After Lollipop Update S4 Loses Network

[MiiHere]

Can you explain how you were charging it both ways? Were you using the provided USB cord and plugging it into the wall? Or you mean you plugged it into your computer to charge using the USB?

[Bchar38]

My usual method was to use the white charger, which came with the phone, plugged into the wall. I am now using a generic USB cord plugged into my PC to charge.

[1daysale]

it could be where the phone was placed and not necessarily what you charged with did you charge it in two different locations using USB and power cord. I took this one backpack and one time in a place with almost No signal and if we place our phone in what we call the magic spot we would get updates enough to update facebook and what not.

I have not factory reset yet to answer previous suggestion. Restarting to regain connection is the lesser of the two evils IMO at this point.

[1daysale]

There are places in my house I call magic spots that I can maintain signal and make phone  calles. Tonight I'll charge my phone in the Magic spot to see if I keep connection and let you guys know the result.

I'm thinking the operating system give up on searching for a signal until a restart if it can't find a signal for a specific amount of time

[Bchar38]

In my case, I'm charging each night in the same location, just using different methods. Also today I recharged while at work via PC and USB with no problems. I think I will bring in the electrical charger to work tomorrow to see if the problem follows.

[MiiHere]

I would also try using the original USB cord the phone came with, but with the PC. That will rule out the USB cord as the problem. I'm not sure how the wall plug portion of the charger would disrupt the service, but do test it at work and see.

[1daysale]

When home for lunch today. Charged in my car for 10 mins then sat on my couch and charged and played a game and had a bit to eat for about 30 minutes. When I went back outside my phone would not connect to the network and had to reboot after I got back to work to get service back. So somewhere in that timeframe of 30 minutes with poor or no service the operating system gave up on looking network service. I was not sitting in my "magic" spot.

[1daysale]

Performed another test after work today and this one was hard because I have crap to do but here's what I did. When I got home instead of connecting the charger I sat in the exact dead zone I sat on my lunch break. (I did not connect my charger, repeated for emphasis)

For 30 minutes I browsed google for info related to lollipop and network connections to occupy my time. Every few minutes I wood look at the bars and make mental notes. I saw 0 to 3 bars at different times in 1x 2G 3G and even 4G with 1 bar for a brief moment in the early part of the test. I would also see 0 to 3 bars with no indication of type of connection. In that 30 minute time frame I would also see no nework indicated by a gray no bars icon with an X. The last 5 minutes the grayed X persisted. I got up put my shoes on and headed out side and no network signal, again.

So after about 30 minutes Lollipop says "I'm done trying to find you a network,  I quit". Restart brought network service back.

I took a screen shot of battery usage graph. I was able to get to 100% on lunch so it showed about 3-4 hours of usage. Beginning of graph was mostly light and dark greens a couple yellow ticks hear and there but when I got home it finished off with all red. Don't know if I can post pic to this forum.

[1daysale]

My hypothesis was a success. I was able to keep network by keeping my phone in the Magic Network spot. Lollipop must have kept network enough to not give up at keeping it active. Thoughts?

[Bchar38]

Ok, that is now looking like what my problem may be. I brought my OE electrical charger in to work (where my signal is always 4G) and charged my phone flawlessly with no loss of network. Where I have been having this problem is at home where I am lucky if I even have a 3G signal.So now I am thinking that  this update may have somehow changed the threshold needed for the phone to maintain the network. The signal may not be enough now to maintain the network without a reboot and network search after having been dormant while on charge.  .So rather than a fix I guess I'll just use this workaround.till upgrade time.