It is possible to speed up the internet by changing the signal from the default mobile tower to any other neighboring tower using an application called FieldTest. So we can choose any EDGE supported nearby tower to speed up the internet. This would be helpful for Airtel India internet users as Airtel does not provide EDGE facility in all its towers. This FieldTest application only works in s60 v3 symbian phones such as Nokia N73,N95 etc. I have successfully tested this in my N73 phone. It needs a bit of explanation to be able to install and use it. Follow below steps:
How to install Field Test:
To install FieldTest it need two other applications LCG Xplore and HelloCarbide.
- Download and install LCGXplore
- Download and Install HelloCarbide
- Download FieldTest(ftd.zip)
- Now open LCG Xplore
- Press '0' and make sure the first 4 options are selected
- Goto phone memory and try accessing 'private' folder, you cant see that folder
- Now goto phone main menu without exiting Xplore and open HelloCarbide
- Press options ->Menu1 -> Yes, it exits automatically
- Now, return to Xplore, you can access 'private' and 'sys' folders now
Going back to the files of ftd.zip
-The files are arranged in folders
-Move files in
Cprivate101F457f to C/private/101F457f/
CPrivate10003a3fimportApps to C/Private/10003a3f/import/Apps/
CResourceApps to C/Resource/Apps/
CResourcePlugins to C/Resource/Plugins/
CSysBin to C/Sys/Bin/
Csystemappsdynbase to C/system/apps/dynbase/
-Exit xplore.
If u have done all steps correctly, you can see the FieldTest icon in applicationsRestart the phone and now open FieldTest.
How to use it to get EDGE connection or faster towers:
I stress it is not used to get the tower with better signals as this is done by the phone itself. What we are doing here is if you have a tower which is farther from you but has an EDGE connection while your nearest tower doesn't have edge ,then you can use this to get connected to that specified tower. This also helps if the tower nearest to you is very crowded and you get less speed, So you can use this to get connected to a farther tower which has less traffic and so will probably give you better speeds.
-Open the FieldTest, Navigate through the menus using up and down arrows
EDGE or GPRS?
-Look up in menu 6.12. Here check the field "EGPRS support" if you get "0" here then you are using GPRS, if u get "1" here then you are getting EDGE
Getting tower information:
-Go to menu 1.03. This menu shows you the signals of neighboring towers your phone receives, Write down in a piece of paper the CH number (the first 3 digits of each line) for:
Serving cell info
Neighbour info
Neighbour info and so on till menu 1.05
Testing each tower:
We have collected the CH numberss of all the towers in your coverage. Let us test each of them to find which has EDGE connection
-Now go to menu 1.12-press "options"
-select "excecute"
-Under "input value" enter the CH number of the first tower, press OK
-Now in the BTS test instead of "OFF" you should now see the CH number you entered.You have successfully selected that tower
-Now go to menu 6.12, Here check the field "EGPRS support" if you get "0" here then you are using GPRS, if u get "1" here then you are getting EDGE,you may also check the download speed you getting with this tower
-Repeat this for each tower and decide which is the best for you
NOTE: You might have noticed that the tower which gives the highest download speed MAY NOT give you the best coverage(range), This is because you have selected a neighboring tower than the one near you, that is normal.That is it. Exit the application and enjoy.
To revert back to normal,just restart the phone.One more thing, This application has a lot of other features. Best thing to do is not to play with them.
How to install Field Test:
To install FieldTest it need two other applications LCG Xplore and HelloCarbide.
- Download and install LCGXplore
- Download and Install HelloCarbide
- Download FieldTest(ftd.zip)
- Now open LCG Xplore
- Press '0' and make sure the first 4 options are selected
- Goto phone memory and try accessing 'private' folder, you cant see that folder
- Now goto phone main menu without exiting Xplore and open HelloCarbide
- Press options ->Menu1 -> Yes, it exits automatically
- Now, return to Xplore, you can access 'private' and 'sys' folders now
Going back to the files of ftd.zip
-The files are arranged in folders
-Move files in
Cprivate101F457f to C/private/101F457f/
CPrivate10003a3fimportApps to C/Private/10003a3f/import/Apps/
CResourceApps to C/Resource/Apps/
CResourcePlugins to C/Resource/Plugins/
CSysBin to C/Sys/Bin/
Csystemappsdynbase to C/system/apps/dynbase/
-Exit xplore.
If u have done all steps correctly, you can see the FieldTest icon in applicationsRestart the phone and now open FieldTest.
How to use it to get EDGE connection or faster towers:
I stress it is not used to get the tower with better signals as this is done by the phone itself. What we are doing here is if you have a tower which is farther from you but has an EDGE connection while your nearest tower doesn't have edge ,then you can use this to get connected to that specified tower. This also helps if the tower nearest to you is very crowded and you get less speed, So you can use this to get connected to a farther tower which has less traffic and so will probably give you better speeds.
-Open the FieldTest, Navigate through the menus using up and down arrows
EDGE or GPRS?
-Look up in menu 6.12. Here check the field "EGPRS support" if you get "0" here then you are using GPRS, if u get "1" here then you are getting EDGE
Getting tower information:
-Go to menu 1.03. This menu shows you the signals of neighboring towers your phone receives, Write down in a piece of paper the CH number (the first 3 digits of each line) for:
Serving cell info
Neighbour info
Neighbour info and so on till menu 1.05
Testing each tower:
We have collected the CH numberss of all the towers in your coverage. Let us test each of them to find which has EDGE connection
-Now go to menu 1.12-press "options"
-select "excecute"
-Under "input value" enter the CH number of the first tower, press OK
-Now in the BTS test instead of "OFF" you should now see the CH number you entered.You have successfully selected that tower
-Now go to menu 6.12, Here check the field "EGPRS support" if you get "0" here then you are using GPRS, if u get "1" here then you are getting EDGE,you may also check the download speed you getting with this tower
-Repeat this for each tower and decide which is the best for you
NOTE: You might have noticed that the tower which gives the highest download speed MAY NOT give you the best coverage(range), This is because you have selected a neighboring tower than the one near you, that is normal.That is it. Exit the application and enjoy.
To revert back to normal,just restart the phone.One more thing, This application has a lot of other features. Best thing to do is not to play with them.