several threads. If you are on the Edge only network, I would think the congestion there would be much less, so you wouldn't get kicked as easily from there. Does this sound right, you guys who have more technical knowledge of routing and such?

[giant22000]

I just want verify that myself just experienced the dreaded .1xx subnet and had zero data. I toggled airplane mode, let set for about 30 seconds and toggled it off. I then received a .2xx subnet and am golden! Great find!