iPhone 4s losing data connection multiple times/day

It still appears as if two different issues are being described here.

One seems to be a complete lack of a handoff between the wifi connection and the cellular data connection. I can tell when this has happened with my phone because the netstat app will show no cellular data activity whatsoever. This cannot be fixed by flipping the phone to airplane mode; a reset is required.

It seems like others are simply referring to the intermittent loss of their cellular data connection throughout the day. I too have this problem: At work, at my gym, at the grocery store, etc. I think this is more to do with AT&T's overly-congested data network. Flipping the phone to airplane mode and back does sometimes get things moving again, if only temporarily.

It doesn't seem like these two issues are the same.

My issue is with wifi off so losing my data connection. Again I only seem to notice it in the mid to late afternoon and early evening possibly when kids get off of school and people get off of work. It's possible it's AT&T's network being congested but then why did I only develope this problem right after iOS 5.1 and why do 9 of my friends around the state experience it as well?

I personally think its iOS 5.1 an if it still does it after this new sim card I will find 5.0.1 and install it and let everyone know. If my problem goes away we know it's iOS 5.1.

It seems like this is happening around the world and on different networks. Either way it's crap, unacceptable and a huge huge problem.

I personally believe it is a hardware issue. My wife has a 4, as well as quite a few of my friends, with 5.1 and it runs perfectly. Everyone I know that has a 4S has had this data connection issue. I have my 4S on 5.0.1 and it has the same problem, so I don't think it has anything to do with 5.1. I too can confirm that it happens the most during work hours. Still going strong with the Location Services turned off with no connection drops since applying the change yesterday morning.

Well so much for that idea. I've never had a problem until recently. When was ios 5.0.1 released? Possibly the problem is in that build. I can't figure out why I haven't noticed it until now.

This is day 2 with a new SIM card and HEAVY afternoon use when it normally should cut out completely for a few hours.

I do have a friend with a 4 that is experiencing this problem too and never has. Same deal full bars no data connection.

Note: I expect a small virtual tickertape parade if the Location Services thing fixes it 😉

Also, yes MattLaw you are correct some people are talking about a different issue. If you can fix it by using Airplane mode its not this issue.

I don't think my problem is directly related to ATT network congestion. Everytime I start having issues with my phone at work I talk to the girl who sits next to me at work. She uses an Iphone 3GS with IOS 5.1 (9B176) and never expericnes the problems I do. Mine is Iphone 4S with IOS 5.1 (9B179)

I'll take her phone and my phone at the same time. Hers will load a webpage in 20 seconds or less while mine times out and doesn't connect.

Sometimes I can get it to jump into working again by toggling airplane mode on, leaving it for 30 seconds, and then turning it back off.

Sometimes it just works by itself (I will get a random push notification here and there from facebook and the like)

Sometimes nothing I do will make it start working, including airplane mode, reset network settings, delete all safari information (Clear History and Clear Cookies and Data), turn off and back on.

I also got a new sim card yesterday (they gave it to me at the apple store about two weeks ago after trying to troubleshoot and failing, saying that I needed to take the sim to AT&T to activate). I just got around to getting to an AT&T store yesterday, and after about ten minutes of strong connection it died and starting behaving badly again.

I don't think any of us experiencing this are experiencing network congestion to be honest. Whatever it is it needs to be fixed. I'm still set in its a software issue because I've never had this problem or new anyone with this problem with my iPhone 4 or when i got my 4S up until 6 weeks ago. The only thing that's changed is iOS updates. Why it doesn't affect everyone who knows, but it is the only commen denominator.

This is happening on all networks, I've never heard of the problem until recently, it happens on the 4/4S which use basically the same antenna technology.

I think it's iOS 5.0.1 or 5.1. I don't think it's a SIM card or new congestion or hardware.

No problems today with the new SIM card

Furthermore I also checked my Data usage to make sure i'm not getting throttled, and with about 4 days left in my billing cycle i was only around 425MB of usage, so I can't imagine that this would be the problem.

Perhaps a few of us should try downgrading to iOS 5.0. I can google a link to download it. It's worth a week long try?

I also checked that. AT&T publicly stated they won't throttle until 3GB if you're on unlimited.

I could be wrong about the network congestion bit.

I do know this much, however: My intermittent connection issues tend to happen in the exact same places. During the day, my phone rarely works while I'm at the office, in a downtown area, where most of my coworkers also complain about poor data service.

Same goes for other parts of town that I frequent. But if I leave the city, my data speeds pick up significantly. I spent an entire day at a very busy Sea World (yes, Sea World) in San Antonio a few weeks ago and maybe had one or two slowdowns the entire day. Same goes for a trip to Las Vegas a few months ago.

This has just lead me to assume that data service in my city (Austin, Texas) *****, possibly due to the rapid growth and the proliferation of iPhones.

*edit*

(Really, this board censors words that could appear on daytime network television?)

Matthew

I live in Austin Texas as well. With my iPhone 4S I can be on my home or work wifi and then leave to get on 4G and the data doesn't work at all. I have found it to not matter the location or time of day.

Like everyone else I feel there is a hw/SW issue hat is a combination of 4S and iOS 5.1 which was likely a fix for battery issues that probably shuts down the 4G portion of the apple chip when it's not in use after a period of time (e.g. Wifi). Then when it tries to power back on it can't fully power on which leads to no 4G data. It's just my theory but 3 iPhone 4S and two sim cards lead me to believe this.

What's most frustrating though is no news sites are Picking this story up to he apple to the fire. I'm submitting this story today to a few sites like TUAW.com.

I agree that this issue started before 5.1 because I happened a few times with my iPhone 4. Well I've been testing my iPhone with 'Cell Network Search' disabled and wifi activated at home and the first day everything went great no problems. Early this morning while I was still at home I got a text message from AT&T saying they resolved my connection problem (I opened a case with a representative a few weeks ago). So I get to work expecting everything to run smoothly again and as soon as I open my email it timed out. Since they might of replaced a switch on a local tower I reset my network settings and have since been running fine again.

I was told by a representative that I am in the center of 3 cell towers which made me wonder if my phone was having trouble switching from tower to tower since this problem only happens at work.

Is anyone having this problem on a CMDA network like Verizon or Sprint?