Cell Phone tower updates

Cell phone technology cracks me up... we can send a man to the moon and communicate with him, but we can't get a cell signal if our lives depended on it.


Depending on the irritating service provider, automatics updates via cell phone do not initiate unless the user punches in the magic codes. Magic codes??? Yes, what the cell providers do not always tell you is there are codes that you can push to get the cellular network to beam the right stuff to your phone. (ex. *220, *99, *10250, etc... ) But it also help if you are in digital mode.

 

I've had Sprint PCS for almost 5 years. Never had any problem, and I go all over the US with it. Firmware and cell tower updates are just part of the game. Obviously there is a reason it can't be done automatic, or it would. I would suggest you look at your phone as well. I've always done research when buying a phone, which ones people were liking, and I've always gotten a quality phone that way. It does make a difference.

 

I used Sprint for about 3 years after switching from Nokia. It works pretty good & has a good selection for phones. (Did you see the new Metal Red one w/ a camera?) However, my phone started roaming while I was in my house last year, and missing many calls as the phone didn't ring. I took the phone twice to update softwares, but no improvement. So I switched to Cingular, then AT&T, and finally to T-mobile in the last 3 months. I could keep the phone number, and picked up RazorPhone, which I really like. You can't use RazorPhone w/ Sprint!

Dave, maybe you should try the different water now! Do you have some commitment w/ Sprint? You can negotiate w/ Sprint based on unsatisfactory performance of your phone, and they may even give you later version or let you go w/out a penalty.

Technically updating software automatically can be done like PC, but it is not necessary for some people and some models, I mean phones. Since most providers don't keep the record of which phone you are actually using w/ the phone number record, it'll be a whole different ball game for providers to do automatic up-grade, which is not feasible at this time. This is basically the answer I got when I complained to Sprint.

 

I have had Sprint for 6 years now an haven't ever really had too many problems with them. What areas were you in when you had the problem? If you keep getting a problem in that area call them and tell them. It gets fixed pretty quicky usually. And yes you have to update your phone. They used to do it when you called service *2 but now they don't. Just take it to a sprint store one day on lunch or something and they'll do it. I hate buying new phones. Only owned 3 different phones in the last 6 years. They update them and in the DFW area I have little problems. I have gone to Vegas, drove to Missouri, and Austin area with no problems.

Hell the phone i have now is a 2 year old phone that they haven't sold for a long while and I dropped it all the time. Well the screen finally went out last week. I took it in, they tried to fix it for free (Even with the phone obviously abused, I hate cases) and it didn't take so they gave me a refurbished phone, all for free. Some kinda warranty on the phone. Moved over my numbers and I was on my way.

If you stay in digital areas disable roaming!!! Phones choose when to switch not Sprint. If it looses digital it will switch and not always switch back even though it may have just been a quick hicup.

 

fyi, sprint apparently doesn't do automatic tower updates. you have to go into the store. very stupid.

verizon does do automatic tower updates, albeit, you have to trigger it on your phone by calling a special number.

doody.

 

How do you get that #?

 

it's like #244 or #243 or something - just call them and ask.

doody.

 

Is it just CDMA phones that need all these updates. I had sprint and verizon and was always being told I needed updates.

I switched to AT&T GSM and have never had to update anything and has worked everywhere I've been and will work in europe without changing anything.

 

Wrong, at least partially. They don't do automatic updates, but you don't have to go to the store either. Just call the Sprint operator, and request a PRL update. The PRL is what we are calling cell tower updates. They'll flag your account, and when you call back the service will see the flag, and send the new update to you. Only if you are upgrading the firmware in the phone do you have to go to a store, and really only diehards mess with this anyway.

 

Dave,
You can have mine at bargain price 1 year later!!
I can't stop switching cell phones. RazorPhone is my 5th in 3 years.

 

Does anybody know the update number for AT&T? Maybe it will alleviate some of the problems I'm having.