Wireless Preferences/Controls?

[RegGuheert]

I've never had any device which had BOTH WLAN and cellular internet built-in. (On my laptops, cellular internet was always an add-on.) As such, I'm very unclear about the types of controls the user has to set preferences or restrictions on the usage of the network.

In my case, I would like to use WLAN *always* when at home and use EDGE when away from home. It would be great if the unused radios could be OFF when not in use to improve battery life. I expect all this could be handled by Locale, but I don't know what the internal settings permit. I'm pretty confident I will be allowed to turn off the WLAN radio. How about the 2.5/3G radio? Can it be turned off and still have voice capability?

Also, I'm wondering if the other radios can be turned off, or whether they simply do that automatically when not in use: Bluetooth and GPS.

Any info/links to information/videos on this subject will be appreciated?

Reg

[walscobry]

Can you actually turn a 3g radio off? Don't they use some tesla like power induction for the 3g radio so even when it had NO battery power, it can still power up from the signal itself and check into the tower? SO 'they' always know where you are even if you turn the phone off and take the battery out?

To more directly answer your Q my phone has a control panel where you can turn off/on any of the radios. 2g / 3g / wi-fi / bluetooth. So I *figure* that is does.

[RegGuheert]

Can you actually turn a 3g radio off? Don't they use some tesla like power induction for the 3g radio so even when it had NO battery power, it can still power up from the signal itself and check into the tower? SO 'they' always know where you are even if you turn the phone off and take the battery out?

Ever see "The Prestige"? Good flick for Tesla fans! Pretty spooky!

To more directly answer your Q my phone has a control panel where you can turn off/on any of the radios. 2g / 3g / wi-fi / bluetooth. So I *figure* that is does.

Cool! If you have 2G and wifi turned on, how is preference decided? My concern is that TMO may want to prefer 2g while I want to prefer wifi.

Thanks!

Reg

[snoslicer8]

The OS is written so that the phone uses the fastest connection available. For most of us, that will mean WiFi first, then 3G, then EDGE, then GPRS.

If you are within range (~100 feet or so) of a WiFi access point, the phone will automatically choose that data method, as long as it's either an open network, or you've provided the password to it already. Keep in mind that some public WiFi networks (like Starbucks, St. Louis Bread Co./Panera Bread, Borders, most Airports, etc.) require a web-based login once your device connects to the network. The login page pops up automatically when you try to navigate your browser somewhere.

As for powering off radios, my understanding is this: You can have all radios on, or you have the option of turning OFF WiFi, 3G, or both. The EDGE radio is built into the GSM chip...if you power one off, they both go. I could go into more detail regarding how GSM radios contain 3 data channels (voice, data, ping), but we'll save that for later.

Long story short, if you live in a 3G network area, make sure you're actually away from WiFi enough to justify leaving the radio turned on...even having the radio on drains battery, so if you're using WiFi a lot, it may be beneficial to turn 3G off. If you don't live within 3G coverage, TURN IT OFF! There's no point in having the phone ping the tower every 3 minutes to see if faster internet coverage is available...it's just not.

Lastly, there's Airplane Mode...that just turns off ALL radios...and we all know there's only one good place for that. On my nightstand while I'm sleepin'.

[RegGuheert]

Thanks, snoslicer8! Just what I was looking for! Sounds like a nice arrangement to me. Hopefully it is all configurable under Locale, as well.

Reg

P.S. I wonder if AGPS is accurate enough to allow your settings to change JUST on your nightstand, but allow the phone to work if on the bed. I doubt it, but THAT would be cool!

[snoslicer8]

I don't know about Locale using AGPS to shut radios off while on my nightstand, but I'm sure there will also be time settings in there...i.e. turn to silent mode or airplane mode from 11PM-5AM weekdays, 12AM-8AM weekends...something like that.

[kunglo27]

yes, very good info indeed...very excited about the Locale function

[probigeorge11]

Can you actually turn a 3g radio off? Don't they use some tesla like power induction for the 3g radio so even when it had NO battery power, it can still power up from the signal itself and check into the tower? SO 'they' always know where you are even if you turn the phone off and take the battery out?

To more directly answer your Q my phone has a control panel where you can turn off/on any of the radios. 2g / 3g / wi-fi / bluetooth. So I *figure* that is does.

you must have watched Eagle Eye haha

[RussianSolja]

The OS is written so that the phone uses the fastest connection available. For most of us, that will mean WiFi first, then 3G, then EDGE, then GPRS.

If you are within range (~100 feet or so) of a WiFi access point, the phone will automatically choose that data method, as long as it's either an open network, or you've provided the password to it already. Keep in mind that some public WiFi networks (like Starbucks, St. Louis Bread Co./Panera Bread, Borders, most Airports, etc.) require a web-based login once your device connects to the network. The login page pops up automatically when you try to navigate your browser somewhere.

As for powering off radios, my understanding is this: You can have all radios on, or you have the option of turning OFF WiFi, 3G, or both. The EDGE radio is built into the GSM chip...if you power one off, they both go. I could go into more detail regarding how GSM radios contain 3 data channels (voice, data, ping), but we'll save that for later.

Long story short, if you live in a 3G network area, make sure you're actually away from WiFi enough to justify leaving the radio turned on...even having the radio on drains battery, so if you're using WiFi a lot, it may be beneficial to turn 3G off. If you don't live within 3G coverage, TURN IT OFF! There's no point in having the phone ping the tower every 3 minutes to see if faster internet coverage is available...it's just not.

Lastly, there's Airplane Mode...that just turns off ALL radios...and we all know there's only one good place for that. On my nightstand while I'm sleepin'.

well at my house my laptop runs off of my wireless connection via Wifi so when im at home and wanna use the phone i should turn 3G off? and your saying there will be an option for that in the phones features?

[short/y]

I've always wondered how this wandering WiFi-thing works, particularly in light of the way that Starbucks, et al require sign in. On my WinMo and Symbian phones, I've pretty much always had apps running all the time in the background that periodically go out and refresh their data without my intervention -- weather programs, stock tickers, RSS readers, Twitter clients, email clients, stuff like that. So, if I leave WiFi on and the phone "locks" on a Starbucks while I'm in there, will it continually try to do all this background transfer through the WiFi connection even though I'm not logged in or will it switch over to 3G or 2G when it doesn't get a useful response?

Of course, I'm particularly interested in how the G1 will act but I'm also curious how other phones handle this. On my other phones, I've just left WiFi turned off until I need it so I've never had an issue in Starbucks or a library.