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I have a Galaxy SIII (Android 4.3) phone on the Vodafone network (UK). I was using WiFi when available and mobile data occasionally. It all worked fine. When on mobile data, I would see an icon on the top bar showing a little letter H with two arrows underneath.

But now the mobile data has sort-of stopped working. I say sort of because it appears that I can still turn mobile data on, and I still get the little H with two arrows, but none of my apps that use data appear to actually be able to communicate with the internet. I don't actually get any "no connection" messages, instead, I just get rotating wheels and other indicators that they're trying to get something that's not arriving.

If I switch back to wifi then everything starts working again.

Any ideas?

EDIT: I have not installed any custom ROM. The phone is not rooted.

EDIT: I just called vodafone, who suggested a variety of things that made no difference. Now they've said it may be a fault in my SIM card and are sending me a new one.

EDIT: New sim card arrived. No difference. More calls to vodafone, multiple suggestions... nothing has worked.

EDIT: Tried sim in Galaxy SII... all symptoms identical. Saw little H icon (sometimes flipping to "H+" or "3G"), but no mobile data getting through.

SOLVED! it suddenly started working again. I suspect it was a fault at vodafone's end and my last call to tech support induced someone there to correct the fault.

Mick
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  • Have you installed a custom ROM? – Timo Schwarzer Dec 11 '15 at 09:32
  • If APNs is changed then this kind of prblm will come. Make sure you enabled your carieer(vodafone) related APNs. If you added new or wrong APNs and enable that it will show an "H" but you cannot access internet. – mohammed azarudeen Dec 11 '15 at 11:51
  • Just checked my settings. It says my APN is "Vodaphone Contract Internet" which sounds correct to me (I indeed have a contract). – Mick Dec 11 '15 at 12:09
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    @Mick did you tried to contact vodafone customer care regarding this issue. They can easily tell about APNs changes. – mohammed azarudeen Dec 11 '15 at 12:21
  • See edit to OP. – Mick Dec 11 '15 at 12:29
  • Can you download any app that measures data speed. trying to understand if data itself is not being received /sent or apps not able to connect. Of course if the case is second then this app also will not read but try please – beeshyams Dec 14 '15 at 13:41
  • When mobile data is on and wifi is off, can you give us the result of PING? You can either use Fing app to ping 8.8.8.8 or download a terminal app and execute ping -c 9 8.8.8.8. You can also try dialing *#*#4636#*#* in default dialer -> Phone Information -> Run Ping Test. – Firelord Dec 14 '15 at 13:49
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    @Firelord: Fing said "Not connected to a WiFi network". Terminal reported "operation not permitted". Typing that sequence into dialler then pressing the green phone icon did nothing. :-( – Mick Dec 14 '15 at 14:31
  • did you tryed putting the same sim card in a different phone ,and a different sim card in your phone ? like use one of a friend just to test and limit the list of stuff that might be causing this problem – Rachid Boudjelida Dec 14 '15 at 20:58
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    Did Vodaphone recently update the cell towers? It's possible (although not likely) that they updated their towers to radio bands that your phone can't use. – sonictt1 Dec 16 '15 at 22:47
  • remove dive link cache and reboot and see. Its works – Abdulla Nilam Dec 17 '15 at 13:42
  • @Abdulla: I have never heard of "dive link cache" and so would have no idea how to "remove" it. – Mick Dec 17 '15 at 13:47
  • Home+vol dwn + power. visit boot menu. And then go advanced and there is option call Dive link cache. Once you remove it it will clear all apps cache as well. Try with this. its may helps – Abdulla Nilam Dec 17 '15 at 13:50
  • Just did a "wipe cache partition"... made no difference. – Mick Dec 17 '15 at 13:58
  • Have you found a solution, Mick? – Tamás Bolvári Dec 21 '15 at 03:35
  • @Tamas: no solution yet... I rang vodafone again and they said they'd escalate the issue to the next level of support... which could take up to four working days to get back to me! – Mick Dec 21 '15 at 09:50
  • How can they be this slow... What about using a different number until that? I understand if you stick to your own number, I do too. But if you don't, then a different number will help, I'm almost 100% sure. – Tamás Bolvári Dec 21 '15 at 23:29

2 Answers2

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TLDR: use a SIM with a different number (no matter if Vodafone or a different service).

We see a symptom (no net), but we have to find out the cause first, to solve the problem. So let's think step by step, what the problem could be.

  • Faulty phone?

  • No, your other phone (the SII) doesn't work either (using the same SIM).*

  • Faulty SIM?

  • No, you have already tried a new SIM.

  • Faulty cellular tower?

  • No, you have already tried an other tower (by changing location).

  • Faulty Vodafone?

  • Likely, because I'm sure they have net, and you're sure that they have to give you net (data limit hadn't been reached), plus we've found out in the previous questions that it isn't about the net is stuck between you and them. The only problem here is that you have already asked them, so they should have investigated the issue. But I'm sure they will take a next - more in-depth - look, since all the other possibilites are crossed out now.

I advise you to call Vodafone again, tell them that your phone is ok, your SIM is ok, the local tower is ok, your data subscription is ok, and then there is nothing left to do: they have to accept the fact that there is something wrong with their service. Until that, use a SIM with a different number, I'm sure it'll work in your current phone.

* To be 100% that your phone is ok, try a different SIM with a different number. I think the new number can still be Vodafone, because only your current account is affected (your current number), not the whole infrastructure. However, if you don't want to experiment (and your phone is unlocked), you can immediately get a SIM from an other company, as Firelord suggested in a comment below. (So that you are safe, even if the whole Vodafone system is damaged.)

Tamás Bolvári
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    Plan is not over. Tried in multiple areas. Tried "WCDMA only". No difference. – Mick Dec 17 '15 at 13:48
  • WCDMA is 3G. Choose 2G instead (GSM only). – Tamás Bolvári Dec 17 '15 at 15:53
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    If I set "GSM only" then I have all the same problems... except I see a "G" instead of an "H" in the notifications bar. – Mick Dec 17 '15 at 17:22
  • I suppose your phone is okay, since the SII produced the same problem using the same SIM. But the SIM can't be the problem either, because you have already changed it. So my next guess would be the tower, but you have already tried in different locations. So it must be a service problem, like Vodafone has accidentaly disabled your data access etc. Prove them your phone is ok, your SIM is ok, the local tower is ok, your data subscription is ok, and then there is nothing left to do: they have to accept the fact that there is something wrong with their service. Until that, use a different number. – Tamás Bolvári Dec 17 '15 at 17:58
  • May I suggest, at the bottom, you change "try a different SIM with a different number" to "try a different SIM with a different network". I believe this is what you actually meant because you've already mentioned that OP tried a new SIM of same number so suggesting a different SIM wouldn't help. Suggesting another number may not help either if it is not mentioned explicitly whether to be of same network or other. It's just to remove confusion. Just a suggestion. Nothing more. :) – Firelord Dec 19 '15 at 18:02
  • @Firelord The network doesn't matter. As far as I know, Vodafone doesn't give you a new number in cases like this, they only replace the old SIM to a new SIM having the same number. Usually this works perfectly, since the old SIM is physically damaged, so it's enough to replace. In this case though, it wasn't enough. I agree with you that changing network would also help (if the phone is unlocked) but I think it isn't required, because I suppose only this account (number) is involved, not the whole network. Getting an other Vodafone SIM with a different number should be enough. See the update. – Tamás Bolvári Dec 19 '15 at 22:47
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If you've not considered, put a new SIM card into your phone and if it works, then the network is messing up. It might sound impossible but your network is likely messing up.

Try a different network. If it works, then Vodafone's network is the culprit.

Firelord
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KhoPhi
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  • He has already tried a new SIM, it didn't help. I guess it was a Vodafone SIM with the same number that he had before. So I see two options: either the whole Vodafone network is wrong, or only the account (number) of Mick. In case one, I suppose Vodafone has already received a lot of reports, so case two is more likely. If so, changing the SIM to a different Vodafone SIM (having a different number, independent from Mick's account) should be enough. – Tamás Bolvári Dec 19 '15 at 22:58