yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] DeeXii:
Well technically that would be software related as it would seem it would be in the baseband.

However if that is the case then we are stuck as we cannot use a US baseband and Sammy isnt going to put CA for USA in the F basebands.

The reason why I correct you as because when you say "hardware related" people think that there is some how a defect when there is not.

This could be fixed if the radio (baseband) was programmed to use TMO CA methods.

Thanks again for chiming in and dropping some knowledge. :)
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] masri1987:
thanks for the education
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] Kalm_Traveler:
How is a small percentage of launch devices potentially having faulty hardware a flaw in my theory? Assuming it is a small number of these which have the same problem, and the very tiny percentage of phone buying people who are also on XDA we are only going to hear about XDA users who have this issue.

Also - as I have stated, mine worked great here for a week, on T-Mobile, faster than my T-Mobile branded Note 5.

From what you know about CA, I don't know how you're arriving at that conclusion. It is a standard, and functions the same everywhere. The phone supports the bands needed for T-Mobile and AT&T. What else are you thinking needs to be in place?

I'm not saying that there might not be a baseband issue except that since mine worked great for a week that can't be the case (at least with the N variants). It seems like you guys are thinking that there are different types of CA and FD and TD LTE bands. There aren't. CA is a standardized technology. LTE has 2 types, both of which are supported by the Exynos Note 8's LTE modem (one is an evolution of GSM, the other is an evolution of CDMA).

All the evidence I'm seeing supports the theory that some small percentage of these devices went out with potentially faulty hardware. If the software was fundamentally flawed, my device would not have worked perfectly for a week, it would have been slow right out of the box.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] masri1987:
i'm entertaining the flawed hardware idea, but then how are N users who purchased from wonda having similar results to F users who purchased from Clove, different batches and different suppliers... ?
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] Kalm_Traveler:
I'm hoping you guys can help me figure that one out. I think my N was made in Vietnam? Where were the F's made? Since the hardware is identical, my first guess was that they are made together in the same factory. Some of the internal parts are labeled for the specific model though - like my screwy usb/antenna board has SM-N950N printed on it, while other parts just have 'GREAT' stamped or printed on them, which would match all the Note 8 versions.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] MeltdownSpectre:
Well, it's actually a bit of both.

1) The baseband is programmed to use LTE on the supported bands and CA on the supported combinations.

2) The RF chip and modem used in the device has supported LTE bands and CA combinations hard coded and so can not be changed by the user.

Sometimes, some specific bands require an extra bit of hardware to be included which Samsung may not have added in the Exynos variants since sale of these devices was never intended in the US.

In this case, no amount of tinkering with baseband or software related fixes will get you anywhere.

Happy to help.

It is a flaw. How is it that all the Exynos Note 8s sold by eBay sellers to buyers in the US sold defective phones, yet everyone outside the US is fine.

Sounds a bit funky, no?

As always with wireless technology, the factors to take into account when comparing speedtests are too many to count.

Something I've repeated countless times on XDA. Just because the bands are supported, does NOT mean that multiple streams of data over multiple bands are supported by that same device.

Think about it, old device supports 5GHz WiFi but only with 2x2 MIMO, yet you're using one of those super fancy 5GHz routers which operates 2 separate radios for the 5GHz band, has 4x4 MIMO, 256QAM, all the bells and whistles, supposedly gives you 867 Mbps of throughput, but according to your logic the old phone that supports basic 802.11ac WiFi should get the speeds that can only be achieved by using multiple streams of data?

That is flawed in my opinion.

Okay, I don't even know where you're going with this or what point you're trying to prove since it's completely irrelevant and partially incorrect as well.

There aren't different types of TD-LTE and FDD-LTE bands, those are just 2 different types of LTE bands.

There are different types of CA however, 2 band, 3 band, 4 band, inter band, intra band and so on.

Then there are bands on which CA operates, there is no device in existence that supports every single CA combination that exists and the Note 8 is no exception to that.

Really? What?

In the 950N on AT&T thread, this one guy was wondering why sometimes he'd get crap speeds, and other times it was pretty good.

Well, once he posted ServiceMode screenshots, it was evident that his Exynos Note 8 wasn't using CA, but the crap speeds were a result of his phone connecting to Band 5 (850 MHz), which is heavily congested due to its limited capacity, and the times where he'd get better speeds were when his phone was connected to Band 2 (1900 MHz), which is a higher frequency band, and it was using 20 MHz bandwidth, which allowed him to get those higher speeds.

The devices aren't flawed. If they were defective, the phone wouldn't connect to LTE at all or show erratic changes in signal strength, quality and so on.

Sent from my SM-N950F
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] masri1987:
Mine didn't come from eBay but wondamobile shipped from hk
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] MeltdownSpectre:
Further proving my point.

Devices came from all over, all of them definitely can't be defective.

Sent from my SM-N950F
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] DeeXii:
I personally think you got lucky. When I was messing with the band settings I was able to get the phone going faster for a few runs. Even at one point several hours, then it went back.

This here also backs up CA being a culprit as CA fundamentally switches around band configs constantly.

Perhaps the CA hit the right bands to get it working good for you and it never went back.

With software it is entirely possible for it to work for a week and then stop as its software and it can do many variables.

What doesn't seem likely is a defective piece of hardware working for a week and then all of a sudden stop with no damage.

I'm not saying its not possible, I have seen hardware fail, but in my opinion it just seems more likely the software did something to line up the planets of the CA.

Its not that there is different types of CA. CA is standardized to an extent as far as fundamentals, but it also isn't.

The way they handle the bands is not standardized as each region or infrastructure might have different configs etc..

How can it be a small percentage? I told unlock about this problem, he bought one from Clove and a few days later he had the device in hand with the same problem.

I would be willing to bet if you bought another phone from Clove the same exact thing would happen.

Matter of fact, Im going to change my return to an exchange to test this. Surely the next phone come in wouldn't fall with in the "small percentage".

Lastly I would like to point out there are several people here that have experienced the issues that mimic the behavior that [MENTION=2595499]iunlock[/MENTION] and I are experiencing.

I have not really ran into anyone that has not experienced this. If I do I will be sure to make sure they are testing and comparing properly as some folks might think the speed is normal.

Im honestly not trying to be argumentative here. I truly believe we have narrowed this down which affects you, me, and everyone trying these phones on TMO.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] Limeybastard:
Wonder if there are any U users testing speeds of their USA spec note 8 in Europe for example with comparison to F models there.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] DeeXii:
I'm pretty sure the percentage of people using U phones in Europe is less then the percentage of people using F phones in the USA. :)
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] Limeybastard:
Indeed. So in essence the F and N models CA doesn't "work" properly in the USA ? Meaning it doesn't engage.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] Kalm_Traveler:
Seems like you're just trying to argue to argue, but I'll play ball for now. You don't know everyone, or even a large percentage of 'everyone' who has purchased an Exynos Note 8 on eBay or anywhere else and been using it outside of its native region. You have absolutely no idea what percentage of them are fine or not fine. None whatsoever.

Not by a long shot, it's actually pretty straightforward to troubleshoot. In my specific case, it's also pretty obvious when in a given test spot transfer speeds suddenly (and permanently) change from always fast, to always slow and usually failing entirely on uploads. My Note 5 has remained consistent in the same test spot.

Repeating yourself doesn't change how the device works. You need to do your research before you use blanket statements to try and explain a specific situation away. My 'logic' is from looking at my device. It clearly supports 4x4 MIMO, 256QAM and up to 5 CA. With the T-Mobile CSC flashed, there are many supported CA combinations listed in the RIL service menu.

Incorrect in what way? You just repeated me. Read before you retort? I haven't said anything that contradicts any of that.

So first you know everyone who's purchased an Exynos Note 8 on eBay, and now you use a single case to....what... make blanket assumptions? Perhaps there's a CA issue with only AT&T phones, or perhaps he didn't have the AT&T CSC loaded so he didn't have the CA profiles for his carrier. Several of us on T-Mobile have noted that before changing anything we were seeing the LTE+ icon, which apparently indicates that Carrier Aggregation is being used, and on the T-Mobile CSC I also still see it working - even with my awful reception as of late.

Again, I'm surprised and impressed that you know with certainty that no Note 8 is flawed. Sadly, my reality is quite contrary to yours in this regard, and includes a wide variety of indications of various types of Note 8 device flaws. In my case, they have manifested as a mic that stopped working, and suddenly horrible LTE reception. It doesn't erratically change in strength or quality - it is always poor now, after an initial week of always being strong - on par or better in strength and speeds to my Exynos Note 5, on the same bands, in the same places.

Hope you have a great day.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] Limeybastard:
Are you all using the OOKLA speed test app? Just wondering if another app being used would give different results?
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] DeeXii:
I used multiple different bandwidth tests. Some were even web based etc.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] Kalm_Traveler:
You're right, I could have just 'been lucky' for the first week but that doesn't seem logical to me. It was working just as you would expect it to for a week, even with me monkeying around with it flashing that original S8 CSC Selection tool patch before I started learning how to make one myself.

Also how my mic died a few days after the LTE signal strength dropped... and how when I was first testing the internals, applying pressure only in a specific direction on one of the antenna connectors made the signal strength immediately jump up to equal with my Note 5. If I pressed in a different direction or let off, it would immediately drop back down to terribad.

I haven't seen your phone, or anyone else's with speed/signal strength issues but my own device just seems to very strongly be pointing to problems with that lower PCB.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] DeeXii:
No offense but it seems like you argue just to argue.

I'm pretty sure its clear to everyone that murtaza02 seemingly knows what hes talking about.

It seems the only thing that makes common sense is the CA causing the problem.

UPDATE: My now a second friend of mine got his N950F from Clove in today.

He has had it for about an hour an a half and just reported back to me.

He has the same issue! Side by side with his wife's N950U.

By the way before my Clove phone, I had a N950F from Asia (one with the OEM unlock jail issue) and it too had speed issues.

At the time I did not realize it was an issue. I thought the network was just messed up at the time. That goes to show that sometime we initially persevere things differently.

So from my inner circle that is a total of 4 phones now that all have the same issue. 3 from the UK and 1 that was Asian (Taiwan) .
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] DeeXii:
Thanks again for the input.

Do you have a suggestion on where to look to rule that there is 100% no way to fix this via user accessible parts of the firmware etc?

I heard this was the case on the S8 and S8+.

I assume no one resolved it.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] MeltdownSpectre:
[MENTION=4375750]Kalm_Traveler[/MENTION]

I didn't mean to get aggressive, but you see my point now?

DeeXii alone has used 4 devices with the same issue.

Are all of them defective?

Sent from my SM-N950F

---------- Post added at 11:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 PM ----------

This has been the case since the S7 edge. Basically ever since Samsung started locking the bootloaders on the SD variants and people started importing Exynos GS7s and S7 edges into the US, no one has figured out how to get CA working.

I've learnt all this stuff from reading up about it online and seeing people's frustrations in the S7/S7E forums with getting stuff like VoLTE and WiFi calling to work with the CSC patch but CA would never work on their phones.

If no one has managed to get it working on an S7E, or an S8, doubtful that the Note 8 will be any different.

It's just how it is.

Sent from my SM-N950F
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] Kalm_Traveler:
No worries and I apologize if I came off trying to argue to you or anyone else.

The reason I've been questioning the logic was that it seemed like someone suggested that CA seemed like the culprit and people were jumping on it without solid evidence of the cause. After reviewing the thread, I am now thinking perhaps the F variant is different in this regard since several of us N users on T-Mobile have verified CA working, with the stock Korean CSC as well as with some form of T-Mobile CSC (either my first mod of that S8 mega pack, or my Note 8 rebuild of TEKHD's pack).

It's entirely possible that although the F and N variants both have the same CPU and modem that some other components, or perhaps something in the bootloader is causing this issue if it is exclusive to F variants on AT&T.

My hope in finding a well-researched cause here was that it would help me permanently fix my own device, but based on what I'm seeing in this thread, you guys with the F variants may have an entirely separate issue.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] Limeybastard:
Were these rooted or stock devices with speed issues? Not trying to be confrontational at all , but to get to the bottom of this discrepancy I'd think one would have to compare like for like meaning stock for stock, un altered devices . Videos showing issue would also be good.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] masri1987:
Went to the store. T-Mobile note 8 was getting ,21-22mbps download. Store manager grabbed my phone added a duplicate apn profile as the one that existed. The circled part of the pic is post apn addition . Nothing makes sense
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] Limeybastard:
Doesn't make sense.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] masri1987:
LOL i agree. and currently i'm at home. I ran one test I got 59mbps (never got that fast at home with korean note 8), next test? 1.4mbps .

Since we are all on t-mo, and all using f\ds\fd\n models, i'm really leaning towards the possibility that t-mo might be blocking some CA network side features.

ATT users haven't reported any CA issues here have they?
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] shouren04:
Here's what my F shows....

CA NONE when pretty much idle.

CA ADDED when browsing the internet & such.

CA ACTIVATED when running a speed test.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] Limeybastard:
I'm on a U model. I mentioned it in the great big thread that I possibly think T Mobile is prioritising , just like you mentioned here. ;) Prioritizing their own devices before tourists ;)

Maybe one can [MENTION=4504155]askd[/MENTION]es , that cockney looking T Mobile handset VP
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] masri1987:
on mine it shows CA:0

CA:1 or CA:2

During speed test, it starts with CA:2 , which is when i'm hitting very high speeds,

Then it drops to CA:1, and a long with it my speeds and signal.

i also assume battery life issues are worthless to discuss until this fiasco is resolved correct?

---------- Post added at 11:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:00 PM ----------

by the way, i got a call back from t-mobile today about my trouble ticket from a network engineer.

Should hear back on Monday

Here is my TT# 17741188

I recommend y'all call and do the same. I askd for tech support, asked for a sup, got a floor sup, asked for a real supervisor, got the supervisor (first person in the line of hierarchy that knew what CA was w\o me explaining it.

Also once i reached that sup, all the nonsensical talk about "we don't support non t-mobile devices" dropped altogether.

Does anyone know if there is any FCC regulations that should prevent device prioritization like this?
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] shouren04:
My speed tests don't run like that, it will spike then fluctuate consistently in that area, it won't drop a huge amount after. Or it'll start off slow, then gradually rise & fluctuate consistently once it reaches it's highest point.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] masri1987:
so i decided to do a larger speed test, instead of the 1.3-2mb speed test that the ookla app does, did a 100mb speed test.

Monitored CA status.

The phone literally drops to CA:0 when the speed drops to a 1mbps , it tries to get back on CA:2 which boosts it back up to 30-40mbps and then back down to CA:1 and then CA:0 , it just keeps cycling in this pattern.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] masri1987:
might be important to note, the band 4 for DL is connected to 2100mhz frequency, upload is conneccted to 1700 mhz
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] masri1987:
I'm gonna drive myself crazy with these speed tests.

Taken in my kitchen. Much faster than my gf vzw g6 in many tests. Dips a bit for two attempts . Nothing makes sense but I'll just watch it over the next few days

I can note that CA:2 is active during these tests
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] Kalm_Traveler:
Just clarifying, I didn't say it was the bottom area of the phone. I took my phone apart and was applying pressure on the antenna connector itself. The attached image is my phone. Also to reiterate, disconnecting either or both of the antenna wires that link the main PCB with the lower usb/antenna/mic/speaker PCB has no effect whatsoever on signal strength or data speed in my case.

You may absolutely be correct that mine is an isolated issue - but again odds are that if one device came out with a faulty board it would stand to reason that others may have as well.

I'm not at all ruling out software-based issues, just hoping that someone can find proof in a more concrete scientific-type way. So far I haven't seen any posts indicating more than a hunch that CA is the problem. "My 5 friends all have the same device on the same network and we all have poor LTE" isn't really helpful in pinpointing the cause of the problem, and since several of us Exynos Note 8 users on T-Mobile definitely are seeing Carrier Aggregation functioning, to me that weakens the guess that CA is causing all the problems.

Again, not arguing with anyone - just hoping that if you guys are correct and that those of us with functioning CA are just lucky, real concrete evidence of the cause (which would then lend itself to finding a solution) can be found.

I hope we can all have blazing fast LTE, but we need to know for sure what the cause of this weak signal issue is - not just agree with each other about a guess. I don't know what is causing everyone else to have weak signal, but as I have taken my phone apart and tested it I am positive that my own definitely is a physical issue. Might there be a software issue on top of it? sure.... just haven't found any evidence of it since physically pressing on the antenna connector would bring my LTE strength up to exactly the same as my Note 5. That is an obvious sign that there is a hardware/physical issue. My only assertion was and is that if mine had bad solder joints or whatever it turns out to be, it's likely that numerous devices went out with the same issue.

My guess (and I'm totally open to being completely wrong - hopefully I am wrong) is that since both the N and F variants use the same hardware and are manufactured in the same facility - it is plausible if not likely that the obviously at least partly hardware issue my device developed after a week could be manifest in other handsets, not just 1 out of however many 100,000's that Samsung has made and sold so far.
[Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Questions and Answers] iunlock:
The two antenna-bridge wires as I've mentioned are to bridge the two pcb's together. I know that they are not the antenna itself.

I also did not make any mention of it being just a CA issue, as I'm open to the possibilities of it being several issues, which so happens to be related to something software / carrier related.

An idea that I had was to maybe paint something conductive like 'stuff' to those silver painted areas that are used as antennas on the black plastic board?

I wonder if increasing the surface area of the painted on antenna area could bring some benefits. It should eh?

Those gold contact points could also be gently bent up to increase the pressure of the contact points on the black cover piece.

At this point, I'm almost wishing that it was something simple like a contact pressure issue lol, because while we have the back plate off, we could do some extra mods like I've mentioned above...

It'd be nice to find a solution here soon.... If it is the case where we need to "register / provision," our IMEI to the carriers network, I wonder if that in conjunction with flashing the proper csc etc would do the trick? I think someone did mention doing this, but haven't heard much after so it's still up in the air...

This would require talking to someone higher up at TMO as the ground level regular CS are no better than a script reader....

I'll buzz my buddy at corporate tomorrow....