OT - Google Nexus 5 and a problem

[Steve]

Sorry - meant to crosspost then forgot to add this group! I know the knowledge on here is immense so....

I've got a Google Nexus 5 mobile phone and one thing is puzzling me, not to mention annoying the hell out of me.

Using Mozilla Firefox I can browse the internet either by wifi or cellular network using my data allowance. I can send/receive emails the same way using an email app, and I can do anything with any app that I have installed on the phone - if the app is designed to have internet access, then it works perfectly well either on wifi or cell network.

All apart from the Facebook that is.

Neither the Facebook app, nor the 'desktop' version (using

in Firefox) will connect on the cellular network, only on wifi.

There is a slight qualifier on that statement in that, if I mess about with settings, ie, change from 3G to 4G, reboot, change from 4G to 3G, reboot, stand on one leg whilst reciting the words to Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid' backwards and waving chicken bones in the air, then EVENTUALLY it will connect and I may be able to use Facebook for hours on end without problem, but once it drops it won't reconnect again without going through all that hassle again.

Seriously, it can take half an hour of messing; changing this, changing that, changing back again, with no rhyme or reason to it that I can see. Facebook is the only thing that struggles on the cellular network

- everything else works flawlessly. And all things, INCLUDING Facebook, work perfectly via wifi.

This is stupid, crazy and insane, but true. I really could do with a fix for this as I'll soon be going into hospital and there's no patient-useable wifi in there and Facebook on the cellular network is the best way of keeping in touch with family and friends, so does anyone have ANY suggestions please?

It's a Google Nexus 5 running Android Kit-Kat (4.4.4), with latest updates and versions of Facebook app and Firefox. It's on Talkmobile (using Vodaphone) from Carphone Warehouse.

[Andy Burns]

Ditto.

Ah Facebook, can't help you there (nor with Twitter or Skype).

[Lee]

If it works on WiFi but not cell data, then surely it must be a problem with the cell data provider and nothing to do with the phone?

Maybe their Facebook cache server is playing up, have you tried talking to them? Yes that was meant in jest :( Is there an active support forum that might be useful?

[Theo Markettos]

Sounds like TalkMobile are blocking Facebook for some reason. Have you tried your SIM in another phone to see if that works?

An alternative thought: do other SSL websites work? Like

Could be some trouble related to SSL - for example, is the clock set incorrectly?

Theo

[Brian Gaff]

Yeah, maybe he needs to set up a mailing list for all the family and friends and just use that. I hate Twitface witha passion on any device. its forever changing its face, an its riddled with commercials and is basically a spam vehicle nowadays. It is after all nothing more than an intergrated mailing list at its heart. Brian

[Steve]

First of all, my thanks to Andy and Brian. I appreciate that some folks can't be doing with Facebook, Twitter or other social media. What I can't understand is why you feel the need to tell me - if you can't answer the question or help, why bother replying at all?

To Lee and Theo - thanks for sensible replies. I will try to contact someone, but to answer the particular points you raised, yes, other https sites work fine (so not an SSL issue), nor are Talkmobile blocking Facebook because when it does eventually connect I can use Facebook for a couple of hours without any problem.

Anything else you can think of would be most appreciated.

[curious]

I would hazard a guess that it is a DNS issue of sorts, I sometimes get similar problems with BT

[Steve]

Thanks for your reply Curious. I suppose that's one for Talkmobile to sort - I have no idea how I would go about sorting a DNS issue on the cellular network, but I'll go through the phone's settings menu in case there's anything relevant in there.

[curious]

A talk mobile issue likely not updating DNS records timely enough. Busy sites like Facebook will have complicated load balancing DNS which can change IP addresses frequently.

[John Rumm]

While possible, its unusual to leave IPs not resolving to a server even if the DNS is handing out multiple addresses in rotation.

One solution may be to see of you can convince the handset to use a DNS server of your choice. (not sure how easy that will be on cellular).

Other options would be to make a VPN connection back to your home connection from the phone and in effect use the home broadband connection to talk to faceache.

[John Rumm]

What happens if you try to visit facebook via google's cache rather than directly (i.e. search for cache:

[Andy Burns]

I presume (though what would I know about facebook?) the O/P is using the app, rather than a web browser ...

[curious]

Don't Vodafone have their own proxy / caching system which could be the issue.

[Nick]

The opening post said he'd tried both the app and Firefox. I tried my Nexus 5 earlier (only once, however) using Chrome and it didn't get through... since I haven't logged into FB for several years, it probably would have surprised them if it had worked.

[Steve]

Just tried that John and nothing different happens, I still can't get Facebook via cellular network. All other websites I've ever wanted to get to on cellular are working well.

[Bob Martin]

Obviously an intelligent phone :-)