updating prl?

apl3

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I have owned my Razr for a year but I have a problem when I recently compared the signal strength to a razr HD. Both phones were side by side when I compared them. I was at the gym and realized I could not use Pandora very effectively actually from day one I noticed this when I got the phone. The phone would flip from 3g to 1x to no data. The Razr HD would stay at 4G sometimes flip to 3g in the same are. Here is the weird thing when I took the Razr outside the building after a few seconds I would get a 4g signal. My prl is 15233 Android version is 4.1.2. I have powered down the phone removed the sim card to see if it would update the PRL still no luck. Verizon told me I can get a Certified like new from them is there anything else I should be looking at? Does the Droid Razr HD have a better radio? Thanks.
 

Dalvik_Cache

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I have owned my Razr for a year but I have a problem when I recently compared the signal strength to a razr HD. Both phones were side by side when I compared them. I was at the gym and realized I could not use Pandora very effectively actually from day one I noticed this when I got the phone. The phone would flip from 3g to 1x to no data. The Razr HD would stay at 4G sometimes flip to 3g in the same are. Here is the weird thing when I took the Razr outside the building after a few seconds I would get a 4g signal. My prl is 15233 Android version is 4.1.2. I have powered down the phone removed the sim card to see if it would update the PRL still no luck. Verizon told me I can get a Certified like new from them is there anything else I should be looking at? Does the Droid Razr HD have a better radio? Thanks.

To update the PRL you would need something like QPST. Aside from that PRL's are automatically sent to the phone via the VZW network. Even if you flashed one it would likely get replaced on reboot.
 

KaChow

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I have owned my Razr for a year but I have a problem when I recently compared the signal strength to a razr HD. Both phones were side by side when I compared them. I was at the gym and realized I could not use Pandora very effectively actually from day one I noticed this when I got the phone. The phone would flip from 3g to 1x to no data. The Razr HD would stay at 4G sometimes flip to 3g in the same are. Here is the weird thing when I took the Razr outside the building after a few seconds I would get a 4g signal. My prl is 15233 Android version is 4.1.2. I have powered down the phone removed the sim card to see if it would update the PRL still no luck. Verizon told me I can get a Certified like new from them is there anything else I should be looking at? Does the Droid Razr HD have a better radio? Thanks.

I have the same PRL 15233, which I also have a Droid Razr Maxx HD. The issue here is not the PRL, because you are running the current version, what is causing the problem is what seems to be the lack of the data that you have been receiving. I feel like I was just helping someone with this same issue in another thread, go into your phone, open the dial pad and enter> *#*#4636#*#* and hit the send button, this will open the "Testing" menu, go into "Phone Information", scroll midway down the page to "Set preferred network type:" and make sure your device reads LTE/CDMA/EvDO/GSM/WCDMA . If this is not the setting, then go ahead and adjust the setting to read LTE/CDMA/EvDO/GSM/WCDMA . Scroll back to the top, click "Run ping test" all your settings will reset, take a look at the "Network type:" and note whether it reads "LTE" or "eHRPD", if it reads "eHRPD" which is essentially running 3G data, this is nothing to be really concerned or worried about. eHRPD 3G covers tower to tower, in the event that the LTE signal doesn't intercept.

I'm going to give you a couple of codes that hopefully can improve your signal, nothing is said to work perfectly, something is better than nothing. GL

*228 > Update PRL or Program PRL
*22880 > force update, ignore fails (shouldn't need this but just in case)
*22899 > force secondary tower update
*22800 > original tower update
 
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apl3

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Thanks KaChow I set phone to LTE/CDMA/EvDO/GSM/WCDMA / it was just set for lte/cdma/evdo not sure if this is significant or not. My signal strength for 4g is -100dBm 1x is now -80. I got Verizon to send me a Certified phone to replace this one. Thing is from day one I always seemed to be having problems with Data. I have replaced the Sim card and no changes.
 

Dalvik_Cache

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*228 > Update PRL or Program PRL
*22880 > force update, ignore fails (shouldn't need this but just in case)
*22899 > force secondary tower update
*22800 > original tower update



  1. *228 is a manual OTA call. This has a voice prompt requesting to press different options.
  2. *22800 is for PCS networks only. If your phone is not a primary PCS device this will not work. You must be on a PCS tower for this to work.
  3. *22899 is the same as the *228 except the 99 signifies automatically press "2". Basically its for air cards and data devices that don't have the ability to follow the prompts. Aside from that it is the exact same thing as the first.


  • None of these will work if:
  • You are roaming on to a non network tower. Specifically, if you are on the extended network. You MUST be on a tower owned by your carrier.
  • If you have an LTE device. This option is never available to LTE devices because your PRL is stored on your SIM, not your internal phone flash.
Hope this helps.
 

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  1. *228 is a manual OTA call. This has a voice prompt requesting to press different options.
  2. *22800 is for PCS networks only. If your phone is not a primary PCS device this will not work. You must be on a PCS tower for this to work.
  3. *22899 is the same as the *228 except the 99 signifies automatically press "2". Basically its for air cards and data devices that don't have the ability to follow the prompts. Aside from that it is the exact same thing as the first.


  • None of these will work if:
  • You are roaming on to a non network tower. Specifically, if you are on the extended network. You MUST be on a tower owned by your carrier.
  • If you have an LTE device. This option is never available to LTE devices because your PRL is stored on your SIM, not your internal phone flash.
Hope this helps.

I can attest to the information above as well. Since the phone has a SIM and is an LTE device, the *228 process will not work. It was intended to perform tower update (PRL) information for non-sim based phones. Believe MandyMakesApps, she knows very well what she's talking about in this realm, as well as many others.
 

FoxKat

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Thanks KaChow I set phone to LTE/CDMA/EvDO/GSM/WCDMA / it was just set for lte/cdma/evdo not sure if this is significant or not. My signal strength for 4g is -100dBm 1x is now -80. I got Verizon to send me a Certified phone to replace this one. Thing is from day one I always seemed to be having problems with Data. I have replaced the Sim card and no changes.

If your phone was set for CDMA/EVDO only, the 4G radio (LTE), would actually never even activate. This would explain the lack of 4G signal as the towers wouldn't get the request. As for why it "apparently" would get a 4G signal outside...no explanation. If the radio is off (as indicated above), it not only shouldn't ever see 4G, but it shouldn't ever display it on the signal level bar either.
 

Dalvik_Cache

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Thanks KaChow I set phone to LTE/CDMA/EvDO/GSM/WCDMA / it was just set for lte/cdma/evdo not sure if this is significant or not. My signal strength for 4g is -100dBm 1x is now -80. I got Verizon to send me a Certified phone to replace this one. Thing is from day one I always seemed to be having problems with Data. I have replaced the Sim card and no changes.

Let me see what I can find, do me a favor, if you would:

Download this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.maruse.cellinf
When you run it you will get a menu option stating "Start BS Tracker", run it for 5-6 mins.
Select menu and select "Email Log", send it to [email protected].


Ill take a look and see what I can find!

Thanks,
Mandy
 
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apl3

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Thanks Mandy but its a bit too late. Verizon sent me a new phone. This one seems to be a lot better. I wish I saw this before I activated the phone and sent the old one back. But I will keep this ion mind just in case. Thanks a lot. Tony l.
 
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