DNA reception AWFUL!

[gallilaw]

Just got my new DNA today, to replace my original Droid. Before I left the Verizon store, I asked the techie to make sure that the phone was getting 4G.

Went home and was shocked to see that the phone was getting only 1X. Tried adjusting settings, but no improvement. Called Verizon tech support. That techie walked me through a reboot; no change.

The techie then told me that I must be in a weak signal area, and Verizon could not guarantee 4g reception. I had no problem with not getting 4G -- but it wasn't getting 3G.

The techie said that when the phone can't get 4g, it drops down to 3g and if it can't get 3g it drops down to 1x.

I knew that of course; and I pointed out that my antique Droid had been getting 3g with no problem forever. The techie said the DNA wasn't able to pick up the signal from "inside your house." I told her that what she was really saying is that the DNA was not capable of pulling a 3g signal inside any building in my area, even though an obsolete Droid had no problem doing so.

She agreed with me that the only solution to my problem was to get another phone.

I told her that the ONLY reason that I had not gone for a Nexus 4 through T-Mobile was because I was counting on Verizon's superior coverage. Now it seems that the DNA is not capable of taking advantage of Verizon's superior coverage!

By the way, my wife just got an iPhone 5. I put her phone next to my new DNA. Her phone got 3g; the DNA got 1x.

Same with Verizon's JetPack 4620: It gets 3g while the DNA right next to it gets 1x.


I am in an area for which Verizon has been providing rock-solid, reliable 3g coverage for several years. Now Verizon's "flagship" android machine can't pick up the signal.

Forget the specs, forget the screen; concentrate on the basics. The DNA apparently sucks.


Soooooo...if a person is trying to decide between the DNA and the Nexus 4, and the person can no longer consider Verizon's superior LTE service because the DNA can't even reliably pick up 3g when 4g isn't available -- why not go for the T-Mobile with HSPA+ and a pure android machine? Or swallow the disappointment and get an iPhone.

 

[mountainbikermark]

Try this. Power it off, remove the SIM card, put it back power it back up.
Hope that helps

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From a Beano

 

[pwrdbykyank]

ya there must be something either with your sim thats wrong or the phone itself, i have better reception with my dna than i did with my SG3

 

[gallilaw]

When I was on the phone with the techie she did walk me through a power-off and reboot, with no help...

BUT when I woke up this morning the DNA was showing a 3G connection, even while sitting in the same place where it had not been able to pull 3G the night before. It was showing only two bars at 3G, but at least it was 3G.

A few minutes later, it dropped to 1x again.

I pulled and re-installed the SIM card, got 3g again. Tried to connect to a web site, dropped to 1x again. If I keep the phone long enough to have any new information, different from this erratic nonsense, I will report back on my experience.

 

[Sherry]

Take the phone back, get them to replace, could be something wrong with the phone itself. i live in the NC mountains and am getting 4G without a problem. Love the DNA so far and my battery life is great.

 

[geoff5093]

Something must be wrong with your phone, my DNA gets better signal with less data drops than my Thunderbolt and my friends GS3.

 

[Casper3686]

Just got my new DNA today, to replace my original Droid. Before I left the Verizon store, I asked the techie to make sure that the phone was getting 4G.

Went home and was shocked to see that the phone was getting only 1X. Tried adjusting settings, but no improvement. Called Verizon tech support. That techie walked me through a reboot; no change.

The techie then told me that I must be in a weak signal area, and Verizon could not guarantee 4g reception. I had no problem with not getting 4G -- but it wasn't getting 3G.

The techie said that when the phone can't get 4g, it drops down to 3g and if it can't get 3g it drops down to 1x.

I knew that of course; and I pointed out that my antique Droid had been getting 3g with no problem forever. The techie said the DNA wasn't able to pick up the signal from "inside your house." I told her that what she was really saying is that the DNA was not capable of pulling a 3g signal inside any building in my area, even though an obsolete Droid had no problem doing so.

She agreed with me that the only solution to my problem was to get another phone.

I told her that the ONLY reason that I had not gone for a Nexus 4 through T-Mobile was because I was counting on Verizon's superior coverage. Now it seems that the DNA is not capable of taking advantage of Verizon's superior coverage!

By the way, my wife just got an iPhone 5. I put her phone next to my new DNA. Her phone got 3g; the DNA got 1x.

Same with Verizon's JetPack 4620: It gets 3g while the DNA right next to it gets 1x.

I am in an area for which Verizon has been providing rock-solid, reliable 3g coverage for several years. Now Verizon's "flagship" android machine can't pick up the signal.

Forget the specs, forget the screen; concentrate on the basics. The DNA apparently sucks.

Soooooo...if a person is trying to decide between the DNA and the Nexus 4, and the person can no longer consider Verizon's superior LTE service because the DNA can't even reliably pick up 3g when 4g isn't available -- why not go for the T-Mobile with HSPA+ and a pure android machine? Or swallow the disappointment and get an iPhone.

Funny that you mention it but I had the same thing happen when I looked at the DNA in the Verizon store. I wanted to check it out to see if I liked it or not since I am now eligible for an upgrade. When I got there it was running on wi-fi...all the other phones were picking up 4G. I shut off the wifi to see if it would pick up signal but it still couldn't. Didn't feel like asking an employee since they usually don't know much. I am guessing that we will hear more of this or it could just be a bad batch of phones. Definitely not going with the DNA now though...this is coming from someone who had the Thunderbolt and liked it

 

[lloydstrans]

Funny that you mention it but I had the same thing happen when I looked at the DNA in the Verizon store. I wanted to check it out to see if I liked it or not since I am now eligible for an upgrade. When I got there it was running on wi-fi...all the other phones were picking up 4G. I shut off the wifi to see if it would pick up signal but it still couldn't. Didn't feel like asking an employee since they usually don't know much. I am guessing that we will hear more of this or it could just be a bad batch of phones. Definitely not going with the DNA now though...this is coming from someone who had the Thunderbolt and liked it

Just came from the Verizon store and the DNA had the best reception between it and the note2 (the razr maxx HD was on wifi and I didn't feel like kicking it into 4g mode). DNA 76dbs, note2 86dbs side by side. Probably antenna orientation in the device.

 

[Sherry]

Yesterday on the way through a narrow valley where I normally do not have signal until I get to the top of Cowee Mountain.... I had 2 - 3 bars on the DNA. I made a call just to check and it went through. I was surprised. This has always been a dead zone on the original Droid and the T'bolt.

 

[mindmachine]

Only just got the phone today, but so far I am finding the radio to be real good , better for sure than my Samsung Galixy Nexus, Galixy on 3g and HTC DNA getting 4G right beside it in my living room. Very rarely do I get usable 4G in my living room but so far the DNA has stayed on 4G and with good download speeds whe i use speed test.

 

[jc332986]

You must have gotten a bad one. The reception far exceeds my droid bionic. Even in my high rise steel office building where I was lucky to get 1x on my bionic, I get 3 bars of 3G at the worst and usually get 4G. Take it back and try another.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[gallilaw]

Partial Solution !

A very persistent tech support fellow at my local VZW was digging into the phone two days ago, and while every test showed the phone to be in fine condition, nothing wrong -- suddenly it dropped from 4g to 1x right there in the store. At that point even he knew something was wrong. As a first fix attempt he replaced the SIM card. I went home and tried it; no change -- still getting only 1x.

So they swapped me a new phone. It's much better, although to tell the truth it isn't stable at 3g. It's good enough to keep, however, and hope for the best.

In the meantime, for browsing at home I can use my computer and cable service, or just tell the DNA to access the net over wi-fi.

 

[nelamvr6]

I hope that your problem is solved.

I haven't had any reception issues...

 

[jasper7821]

Just came from the Verizon store and the DNA had the best reception between it and the note2 (the razr maxx HD was on wifi and I didn't feel like kicking it into 4g mode). DNA 76dbs, note2 86dbs side by side. Probably antenna orientation in the device.

How do you check how many dbs the phone is getting ?

 

[lloydstrans]

Setting>more>mobile networks>network type and strength.

That is the method on the razr's.
It is very similar for the DNA.