Under - Location and Security...

[butch350]

My Location. What is the difference between " Use wireless networks"
or "Use GPS satellites". (i know the obvious difference), but which one is
most accurate?

Do I check both boxes, or just one of them?

How does wireless network pin-point your location?

 

[Backnblack]

I use both. The network locates you by what tower you are using.

 

[liquidzoo]

Wireless Networks - Triangulates your location based off of nearby cell towers. Not as accurate.

GPS Satellites - Uses the sat signal to get your position. Very accurate (~3 meters) outdoors.

Using the satellites will put more of a drain on your battery, but it's not on all the time. For me, it comes up when I open the browser (weird, but ok), and when I'm using maps or navigation. Other than that, it's off. You can tell by looking at your notification bar. If the icon is there, something is using the gps.

That said, I use both of them.

 

[christim]

GPS should be more accurate.

Mobile phone tracking - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[crspang]

Use both. The satellites will be the most accurate, but using the cell network helps get GPS fix faster.

 

[butch350]

I use both. The network locates you by what tower you are using.

Thank You!

But wouldn't Droid get confused trying to interpret let's say from a
wireless tower 10 mi from your location while the GPS satellite is
trying to show your EXACT location?

 

[butch350]

Hey Thanks,

Most helpful and much appreciated!

 

[KevinJ]

The one time I had both wireless and gps going at the same time, it located me 3 miles from where I actually was. I turned off the wireless, and immediately it showed me ikn the correct location.

Haven't turned on wireless since then.

 

[butch350]

The one time I had both wireless and gps going at the same time, it located me 3 miles from where I actually was. I turned off the wireless, and immediately it showed me ikn the correct location.

Haven't turned on wireless since then.

I've been running an experiment the past half hour, and everytime the wireless network overrides the GSP and puts me miles away from my actual location.

When I use GPS satellite (alone) it marks my location more accurately.

Also, when I use the wireless network, it affects my location in my WeatherBug Elite app as well as the Google Sky app.

In conclussion, me thinks the GPS satellite alone will serve my purposes.
(and possibly work a lot better with apps that require location criteria)

 

[Martin030908]

I leave 'wireless network' enabled at all times, so that any searches I do in the browser or what not provide location based results.

When I do use GPS I leave the wireless network enabled. No issues. GPS is spot on for me.

 

[pyr02k1]

I turned off wireless networks when i posted using mustard to identi.ca and it listed me as being over 25min away (17 miles exactly). i knew it was way off when it told me where i "was" because i used to drive that way every day before i moved to a new house and started taking the freeways to work and back. but 17 miles... i just thought, wow... wtf

 

[myriad46]

I leave 'wireless network' enabled at all times, so that any searches I do in the browser or what not provide location based results.

When I do use GPS I leave the wireless network enabled. No issues. GPS is spot on for me.

I have to agree. It works fine for me to have both on. If you turn off Satelite and only use network, you'll get a, "within 1600 feet" sort of circle on Google Maps, and if you are zoomed way in, it will not locate you accurately, but more likely where the tower is.

I agree also that it is used to help with local search. However, for this to work, you would also have to enable "Use My Location" under Privacy in Settings. If this is unchecked, it may affect the phone being able to locate you. If that's the case, it would be a good bug report.

 

[Martin030908]

I leave 'wireless network' enabled at all times, so that any searches I do in the browser or what not provide location based results.

When I do use GPS I leave the wireless network enabled. No issues. GPS is spot on for me.

I have to agree. It works fine for me to have both on. If you turn off Satelite and only use network, you'll get a, "within 1600 feet" sort of circle on Google Maps, and if you are zoomed way in, it will not locate you accurately, but more likely where the tower is.

I agree also that it is used to help with local search. However, for this to work, you would also have to enable "Use My Location" under Privacy in Settings. If this is unchecked, it may affect the phone being able to locate you. If that's the case, it would be a good bug report.

Good point. I forgot to mention that.