[myTouch 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] pseudoswede:
ROM: Royal Ginger 2.1

Kernel: ckisgen-1.5

Radio: 2.08.531.0

eMMC: 2.17

December 2011 to Late June 2011

Phone is working great. It was initially rooted with Visionary+, then with the gfree method. I've tired lots of different ROMS and kernels. I get 3-4 bars consistently at my house, and I get 4-5mb downloads.

Late June 2011 to Late July 2011

Annual, four-week trip to visit the in-laws in Sweden. My T-Mobile SIM card worked while roaming (and have data turned off), Wi-Fi calling works great. Phone is unlocked, so I used both our PAYG phone SIM card (through Telenor) as well as a PAYG data SIM card (through Telia). Both worked great.

However, closer towards the end of the trip, I noticed that whenever I had my T-Mobile SIM card installed, it wouldn't pick up a roaming signal (only wifi), and Wi-Fi calling was iffy at best even next to the wireless router. However, the PAYG data SIM card worked great throughout the whole trip, so I didn't think much about it.

On the final day in Stockholm, I realized that I left my T-Mobile SIM card back at the in-laws house. I would just get a new one when I get back.

Present Day

On Wednesday (7/27), I go to the T-Mobile store, and I get a new SIM card. I turn the phone on, I receive a few text messages immediately, deem it good and leave. However, while driving home, I notice that I can't make any phone calls. That is because I have 0 bars (but it is not x'd out). I also have zero indication of data (not even E).

When I rebooted the phone, I will get 1 bar starting out (and I can receive text messages during that time), but then it drops back to 0 bars after about a minute. As soon as I got home, it picked up the wi-fi signal, enabled wi-fi calling, and I got the "Welcome to T-Mobile" text message (since I got a new SIM card). I turned off wi-fi, rebooted countless times, and I got 0 bars every time. Troubleshooting with T-Mobile didn't lead to better results (one suggestion was to switch to EDGE-only connection--it worked for a while, but eventually stopped). Eventually, the wi-fi stopped working, too (even after rebooting the wireless router, and while other computers were using it just fine).

Yesterday (7/28), I eventually find some time to go back to the T-Mobile store and ask for another SIM card. This time, I hang out for a few minutes. I actually get 4 bars and a 4G signal--for a while. It drops back down to 0 bars. The employee taps around for a while. One interesting thing he found was that the option to "use 2G networks only" is always checked every time you to the Mobile Networks setting page--even after you uncheck the option and exit. I tell the employee I will reinstall the ROM, kernel, and radio. Those solutions help maintain a signal for a while, but it doesn't fix it.

This morning (7/29), I have been trying out different radios. I have tried out 2.09.1800.1, but it provided the same results (1-2 bars consistently when I have been getting 3-4 bars before). Now I'm on the stock radio (1.17​.531​.2). It seems to work okay, but it seems to drop to 0 bars every once in a while. It has also been very difficult to get a 4G signal. If I get a 4G signal, it drops to 0 bars; if it switches to EDGE, I get 4 bars.

Conclusions

I have a feeling that my phone is slowly failing. Are there any other tips I can try?

Thanks in advance, and thanks for reading.