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iPhone 4S dropping network and data at random

Hi,

I've been using an iPhone 4 on a Vodafone contract for the past 16 month and just bought an iPhone 4S direct from Apple. It arrived on Friday morning and I got it set up correctly as far as I can tell.

When I first turn it on, it works lovely and exactly as I would expect, able to make calls, send texts and access the internet via the cellular network. However, at what appears to be random, the network will disappear (no bars of signal) stopping me making calls and texts, but still allowing me to access the internet. Sometimes, the Internet goes, but I can still make calls and texts. Other times, everything is gone and I get "No Signal" where it normally says Vodafone UK.

So when trying to fix this problem after it's noticed, I try putting it into Airplane mode and back out. The phone scans for a network and goes back to the same state as before I tried this fix. I have tried resetting network settings, but this doesn't change anything. The only thing that actually fixes it temporarily is turning the phone right off and back on again.

At this stage I assume this is a bug with the software, but I wondered if anyone else is experiencing anything like this? If no one is, I will take it up with Apple, but I don't really want to do that as I love the new phone so much!!

Cheers, Stuart

iMac (late 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.3), 27" i7 Quad-Core, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD

Posted on Oct 16, 2011 2:53 AM

1,022 replies

Nov 12, 2011 3:33 PM in response to serkankekec

Cupertino, we have a problem ... It is not so much the battery performance that still is strikingly weak, it is not so much Siri having problems to understand English or German and to respond properly, all this can probably wait for a solution a week or two. Apple it is, that I cannot make phonecalls with my iPhone 4S at all, since I updated its software to iOS 5.0.1 yesterday night. "No Service", "cannot connect to cellular data network", "call failed". My iPhone is either not connecting or constantly dropping and searching signal all day on end. This is kind of a drawback of my 849 Euro device, which, apart from the battery issue, worked fine until yesterday. Please, Apple, would you mind taking care of this problem. We are a growing number.

Nov 12, 2011 3:38 PM in response to bushmills

bushmills i agree all of your words. i can charge 2 times a day for a two weeks and i dont care but now i dont have iphone i have an ipod!

Nov 12, 2011 3:54 PM in response to bushmills

Look at my carrier right now, seems like i'm ready for a hard reset AGAIN !

Nov 12, 2011 3:55 PM in response to Stuart Mchattie

I agree as well. Imagine i paid $900.00USD for a phone that i only could of used 3days. this is so much of a rip off. I cant even make or recieve a call and a $10.00 phone can do this easily. Why hasnt Apple at least make a statement on this? They have us here like clowns with phones that cant make a call,we are hoping to get it fix and when ever you call Apple Support they are say this is the first time they are hearing about this problem. I dont know what to say again....

Nov 12, 2011 3:56 PM in response to katakulli

I agree. The funny thing is a had a 4th generation iPod touch before my first iPhone, my iPhone 4S.

They are basicly the same, except one of them is thicker and has a "Searching"-text on the top left corner of the screen lol.

maczter

Level 1

4 points

Nov 12, 2011 4:16 PM in response to Stuart Mchattie

After three or so days of watching my phone repeatedly drop it's AT&T signal, only to immediately reconnect with 4-5 bars every time and also having issues keeping a connection to my Airport Express, I set up an appointment with an Apple Store Genius. He looked pked around a bit, but didn't really do anything since I'd already done everything he would have (got a new SIM card from my provider, reset network connections, powered down and restarted the phone, etc.)

The only remaining thing he asked me to try before replacing the phone was to do a restore from my backup when I got back home (I was in Los Angeles at the time). Oddly enough, while the phone was dropping the connection to AT&T dozens of times per hour before I went to the Apple Store, I've only seen it happen two or three times since then...and that was two weeks ago.

The one thing I did that I think may have something to do with my issue clearing up was that I had tried to backup to iCloud before I left for LA, but it had failed and I didn't do anything about it. While waiting for my Genius appointment, I noticed the failed backup showing under Settings >> iCloud >> Storage & Backup >> Manage Storage and chose to Delete Backup in the detail view for that failed backup. That's all I did in between my phone being a source of frustration and it working as expected. My iCloud backups were failing at home and on my hotel's WiFi, but it was actually able to run on the Apple Store WiFi once I deleted the failed backup. It could be that it took a combination of one or more of the other things I had done up to that point along with clearing out the failed backup. Not sure, but it has worked great for the past two weeks since I did that. I also applied the 5.01 update the night it was released and have seen no issues post-update. I have yet to attempt to do a restore of my phone from backup now that I'm home because it seems to be fine now, despite three very frustrating days.

Nov 12, 2011 4:25 PM in response to Stuart Mchattie

My 4S is freaking out. Everything was okay until I updated to IOS 5.0.1 I was loosing cellular signal randomly and could not send text messages. I had all the same issues as all of you in this thread. The only method to temporarily fix this was to hard-restart the phone. This phone was so buggy that I was afraid clients couldn't get through to me. I popped out my SIM card and put it into my backup Nokia phone.

All was well and working as expected in the Nokia. Minutes later a call came in on the 4S?!?! There was absolutely no SIM in the tray. The 4S kept searching for signal and it would sometimes work and not work with absolutely no SIM card?!?! After an hour or so the signal would dissapear and I'd get either "No SIM" or "SIM Failure". Not sure what is going on but wished I didn't update to 5.0.1. My iPhone now sits idle waiting for a software update that can address these issues. It's an expensive paperweight for now and acting like it's posessed. I'm curious to know if any of you have had the SIM-less-but still-randomly-connected issues. If anyone knows how to revert back to IOS 5.0 please let me know. (FYI: I'm in Cambodia at the moment and my provider is Mobitel)

Nov 12, 2011 5:03 PM in response to Stuart Mchattie

Same problems;

searching
no network
network with bars but no network indeed!
can't make calls,sms etc.

I called Apple support yesterday. Support guy said that they heard about this issue for the first time.

But there are thousans of people having same problems.

****none of the solutions above couldnt solve my network problem.

I think best idea and only we can do is keep sending email and report this at apple support site...

(AVEA-TURKEY)

Nov 12, 2011 5:26 PM in response to istanbulappple

I bet Apple is lying. Becoming sick of this ****.

Apple, get it together!

Nov 12, 2011 5:45 PM in response to Stuart Mchattie

Same problem here, I bought my 4S from Singapore Apple online store and bring back to use in Malaysia. My phone came with original iOS 5.0 works well, no network problem until I upgraded it to 5.0.1 with OTA update. Since the day I update it, the network problems appear:

1) No service most the time.

2) Unable to make call, sms, mms, whatsapp, etc even the signal bar is full or getting 3g signal.

3) Simcard failure or sim valid pop up every morning I wake up.

My phone model is MD239ZA with modem firmware 1.0.13, iPhone 4S (white, 16g).

I have tried every methos to troubleshoot this problem, soft reboot, hard reboot, pull out sim, set sim pin off, restore from older backup but still ios 5.0.1, restore and set up as new phone, reset network setting, reset all setting, erase all contents and settings, and replace new sim card. All the methos I mentioned only can help to recover the network for a short while, after that the phone will get no service again. Now my only hope is waiting Apple to release the new update of iOS 5, or the last choice I have to jailbreak my phone even unthethered to see it can help or not.

maczter

Level 1

4 points

Nov 12, 2011 7:02 PM in response to albertqui

Folks,

We are but a few dozen people in one single thread out of hundreds on this forum. Apple rarely, if ever, responds here (that I've seen). If you need support and cannot find answers here among other users, then, by all means, take advantage of the phone and in-person support they offer. Lodging complaints here will only get you the ears and eyes of other people having the same problem. It is most likely not going to be noticed by Apple unless and until enough people call in and open official support cases with Apple support staff, and then only if more than a few dozen people have the issue and find that the issue is not resolved by getting their device replaced by Apple.

Just some suggestions. Don't just complain here and expect to get this resolved. File an official case with Apple.

Nov 12, 2011 8:13 PM in response to maczter

Everyone ! Now Apple needs to release 5.0.2 THIS week-end ! I've restored from DFU to Fresh 5.0.1 Only connected ICloud With NO APP, battery is better because There is nothing using internet sucking

In background....BUT guys !!! 3G network or simple carrier calls or SMS are still NOT freaking work ! Everytime i'm trying, its going down from a minute and connect again but can't tell How much time it's lasting that's incredible, from now it's kinda OK because tomorrow is sunday but How about Monday !?!? We are going to work !!!!! How CAN you WORK With à phone without Carrier stability ??? I didn't found How to downgrade, if someone CAN find à way...5.0 was better for me even With battery draining...Apple i hope you read THIS because on Monday it's gonna be worse for you on top of every website news !!!!!