YouTube on 3G vs. WiFi

**luvtommie** · 10-30-2008, 09:26 AM

Okay, I tested my speed using the iNetwork Test program and here are my findings:

3G - 924 KBPS (avg)
WiFi - 645 KBPS (avg)

So it appears that 3G is faster than my WiFi. However, when I'm looking at YouTube videos, if I'm on WiFi, the videos are much sharper and clearer than when I'm on 3G.

Is YouTube configured to show a lower quality video on 3G b/c it's running off of TMobile's bandwidth? If so, is there a way to configure to always show the best quality?

**kanariya** · 10-30-2008, 09:30 AM

are you sure your wifi is only at 645Kbps?
that's really slow if you ask me.

**Stanovoy** · 10-30-2008, 09:33 AM

Just tested on my G1. You are right, the quality is far worse when running off 3G. I can't find a way to change the quality. This is kind of stupid.

**NismoG35** · 10-30-2008, 09:35 AM

This test doesnt seem right, there are so many variables that should be taken into consideration.

Just some of the major contributers to the speed that you get on your phone useing wifi are:
-The distance from your wifi router to your phone
-The speed of your home internet connection

Also, do a speed test on your home computer that is not plugged into the router and instead plugged in directly to the modem. That way you can see what your max speeds on your computer are.

**Stanovoy** · 10-30-2008, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by kanariya

are you sure your wifi is only at 645Kbps?
that's really slow if you ask me.

I was on a 752 Kbps DSL that constantly clocked in at around the 600s. The speed doesn't really surprise me.

**NismoG35** · 10-30-2008, 09:47 AM

I experience the same thing with you tube videos. When i am useing my wifi connection they are sharp and crips. Yet when i used the 3g connection on my phone i get blurry pixelated videos.

If android is doing this on purppose to reduce the bandwith consupmtion then i think we need an app that tricks the phone into thinking it is always on a wifi connection

**luvtommie** · 10-30-2008, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by NismoG35

This test doesnt seem right, there are so many variables that should be taken into consideration.

Just some of the major contributers to the speed that you get on your phone useing wifi are:
-The distance from your wifi router to your phone
-The speed of your home internet connection

Also, do a speed test on your home computer that is not plugged into the router and instead plugged in directly to the modem. That way you can see what your max speeds on your computer are.

Hi NismoG35,

I tested this last night at around 2AM (I know, I'm addicted to the G1

) in my bedroom which is right next to the WiFi router.

I also tested my internet speed on my laptop and got fairly close to the results on iNetwork speed program. And I ran it at least 10 times on the iNetwork speed program on my G1 for 3G and WiFi to confirm I'm getting consistent numbers.

I'm almost certain that Tmobile/Google is limiting users to lower quality on 3G to save bandwith on their network which is dumb.

**divestoclimb** · 10-30-2008, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by luvtommie

I'm almost certain that Tmobile/Google is limiting users to lower quality on 3G to save bandwith on their network which is dumb.

They probably have good reason for limiting bandwidth consumption since there are capacity issues with wireless communication.

Remember, a 3G network is not just something you can dump more and more data on... it's not a truck, it's a series of tubes