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

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?

Well for me, this all started with iPhone 4S.  I had an iPhone 4 for over a year, and ha no issues at all.

Its funny because I posted my comment 30 mins ago at home on my iPhone and it worked fine.  I literally got in my car and went to return a Red Box DVD and waiting for my email receipt and got nothing.  I tried to browse the web and lookee there no Data connection.

Apple - Seriously this has made my lose faith in you.  I do have an Android phone which has been shut off now for 2 months, but its getting taken out of my bag as we speak since I have NO WAY TO GET ANY WORK EMAIL when I am on 4G.

Apple for enterprise? Please...

Yeah the problem started with iPhone 4S for me as well. My old iPhone 4 (now my wifes) has no issues.

Mine also started with the 4S but only about six weeks ago.

Day 3 with the new SIM card and no problems.

I'll let everyone know tonight how it's been as it only does it usually between 2pm-7pm at work

Another reason why I'm often tempted to blame network congestion is because, in a situation like I'm currently experiencing--where I clearly have a data connection--I can run a speedtest and the connection is SLOW.  Further, it usually doesn't slow down until a time when I assume most people in the area I'm in are arriving at work in large numbers, around 9 AM.  Prior to that, it's not bad.  Now, several times during the day if I were using the phone regularly I would completely lose the connection, no doubt about that (And again, I'm not referring to the situation where the phone has zero data connection and a reset is required to regain one.  That only happens occasionally to me.). 

For the issue most describe, I don't think it is related to network congestion. One second I'll run a speed test and get 1.5 mbps down. Then data will suddenly stop working and I'll try to run a speed test, but it'll just try endlessly to conect to a server. After toggling airplane mode, resetting the phone, resetting network settings, or any combination of the previous and it finally gets working again, it'll pull down 1.5 mbps again. That's right after it wouldn't connect at all or pull down a single byte.

I've been so frustrated with this issue. I've called both Apple and AT&T tech support many times over the past 3 months, gotten a new sim card, got the phone replaced, restored, etc. and nothing seems to help. One second I'm pulling down 1.5 mbps, and then the next second can't even connect to a server, all with 4-5 bars of service and 3G icon.

I'm hoping that with the way this thread is growing more attention will be brought to the issue.

PS -- none of the suggested fixes works for me -- location services, turning off bluetooth, etc. had no lasting impact.

Does your problem appear to be location-specific, at all?  Like do you notice it more often in certain places?

Most of the time I only use 3G in my office at work (where I consistently have the problem), and I use wifi at home. My coworkers with iPhones in offices nearby don't have the problems I do.

Howevever, I have had lots of problems with losing 3G while at IAH and LAX airports where I do use 3G heavily. It's most frustrating while traveling when I don't have a computer with internet access.

See, all of my coworkers with iPhones report similar issues while at the office (huge office building, urban area).  I just asked a friend down the hall who complains she can rarely get a data connection while at the office, despite having a signal.  She has a 4, not a 4s. 

We are in an urban area and right next to a huge university that surely has thousands and thousands of iphones. 

I think its important to separate the issues.

I have been in urban settings with my iPhone 4 (not S) where you have full bars and the network is slow.  The network will never time out, it will just be slow as sin.

What the iPhone 4S users like myself are complaining about is being in a normal suburb setting and the network strength showing full and getting zero data at all and the network even timing out.  This is the major issue many of us are sufffering right now and again, Apple you are losing customers because you are ignoring the issue.

I downloaded a program Ping Lite and when the issue is happening you can see that pinging a common website never gets to the first hop when the issue is happening (it doesnt even show the first line). I suspect if you are having this other issue that you will see actual activity in the ping, just really long response times somewhere along the chain.

Who ever has a SPRINT iPhone 4s I have a SOLUTION that might work for you.

I called sprint about this problem and they told me to TURN OFF ALL WIFI AND THEN TURN OFF 3G then turn it back on

From their then they told me to go to settings > general > reset > reset network seethings,

From their the phone will turn off and tune back on let it get service and then click on the phone and go to the keypad and dial ##873283# from their a message will pop saying staring service update it will take a little to update around 1-2 min from their a message will pop up saying service update complete and your done.

If you get a message saying service update failed instead of service update complete your going to have to call sprint because something is wrong with the phone connecting with the service.

THIS IS ONE THING YOU CAN TRY FOR ME THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED AND IT'S NOW BEEN 1 WEEK AND IM NOT HAVING THE PROBLEM NO MORE.

BUT MAKE SURE WIFI IS OFF or ELSE IT WILL NOT WORK CORRECTLY.

Sprint had me do that months ago, and it didn't fix my problems (check my earlier posts in this thread).  But just for grins, I just tried it again.  I will report back in a few days if it has fixed anything.

Day 3 with cell network search turned off and still no data connection loss.

To clarify, you're referring to the type of "loss" that appears to result from switching from a wi-fi to celluar network and requires a phone reset in order to fix, right?  Not the repeated (and sometimes temporary) loss that other are describing which can occur several times a day and is sometimes fixed by flipping the phone to airplane mode and back? 

This discussion has gotten a bit muddled because multiple issues are being discussed.