Suppose I have both cellular and WiFi enabled. Which of these two will my phone use when screen is on? I thought it would automatically disable cellular when WiFi is on but I noticed I could see the both cellular and WiFi sign on the top bar. So which one of these two connections does it use?
anyone?.........
If it can reach internet through wifi, it uses wifi. If not, it uses cellular.
Related
So, noticed when I walked from one Wifi zone to another, if I left my wifi activated, I would only get Edge, never 3G. With Wifi off, 3G appeared again. Long story short:
Without wifi, menu (*#*#4636#*#*) shows GSM auto (PRL)
With wifi and WITHOUT wifi calling... same.
With wifi and WITH wifi calling GSM only.
Interesting only in that if you keep your wifi active you have to kill wifi calling if you want to also be able to detect 3G. FWIW.
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?
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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?
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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?
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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'm having this strange issue that I've never before seen on Android. Whenever I'm connected to Wifi, the phone seems to maintain a mobile data connection. Also, I'm on T-Mobile with wifi calling enabled, and it seems to stick to the cellular network even with wifi on. Am I the only one?
Ive got something similar, my battery stats show Wi-Fi is on even though its off. Rebooting the phone sorted it out.
Prasad said:
I'm having this strange issue that I've never before seen on Android. Am I the only one?
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elvinrush said:
Ive got something similar, my battery stats show Wi-Fi is on even though its off..
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Click to collapse
Did you, guys, clear those two? Please!
Oh that makes sense. Thx
Prasad said:
I'm having this strange issue that I've never before seen on Android. Whenever I'm connected to Wifi, the phone seems to maintain a mobile data connection. Also, I'm on T-Mobile with wifi calling enabled, and it seems to stick to the cellular network even with wifi on. Am I the only one?
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Click to collapse
My M8 does this, so I would expect the M9 to do this as well. However the mobile data is not used; the icon for mobile data just stays up. It passes data on WiFi when a WiFi connection is available. The WiFi icon is the only one that comes and goes.
I have unlimited calling so I don't use the WiFi calling, can't comment on that.
My mobile radio stays active even while I'm on WiFi calling. Which, I'm pretty sure the mobile radio should completely turn off..
Mobile data icon stays on as well even without wifi calling, same as you.
I think the stickied mobile data icon is a non-issue, but the fact that it sticks to cellular network, pointlessly draining excess battery (especially in a region with poor network connectivity) when Wifi calling is enabled, is seriously annoying.
jauhien said:
Did you, guys, clear those two? Please!
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Click to collapse
Both settings are unchecked, like in your screenshot.
Just got mine too.
Am noticing the same problem. Mobile data stays on.
Hopefully there is a fix coming out?
Figured it out (For T-Mobile WiFi calling variants only)
Go into WiFi Calling settings (there should be an icon in your status bar)
Select the bottom "Do not use Cellular". This will disable cellular when WiFi/WiFi calling is enabled.
Cellular was enabled for calling handoffs (when you leave a WiFi calling area, the call gets handoff'd to the network)
wifiguru said:
Figured it out (For T-Mobile WiFi calling variants only)
Go into WiFi Calling settings (there should be an icon in your status bar)
Select the bottom "Do not use Cellular". This will disable cellular when WiFi/WiFi calling is enabled.
Cellular was enabled for calling handoffs (when you leave a WiFi calling area, the call gets handoff'd to the network)
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Click to collapse
Nah. That solves nothing. I don't want to be disconnected when leaving Wi-Fi. I just want cellular to be off when in Wi-Fi range, which was automatically managed with the same setting on previous phones.
Prasad said:
Nah. That solves nothing. I don't want to be disconnected when leaving Wi-Fi. I just want cellular to be off when in Wi-Fi range, which was automatically managed with the same setting on previous phones.
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Click to collapse
Correct, all that setting does is completely disable cellular. Even if you leave Wi-Fi, or disable it.
On all previous T-Mobile phones with Wi-Fi calling using "Wi-Fi preferred" it would completely disable the cellular radio.
Now, when I have poor signal but am using wifi calling, my phone is constantly searching for signal. Switching between 2g/4g/lte.
Yeah, you guys are correct.
Left home this morning, no Cellular.
Well, shoot...
Boo
I have a Verizon G4 and have one major gripe.
At my workplace, the wifi is somewhat spotty and it's a guest network that requires authenticating (clicking an "i agree" button)
So my phone will, throughout the day, as it detects the "weak" signal, automatically turn off that network due to "unreliable internet connection".
Even as I'm back in an area with a strong signal, now my phone is ignoring that and stuck trying to use mobile network. I have to go into my network list and manually tell it to reconnect.
During all of this, wifi is enabled the entire time.
I see where others have had the same problem on other phones and have turned off "Smart Network Switch" and I even read where someone had done this on a LG G4 (not verizon).
So I'm thinking this is something Verizon removed. Anyone have any ideas?
Smart Network Switch is just a feature that checks for a "data" connection over wifi and switches to use Mobile Data if WiFi loses internet access.
I am not sure the G4 has this. When I am connected to WiFi with a bad signal, it will just send me a popup telling me the WiFi has no internet access and whether to use Mobile Data or not. The feature you are looking for is "Avoid bad WiFi Connections", which is the same thing with a different name. Just make sure that is OFF. That will force WiFi to use WiFi as the only connection.
And it sounds like your wireless network sucks and needs to be upgraded to a corporate solution.
Just FYI, in my WiFi > Advanced WiFi settings, I have everything unchecked + "Keep WiFi on when screen is off" = Yes.
Well "avoid bad Wi-Fi connections" is off. Read on another forum that the mobile version I think it was had the smart network option.
I have the same options as you except I also allow Wi-Fi scanning.
I have tried with that one both on and off and see the same behavior.
I never get a popup, it just ignores that wifi connection and used mobile data. When I look at my Wi-Fi list, it'll say something about unreliable internet connection in small text,on the Wi-Fi network that it disconnected from. Surely I'm not the only one seeing this.. :/
Beats me. Sounds like the Access point you are connecting to has a bad internet connection. What is happening is you are connected to the WiFi and it notices that the WiFi AP is either dropping internet connection (Google pings google servers to test connections) or bouncing.
In order to keep from losing a data connection, it seems to be switching to your cellular network.
I see this often because we install APs (I am a network engineer). I think your phone is trying to protect you and that is normal behavior. Here is another scenerio: In a hotel, wifi is always set to OPEN. If your phone automatically connects to the hotels network, you will lose a data connection because Hotels require you to "sign-in", just like most free wifi places do. The phone sees that your phones WiFi connection is not accessing the internet and making sure you are good.
I am not sure how often it "checks" the wifi for a good connection or if it ever does once it switches.
I have a metroPCS unlocked Snapdragon S9, and I have my WiFi calling set to cellular preferred, but my WiFi calling keeps turning itself on and off all the time. I like WiFi calling and find it useful, but I have had problems with latency and poor call quality, so I don't want to use WiFi calling unless the cellular network isn't available. But my phone just keeps turning WiFi calling on and off by itself when I have the preference set to use the cellular network by default. I get excellent reception at home and most places I go to, so I don't understand why WiFi calling is on when I have it set to use the cell network by default.
Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone know a solution short of disabling WiFi calling entirely?