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Have just purchased Motorola Defy.
Have no cellular signal at home. No problem, can run on wifi for internet and also use wifi for calling; Defy feature built in.
Cell standby draining battery excessively, ( 90-100% no signal)= ( 40-50% bat drain). If I use the airplane mode to stop cellular search can use wifi for internet but it disables the wifi calling feature ( known as UMA for blackberries).
Is there an app for the Motorola Defy that will disable cell searching for signal but allow both internet and calling wifi usage??
I am not computer programming savvy at all, you guys are the geniuses.
Love the phone hate this particular cell standby catch 22.
Thanks.
I haven't used this app before but I believe this is what you need, it called "Airplane Mode Wi-Fi Tool"
Here is the description of the app
This tool will help you manage your android phone to connect to Wifi networks (Wireless Internet, or Wi-fi) while on Airplane Mode.
This tool works with any version of Android, including 2.0+, however, it is only necessary if you have a device with Android 1.5-1.6. Android 2.0+ allows Wifi to be toggled while on AP Mode.
Airplane mode by default disables calling in/out, period
Thanks for your reply. I downloaded this app and it does enhance the Airplane mode capabilities but does not resolve the issue of being able to turn off cell standby while still being able to use both wifi internet and wifi calling.
Since I am not on a plane but am, instead, at home I believe what is needed is an app that directly addresses the cell standby searching issue and leaves the wifi settings to behave as intended; enabling the cell phone to fully function via wifi for both internet and calling when there is no cellular signal available, without a ridiculously and unnecessarily huge burden being put on the battery for a completely moot point...
If such an app does not exist then I believe there will be a demand for one and I ,for one, would be happy to donate for such an app.
Again, thank you for your reply.
mtoblr said:
Since I am not on a plane but am, instead, at home
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just installed the application to see how it works.
When you open the application for the first time there is an instruction how to use the app. Obviously, it was designed to work in real world when one is on airplane. However, if you keep scrolling down the instruction page and read the FAQ section (B) then it tells you how you can configure it to use your wireless settings instead.
I hope that solves your problem.
This is easy: *#*#4636#*#* Go into menu, turn Radio off (toggle ON/OFF in this hidden menu). With radio off both wifi and wifi calling stay active. (USA T-MO)
scrannel said:
This is easy: *#*#4636#*#* Go into menu, turn Radio off (toggle ON/OFF in this hidden menu). With radio off both wifi and wifi calling stay active. (USA T-MO)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was aware of your solution before but I thought that would disable the wireless signal as well otherwise I would have mentioned it. I did a test while my wifi was on and disabled the radio option and the wireless stayed connected.
Thank you for your solution.
CSharpHeaven said:
I was aware of your solution before but I thought that would disable the wireless signal as well otherwise I would have mentioned it. I did a test while my wifi was on and disabled the radio option and the wireless stayed connected.
Thank you for your solution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, but unlike airplane mode it does not shut down wifi calling. BTW, I do not understand the power drain issue. I leave my radio on while working all day, but using wifi with the wifi calling app set to wifi preferred and am seeing no heavy drain. Maybe -- under that same menu -- one should check to see that the "preferred network type is "GSM only." When wifi calling is disabled (even if wifi is active) the phone should default to GSM auto (PRL). I have noticed occasionally it will stay in GSM auto (PRL) with wifi calling on and that might cause a drain, but not sure.
Further to the discussions in this thread I just noticed after restarting my phone (off & on) the Mobile Data feature is enabled again.
There is another menu option called 'disable on boot'. Disabling data on boot did not work once I restarted my phone to test it but the menu showed the feature was still enabled unlike 'Disable Mobile Data'.
This is easy: *#*#4636#*#* Go into menu, turn Radio off (toggle ON/OFF in this hidden
Thank you very much for this info. I was unaware of the hidden menu and this does indeed solve my problem. I will also try the GSM only setting first with radio on to see if that resolves the drainage issue.
I'm completely new to android and this forum and think both are great.
Thanks again.
mtoblr said:
Thank you very much for this info. I was unaware of the hidden menu and this does indeed solve my problem. I will also try the GSM only setting first with radio on to see if that resolves the drainage issue.
I'm completely new to android and this forum and think both are great.
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"GSM only" should be the default when you are running wifi + wifi calling. Set your preferences in the wifi calling app to either wifi preferred or wifi only. Maybe that will stop your phone from searching for cell signals. However, if you kill the radio using the hidden menu it will for sure stop it from searching for a signal. So, if you are still getting drain, it's something else.
scrannel said:
This is easy: *#*#4636#*#* Go into menu, turn Radio off (toggle ON/OFF in this hidden menu). With radio off both wifi and wifi calling stay active. (USA T-MO)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like with the new OTA update you can't do this anymore.
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!
Is there a setting I'm missing somewhere? When I manually turn WiFi off when I get to work I'll look down some time later and the phone will have turned WiFi back on by itself. I'm not sure how long this takes, but so far I'm having no luck finding a setting that would affect this. I didn't have this problem on my EVO 4G, so does anyone have any idea why this is happening. I've got a Sprint S3, btw.
Sprint Connection Optimizer I think is causing your problem...not sure where the setting is since my 32Gb is lost in Sprint/Samsung Limbo, but look under network settings I think.
Settings> more settings>mobile networks>automatic connections> uncheck sprint automatic connections
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA
Actually, I'll try that, but I think it may have actually been the "Network Notification" under the Wifi advanced settings. You can't change that setting when Wifi is off, but it remains checked if Wifi is manually turned off, so I wonder if there's a bug where Wifi will turn back on to to fulfill the network notification function.
So far, since turning that option off I haven't had the issue, but I'll keep an eye out. Either way, thanks for pointing out the Sprint Automatic Connections location, I couldn't find it to save my life. I'll leave it enabled for now, to see if the network notification setting actually fixes the issue.
Sprint Connections Optimizer
Here's a screenshot of how Sprint describes their Sprint Connections Optimizer. I wonder how much this monitors our use of WiFi Tether on rooted devices and reports it back to Sprint. Probably safer to leave unchecked until we know more from the developers on what it actually records and submits.
I'd love to see a thread on all the Sprint bloatware and which ones can be safely removed with Titanium Backup without disabling any major functionality like visual voice mail.
yea, i see this "solution" all over. it does not work, my optimizer is off, i go into menu with *#0011# and shut off wifi power mode. neither work, it just keeps coming on "while im driving" and kicks me off of my internet radio. any other suggestion im willing to try. i dont want to root this phone just to keep wifi off.
If you have any remembered wifi connections forget them so your phone can't auto connect and if the sprint optimizer connections has been disabled then it's weird that wifi keeps triggering. Because wifi shouldn't auto connect to found hotspots automatically.
ranmachan said:
yea, i see this "solution" all over. it does not work, my optimizer is off, i go into menu with *#0011# and shut off wifi power mode. neither work, it just keeps coming on "while im driving" and kicks me off of my internet radio. any other suggestion im willing to try. i dont want to root this phone just to keep wifi off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you rooted? If so, use Titanium Backup to freeze the connection optimizer.
Does anyone know how to stop the WiFi from turning on automatically ? I have all of the options for the WiFi off and I'll turn the WiFi of but my WiFi will still turn on and say there is a hotspot available.
hanfordrob said:
Does anyone know how to stop the WiFi from turning on automatically ? I have all of the options for the WiFi off and I'll turn the WiFi of but my WiFi will still turn on and say there is a hotspot available.
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Click to collapse
You mean the options under Advanced in Wi-Fi settings you have off right? If so I am not sure I have not noticed my Wi-Fi coming on without me hitting the toggle.
Yes all the settings in advanced are unchecked,I will turn off my WiFi and next thing ya know I'm getting a notification that there is a hotspot available and sure enough my WiFi is on again! Its starting to get annoying that I get the hotspot notification all the time
hanfordrob said:
Yes all the settings in advanced are unchecked,I will turn off my WiFi and next thing ya know I'm getting a notification that there is a hotspot available and sure enough my WiFi is on again! Its starting to get annoying that I get the hotspot notification all the time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is odd, one of the options under advanced is to make it so it does not try to connect to hot spots in general, also the other says to make it not scan while Wi-Fi is off. If both those are unchecked and it is still happening then there is some sort of issue I would guess. Hopefully someone else with the issue pops in here after a bit.
Me too
Yes, this is happening to my Note 4 as well. All settings in WiFi>Advanced are "off" and when I go walking through the neighborhood and turn on the phone I get a screen showing a list of wi-fi networks.
hanfordrob said:
Does anyone know how to stop the WiFi from turning on automatically ? I have all of the options for the WiFi off and I'll turn the WiFi of but my WiFi will still turn on and say there is a hotspot available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im gonna guess everyone has saw this already but thought i would post it anyway. In the advanced menu in wifi,there is a section called Always Allow Scanning. Description says "Let google location service and other applications scan for wifi networks, even when wifi is off". Sounds as if that could be the issue but if everything is already unchecked in the advanced settings menu, then im at a loss as well. Im gonna test this on my Note 4 and see if i am getting the same issue you guys are getting.
Nope no issues here i don't get that i turned it off, and i would know this cause if i walk in Walmart i use to get that on the the Wifi Hotspot not no more since i've turned it off, use to tell me the same for kmart or the AT&T Store where i live no more since i've turned it off!
Try disabling AT&T Smart Wifi. Could be the cause, especially if its alerting you to "hotspots".
I have the T Mobile version and it does the same. The white menu pops up telling that there is Wi Fi available, listing hotspots.
On my previous Note 3, it did not present itself as a page over my screen even if I had Wi Fi turned on. I simply had notifications of available wi fi's turned off. But it seems with the Note 4 one has to turn off wi fi completely for this to not show up?
hanfordrob said:
Does anyone know how to stop the WiFi from turning on automatically ? I have all of the options for the WiFi off and I'll turn the WiFi of but my WiFi will still turn on and say there is a hotspot available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check in Location Services... Specifically the google stuff. One of them allows the use of your WiFi & GPS data even if they are turned off... Meaning if you choose the high accuracy mode (instead of GPS only) the location services will periodically turn those things on to better pinpoint your location (and send that data back to google)
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.