AT&T and the RM-985: Lack of LTE

[vertigo_x]

As the title suggests, I received a Lumia 830 of the RM-985 variety yesterday and do not have LTE on AT&T. At the moment I only have HSPA+.

It's worth noting that I brought the 830 to the AT&T store to sign up with them and get it connected to the network. I was coming from Verizon Wireless and a Lumia 822. To those of you who have the RM-985, are you on HSPA+ or LTE with AT&T?

Think I should return it, maybe try another?

 

[tpbklake]

If you just opened service with AT&T are you sure that they gave you a LTE data plan? There is an account setting that needs to be set in order to get LTE. I recently had to get my Lumia 820 repaired and switched to an older non-LTE phone, so the AT&T rep turned the flag. When I got the 820 back, I popped in my SIM but couldn't get LTE until I called AT&T and they turned the setting back on.

 

[anon(5335877)]

Where did you buy it from? Are you sure it's a RM-985 and not a RM-984? The seller could have been mistaken.

 

[vertigo_x]

If you just opened service with AT&T are you sure that they gave you a LTE data plan? There is an account setting that needs to be set in order to get LTE. I recently had to get my Lumia 820 repaired and switched to an older non-LTE phone, so the AT&T rep turned the flag. When I got the 820 back, I popped in my SIM but couldn't get LTE until I called AT&T and they turned the setting back on.

alpinestars1z: It's an RM-985, just checked the back above the camera beneath the backplate.

tbpklake: I'll give that a try, though I'm not optimistic. :-(

 

[Fred Wilson2]

Are you sure you have LTE reception at your location.
At my work and some areas in town I do not have LTE reception.
At my house LTE just showed up about 2 months ago.


Fred

 

[vertigo_x]

Are you sure you have LTE reception at your location.
At my work and some areas in town I do not have LTE reception.
At my house LTE just showed up about 2 months ago.


Fred

Spoke to a nice lady at AT&T who suggested the same; being right next to the tower she suggested didn't help. I *did* have a strong HSPA+ signal, though!

 

[pankaj981]

The RM-985 variant supports LTE on ATT so i would guess its more of a signal issue or APN settings are wrong. Do you have an option of entering the APN settings manually under SIM settings? If no then try downloading access point and see if it helps.

 

[gjs520820]

If it's not an AT&T branded phone it will not be easy to get LTE service. AT&T keeps a database of imei's for their phones. If your phone is not in their database it will not receive LTE service, even if you have an LTE account.

I went through the same issue when bringing an HTC one to AT&T. The HTC one was compatible with AT&T's LTE but wouldn't receive LTE speeds or indicator. After changing the radio software and with much researching I found the issue with it not being in the database. So, if your phone is not AT&T branded there are two possible solutions. Talk to tech support and convince them to add your imei to the database (was not successful with this approach) or convince have them to change your account's imei to an AT&T's phone imei (from a friends phone or a phone from the store). To prove to them this is the issue you can go to the store and have them insert the sim from their phone into your phone and see if you get LTE. Good luck....

 

[anon(5335877)]

Did you check the cellular settings to see if the highest connection speed is set to 4G and not 3G?

 

[vertigo_x]

The RM-985 variant supports LTE on ATT so i would guess its more of a signal issue or APN settings are wrong. Do you have an option of entering the APN settings manually under SIM settings? If no then try downloading access point and see if it helps.

Already tried the APN (access point name) settings, though I may have to try access point. Is that an app from the Windows Store? I'll try finding it later when I get back to my phone.

If it's not an AT&T branded phone it will not be easy to get LTE service. AT&T keeps a database of imei's for their phones. If your phone is not in their database it will not receive LTE service, even if you have an LTE account.

I went through the same issue when bringing an HTC one to AT&T. The HTC one was compatible with AT&T's LTE but wouldn't receive LTE speeds or indicator. After changing the radio software and with much researching I found the issue with it not being in the database. So, if your phone is not AT&T branded there are two possible solutions. Talk to tech support and convince them to add your imei to the database (was not successful with this approach) or convince have them to change your account's imei to an AT&T's phone imei (from a friends phone or a phone from the store). To prove to them this is the issue you can go to the store and have them insert the sim from their phone into your phone and see if you get LTE. Good luck....

This sounds about right. I had a feeling the phone wasn't the problem in and of itself but AT&T's recognition of the equipment. In regards to changing my account's IMEI... Do you think, say, using a Lumia 520's IMEI (I just ordered one and a nano SIM converter) then switching back might possibly resolve this? That is to say I wouldn't tell them about switching back to the unlocked RM-985 Lumia 830. (;

Did you check the cellular settings to see if the highest connection speed is set to 4G and not 3G?

Yep.

 

[Fred Wilson2]

I have no problem getting LTE (on AT&T) on non-AT&T phones. I have several phones and only one of them is an AT&T phone. One of them, the Nexus 5 isn't even offered by AT&T so I know that there is no way it could be in their "database".
Anyway, I swap phones at will (just move the SIM card to one of the other phones) and all of the phones that support the AT&T LTE bands, receive LTE.
No problems at all.
Now, there are areas around town where there is no (or too weak for the phone) LTE signal, so the phone drops back to HSPA+ there. My work place has no LTE signal.



Fred

 

[vertigo_x]

I have no problem getting LTE (on AT&T) on non-AT&T phones. I have several phones and only one of them is an AT&T phone. One of them, the Nexus 5 isn't even offered by AT&T so I know that there is no way it could be in their "database".
Anyway, I swap phones at will (just move the SIM card to one of the other phones) and all of the phones that support the AT&T LTE bands, receive LTE.
No problems at all.
Now, there are areas around town where there is no (or too weak for the phone) LTE signal, so the phone drops back to HSPA+ there. My work place has no LTE signal.



Fred

Maybe there are intricacies in AT&T's coverage in my area; however, according to their coverage map, my entire *region* is 4G LTE with no gaps. I'll have to try going elsewhere to see for sure.

If that's really the case... Then AT&T is tremendously behind Verizon!

EDIT: I just had a thought: when you started with AT&T's LTE, were you initially using an official AT&T LTE phone (with its IMEI and an LTE SIM)? It might explain how you are able to just plug your SIM into a new unlocked phone and go without issue. My issue might be because I initially started my service with *this* phone's IMEI as opposed to an official AT&T one.

 

[AlexOwliver]

When I switched my AT&T phone to T-Mobile (different carrier situation, I know!) messing with the APNs did nothing - and T-Mobile couldn't help. Downloading access point, however, fixed everything good luck.

 

[tpbklake]

Already tried the APN (access point name) settings, though I may have to try access point. Is that an app from the Windows Store? I'll try finding it later when I get back to my phone.


This sounds about right. I had a feeling the phone wasn't the problem in and of itself but AT&T's recognition of the equipment. In regards to changing my account's IMEI... Do you think, say, using a Lumia 520's IMEI (I just ordered one and a nano SIM converter) then switching back might possibly resolve this? That is to say I wouldn't tell them about switching back to the unlocked RM-985 Lumia 830. (;


Yep.

Yes that would be something to try. With an AT&T Branded phone they will be able to flip the LTE setting and then when you swap the SIM to your 830 it should work.

 

[vertigo_x]

Yes that would be something to try. With an AT&T Branded phone they will be able to flip the LTE setting and then when you swap the SIM to your 830 it should work.

Thanks, I have a bit more confidence in this, now. I'll let you guys know how it goes!

At the very least, it'll serve as a 'lessons learned' for how not to start a new service.

 

[Ocar]

Just wanted to chime in on this thread and say I had to input APN settings from ATT to get it to work. At first only Text and Calls worked but no data. Got Data coming and working on MMS at the moment with ATT. Just got the phone today from the True Digital seller on ebay as well. RM-985.

 

[Tephra]

I had this same problem with my 1520.3. Not an expert or anything but it seems to have something to do with the IMEI not being recognized by ATT as the correct phone, in my case the 1520.3, in your case I would get on the phone with ATT tech support. I would tell them you are not getting LTE and your phone should be getting it. I had to speak with three different people in order for them to finally change my IMEI to a 1020 in order for it to work. If you don't succeed the first time try again until you do, there is varying degrees of "tech support" people with ATT.

As long as you have RM-985 you should be getting LTE if it is available in your area.

Hope this helps.

Note: People who just swap a sim card from a previous phone will not have this issue as there IMEI is still considered to be there old phone and in some cases ATT has there IMEI in there database, but most often they don't and you lose LTE because of it. So if at all possible try to always use the old sim card...

 

[vertigo_x]

I had this same problem with my 1520.3. Not an expert or anything but it seems to have something to do with the IMEI not being recognized by ATT as the correct phone, in my case the 1520.3, in your case I would get on the phone with ATT tech support. I would tell them you are not getting LTE and your phone should be getting it. I had to speak with three different people in order for them to finally change my IMEI to a 1020 in order for it to work. If you don't succeed the first time try again until you do, there is varying degrees of "tech support" people with ATT.

As long as you have RM-985 you should be getting LTE if it is available in your area.

Hope this helps.

Note: People who just swap a sim card from a previous phone will not have this issue as there IMEI is still considered to be there old phone and in some cases ATT has there IMEI in there database, but most often they don't and you lose LTE because of it. So if at all possible try to always use the old sim card...

Change your 1520.3's IMEI to a 1020's... Does this mean you had a 1020 laying around of which IMEI you used for this? Or did they pick a 1020's IMEI for you? I'll be getting a 520 soon, so I'll have them set my account's IMEI to that one and I won't tell them about my switch back; think it'll work?

Also, I was on the phone trying to address this yesterday. The lady didn't seem to be a tech expert.

 

[Ocar]

ATT couldn't get the LTE working. We swapped the IMEI of my older 920 with this 830 and the L showed up but lost all MMS, Cellular Data, Text and Voice. We tried a few different APN settings but nothing seemed to work and back on the 830's IMEI with no LTE. I'm not to worried as everything is working just on the H and H+ but according to ATT service person they said it wasn't compatible with their bands and had no clue of this device. Just my experience so far with the Claro RM-985. Not disappointed so far just strange it did pop with the 920 info but nothing else worked. Going to wait it out until the device is supposed to be out.

 

[vertigo_x]

ATT couldn't get the LTE working. We swapped the IMEI of my older 920 with this 830 and the L showed up but lost all MMS, Cellular Data, Text and Voice. We tried a few different APN settings but nothing seemed to work and back on the 830's IMEI with no LTE. I'm not to worried as everything is working just on the H and H+ but according to ATT service person they said it wasn't compatible with their bands and had no clue of this device. Just my experience so far with the Claro RM-985. Not disappointed so far just strange it did pop with the 920 info but nothing else worked. Going to wait it out until the device is supposed to be out.

I normally wouldn't mind, myself, since the speed at max bars on HSPA/HSPA+ is pretty good. My problem with it is that it fluctuates wildly from me just sitting here. I haven't had any dropped service or 2G since Tuesday, but the signal on HSPA/HSPA+ is still crazy at times. So much so that I can't update apps on the Windows Store at times!

So, you're saying you tried with the 920 what I am going to try with a 520? It sounds like things won't be going well if that's the case. o_0