Anyone have a short way to disable mobile networks except for WiFi while roaming? I'm taking a trip to the Caribbean, and I would rather use Google Voice and free WiFi than pay Verizon $1.99 a minute. Already have GV set up, just want to know how to disable the other data/voice network connections, or if that's even possible.
Also - if I've got WiFi Tether running in AP mode, can I bridge between my phone and the WiFi provider? The hotel I'm at charges you on a per-device basis (which really sucks), so I figured I'd run WiFi tether and just connect my laptop to the network via cell phone.
wifi on your device only goes one way, you can't use wifi to get data AND transmit data. you're either getting data via wifi, or you're using the network to get data, and transmitting data via wifi. i'm not sure of an option (like on a laptop or pc) which allows ISC (internet sharing)
RE: original question, airplane mode will disable all network connectivity except wifi.
Thanks Patches - didn't even try it out, had just assumed that Airplane mode meant all data went off, including WiFi.
Guess the solution to my roaming issue should be to disable roaming on the data side, and just not answer any voice calls that are incoming.
find out if google voice works on wifi.
also you'll have to consider sms fees also. i'd suggest contacting your carrier (vzw i assume) and tell them what you have in mind, and ask what charges to expect based on usage. how much for incoming and outgoing calls, txts and data. then approach each category and find possible solutions.
best bet is to pony up and get a prepaid phone for voice and txt charges, and wifi for data use on your android. FYI, you can send email to people's phone numbers. "ten digit number"@"carrier name".com (google to find out specifically the domain per carrier)
i don't travel internationally so i'm not very good at it, but i find prepaid phones are less expensive than the roaming charges, or calling cards.
Related
Hi,
Does anyone know of any app that restricts data connection to only when in WCDMA (UMTS 3G) network?
Reason why is that i use my Dopod D810 to surf the net and download files. However i have managed to rack up $320 in roaming charges for internet usage even though i am on a 1 GB XSeries plan on 3.
I was not aware that i was roaming at all. So in future, i want my phone to automatically disconnect when "Roaming".
Is there such an app? I have tried Bandswitch but i couldnt get it to do what i wanted.
use search.
There is an app called trinity hacks or something that adds this feature.
Are you sure? I have Trinity Hacks v0.3 and it doesnt seem to have this feature.
What i want is for my phone to automatically disconnect once it is "roaming" onto Telstra's network from the 3 network.
Yes,
Trinity Hacks v0.3 --> Phone tab --> 'Enable GSM/UMTS Band Selection'
Ticking this enables a new tab under 'Settings' --> 'Phone' --> 'Band'
Switch it from 'auto' to 'WCDMA'
Then you will never incur roaming charges on Telstra network.
Yeah i already have that setup.
What i want is to be able to Roam to Telstra so i get full PHONE coverage, but once it goes to roaming, i want the data connection to automatically disconnect.
What you have asked me to do is to permanently connect only to 3G which means i cannot get reception everywhere.
Does that make sense?
What you want is not possible without some serious programming! The Radio stack can be set to connect to GSM, UMTS/WCDMA or either, but you can't split voice and data functionality.
Hi,
Thanks for all your replies, but im not asking for voice and data functionality to be split. The phone can already tell whether it is roaming or on the home network. Isn't it just a matter of getting this information from the phone possibly via the OS API and then when the phone returns a value to signify that its roaming, then the program will disconnect the connection, just like pressing the disconnect button, but this time programmatically?
Im not asking for someone to write something like this, but if something already exist like this.
Maybe this reply is not needed anymore sinds the thread is one month old. Still, I use spb grps monitor. It has a lot of customization option. Maybe it has a feature that will do the trick. I'm not going to look into it myself. Just wanted to give you a headsup.
I will be spending a few weeks up in Canada for cold weather testing. According to Sprint, there is no available service where I will be, even if I sign up for the $4.99 Canada roaming plan.
However, I will have wifi available. Will my Evo make a data connection using wifi, without cell coverage?
As long as you turn of 3g and ONLY use wifi, no that only uses wifi data, not sprint data.
I really want to be sarcastic, but I realize everyone doesn't have the same level of networking knowledge that I do.
Your Evo will work fine on wifi. If you're worried about perhaps incurring any roaming charges, just turn on airplane mode and then re-enable wifi.
Sent from my phone with the geebees
Guys, thanks for clarifying. I never use wifi so I didn't know when it might/might not work. Plus I was starting to get nervous about the possibility of a few weeks with no data service. Thanks for your patience!
What about getting an airwave unit or whatever its called, that will allow you to use your phone like normal with the airwave connected the internet.
dont expect sms/mms to work over wifi, they need the mobile data connection to transfer
with an airrave? unit the phone would believe its connected to a sprint tower and work normally, if you can do it that would be best, airrave? would need an ethernet connection to the internet
NewZJ said:
dont expect sms/mms to work over wifi, they need the mobile data connection to transfer
with an airrave? unit the phone would believe its connected to a sprint tower and work normally, if you can do it that would be best, airrave? would need an ethernet connection to the internet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AIRAVE has a GPS receiver in it, and it won't work outside the US.
I think I managed to say a lot of money by going with a low data plan, but they're telling me the android is going to constantly ping the Internet using up all the data allowance. Is there a way to disable the data functionality when I don't want it (like turning off wireless on a laptop)? When I'm connected to a Wi-Fi network, does it automatically use the local network instead of data minutes? If not, how can I make it do that.
I was able to find my data usage on my.t-mobile.com and verify that as long as Wi-fi is available, it will use it instead of the data plan. I was also able to confirm through another test that images in text messages don't count on the data plan, but under texts instead.
This is good. Now I have to find out how to tell if applications are pinging the network on their own or not.
yes indeed
I am completely ignorant of the WiFi configuration and purpose on this phone. Can anyone help?
1) I have an unlimited data plan. Should I care about using WiFi at all?
2) If I have a 4G/3G signal loss, will WiFi automatically kick in to sustain a signal?
3) I currently have no WiFi networks attached, and a scan returns nothing.
Should I be attaching WiFi networks manually. If so, how?
4) Should I just allow my battery optimizer app to disable WiFi?
mds54 said:
I am completely ignorant of the WiFi configuration and purpose on this phone. Can anyone help?
1) I have an unlimited data plan. Should I care about using WiFi at all?
2) If I have a 4G/3G signal loss, will WiFi automatically kick in to sustain a signal?
3) I currently have no WiFi networks attached, and a scan returns nothing.
Should I be attaching WiFi networks manually. If so, how?
4) Should I just allow my battery optimizer app to disable WiFi?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) That's upto you. If your speeds suck, or are in a terrible reception area (switching between 4G and 3G a lot, or stuck in 3G), then Wifi can be faster.
2) If you lose 3G/4G data, it may not connect to wifi unless your configured network is nearby. Normally, wifi will be always connected unless you're out of range of that particular signal.
3) Make sure Wifi is switched on. (switch will be blue in the on position). If you don't see any networks, then there are none. You may have to add networks manually, but thats because its not broadcasting its SSID (ie making itself visible), but thats usually in like a corporate environment.
4) I have noticed that being on Wifi saves me some battery than being on 4G, but your results may vary.
I can only offer advice on the first one. I also have unlimited data but I use wifi whenever possible. Wifi doubles my battery life. Using 4g all the time kills it way too quickly.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
mds54 said:
I am completely ignorant of the WiFi configuration and purpose on this phone. Can anyone help?
1) I have an unlimited data plan. Should I care about using WiFi at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you're happy with your speeds then no. WiFi does save battery though.
2) If I have a 4G/3G signal loss, will WiFi automatically kick in to sustain a signal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, because WiFi isn't always on (or shouldn't be), and won't automatically turn on. You'll have to turn it on manually if 3G/4G isn't available.
3) I currently have no WiFi networks attached, and a scan returns nothing. Should I be attaching WiFi networks manually. If so, how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If there's no WiFi around you, then there's no WiFi around you... The only reason you'd have to manually enter a network is if you're at home and aren't broadcasting your SSID, so you won't pick it up on a scan. You should elaborate more on this.
These comments make me think you don't understand how WiFi works....
4) Should I just allow my battery optimizer app to disable WiFi?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery optimizer apps don't always know what's best. Usually how they work is they'll turn off WiFi when you get out of range of your house or other specific location (via GPS). Then enable when they "know" you're at home (again, by GPS). Usually its easier to just have a toggle widget for WiFi and turn it on when you're at home if you want it.
I think this additional info may be useful:
Wifi is not a feature of your phone service through your provider. It is a completely different technology that replaces, not amplifies, your 3g/4g connection when it is on and connected. When you are using your phone's data connection, you are connected to the internet through your phone provider, which is also functioning as your Internet Service Provider (in your case, Verizon).
A wifi signal only exists when a wireless device is broadcasting it locally. Most often this is a wireless router in someone's home, office, or a store that offers wifi for its customers. In this case, your internet connection goes through the router, then to a hard-wired internet connection off to whatever ISP the service is paid for through.
It is a much shorter-range technology than your cell service. As such, while your phone will eat through your battery boosting its signal if it can't connect to a cell tower, your phone will use much less energy looking for wifi signals.
If you are absolutely sure that you will not be connecting to wifi networks in your daily travels, you should turn wifi off and not worry about it. If you have an existing wifi connection at home/work, then leaving wifi on and letting it connect will save you battery when you are within range. The idle drain of wifi when it is looking for networks is fairly low, so if you are going to be spending large amounts of time in wifi zones, you might as well just always leave it on.
If your phone shows no wifi available by a scan, chances are very slim that there is a non-broadcast network that you would be able to connect to manually; someone is keeping it hidden and it is most likely password-protected as well. Most private networks will be visible to a scan, but are probably password protected. You will need to connect to these manually; your phone will not alert you to their presence. Your phone will automatically let you know if there is an unprotected network in range. By default, if wifi is enabled, it will automatically connect to any network that comes into range that you have already connected to.
Wow, you guys are good! Thanks!
I have terrible cell signal at home, so rely on wifi calling to make my phone function as, well, a phone. However, recently something has changed where WiFi calling no longer appears to work even though I have it enabled. Actually, that's not strictly true, it works, but only randomly and seems to not be available the majority of the time.
Previously, as I could often get 1 bar of signal, what I would do is enable airplane mode, then turn wifi back on to get wifi calling working. However, this no longer works. I have reset network settings, re-enabled and registered Wifi calling, checked with my provider that Wifi calling is available, used the Samsung Band Selection app to set to prefer using Wifi calling over cell data. I'm sure there are other things I have tried, ultimately, nothing seems to work.
Wifi speeds are good, I'm at the end of my rope with it.
It's a Sprint (T-Mobile) phone, still on a Sprint SIM here, spent an hour with support yesterday and they basically had me repeat everything I have already tried before telling me they will have to escalate it.
Anyone else having issues? Any idea what to do?
Thanks.
Not sure if this will help, but you might want to look into what port wifi calling uses and make a port forwarding entry in your modem. I just remember long ago when tmobile had their TM-AC1900 router,something about it having certain ports open to allow for wifi calling. This was before they released their 4g lye personal cellspots.....this was a wifi cellspot
Wi-Fi Calling on a corporate network
Find the technical details to set up a corporate environment for T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calling.
www.t-mobile.com
Archived - NETGEAR Communities
community.netgear.com
These may help.....
P.s i have Xfinity for home internet and tmobile for a carrier.....my wifi calling has been weird at times out of the home while connected to Xfinity hotspots......and long story short, now that Xfinity has their own cell service they may be crippling ports....just a thought....manually forwarding those wifi calling ports should fix that if that's the case....