OMG, this is so awesome, I didn't know my droid could do this!!!

[jstafford1]

I have never seen my phone connect to any random unsecured network, even though I have seen them present. But I also don't recall if there was a setting I may have chosen to do this.

It should auto connect to remembered networks. All availible will show though. So any you use it will remember and automatically connect when in range.

Sent from somewhere...

yes, that is expected behavior of any wifi device. I thought the question was if it would connect anytime it saw an available network, even ones it was not explicitly told to connect to.

No it won't auto connect to unknown networks, will just notify you that they are availible.


Sent from somewhere...

 

[dredger]

So to clarify, keeping wifi on is a good thing. I didn't know this either. Thanks for the tip.

I do have one question though.

Does the phone need to have access to say a passworded/secure/encrypted network, or will it just hop on any wifi signal?

Ok so a breakdown is:
Phone minutes: used over cell network, not 3g or wifi, unless using a VoIP app like viber etc.

Txt: Should be free no matter the data transfer medium since they ride on the network signals being sent from phone to tower almost constantly BUT they are logged on txt plan unless u have a third party app to xfer over wifi.

Data: pulled over 3g or wifi, or 1x. Wifi data doesn't count towards ur data paln limit (if u have one). 3G data isn't as fast as most wifi and counts against plan (this only really matters if your tiered and not unlimited data).

Wifi: if you have wifi on all the time and searching for new networks it will notify u when new networks arw available. Wifi won't auto connect to networks unless you have connected before. If it is a secure network you can put in the wpa password and it will remember it untill u tell it to forget the connection. My network is setup to be 3g while at work, then auto connect to wifi when I am in range of my home wifi network.

I hope this helped a little. Enjoy your android!
Sent from my Droid using DroidForums App

 

[Mr. Orange 645]

One correction, T-Mobile is indeed going HSPDA+, but AT&T is also going the LTE route.

Oops. Thanks for the correction. I can't keep up with them all. I thought at one point ALL of them were going LTE, but then that obviously changed.

Ok so a breakdown is:
Phone minutes: used over cell network, not 3g or wifi, unless using a VoIP app like viber etc.

Txt: Should be free no matter the data transfer medium since they ride on the network signals being sent from phone to tower almost constantly BUT they are logged on txt plan unless u have a third party app to xfer over wifi.

Data: pulled over 3g or wifi, or 1x. Wifi data doesn't count towards ur data paln limit (if u have one). 3G data isn't as fast as most wifi and counts against plan (this only really matters if your tiered and not unlimited data).

Wifi: if you have wifi on all the time and searching for new networks it will notify u when new networks arw available. Wifi won't auto connect to networks unless you have connected before. If it is a secure network you can put in the wpa password and it will remember it untill u tell it to forget the connection. My network is setup to be 3g while at work, then auto connect to wifi when I am in range of my home wifi network.

I hope this helped a little. Enjoy your android!
Sent from my Droid using DroidForums App

Very nice summation. Only clarification is you said text should always be free, but that depends upon your plan. Not everyone has unlimited text messaging, so it's not always free.

 

[DroidCoug]

good clarification dredger! I understood the phone minutes, text and data parts already, but that is a good post for those who didn't.


Now I gotta go around searching for unsecure wif's and have droid remember them! hahaha

 

[strollin]

Very few places I go have wifi available other than at home. I don't use my Droid X on wifi at home though because my 3G connection is actually faster than the connection I get from my ISP.

 

[Detonation]

Keep in mind im pretty tech savy, as I do IT work for a large investment firm, build my own PC gaming rigs ect....

Ok no offense but you are a "pretty tech savvy" field IT tech and you know nothing about Wifi? I understand you don't have a laptop and have never used it, but come on, this isn't new technology, its been mainstream for 5+ years now.

Hopefully you read on up security and privacy before you go off using all the public, unencrypted wifi signals you can find...

 

[Joker]

your statement implies that google voice calls are conducted via the data network. That is not true. Google voice uses the data network only to setup the call but the actual call is transported on the regular mobile phone network. To be clear, google voice is not a VOIP client on your phone.

Thanks for the correction and clarification. Sorry if I added to the confusion.

 

[Freezetron]

Keep in mind im pretty tech savy, as I do IT work for a large investment firm, build my own PC gaming rigs ect....

Ok no offense but you are a "pretty tech savvy" field IT tech and you know nothing about Wifi? I understand you don't have a laptop and have never used it, but come on, this isn't new technology, its been mainstream for 5+ years now.

Hopefully you read on up security and privacy before you go off using all the public, unencrypted wifi signals you can find...

Like I said, I prefer having everything hardwired. Like all knowledge, either use it or lose it and because I never use wifi for both home and work, I'm not familiar with it very well.

And yes, my clients are all hardwired and no, that was not my decision but I like it dancedroid

 

[furbearingmammal]

Even still, if your Verizon Rep didn't explain to you about your phone's WiFi system you were very badly served.

 

[streetkid]

Ok heres a question:

Say I go home from work and I set my phone down and I NEVER use it again for the rest of the day, it just sits on my desk. Am I in worse shape by having it auto connect to my wifi network that i'm never going to use that day? (hope that makes sense)

 

[furbearingmammal]

If it's actually connected to a WiFi hotspot, no, that's ideal. If it's searching then you're eating battery life -- even if it's the "smallest amount of anything" it's still battery life you're losing.

I have a pull-down widget that lets me hit a single button to turn WiFi on and off, so I see no point in keeping it on all the time since I don't have any hotspots nearby.

 

[Freezetron]

Even still, if your Verizon Rep didn't explain to you about your phone's WiFi system you were very badly served.

They are pretty pathetic in my area

Sent from my DROIDX

 

[returntosender]

but wait, there's more!

Your phone also has Bluetooth, which is sorta like Wi-Fi. With that, phones can talk to cars, computers, other phones...

 

[Freezetron]

Your phone also has Bluetooth, which is sorta like Wi-Fi. With that, phones can talk to cars, computers, other phones...

That I am aware of, I just don't need/use it. I don't need to look like a mindless borg in public.

 

[returntosender]

Your phone also has Bluetooth, which is sorta like Wi-Fi. With that, phones can talk to cars, computers, other phones...

That I am aware of, I just don't need/use it. I don't need to look like a mindless borg in public.

Not sure I follow. When I get in my car, bluetooth allows my car and phone to talk. No need to take my phone out of my backpack or pocket. If I get a phone call, the car turns my radio off and lets me talk, hands free. When the conversation is done, the radio comes back on. I can play music from my phone over my car radio. The car will read text messages. No wires, phone still in backpack. I can transfer files too and from my phone when I'm sitting at my desk, or play music, no need to pull out the phone to plug something in.