Use Wireless Networks.

[marcjohnson]

Does anyone know if this is a real battery eater and is it worth switching off?

 

[gooner]

when i'm indoors i have wifi on all the time. I think wifi takes much less power than mobile network anyway. I also have shortcuts on my home page to switch 3g on/off whenever i need it. You can download them from the market - they're very handy.

 

[gibbs1984]

Or just use the widgets that are built into the phone, very useful indeed.

I only use WiFi when I'm at home, I leave it turned off and then turn it on when I use it, only takes a couple of seconds to connect. Not sure if it eats more battery turning iton and off again though.

I do the same with the 3G, unless I know I'll be using it.

 

[marcjohnson]

How do you find your wireless password on your pc?

Mine was set up so long ago that I just don't know it.

 

[marcjohnson]

..or is this something you set up as I've never set up an access popint and never used wifi before with any hand set.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[HTC_Desire]

Do you have wireless now, that your pc uses? If you do then that wireless signal comes from your wireless router. A lot of people have a wireless router and don't actually realise it is wireless because they have it connected to their computer with a cable (As do I, though i do in fact have both wired and wireless off it).

When you set up your wireless, you have the option of setting a password, WHICH YOU ABSOLUTELY SHOULD DO!!!!, but many people do not. if you don't you effectively give your neighbours and anyone else close by free access to your system, and if they chose to download anything illegal, it will trace back to your IP address.

If you have done all this at some point, but have forgotten your password, there is usually an option to reset the entire router and start again. Dig out or download the setup instructions before you try this though (unless you're tech savvy).

You usually set up your wireless router by opening Internet Explorer (or whatever browser you have), and then typing into the address bar 192.168.11.1

You type this exactly where you would normally see the url, eg http://www.google.co.uk/ but you don't need anything at all except the 192.168.11.1

You put this in and hit enter and then you will usually be prompted for a username and password - This can be different for different routers, but for the Buffalo router as an example the username is ROOT and then password will be blank if you haven't set one or whatever you have chosen if you have set it up before. Once you have done this you are in the setup screens and you will have a multitude of options including passwords. Once you have set this, then that is what you put in if you try to connect with your phone. World of difference to 3G

You only have to do it once, and it will then remember the connection and simply connect automatically when you are in range.

 

[HTC_Desire]

Does anyone know if this is a real battery eater and is it worth switching off?

You can check what has been using your battery by going into MENU / SETTINGS / ABOUT PHONE / BATTERY / BATTERY USE.

You will then see exactly where your power is going to, and yes Wi-fi is one of the big users, but, you download things a LOT quicker. As previously mentioned by others, i simply use the widgets to give me an easy on off switch for wireless, so when I leave the house i turn it off, but when I'm in I turn it on.

 

[marcjohnson]

Do you have wireless now, that your pc uses? If you do then that wireless signal comes from your wireless router. A lot of people have a wireless router and don't actually realise it is wireless because they have it connected to their computer with a cable (As do I, though i do in fact have both wired and wireless off it).

When you set up your wireless, you have the option of setting a password, WHICH YOU ABSOLUTELY SHOULD DO!!!!, but many people do not. if you don't you effectively give your neighbours and anyone else close by free access to your system, and if they chose to download anything illegal, it will trace back to your IP address.

If you have done all this at some point, but have forgotten your password, there is usually an option to reset the entire router and start again. Dig out or download the setup instructions before you try this though (unless you're tech savvy).

You usually set up your wireless router by opening Internet Explorer (or whatever browser you have), and then typing into the address bar 192.168.11

You type this exactly where you would normally see the url, eg Google but you don't need anything at all except the 192.168.11.1

You put this in and hit enter and then you will usually be prompted for a username and password - This can be different for different routers, but for the Buffalo router as an example the username is ROOT and then password will be blank if you haven't set one or whatever you have chosen if you have set it up before. Once you have done this you are in the setup screens and you will have a multitude of options including passwords. Once you have set this, then that is what you put in if you try to connect with your phone. World of difference to 3G

You only have to do it once, and it will then remember the connection and simply connect automatically when you are in range.

Thanks mate, this helps a lot, I do have a wireless router but it is plugged in with a cable, a computer store set me up for when I wanted to link up my PS3 so I'm assuming it has a password.

I looked in my control panel and there is an icon there to set up a wireless connection where I believe I have to plug my phone in to marry it up, does this sound right? I know I have never done this so was wondering if this should be what i should have done a long time ago but never did as was happy to use 3G.

This (192.168.11) doesn't seem to work for me for some reason, just keeps showing a page where the page can't be found.

I'm not very PC savy so not sure if I want to attempt re setting anything.

 

[nx1977]

Try 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.255

 

[garym]

Or 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.2.1
What make and model is the router?
Download the manual and it should tell you how to login to the routers web page and set up the wireless.

 

[marcjohnson]

Or 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.2.1
What make and model is the router?
Download the manual and it should tell you how to login to the routers web page and set up the wireless.

It's a Netgear DG834G

 

[Dreckly]

If you right click your connection (the 2 little computers on your tool bar) and then click 'status' and then go to 'support' it will tell you the Default gateway - type that into your adress bar and that should bring up the system menu for you.

I hope that helps

 

[matttye]

It eats battery when actively searching for WiFi hotspots, so it's probably best to just turn WiFi on when you know you're in range of a hotspot.

There's not a lot of point in it actively searching for hotspots if it's sitting in your pocket anyway, may as well just turn it on as and when you need it.

 

[dunbad]

Does anyone know if this is a real battery eater and is it worth switching off?

Someone pointed out a trick that I use and thinks really good. Go settings, wireless networks, wifi settings, then hit the menu button. Go advance wifi settings, wifi sleep policy, then select 15 mins. This deactivates wifi after 15 mins of sleep. I usually always manually turn wifi off.however if i forget, I wake the phone and then I see the wifi kick in.
If you dont do this wifi just stays on, so theres no harm done.

 

[matttye]

Someone pointed out a trick that I use and thinks really good. Go settings, wireless networks, wifi settings, then hit the menu button. Go advance wifi settings, wifi sleep policy, then select 15 mins. This deactivates wifi after 15 mins of sleep. I usually always manually turn wifi off.however if i forget, I wake the phone and then I see the wifi kick in.
If you dont do this wifi just stays on, so theres no harm done.

The only problem with that solution is that your auto syncs will use mobile data instead of WiFi.

 

[dunbad]

The only problem with that solution is that your auto syncs will use mobile data instead of WiFi.

Agreed is not ideal, thats why I manually turn wifi off. If I forget it catches it. However, I have battery high up on my agenda. Therefore i pretty much have data turned off the whole time as that is the real battery killer. My opinion, wifi on a strong signal like when your at home uses much less battery than being hooked up to the internet. I also have auto sync turned off and background sync turned off! When im mobile, i turn data on only when iwanna browse and hit auto sync at the same time usually, but synching usually waits till I get home and maybe just once during the day.
Its wifi hunting, data signal hunting that kills battery
whilst im at it, I have, gps location services disabled AND data location services disabled too! All these things use up precios battery!

 

[HTC_Desire]

It's a Netgear DG834G

Yours is 192.168.0.1

Default username and password for yours is admin / password all in lower case.

The link for the manual for your router is as follows:
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=3&ved=0CCgQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhelpdesk.netcentral.co.uk%2Findex.php%3F_m%3Ddownloads%26_a%3Ddownloadfile%26downloaditemid%3D140&rct=j&q=netgear+dg834g+manual&ei=xY75S_ycD4ft-AbGgdHICA&usg=AFQjCNGGVttVqaQ_s6BJ7UrAQuVkmKIzpQ

if the link doesnt appear just google "Netgear DG834G manual" and look for the pdf document.

Personally I would ask a tech savvy friend to give you a hand if you can. Take a look at the paper manual or documentation that came with it, as if the shop set it up they may well have written down a password on it if they have set one up for you. Failing that you may find they have just used the default, so try logging on to it with your phone using that if indeed you can see a signal.

 

[marcjohnson]

Thanks mate, you've been a great help, gonna have a look myself but also got a mate coming on Thur just incase.

 

[HTC_Desire]

Good luck with it.

 

[marcjohnson]

My mate sorted this for me yesterday, feel a bit of a **** as the instructions were written on the side of the router lol.

Loving the WiFi, notice a big difference, one thing I have noticed is that its not draining my battery as much as H, 3G or E, is this normal?

Result if so.