T-Mobile LTE on 950XL vs Samsung Note5 isn't even close?

[dcoffing]

I need some help getting my new 950XL working as fast as my Note 5. I got so bummed waiting for the 950XL to get back in stock I ended up getting a Samsung Note 5 to replace a failing Windows Phone. As luck would have it the 950XL became available just a few weeks after getting my Note 5. Anyway I just received the 950XL and have been setting it just fine until it came to configure it for T-Mobile data . I tried every connection setting that T-Mobile had on their website and called their tech support but to no avail. I can get the voice to work but nothing with data. As a final whim to verify if the second SIM even worked, I switched the T-Mobile SIM cards from the working Note 5 and the non-working data of 950XL. Both phones data started working?! But in a really weird way because I tested the connections bandwidths. The now working SIM in the Note 5 registered (via LTE according to taskbar) 30.8 Mbps download and 8.6 upload and all I did was take it out of the 950XL and move it over. The Note 5 registers 4 bars and 4G/LTE on the screen. FYI; these speeds were comparable to what the original working SIM in the Note 5 registered. NOW comes my bad news and where I need help. The SIM out of the Note 5 that was working at LTE speeds when I switched it to the 950XL I am only seeing 1 bar and LTE sometimes which actually goes back and forth to 4G. I did the same speed tests and in the 950XL I register only 3.4 Mbps down and 2.1 Mbps. I swapped back the SIM's and now the good news is at least I get data now on the 950XL using the formerly unworking SIM but it is at 2G-3G speeds whereas I was getting LTE speeds on the Note5 with it? Are the antennas just inferior to the Samsung so it can't pick up the signal as well? I am hoping I just must have to tweak a setting somehow. Anybody got a clue and what I should do because T-Mobile support isn't any help.

UPDATED: Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I finally got it working by doing a master reset back to factory fresh conditions and NOT doing a restore from a previous backup. I had done a restore the first time from a Lumia 925 running Windows Phone 8.1 and I think that is what must have messed up the settings. Anyway after the fresh master reset it booted up perfectly in LTE data and full SMS, with MMS and group texting working like a champ.

 

[RumoredNow]

Is your APN set to "fast.t-mobile.com" or the older APN?

 

[ordivergens]

I need some help getting my new 950XL working as fast as my Note 5...

Wait, I am confused. You have two sim cards? Or are you just moving the same sim card back and forth between the Note and Lumia?

I have T-Mobile as well and get approximately the same LTE speeds on my Note 5 and Lumia 950 XL. I swap the sim back and forth between the two phones and have never had any issues.

Comparing the signal bars is not very conclusive, carriers sometimes modify the ROM so that the device shows more bars than another device even if the signals are around the same power.

Case in point. I originally had a Note 5 I bought from T-Mobile, and it would show three bars at my house. I returned it and bought an international variant of the Note 5, and it showed only one bar. However, they both showed approximately the same signal power level. To compare the signal strength between two devices effectively you need to be able to see the power level of the signal. I don't know how to do that on the Lumia, but you can see it easily on the Note 5, in the settings. Maybe there is an app on Windows that shows the relevant info.

 

[TexasLabRat]

In general there's nothing wrong with the 950XL design antenna-wise. I can pull over 60Mbps on LTE with mine. You may have a lemon device, or your APN settings might be messed up, or something about your SIM card(s) is not making the 950XL happy for some reason.

 

[midnightfrolic]

Holy cow, 60Mbps??? on LTE???! I'm luck if I get consistent 5Mbps with full LTE bars. That's faster than my home cable internet!!! It maxes out at 50Mbps.

And yes, the APN is "fast.t-mobile.com"

 

[RUCKUS_US]

Holy cow, 60Mbps??? on LTE???! I'm luck if I get consistent 5Mbps with full LTE bars. That's faster than my home cable internet!!! It maxes out at 50Mbps.

And yes, the APN is "fast.t-mobile.com"

Really? I pull 40+ on att lumia 640, and my wifi at home is 175 Mbps on Comcast 5ghz band...

 

[midnightfrolic]

Thx for contributing info. I have Time Warner Cable internet. Where we live, top speed it 50Mbps and all around within 20-30 miles radius. Waiting for fiber, which will likely never come. For cellular, I have T-Mobile. Possible congestion with LTE where I live and hang out.

 

[RUCKUS_US]

Thx for contributing info. I have Time Warner Cable internet. Where we live, top speed it 50Mbps and all around within 20-30 miles radius. Waiting for fiber, which will likely never come. For cellular, I have T-Mobile. Possible congestion with LTE where I live and hang out.

When iI did have T-Mobile I was getting like 70 mbps because I live in Seattle and their headquarters is not too far away so I suspect they juice things up around here. And my Comcast is the highest available right now... Got lucky and snagged a good deal. They gave me a dual band router
My 2.4 band issimilar speeds to yours. I was just suprise to hear that about T-Mobile from what you said. I hold them high when it ones to data speeds. Not so much signal though. That's why I went to att. They have good coverage and mediocre speeds. I find them to be a good in-between of Verizon and T-Mobile. Sprint is trash in my experience so we don't have to talk about them. Lol

 

[dcoffing]

yes you got it right. I have two SIM cards. I have a business plan with TMobile so I actually have a personal phone line and a business phone line. For some weird reason it is now fixed. I just went in and swapped the SIM while I was testing and it started working? I don't know how but I am happy that the data is now working on both the Note 5 and the 950XL at LTE speeds. Now my last problem to solve is getting MMS working on the 950XL. I read that everyone has it working so I am not sure if somehow I messed up those settings. T

 

[spdsk8race]

are you still having issues with your device and data speeds?