Quick Wifi question

[Amyshubby]

Just got the Droid for my wife (I'm waiting to the end of the month for the Incredible but she really wanted a physical keyboard). Still getting up to speed on Android OS as we coming from Blackberrys. Very impressed so far.

Question- I see the phone has wifi. If we have unlimited Verizon internet usage, is there any reason to enable or use wifi? Is it faster? Does it preserve battery life?

I have an Ipod touch and use wifi with that, but only because it is the only way to get on the internet. With the Droid, I don't understand why we just wouldn't use the Verizon network (there are no dead spots where I am located).

Thanks.

 

[moke]

Just got the Droid for my wife (I'm waiting to the end of the month for the Incredible but she really wanted a physical keyboard). Still getting up to speed on Android OS as we coming from Blackberrys. Very impressed so far.

Question- I see the phone has wifi. If we have unlimited Verizon internet usage, is there any reason to enable or use wifi? Is it faster? Does it preserve battery life?

I have an Ipod touch and use wifi with that, but only because it is the only way to get on the internet. With the Droid, I don't understand why we just wouldn't use the Verizon network (there are no dead spots where I am located).

Thanks.

'unlimited' is a dicey word. just listen to the song 'emi' by the sex pistols... the band was getting a name, and attention, the record company signed them for an 'unlimited amount' and 'unlimited supply' and then clamped down on the band by making very small run pressings of singles and such. the band couldn't do anything but be angry because there was no limit to how few pressings the contract called for. that is unlimited for ya...

VZW has been capping data usage at 5 gb per month for some time now, and then let you know how swell they are to credit you for overage in the month, you may even get 2 months, but then policy kicks in, and you pay for overage.

so yeah, i guess you DO have unlimited data, just don't think it is all free. that is another subject that comes after lunch. the lte deployment may change things.

mobile broadband tethering is the last vestige of unlimited data, and that may be fading soon. reps are not told to position it that way, and so they don't. most do not even know of the tether loop-hole.

that said, are you faster with wi-fi? ... not likely.
not as secure either, but it is an option. not all options are good options. if you are at an airport and the 3g signal is hosed by say, airport radar or somesuch, then wi-fi is a better option than nothing.

battery is best preserved by watching what is using it (menu --> settings --> about phone --> battery use), or turning it off.

 

[myriad46]

I agree that Wi-Fi can be faster, if 3G is not getting good reception. Head to head with full signal for both, Wi-Fi barely eeks out the lead. I leave mine on all the time and have not seen any adverse battery effect. In my office, I get bad cell reception, but there is a hotspot, so it hops on and I get good speed again.

One of my more technical friends figured out that 5 gb of data is equivilent to streaming Pandora for 4 days straight. You will not hit 5gb with "normal" usage. If you tether or listen to streaming radio all day at work, it is very possible.

So...if you get good 3g coverage, and you are not streaming or tethering, leave it off and have a nice day. But, it's a nice feature to have. Skype is here already and Vonage is working on it, so there may be a need for you in the future.

 

[CharlieL3]

Head to head with full signal for both, Wi-Fi barely eeks out the lead.

That's odd. Using the speed test app, with 3G i get about 200Kb/sec. transfer rate. With Wi-fi (at least using my router at the house), i get over 1000 Kb/sec. transfer rate.

 

[bojowaggie]

I would have to agree, I leave my WiFi on all the time. So when I go to work my phone connects there, when I am at home it connects there. The surfing is way faster. When I am at home, and do a speed test, I will pull between 3.5 and 4.5 megs down on my phone..

The WiFi being on all the time does not really draw that much more battery. I am a pretty heavy user of my phone. Last month I used around 160 megs of data, and about 5000 minutes..

Hope this helps.

 

[myriad46]

That's odd. Using the speed test app, with 3G i get about 200Kb/sec. transfer rate. With Wi-fi (at least using my router at the house), i get over 1000 Kb/sec. transfer rate.

I can get between 1200 and 2000 Kb with 3g, where i live, and some people get more than that.

 

[Romple]

Your WiFi is only as fast as your actual internet connection (and router I guess). If you're on some 1.5 MBit DSL line it won't be much faster, if at all, compared to 3G, which averages 1.5-2Mbits top end.

If you have a 30MBit cable connection, turning on WiFi will blow 3G away.

Generally there's no reason NOT to use WiFi if it's available.

 

[PJnc284]

VZW has been capping data usage at 5 gb per month for some time now, and then let you know how swell they are to credit you for overage in the month, you may even get 2 months, but then policy kicks in, and you pay for overage.

The 5GB limit only applies to the verizon mobile broadband plans and their tethering add-on. Data on the phone itself is technically "unlimited". Verizon still has a clause in the contract though where you can be terminated if you're deemed as having an negative impact on their network but who knows exactly how much usage that is.

 

[SnydersWeb]

One other nice thing is with a WiFi connection, you can use the phone and data services at the same time. Otherwise, with VZW's current network, you're SOL. When they convert over to LTE though... well... we'll likely be packing Droid 2+'s.

In general IMHO you're better off on your existing WiFi anyway.

 

[Amyshubby]

Thanks for all the helpful responses!

 

[johnny99]

Supposedly, WiFi uses less battery power than 3G.

 

[GenericMessage]

Supposedly, WiFi uses less battery power than 3G.

This is dead on.

 

[Cory Streater]

This is the first phone that I've owned where that's been the case, but it definitely is.

 

[moke]

you must be right,

The 5GB limit only applies to the verizon mobile broadband plans and their tethering add-on. Data on the phone itself is technically "unlimited". Verizon still has a clause in the contract though where you can be terminated if you're deemed as having an negative impact on their network but who knows exactly how much usage that is.

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vzw only paid me 50k last year for techsupport in call center because customers knew data and plans better than i did.

sorry to have confused your understanding of vzw internal policies and billing practices.