Q: iPhone 4s losing data connection multiple times/day

Right, I'm just mentioning why it is sometimes difficult for me to differentiate between the two.  But I definitely experiece the problem described in this discussion (although I still often reset my phone when experiencing slow-to-no data, even where netstat is showing a cellular connection, because it appears to help for whatever reason).

Yeah, its really hard to debug the issue properly. I wish there was a way to force the behavior, then we could probably get a resolution a lot easier. As it stands now, I don't think I've ever had it happen when I was expecting it. Just all the sudden texts aren't coming in or a webpage won't load and then i'm like "crap"... reset, etc.

Guys if you look back to my early posts I had this problem and solved it once and for all!

I'm betting that you are running 5.0.1 (9a405) (settings> about)

If you do a full restore from DFA mode, I tunes will download 5.0.1 (9a406) which is a different build released by apple without any announcement. Install this as a new phone and then restore your content !

Just don't forget to back up before you do it !

It solved my problem instantly and I have not had a problem since ( and that was well before Xmas)

Please post if this works for you and maybe we can do a little good !

I'm running 9a406 but I restored from backup and I still see the problem. Probably coming from the old backups...

I am also on 5.0.1 9A406 and have been since my phone was replaced (late December). My previous phone had been 9A405 and I spent a little time trying to figure out how to roll it back. As I recall it turned out to be uncharted territory with a 4s so I restored with the newer build.

Btw: received a call from. AT&T with the "press 9 if we fixed the problem" message today. Backed into the garage listening to pandora on 3G; got through 1 song while in the house then lost the connection. No Internet while at or very near home unless I restart the phone. Then only works for a minute.

Hi, this is jus terrible......... Had 3GS for year without anything like this.... My 4S - 64GB - 9A406 is absolutely useless at this point..... I have to be investigating all day long to see if the FULL BARS OF 3G is fake or real !!!! I am missing calls, texts, etc............ I have tried everything, the problem still persists............ WOW, this is the worst apple product I have yet to own........... What a shame...........

Finally a little relief! I have tested and called and convinced (I think) my service provider that something is wrong and it is not the phone. I have placed numerous calls for service describing a fully functional phone in one location and complete loss of 3g in another while maintaining 4 to 5 bars and 3G. For my experience I can stand in full view of what AT-n-T calls "my tower" and not have service. One of the peculiar things that I had noticed is the total lack of an EDGE connection when I have had these problems. Prior to having the 3G problem on my 4S, I could expect to be on EDGE instead of 3G at least one or two times a week. Once I began experiencing the total loss of data at my home there was never a switch from 3G to EDGE on the phone. That has changed.

Sometime Saturday the phone made an EDGE connection at my home (where I have experienced total loss of data for weeks at a time with no exception), and has worked perfectly (albeit a little slow). As I have told customer support on many occasions; "It works in any room of the house including the basement rooms". I would like to have a 3G connection, but I am going to call this a "win".

No, you are not going crazy. If the phone has a full signal and shows 3G or EDGE it should work and they can fix it.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION............

OK guys, after spending days on the net jumping all over the place, I came across an article in one of the PC Mag sites, and it had the title "4S loosing connection is not a new problem."

It turns out, it is a manufacturing defect by Apple in the SIM card holder tray. I had to place a thin film of tape covering the edges and the metal part of the tray.................. Guess what, almost 24 hours without loss of connections................. ALL FINGERS XD............

graham100 wrote:

 

The one that seems to have worked for me is to make sure Bluetooth is disabled. I noticed it as on and turned it off just to see what would happen and throughout today it's been running fine eg wifi works no probs. give it a go and see what happens. Might not be the solution and I do think there is some kinda apple bug that needs fixing in 5.0.2?!?

I have been struugling with this issue for a week or so....  I'd try and run an internet speed test and just get no connection....  I just shut off the blue tooth and BAM 2Mbs DL  .25Mbs upload...  ***?

Going to try a restore to factory default and then restore my data later tonight....

I have determined that most of the problems for me are when I leave a WiFi zone and switch over to 3G. I have WiFi at home and a few other places, and I notice my problem occurs shortly after leaving the WiFi area. At that point, it will show a 3G connection with full bars, but nothing will actually load in Safari and email will just run forever trying to get new mail. At that point, if I power the device down and back on again it works fine.

Early on I did not see the pattern, because typically when I leave a WiFi zone I am not immediately always checking my phone. It's usually when I leave my house to drive to work, or leave work to drive home. Sometimes I wouldn't notice it for an hour, and just assumed it was random. In my case, it is not.

Something about switching out of WiFi and back to 3G is where my issue happens. I will also say that the condition has improved significantly over the last several months. It used to be a few times per day, now it seems to be once every other day or so.

I agree with SilverDollars... This is the issue and we don't always notice because we driving to our destination. Now, I wonder what the fix is. Leaving wifi off is not a great fix.

The wifi to 3G switch is not my problem, I leave my house with pandora steaming every morning, as I drive away it has a quick blip (like 1/4 second) dead space when it switches to 3G from my wifi.  It never drops right then or has issues.  More that 50% of nights I will lose data connection, and emails from overnight wont be loaded in the am until I turn airplane mode on and off.  Then they will show up.  This is wifi, my girlfriend's Verizon 4 will do it occasionally (also does it on 3G for clarification), but not in concert with mine (so its not my wifi) and hers never did it before iOS 5 (so its not just my sprint 4s).  I also have the issue on 3G, it will drop to the "o" and have no data.  Or sometimes it will still say 3G and have no data.  Sometimes airplane mode toggling fixes it, others not.  And to reiterate, I have done restores from backup, restore as a new phone, I had my original phone replaced by AppleCare and set it up as new, and it made no difference.  This is clearly a iOS or software issue (or possibly an app conflict), and needs to be addressed by apple in the next iOS release!!!!!

Updating my post regarding a POSSIBLE SOLUTION.........

Well, ever since I applied tape to my SIM card holder I HAVE HAD ZZZZZZEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOO loss of connection......... I turned WIFI and BT on and off a few hunderd times, did everything I can think of to make it lose connection, as it was doing almost 20 times a day, but NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO...........

You guys reall need to try this fix, I am CONNECTION LOSS FREE......................

Here is the link to the page that prevented me from taking a hammer to my 4S:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/iphone-4s-no-sim-card-installed-is-not-a-new- problem/16376

iPhone 4S (06)

AT&T

using my old SIM card cut with a tool and edges taped up in 4S

I am luuuuuuuuuving my iPhone 4S now

I am having the same problems with my iphone 4s verizon 32gb white.  It doesnt make a difference whether its on wifi or 3g data.  Actually seems to happen more on wifi for me.  I have a solid wifi network and have had no issues with my wifes iphone 4, my ipod touch or every other device connected to my network.

Its only the iphone 4s!!!!!!

same issue here.

The fastest way to get data again, without resetting/rebooting/... is to go to:

Settings -> Carrier and turn OFF Automatic. Now wait for the carriers to be shown and then choose your carrier from the list.

Once you select the carrier, data will be there (seems to be some handshaking that didn't happen properly).

Now you can again switch Automatic to ON, data will remain on...

Hope this helps.