I typically use Verizon for broadband and phone conversations, but if I was in an area where Verizon service wasn't ideal, I decided to move from Verizon to Straight Talk, my backup Straight Talk phone came in useful. However, speeds on the Straight Talk connection have recently slowed, but this was not due to a coverage issue. I used to receive quicker internet in the same regions where I'm currently getting poor connections. I considered adjusting the network settings on my phone to enhance speeds, but I had no clue how to do so. I heard about upgrading towers to improve the speed and reliability of my internet connection and wanted to find out how I might do it.
I adjusted my tower settings, which sped up my internet, after a few hours of study through numerous tutorials and user forum posts by folks who had made this work with their connections. I collected everything I discovered into one tutorial to help you modify your Straight Talk tower settings and achieve higher speeds. To update your Straight Talk towers, use a new APN, and update your Preferred Roaming List and carrier settings.
Continue reading to find out which APN settings work best and how to obtain unlimited data on Straight Talk. Updating the tower settings used by your phone to connect to the Straight Talk mobile network might help with internet speed difficulties or call quality issues. The goal of upgrading these settings is to get your phone to the best possible condition given your location and the network Straight Talk uses in your region.
Because Straight Talk is a virtual operator, it does not own cell towers and instead rents them from larger firms such as AT&T and Tracfone. Updating these settings has resulted in a more dependable internet and voice connection, so it's worth a go.
Update Your APN
The first step in upgrading your tower settings is to change the APN settings used by your phone to connect to Straight Talk networks. APN, or Access Point Name, is an identifier that allows your phone to connect to your network and has various parameters that you may change. As previously said, Straight Talk does not own its own towers but rather rents them, hence the APN settings fluctuate depending on who owns the tower in your location. The only way to find out is to experiment with Tracfone and AT&T settings before settling on the ideal one. If the Tracfone instructions do not work, troubleshoot Tracfone not having service.
Tracfone
To configure an APN on a Tracfone network:
- Open the Settings menu on your phone.
- Go to the Wireless & Networks or other similarly titled option.
- Select Mobile networks > Access Point Names.
- Tap the three dots on the upper right of the screen and choose Add APN.
- In the fields that appear, type in:
• APN: tfdata
• Username: (leave this blank)
• Password: (leave this blank)
• MMSC: mms-tf.net
• MMS Proxy: mms3.tracfone.com:80
• Max Size: 1048576
• MMS UA Prof URL: apple.com/mms/uaprof.rdf
• Leave all other fields blank and save this APN.
AT&T
To configure an APN on an AT&T network:
- Repeat steps 1 to 5 from the Tracfone section.
- In the fields that appear, type in:
• APN: att.mvno
• Username: (leave this blank)
• Password: (leave this blank)
• MMSC: mmsc.cingular.com
• MMS Proxy: 66.209.11.33:80
• Max Size: 1048576
• MMS UA Prof URL: apple.com/mms/uaprof.rdf
After you've updated your APN and found one that works for you, you may proceed to altering your Preferred Roaming List.
Update Your Preferred Roaming List
A PRL, or Preferred Roaming List, is a list of frequency bands and carriers other than Straight Talk that allow your phone to connect to non-home networks when you're not at home. Optimizing and updating this list is known to aid with internet speed difficulties, and when combined with a solid APN settings, you'll virtually always connect to the best network possible whether abroad or at home. And update your PRL on Straight Talk, use your phone's dialer to call *22891. Straight Talk will immediately deliver the updated PRL information to your phone after entering this code.
Update Carrier Settings
The Carrier settings are another critical piece of your connection jigsaw. It instructs your phone on how to connect to and create a connection with your carrier, in this example, Straight Talk. By keeping this up to current, you'll be able to connect to the finest towers in your area, improving the quality of your connection.
To change Android's carrier settings, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and choose about phone.
- Look for Update profile. If it’s not here, check the System updates tab from the main settings page as well.
If the option is not in about phone:
- Select More > Mobile networks in Settings.
- Select Carrier settings.
- Choose Update profile.
To accomplish this on iOS, follow these steps:
• Connect to your home network's Wi-Fi.
• Using the dialer, enter ##873283#.
• The phone's settings will begin to be updated. When it's finished, press OK.
Your network quality should have improved after upgrading the APN, PRL, and carrier settings. Run a few speed tests and watch some video material online to find out.
Final Thoughts
You may also experiment with different options to get unlimited data on Straight Talk. You can also try texting COVID to 611-611 or adjusting your access point settings. If none of these options work for your Straight Talk data connection, you may try resetting your network settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What number do I dial to update my Straight Talk phone?
Dial 22891 to have your Straight Talk phone's network settings adjusted.
Q2. What towers do Straight Talk use?
Straight Talk is a virtual mobile operator, hence they do not broadcast their network using their own towers. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon lease towers to them.
Q3. How do I perform a signal refresh on my phone?
Turn off your phone to renew your phone signal. Then, wait a minute or two before turning the phone back on to re-establish your network signal.
Q4. How can I tell which cell tower I am using?
If you're using Android, you may use Netmonster, a third-party software, to analyze and identify the cell towers you're currently using. Try Opensignal if you're using iOS.