Android -> Auto manage Wifi vs. carrier network? - Galaxy S I9000 General

I was reading an article about how the iPhone will automatically connect to WiFi instead of using the carrier network, when WiFi is available. As well, it manages the WiFi on the phone in a manner which minimizes battery usage.
Anyone know if any of the Android Phones do this?
Related to that, even if it doesn't automatically do that: If we are in a free WiFi spot that we know about and turn on WiFi, will the Android phone use the WiFi as prioritiy over the carrier network, thereby negating need to turn off access to the carrier network?

ewingr said:
I was reading an article about how the iPhone will automatically connect to WiFi instead of using the carrier network, when WiFi is available. As well, it manages the WiFi on the phone in a manner which minimizes battery usage.
Anyone know if any of the Android Phones do this?
Related to that, even if it doesn't automatically do that: If we are in a free WiFi spot that we know about and turn on WiFi, will the Android phone use the WiFi as prioritiy over the carrier network, thereby negating need to turn off access to the carrier network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have 3g open, and you enter a wifi area, there are apps you can download which will immediately connect to that wifi spot without you opening Wifi, but those apps drain the battery and will connect at any wifi that you have previously used, thus becoming annoying. I tried it last year on my Android device.
It is much better to simply activate wifi alone, then it will connect to that free wifi spot alone IF you have previously connected to it.
I'll give two examples: At home when I connect my Android device to my wireless router for the first time, it will ask me for password. Then it saves it, so that if I close wifi, it will open 3g alone, but then if I re-open WIFI on my device, it will connect automatically as it saves the password of all wifi spots you have, and it shows you also the list of all saved spots.
The same thing goes for open free wifi spots, first time you connect to it normally without a password, second time it will re-connect alone as long as you have Wifi opened on your Android Device. I wouldn't have my cell to connect to any wifi alone without me opening wifi as it drains battery a lot.
As soon as you open Wifi, and there's an open wifi place or a private one (provided you have entered the password before), your cell will automatically connect to it and will no longer use carrier network until you shut off WIFI.

Thanks for the detailed reply. Much appreciated.
Actually, pretty much what I expected to hear.

Related

why live messenger not using the WiFi connection????please help

i am using the live messenger and connected to the internet through WiFi but it refused to use this connection and connect through the gprs.....please help
did M$ do a favour for the operators? I've experienced this, too...
If phone is switched off in the conn manager, then it's able to use the WiFi connection.
It favours the GPRS connection because the Windows Live services are designed to stay connected while you are signed in. Something that would not happen with WiFi as you can turn your device off, or lose the WiFi signal if you moved out of range and so on.
I am under the impression that it will use WiFi if available, but it will always use GPRS to maintain the connection. Not sure how true this is though as I haven't looked at it with a data analyser.
astraman said:
i am using the live messenger and connected to the internet through WiFi but it refused to use this connection and connect through the gprs.....please help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not working with me too through ActiveSync connection
Not a cure for the problem. But this allows you to disable your GPRS while you are on WiFi
http://www.modaco.com/New-FREE-Utility-t246171.html
On mine I just press cancel when the gprs connection pops up and it uses wifi after that.
They talked about it on one of the WM blogs. I can't find the link at the moment, but they said it was because the WiFi chipsets used too much power for always on connection so they forced it to use the phone. Apparently the phone chipset can be in low power mode but only power up when it receives data but the wifi chipset couldn't.
I found that even clicking cancel connection, it would keep trying to connect until it got through, then it would always send data over the phone.
On the other hand.... the reasons they gave for not allowing activesync over wifi were that it would be "insecure".
so there you have it... it's not allowed either because they are trying to save your precious battery... or they are keeping you safe and protected from the nasty people out there.
or it's a big conspiracy.
ivorh said:
They talked about it on one of the WM blogs. I can't find the link at the moment, but they said it was because the WiFi chipsets used too much power for always on connection so they forced it to use the phone. Apparently the phone chipset can be in low power mode but only power up when it receives data but the wifi chipset couldn't.
I found that even clicking cancel connection, it would keep trying to connect until it got through, then it would always send data over the phone.
On the other hand.... the reasons they gave for not allowing activesync over wifi were that it would be "insecure".
so there you have it... it's not allowed either because they are trying to save your precious battery... or they are keeping you safe and protected from the nasty people out there.
or it's a big conspiracy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but it is better to let me choose to allow connection via activeSync or WiFi ro not

Automatic wifi

Hey all,
Done some searching but cant find a clear and striaght forward answer.
Bascially, on my old HTC Dream (Android) wifi would always be searching for a wifi to connect to (and if it found a network, it would tell me). if it was a network it had acess to, then it would automatically connect.
Otherwise, it would just use my contract internet.
So I was wondering, on the HD2, you always have to manually turn wifi on. Then say I leave the house, manually turn it off for it to connect to the contract internet.
Pretty small thing - but it gets annoying after a while.
Is there a way (reg edit or app) to make wifi do the same as the android did?
Thanks!
Bump.
I am interested in this too. I am trying to assemble a Mortscript to do it.
would be so helpfull.
I have my home network, Uni network and girlfriends that I can connect to. Now having to manually connect each time, and then disconnect from wifi when I leave is pretty annoying
Oo Alias oO said:
Hey all,
Done some searching but cant find a clear and striaght forward answer.
Bascially, on my old HTC Dream (Android) wifi would always be searching for a wifi to connect to (and if it found a network, it would tell me). if it was a network it had acess to, then it would automatically connect.
Otherwise, it would just use my contract internet.
So I was wondering, on the HD2, you always have to manually turn wifi on. Then say I leave the house, manually turn it off for it to connect to the contract internet.
Pretty small thing - but it gets annoying after a while.
Is there a way (reg edit or app) to make wifi do the same as the android did?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This must be a rom issue. What ROM are you using?
My HD2 Wifi will connect automatically to networks I have connected it to before, it will notifiy me of available wifi, it will use cell data when wifi is not connected. Works to me the same as how you described your HTC Dream.
Just the stock one that comes with the phone.
to make my point slightly clearer...
I am at home with my Wifi turned on and connected.
I leave my house and go outside of the wifi range.
My phone still has the wifi icon at the top, but it wont be connected.
Therefore I have to turn wifi off to let it connect to my contract internet.
Maybe Wefi will solve that problem?
On Symbian worked very well.
Mike
sdhfjmhsdhfghj
I shall look into this, cant belive others dont get annoyed at it tbh
I'd like a solution to this too. I have found it annoying since settings my HD2. I haven't had any success with the solutions suggested in the forum to date.
actually guys.. there is another thing.. how about a cab that would force HD2 to open WIFI automtically to update weather/facebook..etc... whenever the any apps needs updating, then shutting the WIFI automatically off instead of trying to connect to 3g. you guys think its possible?
Mine always lets me know when I can connect to wifi.
Guys theirs does too. You dont get what they want.
When wifi is turned on it will search and connect only to wifi. It will not connect to wireless network of provider. So they want a program that would turn wifi off (which would let HD2 to connect to EDGE and 3G) if there was no place to connect to. And it would turn wifi connection back on (dissable 3G and EDGE) when there would be a wifi network to connect into. You get it now? It would neeed quite sophisticated program to switch betwen those two modes.
I dont use Providers network (3G, EDGE) but would like program that would check for avaible WIFI networks that I have access to and Connect to them to get updates (it would check for example every 10min) and connect to it only to get updates and SYNCH. then disconect and wait cca 4hours to start looking for wifis in 10min intervals. Would be nice =)
KowboyBebop said:
Guys theirs does too. You dont get what they want.
When wifi is turned on it will search and connect only to wifi. It will not connect to wireless network of provider.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then it must depend on the ROM version, but for me it works exactly how he wants, and always has. I never turn Wifi off. If I'm at home within my wifi range and load a webpage, it loads it through wifi. If I walk away, wifi connection gets lost, and I press a link, it will load it with the data connection straight away. If I walk back home or to another place where a known wifi is present, wifi reconnects by itself.

3g fallback for internet on wifi?

So I'm having trouble with getting wifi how I want it on my phone. At work we have a unsecured WAP with a web based authentication page. Trouble if you ever use it, it remembers the WAP and wants to login, but unless you you goto the web page, you have no internet. This is particularly a problem when wifi sleeps and looses connection.
The big issue with this is that my phone assumes it has internet when it doesn't. It doesn't fall back to 3g on failure to connect. That means I will not get texts for hours, facebook won't update, etc, etc.
Is there a way to force the phone to fall back to 3g when it fails to connect via wifi? Alternately is there an app that will parse a wifi login page and auto login for me? I'm running clean GB right now.
Geekybiker said:
So I'm having trouble with getting wifi how I want it on my phone. At work we have a unsecured WAP with a web based authentication page. Trouble if you ever use it, it remembers the WAP and wants to login, but unless you you goto the web page, you have no internet. This is particularly a problem when wifi sleeps and looses connection.
The big issue with this is that my phone assumes it has internet when it doesn't. It doesn't fall back to 3g on failure to connect. That means I will not get texts for hours, facebook won't update, etc, etc.
Is there a way to force the phone to fall back to 3g when it fails to connect via wifi? Alternately is there an app that will parse a wifi login page and auto login for me? I'm running clean GB right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If wifi was active it should stay active there is an option to keep wifi on in the settings that way it wont go turn off/ go to sleep while its connected. Change the wifi sleep policy this will keep it from "disconnecting".
Settings>wireless & networks> wifi settings> press the menu button advanced> wifi sleep policy> Never
Geekybiker said:
So I'm having trouble with getting wifi how I want it on my phone. At work we have a unsecured WAP with a web based authentication page. Trouble if you ever use it, it remembers the WAP and wants to login, but unless you you goto the web page, you have no internet. This is particularly a problem when wifi sleeps and looses connection.
The big issue with this is that my phone assumes it has internet when it doesn't. It doesn't fall back to 3g on failure to connect. That means I will not get texts for hours, facebook won't update, etc, etc.
Is there a way to force the phone to fall back to 3g when it fails to connect via wifi? Alternately is there an app that will parse a wifi login page and auto login for me? I'm running clean GB right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep like Big Goron said and my School has that thing to web authentication
Big Goron said:
If wifi was active it should stay active there is an option to keep wifi on in the settings that way it wont go turn off/ go to sleep while its connected. Change the wifi sleep policy this will keep it from "disconnecting".
Settings>wireless & networks> wifi settings> press the menu button advanced> wifi sleep policy> Never
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not the big problem though. If I lose connection (easy enough with out concrete walls and walking around) or simply don't login in first thing in the morning I still have the issue.
I either need a fallback to 3g or a way to auto login.
Geekybiker said:
That's not the big problem though. If I lose connection (easy enough with out concrete walls and walking around) or simply don't login in first thing in the morning I still have the issue.
I either need a fallback to 3g or a way to auto login.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well i can tell you what i use Juice Defender and When WiFi is once it goes off my data kicks in so yeah that's my fallback to 3G so you could give that ago if you want.
IMO
Juice Defender= Battery Drainer and waste of money when i can do what it does manually.
To the OP:
the phone should automatically go back to 3g when wifi disconnects i just tested this with my router i had it connected then pull the plug and it went to 3g.
Big Goron said:
IMO
Juice Defender= Battery Drainer and waste of money when i can do what it does manually.
To the OP:
the phone should automatically go back to 3g when wifi disconnects i just tested this with my router i had it connected then pull the plug and it went to 3g.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ive done some tests without JD also helps in other areas BTW, and to let you know i put JD on Extreme and let no apps get data unless i manually toggle data and i can tell that my battery lasts much longer by at least by a few hours but still helps rather than my data always being funny randomly connecting and disconnecting to 3G or even if it was off JD does help.
Big Goron said:
IMO
Juice Defender= Battery Drainer and waste of money when i can do what it does manually.
To the OP:
the phone should automatically go back to 3g when wifi disconnects i just tested this with my router i had it connected then pull the plug and it went to 3g.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does when it disconnects, however since the wifi point is open it auto connects every time it picks it up again. Aside from manually forgetting the wifi point all the time, there doesn't appear to be a way to stop this. Connecting remembers it. Its not that I can't get around this manually, but its really annoying.
You could probably do something with a tasker profile. I don't know how to do it but they have a bunch of examples on their site that may help.
Geekybiker said:
It does when it disconnects, however since the wifi point is open it auto connects every time it picks it up again. Aside from manually forgetting the wifi point all the time, there doesn't appear to be a way to stop this. Connecting remembers it. Its not that I can't get around this manually, but its really annoying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see your problem. You may be able to do this using scripting. The closest thing I have ever done like this is write a script that logged into my cable modem admin page automatically and grabbed the signal strength to log it. I used PHP (command line interpreter) but I would think any language should be capable of submitting data via a post request. Mine was triggered by cron. You would need to trigger on a successful wifi connection, check the ssid, and go from there. I dont know enough details about how that part is done to be helpful, but I know there are some apps that do detect active wifi connections (samba comes to mind) so it must be possible.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Good suggestions so far, u could also try spare parts wifi sleep policy settings..
It might also be something where the connection on the wifi network's (not your phone's) end times out, in which case I'm not sure what to tell u.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA
Geekybiker said:
It does when it disconnects, however since the wifi point is open it auto connects every time it picks it up again. Aside from manually forgetting the wifi point all the time, there doesn't appear to be a way to stop this. Connecting remembers it. Its not that I can't get around this manually, but its really annoying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DON'T USE THEIR WIFI! Problem solved.

[Q] cannot auto connect to open wifi even though it is saved

my galaxy s4, running 4.2.2. There are two saved wifi networks, one is open, and the other is wpa security. The wifi switch of my phone is ON. Here is the strange things, when I came in to the range of wpa security wifi, my phone auto connect to the wifi network, everything is ok. When I came in to the open wifi networks area, my phone does not connect to the open wifi, even though it is saved, but I can mannual connect to the wifi.
So, why ? and how can I let my phone connect the saved open wifi auto?
shealan said:
my galaxy s4, running 4.2.2. There are two saved wifi networks, one is open, and the other is wpa security. The wifi switch of my phone is ON. Here is the strange things, when I came in to the range of wpa security wifi, my phone auto connect to the wifi network, everything is ok. When I came in to the open wifi networks area, my phone does not connect to the open wifi, even though it is saved, but I can mannual connect to the wifi.
So, why ? and how can I let my phone connect the saved open wifi auto?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had a similar problem.
In advanced there is an option, cant remember it now, been too long since I looked at it, (a week :silly.
Something about switching to mobile networks if you lose your wifi. Make sure that is turned on, else the device decides a wifi connection is 'bad' instead of just out of range and won't remember it.
SPACEMANBEN said:
Had a similar problem.
In advanced there is an option, cant remember it now, been too long since I looked at it, (a week :silly.
Something about switching to mobile networks if you lose your wifi. Make sure that is turned on, else the device decides a wifi connection is 'bad' instead of just out of range and won't remember it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply. I searched the menu which you mentioned, try every option that can select or unselect, unfortunately it won't work.
My device can connect an secure wifi auto when the signal is fair, but can not connect to an open wifi, only work by manual pick it.

What is the WiFi Scan Process name?

Quick question/help. My phone wifi can not seem to be able to detect any new wifi network at all. But my already known networks from when I set up this phone in the beginning still work as long as I m at home. So I came to the conclusion that I have turned some kind of process off that have caused this problem. I use TiBu, Amplify Battery extender.
When I use other Wi-Fi apps, Wifi Fixer. I'm able to see other networks that are normally there.
So I m just wondering what is the process that takes care of this wifi scan, or this thing that allows the phone to show what it detected.

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