[y.bb]

Hello everyone,

This is something that bothers me. There are places that I take my Pearl where it usually loses its connection to the network, and sometimes simply holding the phone the wrong way or keeping it in my pants pocket will cause it to lose signal (I know it loses signal because my Bluetooth earpiece beeps when this happens).

Yet, if I'm on a phone call, and I have my phone in these select places where I always lose signal, it maintains signal, as if it is trying harder to keep the connection.

For example, if I go into the basement in my house, the phone tells me it is "searching for network." But, If I was on a phone call upstairs then walked downstairs with my phone while still on the call, it maintains that call with no problem whatsoever. When I hang up, the phone immediately drops the signal and starts searching for a network again.

While this may be a strategic battery-saving method, I don't like it. This means that at times, I'm not receiving calls or emails because the phone has decided not to try as hard just because I'm not on a phone call.

Is there any way to increase the effort the phone puts into maintaining signal at ALL times, not just on a call? I don't care about losing battery life.

Can anyone else back up my observations here?

Thanks in advance!

[mckinneycm]

This is how cell phones work. When you initially turn on a cell phone it will actively find a signal. Once it has found the signal, if it loses the signal it will sit and wait until the signal finds it. If you are on a call then again the phone is actively connected. As soon as you hang up it goes back to being a slave to the signal. There is no way to change this. Try doing this; go down to the basement or whereever the signal is lost and do a hard reset by pulling the battery out. When the Pearl comes back up, I'll bet it will find a signal and then after a couple of minutes it will lose the signal again.

It's just the way cell phones work.

[y.bb]

Originally Posted by mckinneycm

This is how cell phones work. When you initially turn on a cell phone it will actively find a signal. Once it has found the signal, if it loses the signal it will sit and wait until the signal finds it. If you are on a call then again the phone is actively connected. As soon as you hang up it goes back to being a slave to the signal. There is no way to change this. Try doing this; go down to the basement or whereever the signal is lost and do a hard reset by pulling the battery out. When the Pearl comes back up, I'll bet it will find a signal and then after a couple of minutes it will lose the signal again.

It's just the way cell phones work.

Are there any programs out there or scripts that may be able to do a constant pinging to some server somewhere to keep the phone maintaining a connection? Or maybe some setting in the phone that will have the BB constantly ping the mail server or something like that?

I just want the phone to maintain a constant connection, and I have unlimited data, so it wouldn't matter if it kept pinging somewhere to a server.

[mckinneycm]

Originally Posted by y.bb

Are there any programs out there or scripts that may be able to do a constant pinging to some server somewhere to keep the phone maintaining a connection? Or maybe some setting in the phone that will have the BB constantly ping the mail server or something like that?

I just want the phone to maintain a constant connection, and I have unlimited data, so it wouldn't matter if it kept pinging somewhere to a server.

The only problem with that is if your data is constantly sending packets, your going to miss incoming calls, unless the call comes in during that split second between packets.

[y.bb]

Originally Posted by mckinneycm

The only problem with that is if your data is constantly sending packets, your going to miss incoming calls, unless the call comes in during that split second between packets.

How so? I've never missed a call or text while streaming any type of data...

I was under the impression that GSM technology wasn't limited like CDMA, in that calls/texts are not blocked during data sessions...

[mckinneycm]

Originally Posted by y.bb

How so? I've never missed a call or text while streaming any type of data...

For example, say your surfing a web site. After it pulls up the web page, the data stops and waits for you to do something. During that time, the phone will allow incoming calls. However, while it's loading the web page, or in this case sending ping packets, the call will go straight to voicemail.

[secrecyguy]

Originally Posted by y.bb

How so? I've never missed a call or text while streaming any type of data...

I was under the impression that GSM technology wasn't limited like CDMA, in that calls/texts are not blocked during data sessions...

The truth is, it can only do one or the other. The reason it seems like it can do both at once is, if it not receiving any data or waiting for data, it will switch over to voice to check for any calls and than it will switch back to data.

[mckinneycm]

Originally Posted by y.bb

I was under the impression that GSM technology wasn't limited like CDMA, in that calls/texts are not blocked during data sessions...

When the 3G network comes out, this will be true. But for right now, it's one or the other (voice or data).

[y.bb]

Originally Posted by mckinneycm

For example, say your surfing a web site. After it pulls up the web page, the data stops and waits for you to do something. During that time, the phone will allow incoming calls. However, while it's loading the web page, or in this case sending ping packets, the call will go straight to voicemail.

Well as I said, I've had a different experience. I've had web pages STOP loading because a call was coming in.

But even if I am wrong about this, a simple ping to a server, let's say, every 10 seconds, would most likely not block an incoming call, considering the simplicity (and the very short time it would take to complete) of a general ping, right? And shouldn't this be often enough to keep the connection going?

[mckinneycm]

Originally Posted by y.bb

Well as I said, I've had a different experience. I've had web pages STOP loading because a call was coming in.

But even if I am wrong about this, a simple ping to a server, let's say, every 10 seconds, would most likely not block an incoming call, considering the simplicity of a general ping, right? And shouldn't this be often enough to keep the connection going?

It all depends, 10 seconds is a long enough time for the phone to lose the signal. It's worth trying. It never hurts to try.

[y.bb]

Originally Posted by mckinneycm

It all depends, 10 seconds is a long enough time for the phone to lose the signal. It's worth trying. It never hurts to try.

Do you know of a way to set up a recurring ping? Either by using some 3rd party software or a script of some sort? I've only had 2 months of BB experience now (and I will never go back to Windows Mobile )

[mckinneycm]

Originally Posted by y.bb

Do you know of a way to set up a recurring ping? Either by using some 3rd party software or a script of some sort? I've only had 2 months of BB experience now (and I will never go back to Windows Mobile )

I don't know of any, but now you've got me hoping for the best as well. So, I'm going to search for a way. I'll let you know...

[y.bb]

Originally Posted by mckinneycm

I don't know of any, but now you've got me hoping for the best as well. So, I'm going to search for a way. I'll let you know...

Awesome, thanks!

[NRGZ28]

Well I don't believe the data only or voice only theory. I have computer in my car and I have it setup so I can listen to a bunch of international radio stations. I drive around for hours listening and it never skips a beat. I get calls, I answer them.. and I talk w/out any interruptions to the data stream... so what does that tell ya ?

[lefty]

and how come I can be in a conversation, and receive a SMS message, read it, reply, and send the reply, all without dropping the phone call?

[y.bb]

Originally Posted by lefty

and how come I can be in a conversation, and receive a SMS message, read it, reply, and send the reply, all without dropping the phone call?

SMS uses strictly GSM (same as phone), not GPRS/EDGE (data). So when you are on the phone, you are not actually using GPRS or EDGE, but rather GSM. The phone can use the GSM connection to share voice and SMS at the same time.

You can see this difference by attempting to pull data while in a phone call (for example, try to send an email, which uses strictly data).

[mckinneycm]

Originally Posted by NRGZ28

Well I don't believe the data only or voice only theory. I have computer in my car and I have it setup so I can listen to a bunch of international radio stations. I drive around for hours listening and it never skips a beat. I get calls, I answer them.. and I talk w/out any interruptions to the data stream... so what does that tell ya ?

I would actually like you to prove that you are on a phone call talking while internet radio is streaming from the internet to your laptop. It's not physically possible. The only way you can do this is with 3G, and the Pearl cannot do 3G. Also, if you can still hear music while you're on the phone that's because the music is buffered on your PC and it's actually playing off of your PC and not the internet. When the call comes in the internet connection goes into 'standby'. Then when you hang up, the internet connection resumes.