Galaxy Note 4 only connects to 2G, other connection issues

The #GalaxyNote4 has been around and it apparently proven itself to be quite a stable platform. However, some users are still reporting issues especially when it comes to connectivity. Here are some of these issues and their solutions:

  1. Galaxy Note 4 cannot connect to 4G
  2. Galaxy Note 4 does not have LTE connectivity option
  3. Galaxy Note 4 unable to connect to apartment’s Wi-Fi
  4. Galaxy Note 4 only connects to 2G
  5. Galaxy Note 4 mobile data connection continues even after account has been deactivated
  6. Galaxy Note 4 loses data during calls
  7. Galaxy Note 4 cannot connect to Wi-Fi

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Problem #1: Galaxy Note 4 cannot connect to 4G

Hello. I live in Italy but have a Spanish simply card. Whilst I was in Spain on holiday I was informed by Vodafone that I could still use the mobile data from my tariff whilst in Italy at no extra cost so when I returned to Italy I was using my mobile data and everything was running fine. But I started getting a pop up asking if I wanted to connect to my mobile data on my screen a lot and as at the time I was using my home Wi-Fi I clicked ‘do not connect’ and since then I have not been able to use my mobile data again. My roaming is turned on and so is my mobile data but the ‘4G’ sign doesn’t appear at the top of my screen. I’ve tried factory resetting my phone but still haven’t had any luck.

Thanks. — Holly

Solution: Hi Holly. You need to contact your wireless carrier again in Italy to ensure that there are no account- or billing-related issue causing the discontinuation of your 4G mobile service. This will also help them check if there are any account provisioning issues. If you did not change anything in the operating system (like rooting or flashing), then your carrier should be able to restore your network connection easily.

Problem #2: Galaxy Note 4 does not have LTE connectivity option

Hi there and thanks for the opportunity to express my phone related issue. My Note 4 doesn’t give the LTE option in the ‘more networks’ tab.  There’s ‘WCDMA/GSM’,  ‘WCDMA only’  and ‘GSM only’. I’ve called my network provider and they told me I have to have the LTE option checked but only under the ‘more networks’ area. However, there’s the LTE choice in the APN I created and modified under their instructions. At the ‘bearer’ part, among with eHRPD. They however told me that it won’t work since the choice for the LTE has to be done out of the APN, in the ‘more networks’ tab. The bearer has to be ‘unspecified’. Is there anything I can do?  Thanks in advance. — Mario

Solution: Hi Mario. Were you able to use LTE service on your Note 4 before in the same location where you are right now? If yes, then there must be some network-related issues that must be looked into by your wireless carrier. You must call them to check if there are any outages in your area that might have affected their LTE coverage. This issue is obviously beyond your control so the best course of action is to simply wait until the issue is resolved.

If, on the other hand, this is your first time to try to connect using LTE, the issue might be on your phone. The missing LTE option under network settings may be indicative that your device is not capable of LTE connectivity (which we doubt by the way). You also have to ensure that your area has connectivity coverage. To verify these things you either have to call your wireless carrier or go to the store where you bought the phone from.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note 4 unable to connect to apartment’s Wi-Fi

My husband just got the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and it refuses to connect to Wi-Fi. We’ve tried turning it off and back on, soft resetting, factory resetting, safe mode, and while both airplane mode and Wi-Fi is on. Our apartment complex has its own Wi-Fi that I can access perfectly fine on my Samsung Rugby. The Note 4 will connect to Wi-Fi, but the Wi-Fi requires a password. When he puts the password in and hits “connect”, it’s always the same “Webpage is not available” message.

Since we are using the apartment Wi-Fi, we cannot do anything with the router – but even if we could, my phone connects to the Wi-Fi immediately after putting the password in. His phone does not have any kind of service on it, so the Wi-Fi is the only way he can use the phone for calls and etc. — Chelsea

Solution: Hi Chelsea. Does your husband’s Note 4 able to connect to other Wi-Fis? If yes, then there must be a filter being implemented in your apartment’s Wi-Fi network. This type of issue can best be resolved by your Wi-Fi’s administrator so make sure that you talk to them. Filtering options in typical home routers include IP filtering, MAC address filtering, Web Content filtering, to mention a few. If you don’t access to the router’s GUI (graphical user interface), there is virtually nothing that you can do on your end to fix the issue. The network will simply refuse the request to connect during every attempt and only the Wi-Fi administrator can let you in.

Filtering options are used for a variety of reasons but the most common, especially in a semi-private network like in an apartment, is to limit the number of users to use available bandwidth at one time. They’re also useful as an added security layer to prevent hacking or unauthorized access.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note 4 only connects to 2G

Hi, about two weeks ago, I woke up in the morning, only to notice that my phone had no cell reception but other devices around me had network service. I inserted another SIM card into the phone but still the same issue but when I switched network mode, I got cell reception for 2G…These are the responses I get when I switch network modes:

GSM/WCDMA = E

WCDMA only = No service

GSM only = E.

I have inserted three other SIM cards from different carries here in Nigeria, done a factory reset and even had to downgrade from Android 5.0.1 to 4.4.2 and back to 5.0.1 (have never rooted the device or installed custom ROM) but the issue still persists. Please, what should I do as the issue is frustrating me already. Expecting to hear from you soon. Thank you. — Emmanuel

Solution: Hi Emmanuel. If the phone displays the same behavior even with different SIM cards, the issue is obviously not account-related but is on the device itself. Try doing the basic software troubleshooting like the factory reset to see any difference. For reference, here are the steps to do that:

  • Turn off the Galaxy Note 4 completely.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home keys together, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the Note 4 vibrates, release both the Home and Power keys but continue holding the Volume Up key.
  • When the Android System Recovery shows on the screen, release the Volume Up key.
  • Using the Volume Down key, highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • Now highlight ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power key to begin the reset.
  • When the master reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key.
  • The Note 4 will restart but it will be longer than usual. When it reaches the Home screen, then begin your setup.

If nothing changes even after a master reset, that’s indicative of a potential hardware issue. Make sure to have it checked by Samsung or by any professional.

Problem #5: Galaxy Note 4 mobile data connection continues even after account has been deactivated

So I’m not so sure this is an issue. it actually maybe a gift but maybe you can help explain why because I’m not finding anything that relates close enough to satisfy my curiosity.

Okay so I’m using a Sprint Note 4 on Straight Talk BYOP service and have for quite some time. I usually always buy my $45 service card before my service end date but with my newfound hatred towards their 5GB limit…well more so hate the “2G” speed throttled at after I hit the 5GB limit to be exact; I wasn’t so jumpy to get on the service re-up last month and it’s been about two weeks (December 25) since my phones been deactivated. But here’s the kicker. I left my phone powered off from about the 23rd till yesterday morning. Turned it on only to find out I’m still getting 3G data internet access. I figured it would be short lived like short as in a minute tops but guess what? I’m still receiving internet access even though phone is deactivated. In fact, I’m using it to send this inquiry email right now! Now I know this may not be a problem sort a speak but if someone could find the time to clue me in on what’s going on here, it sure would help me stop wondering if maybe I’m actually having some good luck for once and if I should plan on this free data thing to not stop? thank you. — Tom

Solution: Hi Tom. Good to hear the you are still able to connect to Straight Talk’s internet service even when your account has been deactivated. However, just like you, we have no idea why this is happening! We don’t work for Straight Talk so we can’t obviously check any irregularities in the system. We haven’t heard of this situation from other Straight Talk users so this may be an isolated case. There may be a system glitch in their network that allows your account to connect. That or you are simply lucky.

Problem #6: Galaxy Note 4 loses data during calls

I have a Verizon unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 4 on Straight Talk using the Verizon towers. I am not able to get internet or data when I’m on a call, my data drops from 4G LTE to 1x. How do I get voice and data at the same time? I tried activating Advanced Calling, however the message that comes back is “We encountered a problem activating Advanced Calling 1.0. Please try again later.”

Here are my APN settings:

APN: TRACFONE.VZWENTP

Proxy:

Port:

Username:

Password:

Server:

MMSC:

Multimedia message proxy:

Multimedia message port:

MCC: 311

MNC: 480

Authentication type:

APN type: default,dun,supl

APN protocol: IPv4/IPv6

APN Roaming protocol: IPv4/IPv6 — Steve

Solution: Hi Steve. The APN settings appears in order as far as we know. If internet connection stops working while call is going-on, it may due to a  firmware bug. Like Emmanuel above, try doing a factory reset so you can fix the issue. If the issue persist, contact your wireless carrier and ask for assistance.

Problem #7: Galaxy Note 4 cannot connect to Wi-Fi

I cannot log into an “Open” Internet site because the login screen will not come up. The Settings/Wi-Fi shows the network I want, and it says I’m connected, but the little notification saying “Your connection needs attention” does not come up. I have tried rebooting (including removing the battery altogether) and several other combinations suggested online (changing some settings), and nothing works.

I can get into a Secured site because the screen pops up immediately asking for the password, so it is not that my phone won’t do internet.  But I am traveling in Asia for six weeks and most hotels have “open” systems. I cannot use my phone in the hotel where I will be for two more weeks (Siem Reap, Cambodia). This started yesterday after a week here.  As far as I can see I have not done anything new or different to my phone. — Taddy

Solution: Hi Taddy. We don’t get the point of your query but if you are having trouble connecting to a Wi-Fi network, consider doing a factory reset. Once you have done the reset, try to connect to a Wi-Fi again without installing any of your apps. Leave app installations until later. If the issue fails to occur when there are no installed third party applications, that means that one of them is to blame. Remove apps until the issue will be eliminated.


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1 thought on “Galaxy Note 4 only connects to 2G, other connection issues”

  1. I have a completely strange problem on my Note 4. It does not give me 4G signal when I am connected to my home area 4G network tower. When I am around 10-15 miles away from my home postcode, I get full 4G signal. If I put my SIM card in a different phone at my home postcode, I DO get 4G full signal.
    Factory reset the phone and rooted etc. No, joy, still the same.
    Any idea? Anyone? Please help…

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