14 DAY TRIAL // A hacked carrier file for T-Mobile users enables “better throughput of data and data connection” which, in plain English, means you’ll see a boost in your mobile Internet speed when Wi-Fi is not available.
The hack is available for iPhone 5 users with unlocked handsets on T-Mobile’s network in the US.
Two cellular programmers, @joe012594 and @cooldayr2, have modified an update file that the carrier recently pushed out, to “increase the amount of bandwidth allowing for better throughput of data and data connection.”
According to the lowdown supplied by the hackers alongside the installation instructions (reproduced below), the tweak enables Release 9 DC-HSPA+ on iPhone 5 handsets only.
“Though T-Mobile has not yet upgraded their network to support these speeds, the device itself becomes more open to an increased amount of bandwidth thus allowing for better throughput of data and data connection,” the duo states.
The increase in speed is noticeable, from 3mbps to as high as 8mbps on the downlink.
The hackers also threw in a fix for degraded/weakened signal issues on PCS and/or AWS bands.
After installing the hack, the speed setting will be ON by default, “and should help the 4G signal perform a bit better, whether you’re [sic] iPhone 5 is PCS only or dual PCS/AWS,” the hackers write.
iPhone 5 handsets that support AWS will reportedly connect to the strongest tower, rather than the preferred type.
Below are the steps to apply these changes to your handset (courtesy of TmoNews).
Editor’s Note: These instructions are posted for informational purposes only. Softpedia is not responsible for any potential misbehavior of your device after installing this hack. Be sure to back up your device before you do anything. Good luck!
“Since many unlocked iPhone 5 users report weakened signal on the refarmed 4G HSPA+ and many iPhone users (unlocked or official T-Mobile versions) report slower data speeds, I have done many hours for many days doing research on what could be done to fix the issue. After partnering with @cooldayr, we both have come up with the best possible solution to this issue. Below is a fix we have provided for all iPhone 5 users on the T-Mobile network. This will not take away any features added by the official carrier update nor does it require a jailbreak, however, we have made it user friendly for both jailbroken and non-jailbroken users. If you have any issues, please tell Joe at twitter.com/joe012594. Thanks!” Non-jailbroken users: 1. Plug your iPhone 5 into iTunes and backup the device so you won’t lose anything, just in case. ;) 2. In the device itself, tap the “Settings” app and navigate to “General >Reset > Reset Network Settings” 3. Once you have done that, the iPhone will auto reboot. 4. Download the hacked carrier update here:http://www.4shared.com/file/WF0uqJL-/TMobile_US_iPhone_Hack.html 5. Once downloaded, your iPhone will boot up into iTunes. Before you do ANYTHING, make sure to decline any and all prompts to update carrier settings. Now you’ll to go ahead and enable iTunes to except custom carrier bundles, if it’s not already. 7. Windows users, you will need to open command prompt and type the following and enter it in: 64 bit: cd “C:\Program Files (x86)\iTunes” then type: iTunes.exe/setPrefInt carrier-testing 1 32 bit: cd “C:\Program Files\iTunes” then type: iTunes.exe /setPrefInt carrier-testing 1 Mac users you will need to open terminal and type the following and enter it in: Mac: defaults write com.apple.iTunes carrier-testing -bool true 8. After this has successfully been entered in, click on the tab for your iPhone 5 and click “Update” or “Check For Update” while holding down the Alt / Option key for Mac users and the Shift key for Windows users. Navigate to where you downloaded the hacked carrier update file named “TMobile_US_iPhone.ipcc,” and select it then click Open. 9. The carrier update should now successfully be installed. Restart your iPhone 5 for any changes to take effect. 10. If you encounter any problems or wish to revert back just download the file below and repeat the above steps only with the default file instead. Default File:http://www.4shared.com/file/M3vMO7Pe/TMobile_US_iPhone_Default.html Jailbroken Users: 1.Download the file to your device through iFile here: http://www.4shared.com/zip/OF1KKmyt/TMobile_US_iPhone_Hack.html 2. Unarchive the files and copy the file name “overrides_N41_N42.pri” then navigate to var/mobile/Library/Carrier Bundles/TMobile_US.bundle and paste it into the folder replacing the original .pri file. 3. Reboot your device for changes to take effect. 4. If you encounter any problems or wish to revert back just download the file below and repeat the above steps only with the default file instead. Default File:http://www.4shared.com/zip/zoXpN_ce/TMobile_US_iPhone_Default.html