Weeks of poor service in Walthamstow E17

Please check your postcode here:

• How do I check for network outages in my area? F.A.Q.

Yes...thanks for that.
Clearly I have gone down that route I’d say a dozen times recently and each time, for my post code, I get this:

“Our system hasn’t reported any network issues”

So either I have some unique issue that decides to invade both my devices only in my area of residence, plus another area half a mile away….or else something is not what it seems firstly with the underlying id mobile service and secondly with it’s system of status reporting.

Probably down to congestion, prioritisation, the time of day, how many people are using the mast at any one time. Unless Three/VodaThree decided to upgrade their network/infrastructure in that area then unfortunately it is what it is. As with all networks different areas have different coverage. I have to use 2 SIM’s where I live due to being in a rural area just to make sure I have some coverage on 1 of the networks depending where I am at the time. 

If people stopped moaning and the councils didn’t reject so many planning applications for masts then we would be in a much better position.

I was in Madeira on holiday last year and had 5G coverage indoors and outdoors everywhere I went and had no issues. Difference between the U.K. and there was night and day.

UK mobile is pretty poor compared to other countries unfortunately.

Doesn't help that networks like EE now sell an add on to prioritise your connection to the network  

With the rollout of 5G standalone hopefully things will improve in time but for now we just have to put up with it. 

Hi ​@MiFi 

Sorry to hear this, please could you let us know the full postcode where you’re having issues?

Since when (approximately) did you notice these issues begin?

Tom

The post code here is E17 9JJ.

The issue started around 2 weeks ago.

The service comes and goes during the day and night on both devices...currently (11:30pm) it is fine.

Thank you ​@MiFi 

There does not appear to be any known issues in the area. 

Are you connecting via 4G or 5G please? 

What are the devices that you are using? 

Thanks, 

Natalie 

I use 4G.

Devices are mobile phone  Motorola G10 amd mifi TP-Link M7350.

I am aware that id Mobile does not officially support mifi devices. However the TP-link has always worked perfectly well, with the id mobile SIM as well as that of other providers, and continues to do so in other areas of London.

Each device is on a separate SIM account with id mobile, and both work perfectly well in other areas.

Even with the signal strength of both at strong or even maximum, the actual service (internet browsing etc) has become very patchy over the past couple of weeks in my sepecific area.

This is verified both by actual usage (looking at websites, checking email etc) and also using internet tools such as speed-checkers.

Speed checkers tally with good/bad internet service, so I have every reason to trust their use as a comparative tool. I have also used the cmd tool in windows to test with pings, and that also tallies with both real usability and online speed-checkers.

For me, a very good speed would be anything above a few Mb/s download, as long as it was reasonably constant. So as you see I’m not expecting much! (On a good day, I get around 12-15 Mb/s download).

But there are many periods when the internet is just not available, or else is checked at around 0.1 Mb/s…..so barely on at all. At these times, the actual 4G signal is registered on both devices.

Right now, 7pm, both devices are working well, and the uploads I am seeing are 4-5 Mb/s, which is good enough for me. But the servce is intermittent. I have been monitoring usage for the last couple of hours, and there were periods where service was very poor, and then suddenly fine.

Incidentally, a short distance from me is central Walthamstow, and the service there has ALWAYS been very patchy….like here but even worse. In that area there is often poor service or no service at all no matter what time of day or night. It then appears again if I travel about 300m away from the area.

Mobile phone calls are also patchy in this area, so much so that I don’t risk making important calls from here.
 

Hi ​@MiFi 

Taking a look neither of the mentioned G10 and TP-Link are supported devices, we’d expect issues here.

Download speeds are variable with no minimum guaranteed, signal generally will vary place to place and even during certain times of the day when it’s busier.

You’re having issues in E17 9JJ, correct?

Please could you let us know a postcode where you don’t have issues?

Tom

I think that both my devices are perfectly capable of dealing with 4G calls and data via a SIM from any provider….

It is the fact that they both respond to the good or bad bad service here during the same periods that makes me think the issue is with the provider…

I was in London NW2 and made many tests around 4:30 using my mobile phone, and the service was good, and constant. (Much better than it is in Walthamstow even). The upload speeds were actually about 10 times better, and typically very much higher than the download even.

When I got back to central Walthamstow, I made a few tests, and they varied from ‘no service’ to good service.

Back home in E17 the service is constant right now, (9:30pm) with downlod around 2-6Mb/s, which is low, but definitely usable.

I guess you will not in fact be able to help since the excuse is now that my devices are not supported.
I will just have to accept that, and hope that the service is not too flakey on at least one device…..or travel somewhere else for a better service.
But the fact that other areas of London, at any time of day, can give consistent and good service on these devices stil makes me wonder whether the coverage here is as good as the provider advertises….
 

Hey there ​@MiFi, as mentioned, it’s not if this devices can handle these features, it’s that they’re not supported on our network I’m afraid, which is why they likely won’t work.

The only devices we support can be found here:

• What phones are compatible with the iD Mobile network? F.A.Q.

For the second part, what are the full postcodes for these areas please?

Thanks,

Tyler

I understand about that ‘not supported’ stuff, but in my world I frequently use devices that are not supported - whether that is using an old laptop to run a newer operating system, or else, in this case, using a 3 or 4-year-old Motorola 4G mobile phone to access the internet via an id mobile SIM. They tend to work well, or else lack this or that function that I am happy to live with. However, they do not work perfectly then suddenly develop network issues whilst under seemingly identical conditions….which is what is happening in my case.

The next time someone comes here with a modern mobile that is on the ‘id supported’ list I’ll ask them to insert one of my id mobile SIM cards - and compare the service they get with that seen on my old devices…

I am quite willing to accept that my devices being not supported is the reason for my flakey service. However, the cynical side of me has plenty of evidence of mobile providers not being 100% up front about the real-world service that one may expect.

As an example, I used to be with EE, but their service became really really bad here, and after getting refunds of my charges a few times I got sick of it….and they finally admitted what was pretty obvious - they were unable to complete their ‘mast work’ or whatever in the Walthamstow area. They even recommended I’d be better off changing supplier because they were unable to give any idea of when the situation would improve!.So when I moved to id mobile and got brilliant service (data-wise...) I was very happy - til the service intermittently failed in this area…..

I won’t comment furher, because I know that all this may indeed be caused by my devices - but since I can’t prove that there is no point contining.

Hey there ​@MiFi, no problem, thank you for your feedback.

If you are able to try your SIM card in a supported device and see if it works then, or works better, that’d be great and please let us know.

Thanks,

Tyler

Hi Tyler & Tom,

I assumed you were giving me good information...but I am mistaken!
I looked at the reference you gave re supported devices, and I see that my mobile, a Motorola G10, IS supported…….so why did you say it was not?

It made me believe that all of this is down to my dodgy devices, rather than some ID Mobile service issue…..

So Can you give me another reason why the servce is so unreliable in my area?
Currently the service is very bad and pretty much unusable….I had to take a while to get this sent.

Hey there ​@MiFi, thank you for your message. It appears that the G10 has been recently added and updated to be approved via our network, however, the mifi TP-Link M7350 remains unsupported I’m afraid.

I can see we’re already in discussion with you via another post, so please respond there to avoid confusion.

Sorry for any confusion with the information given.

Thanks,

Tyler

The other post concerns a separate fault….
This one is purely down to the variable service in my area.
The G10 was on the list you sent, which is why I assumed you will have looked at your list before telling me my device was not supported.

I accept that the M7350 is not supported, but since it has a separate account and SIM to the supported G10, I find it extraordinary that both devices perform the same in response to the service here.

Therefore it is a reasonable conclusion that ‘that’ aspect is a red herring.

I don’t think I am able to get this sorted out, since I assume you will maintain that service here is good, whilst I know it to be variable, and at times non-existant.

Unfortunately I am on 24-month contracts with both accounts, but I would really want to drop one that I use for home, because it is unusable. The one on my mobile I don’t mind so much, because it is ‘mobile’ so I have the choice to travel elsewhere, where it works perfectly well.

Hi ​@MiFi,

Does the SIM work in another device fine?

Unfortunately we can’t advise on the M7350 as it isn’t supported, you can look at cancelling but it will involve a termination fee.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Kash

My (supported) mobile phone works perfectly (i.e. with consistent service) using the ID mobile SIM, everywhere I have travelled in Britain, and also when I went last year to Italy and Norway...no problem at all, with both data and calls.

The ONLY places I have bad service of data and calls are right here where I live, and also ¾ mile away in the Walthamstow central area.

Therefore, I will continue to insistthat there is something amis with the service in this area.