European Crusie. Have I prepared correctly?

Thanks Daz, for this. We’re going on one too tomorrow morning - 4 days only. Cherbourg & Bruges.I’ve followed your instructions as much as poss (I have a Xaiomi pocophone). It’s very frustrating when you think you have covered everything and then they charge for wifi too!! I think this should work out cheaper - we’ll see. Enjoy your cruise and thanks again!

Hi @Michaela Collins 

That’s really no problem at all.

And yes you’re right about making sure things are all in order. I really didn’t think I’d have to do all of that just to prepare our phones using an iD sim🙄

You’re also spot on when it comes to the extortionate Wi-Fi prices Cruise ship owners charge. I know they use satellite networks but really...😲

Please let us know how your cruise went and if the above worked lol! (I’ll certainly be either happy it worked or frustrated that it didn’t and will report which one it is)

Bon voyage!!!!!😀

Network operators → turned off the default auto to manual and selected iD as I’ve read about a few ‘problems’, even one in the UK

Note to myself and any future readers (still here in the UK)

So by manually selecting iD as your network operator everything works as it should. When the phone is set to manual and you airplane mode your phone and then come back out it still rejoins the iD network. Obviously that’s to be expected.

However there’s one thing I overlooked as I’ve (until this first EU trip using iD) always had all of my phones set to the default of auto network selection. If your phone is in manual and you happen to restart your phone, or power the phone down, you will be greeted to the disconnected network state  after the phone reboots (I did a dummy run this morning). As I’d only selected manual the other day I knew exactly what caused this. This, when you think about it is also expected too.

Just thought I’d put the above out there for my fellow travelers and in case any others out there have read other iD Community posts suggesting selecting the manual network option (possibly you did this many moons ago) and now can’t work out why your phone has no network after a reboot/restart/flat battery or simply turning it off and on.

(one example - whereby I’m sure I read that it was suggested to opt for manual network selection on a post regarding Norfolk then going to Wells-next-the-sea ← (IIRC) as the poster had incurred roaming charges😯)

@Daz_S -

Thanks for sharing your insight.

This will be a long read🙄. And this is all due to things not being as problem free as I’d hoped for….😣

If anyone from iD wants to read this too and clarify what did cause this then please do so.

My wife and I had our phones set as per the above. The areas, after some possible automated system/configuration gremlins*, we connected our phones to were Vigo in Spain, Lisbon in Portugal, Leixoes (with a trip to Porto) also in Portugal and Cherbourg in France.

*For the most part it appears to be the case that the automated iD Mobile Rate Advice text arriving after your phone pings with incoming notifications as as soon as you connect to a roaming partner causes the phone to drop the roaming partner. Then after the Rate Advice text is received the phone can be manually reconnected back to the roaming partner. I’ll explain this in more detail below if anybody wishes to read it all.

4 others in our group (none with iD) simply put, and for the most part** kept their phones in flight/air plane mode.

**apart from an accidental connection to Telenor Maritime but that was nothing to do with me. To be clear, with flight mode switched on you can connect to Wi-Fi. You should probably not have a brain fart when the My P&O page auto times out, you then turn both the Wi-Fi and flight mode off when you wish to reconnect to a ships Wi-Fi all whilst you’re out of a countries mobile signal range. Our friend did this to my mother-in-laws phone and the look on my m-i-l’s face when her phone pinged multiple incoming text notifications before she loudly asked why was her phone pinging and at that point I nudged my wife and told her to swiftly grab that phone and slide it back on to flight mode is an image that still makes me smile, just a little!

As we’d left our actual phones roaming option turned off (roaming was on on the iD Mobile App), and having the network connection set to manual, after getting a surprising distance from the Isle of Wight (having set sail from Southampton) our phones simply pinged an alert and stated they now had emergency calls only which ‘told’ me we’d left the UK mobile network. I found that a very useful and reassuring ‘feature’.

The following is based completely on my own personal experience (being as I set up both of our phones and both iD Mobile apps prior to sailing) using the method I created above and I have to say those settings/adjustments worked very well indeed as more importantly our phones could not auto connect to Telenor Maritime.

However, although I’m sure those tweaks above were not the route cause, there were a few ‘blips’ during the roaming attempts.

(i was trying to post in sections in case there’s a limit for how much text can be posted at any one time, but it went to the mods for review. if the 1st bit I posted shows soon I’ll continue with the rest of this saga)

(well I’ve got the ‘Your post has been submitted. It will be published after a review by our moderators’ again. If a mod reads this please can you let me know what I’m doing wrong as this is the first forum whereby attempts to post a long read seem to trigger a review, possibly anti spam filters. I’ve broken my reply down into 6 posts in case there’s a word limit. Also feel free to delete the first attempt i made last night and please post the attempt from about 11:50am, thanks.)

Hey there @Daz_S, thank you for your continued feedback. I have approved your post now, and removed the duplicate one.

Sometimes when writing a long post, it can be sent to review I believe, which is why it may have taken time before being accepted and therefore posted.

We appreciate your feedback in helping our customers, and apologise that your roaming experience wasn’t all smooth sailing.

Please let us know if there’s anything else we can do to help.

Thanks,

Tyler

@Tyler Thanks for posting it up and removing the duplicate 👍

(you could be busy as there’s plenty more to follow. Just in case I’ll number each one 🙄)

Post 2 of the continued saga….

When we arrived in Vigo:

• I switched flight mode off.

• I turned roaming on on both phones (as the iD Mobile app roaming option was already turned on).

• I then manually searched for roaming networks. I was already aware of the networks I expected to see (as per the above) at each destination.

• Of the 4 networks available I chose Vodafone.

• Both phones pinged notifications from various installed apps.

• I tried to make a WhatsApp video call and my wife tried to respond to FB posts and both phones did nothing. I wasn’t expecting this.

• BOTH phones then dropped the Vodafone network, stating no service. At this point I thought here we go roaming with iD isn’t going to work, just like some of the other community posts I’d read.

• I carried out another manual search on both phones and opted for Movistar as I thought the issue was down to the iD roaming partner of Vodafone.

• At this point we both received a text from iD’s Rate Advice (see below). In honesty being as both billing caps were set to £0 we found the wording rather alarming – “To protect you from excessive charges, a GBP45.00 roaming data cap is in place”. Surely it should have not said that once your data allowance is reached, subject to our fair usage roaming policy, your calls, texts and data will stop working as you selected a billing cap of GBP0.00? Anyway just an observation on my part.

• AFTER receiving the Rate Advice text messages on each phone then WhatsApp video calls worked absolutely fine, I could upload images and videos to WhatsApp and my wife’s FB worked perfectly too, as did calls to and from the UK. And one might question the state of the UK’s phone masts as by far the signal strength and call quality was way better than I even get at my home address, plus (as we’re finding) a lot of other areas of the UK.

• As we sailed away from Vigo the phones again pinged ‘emergency calls only’. At this point we put them in flight mode.

(post #2 also went for review, sorry about the extra work)

Post 3

Next port was Lisbon.

I’ll be using the word ‘again’ a few times on this one, sorry in advance. Yet again things were not plain sailing (sorry about the pun). Again rinse and repeat:

• I switched flight mode off.

• I then manually searched for roaming networks, of those available I opted for MEO.

• I let the phones ping again with a few notifications (on mine) and listened to a constant pinging on my wife’s.

• Once they stopped I again tried to make another WhatsApp video call and my wife tried to respond to at least 50 FB notifications and BOTH did nothing again!

• As before both phones pinged, dropped the signal and displayed no service.

• I manually searched and again opted for MEO as a test.

• This time we had the automated Rate Advice text and the phones reconnected BUT after leaving them to stop pinging they dropped yet again stating no service. At this point I’d had enough and considered buying a European SIM and we spoke about leaving iD.

• But I gave it one more go on MEO, bearing in mind we’d already had the rate advice text regarding Portugal (see below) and it reconnected and from then on they remained fine with no further drops.

• As we left Lisbon and went out to sea both phones pinged with the emergency calls only, so back to flight mode.

Next stop was Leixoes.

• Flight mode off

• Being as we’d (eventually) connected to a network in Portugal both phones connected to MEO without any further input or more importantly any hassle.

• A shuttle service to Porto and both phones were fine throughout the day.

• We set sail and like before the phones pinged emergency calls only, so (you get the picture) swiped to flight mode.

(and post #3 went for review too lol)

Post 4

Last stop before heading home was Cherbourg.

• Flight mode off.

• Manually searched for roaming networks and of those available opted for SFR

• Both phones pinged notifications and SWMBO had 158 FB notifications!

• We looked at the phones knowing they’d drop the signal soon and we were not disappointed.

• BOTH phones then dropped the SFR network, stating no service.

• As I was getting used to this by now another search and staying on SFR, we had the text and both phones worked fine.

• After leaving and heading for home we put the phones into flight mode.

We were able to make calls from abroad but the dialling can take 30 seconds or so to connect before you hear it calling the number.

To sum up thus far: Vigo → connected → received incoming notifications → dropped → rate advice text received → connected → worked fine. Lisbon → connected → received incoming notifications → dropped → rate advice text received →connected → dropped → connected → worked fine. Leixoes → connected → dropped → connected → rate advice text → worked fine. Cherbourg → connected → dropped → connected → rate advice text → worked fine.

So did the initial lack of the automated iD Rate Advice text prevent the apps/phones from working and then also caused the signal to drop out? It sure looks that way. Maybe a staff member could clarify this?

(just to point out until posts 2 and 3 are reviewed and posted up, this looks odd)

Post 5

And I then assumed going home and reconnecting to iD would be fine. But nope!

• Getting back onto iD when we were almost back to the UK was beyond frustrating, I could see iD after a manual search and after many attempts of trying to reconnect (see below) I gave up for a few hours. It repeatedly stated unable to connect even though it was on the list.

• I eventually managed to stay connected to iD (at 03:42) and since then I’ve had to restart my phone twice due to signal issues.

• Possibly unrelated but Waze now keeps changing the UK voice to another voice randomly mid-journey and then changes itself back to the original whilst on the same journey and it never did this before leaving the UK. Yes I did use it whilst abroad and the UK voice changed to another one over there and I had to put it back to the voice I previously had before when I got to the car park in Southampton.

• My wife continued to have issues since we got back though this seemed to settle around 6 hours after we got home (she kept losing the network). Worryingly around 24 hours after getting home her phone lost signal again, stating something like no service or no network (she didn’t pay attention to what popped up). So we tried flight mode on and off and since then it seems to have retained an iD connection.

I have no clue if all of this is due to manually selecting a roaming partners network or whether all of this is due to how iD’s systems work with the rate advice text, but it would be nice to find out. I also have no clue if jumping to different time zones played any part in this either. When we were out at sea (and thus without a network) we had manually adjusted the time zones prior to our arrival at each destination (the captain of the ship advised us of the time difference) rather than letting the clock auto adjust.

Ideally is there's anything that can be done so that the rate advice text sent by iD can come before the phone accepts incoming app notifications then I’d say that’s possibly going to stop the roaming connection dropping unexpectedly and maybe consider sending a text to let us know we have successfully rejoined the iD network when we get back home.

(post #5 joined the others for review)

Anyway here’s some screenshots showing the Rate Advice automated texts for Spain, Portugal, France and trying to get back on to iD when we were back home

And after a many attempts (I didn’t take a screenshot of the network screen, but here’s one as proof it connected whilst passing the I-o-W)

(again sorry about the other posts going for you to review. As some made it passed it must be a word limit that triggers the review in the first place🤐)

Before leaving our signal was rather flaky, but it’s the mobile masts in our area as our previous mobile service provider was bad too. Since getting back to the UK it’s gotten much worse😥

@Tyler Thanks for posting ‘em up. I did spot they were showing earlier but wanted to check it was you and your stella efforts before replying. I guess you’re now in a darkened room having read all of that!😁

At the end of the day it was a ball ache but I got there in the end. I’m jut glad I read up before going.

Remember, you offered now I’m back. Do you want ‘wot I got about the UK’ tagged on this thread or start another subject? There won’t be as much as the above but boy I hope you’ve had your caffeine fix for the day!

Hi @Daz_S 

You can post the information on this thread and we will be happy to help. 

Thanks, 

Nat 

I hope Tyler and Nat are sitting comfortably – and don’t forget Tyler did ask, so here goes!

(Sorry Michaela for all of the email notifications, this genuinely wasn’t my intention)

This is NOT just iD Mobile and the following has nothing to do with the 3g switch off as our issues came way before that. Based on years of tit-for-tat with my previous provider (piggybacking off O2) they and O2, eventually, verbally (I did ask for it in writing) confirmed that the mobile masts need upgrading in my area without giving a time frame, hence reaching my limit and jumping ship to iD.

I, being the nominated guinea pig joined iD in February 2024. My first impressions with the iD coverage at home were great – I had 3 bars inside and out, on a rare occasion a full 4 bars signal strength (outdoors only), so my wife joined iD too in March 2024.

However just over a month or so after she joined we both started to observe lower/intermittent signal strength. She opted to enable Wi-Fi calling whereas I wanted to monitor the reduction/restriction/degradation in service. Whilst speaking with others they are telling me my voice keeps cutting out (when I’m indoors mostly) and at times theirs have become robotic back to me. This is a right PITA.

We’re probably in a better position than most of my fellow peers with iD as due to the hassle with our previous contracted deal we’re on the rolling month to month contracts.

I should add others are telling me that there are occasions whereby they try to call and they hear the sorry the number you are calling is not available right now. But I have turned off voicemail with iD as I have done for years anyway.

Plan #1

This first plan was based on the assumption iD’s signal was going to remain good to excellent. This was to migrate the other 4 remaining phones over to iD but this is now not going to happen due to the reduction in the iD Mobile signal strength as our time with iD rolls on. I’ve also read way too many posts (IMHO) of others having a drop in signal strength too. I could say this is due to the ‘big 4’ offering a better signal than those whom offer a mobile service at a much more reasonable price….. If things improve drastically in the next few months we may reconsider.

Plan #2

We also did plan to finally rid ourselves of the horrid Openreach network and buy an unlimited iD sim only deal and stick the sim into a mobile router. Yes I’m aware iD don’t offer this service but I know it works, but this too has been put on the back burner.

If Tyler, Nat or anybody else from iD wants to help by asking the powers that be to push for the masts to be updated then please feel free. Excluding the iD App issues I’ve had for months (but didn’t want to be another one posting about this) and the reduction in signal strength (oh and the krypton factor tasks to set the phone to EU roaming) I’ve had not major issues with iD themselves.

Anyway, pictures tell the true story:

I’ll only post one image from my previous provider from 2020.

October 2024, after my wife also joined iD we noticed the signal dropping

September 2024 and I had this:

And this:

Miles away from home, in Ringwood we had no 4G:

At home on the 11 October 2024:

Ring wouldn’t load over 4G:

17 October day time:

EXACT same location but after others in our area come off their phones and ours improves:

And after returning to the UK, at our home address:

And later the same evening:

Next 3 are speed tests over Wi-Fi. 4g outside and 4g inside - note 4g was faster than my router’s wifi:

29 October in the afternoon and in the evening (note the times):

The next 7 show the signal strength at Southampton before sailing, Vigo, Lisbon, Porto, Cherbourg (didn’t screenshot home screen), Isle of Wight (again not home screen) and back to Southampton.

So having got back it’s been pretty bad. So on 29 carried out yet another Three network status check (you can probably tell I do a few):

And noticing that the signal is much better either late at night or the early morning (30/10/24):

And 3G was turned off in September, so how’s this even possible🙄:

continuation (as I was getting concerned the previous reply (which went for review) would hit a word limit… again, sorry)

So today’s calls started at 10:50, they were pretty poor conversations so WHILE on the call I checked and observed the mobile data network type was flicking between HSPA+ and Unknown (it was too quick to catch on a screenshot):

So as I thought I was going nuts I checked on Three’s covergae checker and yep 3G was turned off, 4G should be available and I have more chance of getting struck by lightening whilst surfing on the back of a shark than getting 5G here:

And at 12:50 H+

So, have either of you got a ladder, some duct tape and PVA glue and can you fix this?😏

(coz O2 sure couldn’t!!!!)

Thank you for your reply and for providing the information. 

From what you have posted, and forgive me for any confusion, it looks like the issue is mainly at your home address for both you and your Wife. 

This also seems to be occurring during peak times and then improves at times when less people are using the network. 

Are you able to provide your full postcode and the handset make/model for both of your phones please?

Thanks, 

Nat 

No problem Nat

Erm, well, yes it is predominately our home address, but I should have made it clearer. It’s the whole town from what I’ve seen. Yes both of us are affected and I should again point out that when I jumped ship to iD the signal strength was absolutely blooming marvelous, hence why SWMBO joined too.

Then someone at Three must have tripped over an extension lead and pulled the plug out as the signal/call quality/data has slowly gotten worse (back to the good old days of little or no signal). My wife now has Wi-Fi calling enabled and she didn’t need this before. So something HAS changed and the degradation came before the 3G switch off.

After getting back to the UK we really had a bit of faff getting back onto iD, with the wife’s phone dropping the network twice (1st one around 6 hrs later) and also around 24hrs after getting back, with the latter being about 10 miles away from our town. I was with my better half in the car and mine wasn’t affected at that time.

And yes our issues appear to be worse during the day. BUT when things were good several months ago the signal in the evening/late at night was showing as full strength, now it’s up to a max of 3 bars.

Anyway, I’m waffling on so….

Postcode, as I’m a private person and respect the privacy of others and in revealing my postcode on an open forum this would narrow down where I live to only 31 properties means I’m happy to send this via private message, is that okay?

My phone is a SG S10+

The wife’s is a SG S20FE

@Natalie W I’ve just replied, it went for review 😫

Hey there @Daz_S, thank you for the update.

Of course, we completely appreciate your privacy and not wanting to post your full postcode here.

If you’d like, we can send you a DM and continue this conversation via DM with you?

This will also mean we can investigate into your account further.

Would you be happy for us to DM you?

Thank you,

Tyler

Yep @Tyler go for it!

Thanks

(though Houston, we have a problem - I’ll let you know privately😉)

Hi @Daz_S 

We’ll shortly send you a Private Message to your Community account, so we can discuss your issue further. 

To access your messages, click your profile picture in the top right hand corner and then click ‘Private Messages’. 

Alternatively, if you are currently logged in, you can use the following link: https://community.idmobile.co.uk/inbox/overview  

We’ll see you there. 

Tom

You’ve got mail

Anyway, from the research I’ve been doing.

• Three has a total of 3 mobile masts showing for my area
• 2x masts are band 3
• 1x mast is both bands 3 and 20
• They do not currently have band 32 showing.

So at the time of writing I have 2 bands available to use. 5G isn’t here yet and even if it was my phone isn’t 5G ready.

• Vodafone has a total of 2 mobile masts

• Both are bands 1, 8 and 20.

I could have 3 bands to use.

• EE mobile has a total of 4 mobile masts

• 1x mast is both bands 1 and 3

• 1x mast is bands 1, 3, 7 and 20

• 2x masts are band 3.

I could have 4 bands available, but tested an EE SIM and the signal is also poor here too.

• O2 mobile has a total of 2 mobile Masts

• 1x mast is bands 1, 8 and 20

• 1x mast is bands 1, 3, 8 and 20

Jumped ship as it was ridiculous here, more so after Virgin joined O2.

And the Three network checker, for my postcode and one within 0.5 mile away gives different results, even though both are on the same transmitters 😯

How can that be?