Delayed text messages

[GTypeR]

Hi,

Ive had a problem with delayed inbound text messages over the last few weeks. I have a theory as to why it's happening, but wanted to hear your thoughts.

Occasionally I get delayed text messages on my HTC Desire on T-mobile. Anything between an hour delayed and 6 hours. I spoke to someone at t-mobile last friday and he said to try out the sim in another phone for a week, as he couldnt find a problem with the network. I've done that now and it's worked perfectly.

Could it be to do with the new t-mobile/orange mast sharing? I registered my HTC Desire onto it a while ago, and was thinking maybe the auto switching between the 2 providers might be confusing the inbound text and delaying it. I dont really know enough about how text's get routed to know if this is possible though???

[Canker_Canison]

It won't be due to home roaming. The person you spoke to didn't know what they were doing, no front line staff have live access to network systems or faults.

What you should be doing is checking which texts are being delayed & what network they originated from. Then try to keep a check on where you are when you get them & where you were when they were sent.

This is usually a fault between networks, or through the HLR (Home Location Register) that your account runs through.

What should happen is when the phone is turned on it sends a message that say's 'I'm here', any pending data will then be sent. As long as the phone is getting a signal the network should know where you are. But messaging & calls are run through different areas of the network. This is why when you can't call, texts still get through. So a fault on any part of the network that handles your text could delay the sending but not effect your calls.

What could be happening is the network is losing part of your location, so it holds onto the data until the phone switches BTS site.

It's not an easy thing to pin down, but given it wants to work on a different phone I'd be looking at a 3G signal issue between networks. This is assuming the second phone was a 2G handset.

Most of these type of issues are resolved within a few days. If you continue to have problems contact T-Mobile & have a job raised with the tech support dept.

[GTypeR]

It won't be due to home roaming. The person you spoke to didn't know what they were doing, no front line staff have live access to network systems or faults.

What you should be doing is checking which texts are being delayed & what network they originated from. Then try to keep a check on where you are when you get them & where you were when they were sent.

This is usually a fault between networks, or through the HLR (Home Location Register) that your account runs through.

What should happen is when the phone is turned on it sends a message that say's 'I'm here', any pending data will then be sent. As long as the phone is getting a signal the network should know where you are. But messaging & calls are run through different areas of the network. This is why when you can't call, texts still get through. So a fault on any part of the network that handles your text could delay the sending but not effect your calls.

What could be happening is the network is losing part of your location, so it holds onto the data until the phone switches BTS site.

It's not an easy thing to pin down, but given it wants to work on a different phone I'd be looking at a 3G signal issue between networks. This is assuming the second phone was a 2G handset.

Most of these type of issues are resolved within a few days. If you continue to have problems contact T-Mobile & have a job raised with the tech support dept.

Thanks for the reply. The theory of the t-mobile/orange network sharing was actually mine, so you can blame me for not knowing what Im talking about (which is true most the time).

Actually both phones are 3.5G (HSDPA). What I could try is maybe setting the HTC Desire on 2G only if the problem continues.

Thanks again for your help.

[Jim.Mahoney]

The servers handling SMS's are not beyond suspicion!

Also network capacity can be an issue... Here, when I am located we have a permanent residency of about 10,000 people but over the main summer holiday period (December here in South Africa) the head count goes way over 70,000 and the system just can't cope!

Keep a log of when the delayed texts occur, when I lived in the UK I found Friday afternoon would often be quiet but by Friday evening half a dozen or so texts would arrive late. I lived in Halstead on the Essex/Suffolk boarder and I'd guess passing traffic late Friday afternoons clogged up the cells... This was back in 2004 and only 3UK were operational with a 3G network.

The SMS system was not originally going to be part of the GSM offering to subscribers! It was developed as a reporting system for engineers in the early days of GSM installation. Some bright spark in marketing decided the end user might also want to use the system and the rest as they say is history!

[mtv1]

sorry for hi-jacking this thread but its related my wife has a sony ericcson w 995 and my kid got a xperia x8 both are having the same problem texts coming in 5 at a time when i try to ring mobile may be turned off while clearly on is there any fix for this , vodafone network ?? thanks guys

[Jim.Mahoney]

sorry for hi-jacking this thread but its related my wife has a sony ericcson w 995 and my kid got a xperia x8 both are having the same problem texts coming in 5 at a time when i try to ring mobile may be turned off while clearly on is there any fix for this , vodafone network ?? thanks guys

Try setting both phones in GSM only mode.

You'll find this under Settings, Network and change Dual Mode into GSM or 2G.

Usually 2G networks have somewhat more capacity than 3G and of course they don't have the world and his brothers sitting downloading stuff from the internet!

[GTypeR]

sorry for hi-jacking this thread but its related my wife has a sony ericcson w 995 and my kid got a xperia x8 both are having the same problem texts coming in 5 at a time when i try to ring mobile may be turned off while clearly on is there any fix for this , vodafone network ?? thanks guys

Hi mtv1. Sounds like a network issue as both are on the same network and same location. You could try what Im going to try, and switch both phones onto 2G only. Could be a problem with 3G or HSDPA at your local mast.

[GTypeR]

My problem seems to have gone after getting a settings text sent to me. Its been ok for about a week now since doing this. I wonder what sort of changes these special text messages make???

[Jim.Mahoney]

My problem seems to have gone after getting a settings text sent to me. Its been ok for about a week now since doing this. I wonder what sort of changes these special text messages make???

The only thing they can change is the message centre number! Some networks have different message centre numbers for pre-pay and post-pay (contract) customers!