WIFI/3G Switch

[ulnek]

if i keep wifi on while at home then i leave, will it automatically shut off wifi and go back to 3g or will it leave me with no data access until i switch wifi off?

also, being on wifi doesn't prevent me from getting calls right?

thanks.

 

[mr.s4ndm4n]

if i keep wifi on while at home then i leave, will it automatically shut off wifi and go back to 3g or will it leave me with no data access until i switch wifi off?

also, being on wifi doesn't prevent me from getting calls right?

thanks.

If you have Wifi on, and then leave the boundary of your network, it will automatically switch to 3G, but Wifi will still be on; just not connected. Once it connects to a network again, then it will shut off 3G and use Wifi.

**There are 2 good things about this: 1) Wifi is faster than 3G in most cases and 2) Wifi uses less battery.

And No, being on Wifi has no affect on your phone calls coming through. This only comes into effect when you're using things like Google Voice or Vonage, or ANY 'Voice Over IP' service for that matter.

 

[ulnek]

oh cool thanks. so having wifi on is positive all over. i never used to use wifi until two days ago when for some reason my 3G signal on verizon just suddenly dropped. mostly getting 1X. even sometimes when i have 3G pages won't load even though i have download streams around 500-800K, but they would load on wifi.

 

[Qazme]

oh cool thanks. so having wifi on is positive all over. i never used to use wifi until two days ago when for some reason my 3G signal on verizon just suddenly dropped. mostly getting 1X. even sometimes when i have 3G pages won't load even though i have download streams around 500-800K, but they would load on wifi.

Or if you are anal about know what your phone is using and want to be able to control it create a shortcut to your quick switches for WiFi etc.

Long press on screen --> shortcut --> settings --> WiFi/Mobile/etc.

 

[rpfarrah]

It's been suggested that leaving wifi on all the time will help save battery life. I tried that for a couple days, but since I'm only around wifi at home, it seemed like it ate up my battery even faster.

....ymmv.

 

[Groucho]

It's been suggested that leaving wifi on all the time will help save battery life. I tried that for a couple days, but since I'm only around wifi at home, it seemed like it ate up my battery even faster.

....ymmv.

Would also like a definitive answer on this. If Wifi is on but out of range such that 3g is being used is the Wifi sucking battery? I too am only around WiFi at home for the most part.

 

[MA2GA28]

Sucking battery more than if Wifi is off is a yes. Even if Wifi is out of range, the phone is still searching for a Wifi signal, which will drain the battery. Will it be noticeable? Maybe. But it shouldn't be a drastic drain (for example, won't go from 5 hours of up time to 3).

 

[Qazme]

Sucking battery more than if Wifi is off is a yes. Even if Wifi is out of range, the phone is still searching for a Wifi signal, which will drain the battery. Will it be noticeable? Maybe. But it shouldn't be a drastic drain (for example, won't go from 5 hours of up time to 3).

I leave mine on and can't tell a difference from when I turned it off to tell ya the truth. I'm sure there is a difference, but there isn't enough of one to make me say, "oh turn it off!"

 

[droidmindy]

I leave mine on and can't tell a difference from when I turned it off to tell ya the truth. I'm sure there is a difference, but there isn't enough of one to make me say, "oh turn it off!"

I leave mine on all the time out of sheer laziness as well. The handoff between wifi and the mobile network seems to go pretty seamlessly for the most part.

I have the widget on my home screen to remind me, but still I can never remember to turn it on/off when I'm in or out of wifi range. If I knew the battery bump would be significant, I might make more of an effort, but I can't find any definitive answer on how much battery life I would save.

 

[CGWaters]

If you have Wifi on, and then leave the boundary of your network, it will automatically switch to 3G, but Wifi will still be on; just not connected. Once it connects to a network again, then it will shut off 3G and use Wifi.

**There are 2 good things about this: 1) Wifi is faster than 3G in most cases and 2) Wifi uses less battery.

And No, being on Wifi has no affect on your phone calls coming through. This only comes into effect when you're using things like Google Voice or Vonage, or ANY 'Voice Over IP' service for that matter.

I guess I didn't realize the significance of automatic switching. I also didn't realize that about Google Voice. So if I'm connected to a WiFi network and I have my phone set to use Google Voice for calls, Google Voice will place my outgoing calls over the WiFi network...meaning that I'm not using up any VZW minutes?

BTW, while at a hotel with WiFi the other night, I noticed that PDAnet even appears to work over WiFi! (My phone could connect to WiFi but my laptop couldn't.) OTOH, when I was in the hotel's restaurant where there was a 3G signal but the WiFi signal was practically non-existent, I couldn't browse the Internet nor make outgoing calls over Google Voice. I had hoped that these activities would automatically revert to 3G. It seemed as though the phone was confused. It wasn't until I reached an area that had a WiFi signal that things returned to normal.

 

[MA2GA28]

I could see that happen, if you happen to be in an area where there IS a Wifi signal, but its not strong enough to do anything. Yet, the phone attempts to use it as it is detected. In that instance, I think your best bet would be to turn Wifi off while in the 'phantom zone' so the phone will use 3G.

 

[PvilleComp]

Man - I did not realize what a radio fascist I was! I did not realize so many people left the radios on so much when not necessary. Personally, I don't turn a radio on unless I'm going to use it (even w/a 3500 battery), and I make sure I turn it off when I’m done.

This morning I accidently left my Blue Tooth on and went into the office. My desk is not far from where I park, the phone rings, I answer and I got nothing. The speakerphone in the car was having a fabulous conversation with nothing!

The other reason is that if a radio is off, it’s not using battery.

WiFi v 3g, If you are in an area of WiFi long enough to make a difference, I can see it. Sometimes I’m in a wireless Black Hole (Way too many around here to be honest) and I connect to WiFi for data while I’m onsite. Otherwise, I only turn it on if the app I’m using requires it.

I feel like I’m getting ready to pull my pants up around my nipples and scream “Hey you Kids… Get off my yard!”

 

[ulnek]

Man - I did not realize what a radio fascist I was! I did not realize so many people left the radios on so much when not necessary. Personally, I don't turn a radio on unless I'm going to use it (even w/a 3500 battery), and I make sure I turn it off when I?m done.

This morning I accidently left my Blue Tooth on and went into the office. My desk is not far from where I park, the phone rings, I answer and I got nothing. The speakerphone in the car was having a fabulous conversation with nothing!

The other reason is that if a radio is off, it?s not using battery.

WiFi v 3g, If you are in an area of WiFi long enough to make a difference, I can see it. Sometimes I?m in a wireless Black Hole (Way too many around here to be honest) and I connect to WiFi for data while I?m onsite. Otherwise, I only turn it on if the app I?m using requires it.

I feel like I?m getting ready to pull my pants up around my nipples and scream ?Hey you Kids? Get off my yard!?

i found i had no way of turning off radio. when i force close it, sense ui reloads like it crashed and turns it back on again. is there anyway to make it not turn on or even run? i like the option of having it but not liking that it's running while i don't want it to.

 

[PvilleComp]

i found i had no way of turning off radio. when i force close it, sense ui reloads like it crashed and turns it back on again. is there anyway to make it not turn on or even run? i like the option of having it but not liking that it's running while i don't want it to.

I just use the Power Control widget. I've had no prooblems with it at all.

 

[herbmmm]

Sucking battery more than if Wifi is off is a yes. Even if Wifi is out of range, the phone is still searching for a Wifi signal, which will drain the battery. Will it be noticeable? Maybe. But it shouldn't be a drastic drain (for example, won't go from 5 hours of up time to 3).

Not sure that this is correct! My understanding is that if Wifi can't find a signal it will "go to sleep" which is different than 3G always looking for a signal! That's where the battery savings is! Please let me know if this is not true!

 

[rpfarrah]

I could see that happen, if you happen to be in an area where there IS a Wifi signal, but its not strong enough to do anything. Yet, the phone attempts to use it as it is detected. In that instance, I think your best bet would be to turn Wifi off while in the 'phantom zone' so the phone will use 3G.

This has happened to me. Took me a minute to figure out what was going on.

 

[MA2GA28]

Not sure that this is correct! My understanding is that if Wifi can't find a signal it will "go to sleep" which is different than 3G always looking for a signal! That's where the battery savings is! Please let me know if this is not true!

That doesn't make sense. If Wifi 'goes to sleep' how does it find new Wifi signals? It has to be, at least periodically,...searching for a signal. If it went to sleep, I'd assume you'd have to 'wake it up' in order for it to find the new signals.

 

[lexcoupe2100]

If i leave Wifi on and set it up so it doesnt search for signal will it connect when i get home on its own? Is there a way that I can just set it to connect at home?