Poor Signal Strength
Dippitydo
Enthusiast - Level 2

Network Signal strength from my home suddenly dropped 4 months ago.   Numerous calls to Verizon network techs, but they found nothing wrong.  Problem has not stopped . I had great network signal strength prior thereto.  What to do?  No way am I going to spend more needless hours on phone with Verizon techs.  What in world has happened?  My home is in a 4G LTE mapped region .

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Re: Poor Signal Strength
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

So many of us rely heavily on our signal. Especially when we are at our homes.

What is the signal like at home now? Have others experienced the same signal decrease at the home? Has anything happened in the last few months that could possibly alter the signal for you (new phone, new roof, new siding, etc.)?

Are you experiencing issues with calls or data?


TamaraH_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

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Re: Poor Signal Strength
Dippitydo
Enthusiast - Level 2

Tamara,

Thanks for responding. I have been asked and answered all the questions

you asked um-teem times during the numerous calls I have spent with Verizon

Tech and Network support. Quite simply, I have given up hope for any

change!

Briefly, I am single, so no when else uses a smartphone or internet

connection at my home. I also live in the country about 12 miles outside a

medium size city. My neighbors are spaced apart, and I have no idea who

their Internet providers are.

In the fall of 2011 when I purchased a new desktop computer, I changed the

way I connect to the Internet to a Verizon MiFi Jetpack. Previously, I had

satellite Internet which I hated. The county never ran cable to the end of

my county, so cable is a mile down the road in each direction. I have

satellite TV which I like.

I did not own a smartphone in 2011.

I really liked the Verizon MIFi Jetpack Internet connection, so when I

purchased a smartphone in 2014, I wanted to continue with Verizon service.

I always had excellent signal strength with the MiFi Jetpack. I almost

always had 5 bars lit up every time I used the Jetpack.

When I purchased my smartphone in 2014, I continued to receive excellent

signal strength. Although it varied a little more in terms of how many

signal bars lit up on my smartphone, I almost always had 3 or more and 4G

LTE service which occasionally dropped to 3G but not often.

Everything changed 4 months ago. I lost signal strength in both the

Jetpack MiFi and smartphone. I waited a while to report the issue because

I thought Verizon might be doing some work in my area. However, the

problem progressively worsened, and I began what turned out to be an

endless amount of calls to tech and Network support technicians with

Verizon which went no where. Like I said, I finally gave up. The trouble

is I cannot continue like this.

When I turned on the MiFi Jetpack at 10:30AM this morning, the signal

strength strength fluctuated from none to one bar and rarely to 2 bars.

This never previously happened until 4 months ago. With my smartphone, I

never have more than 1 or 2 bars of signal strength, 4G LTE, or even 3G.

In fact, the signal strength commonly reads 1x, i.e., none.

How does this affect me? When I click on links in email or surfing the

Internet, whether on my smartphone or desktop computer, it often takes 2-5

minutes for a website to come up, and sometimes the link never opens. What

I have to do, is check it at other times, until I finally get lucky. The

Verizon Techs taught me to reboot my htc One smartphone at least daily, and

I have found this helps minimally.

One Verizon Network tech directed me to the nearest corporate office to

search for what could be causing the problem such as a down tower, etc. I

went there and they laughed at me. They told me they have no idea, and

could not believe the tech referred me there, i.e., 25 miles one way

drive. They did do a complete reset of my smartphone and MiFi Jetpack

while I was there, but that changed nothing and caused me more needless

hours to reset much of my smartphone settings.

My 2 year contract with Verizon expires in February. I cannot continue

like this. FYI, no changes in tall buildings or anything else has happened

near my home which could cause this problem. I am at my home almost all

the time, so having signal strength here is of utmost importance. Verizon

Network techs insist nothing has changed which could cause the signal

strength problem I am experiencing. Frankly, I am not convinced they did

anything other than look at a coverage map and say, "We have 4G LTE in your

area." The hours I have spent on the phone with Verizon techs are too

numerous to count. I cannot stand the thought of wasting anymore of my

time on the phone.

I read on the Verizon website about signal strength enhancement devices,

but since my only connection to the Internet is via a MiFi Jetpack and

regular smartphone when not using the WiFi, it does not appear I would

benefit from such a device. For the record, I have the latest updates with

all my devices.

I would sincerely appreciate anything you could do to help me.

Unfortunately, I am not optimistic. Please help.

On Sun, Dec 27, 2015 at 5:09 PM, Verizon Wireless Customer Support <

Re: Poor Signal Strength
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Dippitydo,

We definitely appreciate all the detailed information that you have provided. This certainly is a mysterious service issue. We certainly do value your time that you have spent with us trying to resolve your coverage issues. I want to help & see what other possible avenues we can look at. I will be sending you a Private Message to gather additional information. Please respond back to me only in the Private Message to continue. I look forward to working with you.

AliciaS_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

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Re: Poor Signal Strength
dennismevans
Enthusiast - Level 2

dippitydo - I saw a similar issue at a place I used to work, and after months of the IT department trying to track down what happened, it turned out that one of the cell phone carriers (The one we had just switched to, naturally!) had to reposition the direction their tower "faced" to avoid interfering with the other carrier's 4G LTE tower.  So while it had started out facing our work campus and providing great service, suddenly we were lucky to get any service at all.  IT purchased and installed signal repeaters in the buildings, which helped (pretty steady 2 bar signal strength as long as one was inside), but it did not restore the great service we had originally seen (4+ bar 4g LTE service, consistently).

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