how to access 3g or H+ on an unlocked T-Mobile TP2

burlcone · #1 (**permalink**) 03-06-2012, 09:03 AM

I have used the Touch Pro2 for about 3 years and have been very satisfied with nearly everything with the phone. I have gone through three phones because of the power button failing, and as a workaround I've started to use the sliding keyboard as a way to turn on the phone and prolong the power button's life. The main issue I have now I that I bought this last time a chrome-backed phone from eBay which looked like a good deal, not especially cheap but it was said to be new and apparently is new, the phone time use indicator said it had been used 0 hours, 0 minutes when I got it.

However, the new phone is unlocked -- it's a HTC randed phone, not T-Mobile branded -- and it seems that I cant get a faster connection speed than EDGE, where I used to get connections of 1 mbps down and up regularly, as measured from the phone browsers and also from a laptop tethered to the phone. It seems that this is a common issue with unlocked phones in general. Any fix for this for the Touch Pro2 (TP2) on T-Mobile? Any way to lock the phone and enable 3G (and HSPA, if that's somehow locked/unlocked different) data? I am not sure but I think what needs to be changed is in the bootloader.

Can that be modified somehow to enable 3G data access on a unlocked TP2, either with the stock T-Mobile ROM (which I'd prefer) or with a customized ROM? I mainly want to use the phone for standard, built-in functions and for occasional tethering which I was able to do with the old mocha/locked phones I'm used to. I tried various setting changes for the mobile data connection and I have even tried flashing the phone with the current ROM from the t-mobile website and that changed the boot screen but nothing changed with the data speed.

By the way, the phone does work normally otherwise in all aspects, I am able to browse the web (slowly) and send and receive text messages ok. I also verified I am not being throttled by T-Mobile and I have the tethering option on my account.

Also I did search this forum (and other boards like this) and while I've read references to this issue with other providers I haven't found posts with a fix for this on the TP2 on the T-Mobile network. If nothing else, knowing of ROMS or fixes that are known to support accessing 3G or HSPA on the unlocked TP2 on the T-Mobile network -- or to "lock" or "relock" the phone to T-Mobile which I suppose may also be a fix -- would be appreciated. Thanks!

**cornelious2** · #2 (**permalink**) 03-06-2012, 09:24 AM

Tmobile uses a non standard 3g band. It will never work on the tp2

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

mastergadgets · #3 (**permalink**) 03-06-2012, 09:47 AM

Good Luck with that!

burlcone · #4 (**permalink**) 03-07-2012, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mastergadgets

EDGE is as fast as you will get on T-Mobile with TP2.

Well, I know with my mocha TP2 phones I was able to get on the average a little under 1 mbps up and down. This was true for at least three phones including the last one. Now that's an "up to" speed but I have never had a situation before where all I could get was EDGE speeds of under 200 kbps, not for more than brief periods of time explainable by local service or tower issues. I'll have a mocha T-Molbile phone to add to my service in about two weeks but I'd like to know what fixes there are for this, if any. My posts above in this thread may give some ideas to start with. Thanks!

**cornelious2** · #5 (**permalink**) 03-07-2012, 01:05 AM

Short of putting a new radio in the phone, untill tmobile changes to a standard 3g band, it ain't happening.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

**horndoctor** · #6 (**permalink**) 03-07-2012, 01:23 AM

Wirelessly posted (htc Pocket PC: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 8.12; MSIEMobile6.0) Sprint T7380)

Your device is the European Unlocked GSM Model capable of:

GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS1900
Network Frequencies
Which in the USA are 2G GSM frequencies.

For American 3G capability your device would have to be able to operate on:

HSDPA 900 / 2100
HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
Network Frequencies.

To my knowledge, there is no way to add this frequency support to your device, any other version of the Rhodium, or any phone for that matter without hardware changes to the device and/or a custom made SPL and firmware/software. I don't think you will find a ready made solution available for download anywhere. This is serious stuff that would have to be custom coded by an expert and is most likely illegal. So Good Luck with that.

burlcone · #7 (**permalink**) 03-07-2012, 08:14 AM

Ok, so just so I'm clear on the differences between the USA T-Mobile branded mocha phone and this HTC chrome-back phone, the T-Mobile phone is GSM/HSPA capable? I know I got faster than EDGE speeds consistently out of my old phones.

If so, this is an interesting turn-around on an assumption I've made about European/Asian/almost anywhere but USA-branded phones, that phones made for use overseas are usually ahead of those made for the USA market. Except for the iphone, I believe I've seen in history most of the newer, cutting edge phones rolled out overseas first.

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by horndoctor

Wirelessly posted (htc Pocket PC: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 8.12; MSIEMobile6.0) Sprint T7380)

Your device is the European Unlocked GSM Model capable of:

GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS1900
Network Frequencies
Which in the USA are 2G GSM frequencies.

For American 3G capability your device would have to be able to operate on:

HSDPA 900 / 2100
HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
Network Frequencies.

To my knowledge, there is no way to add this frequency support to your device, any other version of the Rhodium, or any phone for that matter without hardware changes to the device and/or a custom made SPL and firmware/software. I don't think you will find a ready made solution available for download anywhere. This is serious stuff that would have to be custom coded by an expert and is most likely illegal. So Good Luck with that.

eric12341 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-07-2012, 10:58 AM

You need the T-mobile branded version in order to get 3G service because T-mobile uses the AWS band for 3G but the good news is they're now retuning their network to support 3G in the PCS Band which means u can use any phone. Also u should be getting alot higher than 1mbps, I average 4mbps in my house and I have hit a max of 11mbps down on my HD7 which is a HSPA 7.2 phone.

**Tinkerbell** · #9 (**permalink**) 03-07-2012, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eric12341

the good news is they're now retuning their network to support 3G in the PCS Band which means u can use any phone.

Any idea when they are rolling out this? I flashed a sprint phone over to t-mobile, but of course, am only on Edge. Unlimited data, but v-e-r-y s-l-o-w!!

eric12341 · #10 (**permalink**) 03-07-2012, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinkerbell

Any idea when they are rolling out this? I flashed a sprint phone over to t-mobile, but of course, am only on Edge. Unlimited data, but v-e-r-y s-l-o-w!!

@Tinkerbell they should be in the process of rolling it out. It's expected to be completed by next year when their LTe rollout will begin. EDGE isn't that slow, I find that I can do more on it than I could on sprint EvDO.