Help Wi-Fi running time - Possible battery drain issue

[Opium]

Heya everyone, in spare parts, under other usage, My Wi-Fi on and Wi-Fi Running percentages are ALWAYS the same... right now sitting at 99% each. Surely Wi-Fi on should be at 99%, but Wi-Fi running should be considerably lower since I don't have any form of auto sync or location based things on.

I can keep my phone on for 12 hours, Wi-Fi enabled, and Wi-Fi running is always full, at 99 odd percent. Nothing is using the wi-fi, even when i choose to forget my wifi details so there is no connection. I suspect it may have something to do with the root process "0" under Network usage under Battery history in spare parts. I'm thinking it's keeping my Wi-Fi active and draining my batt, even if it's not pulling any data.

I've completely uninstalled every app (except spare parts), wiped cache and dalvik, put phone on Aeroplane mode, nothing changes. Facebook app isn't updated to 1.3 or 1.3.1 either.

Really at wits end as to why my Wi-Fi is "running" at 100% all the time

Here are my details: HTC Desire rooted with Clockwork from latest Unrevoked. Rom is Official Sense + Froyo from OpenDesire Team v1.0c

Any help would be greatly apreciated!

 

[Phenomenological]

Why don't you try turning the wifi off when you aren't using it?

 

[adam_hilluk]

i have this exact same thing with the 99% wifi usage in spare parts. I'm unrooted so that isnt the issue.
I'm just not sure wat it is but i would like to know as it is concerning me. And as for turning it off i do when i leave a wifi zone, but whilst in it i need to leave it on or phone will just use loadsa data connection...

 

[Phenomenological]

Download Switchpro. Allows you to turn off wifi and data connections when you don't need them. It costs a few pennies but it's worth it.

 

[Opium]

Thanks, I've got widgets for switching Wi-fi/mobile data on and off.

Turning Wi-Fi off seems to be the last thing to do while troubleshooting this issue thanks, would prefer to find out why it's happening, and if it is indeed a problem.

If i'm loading a website I want the Wi-Fi to "run" for the amount of time it takes to receive the data, and then stop running, not run for the 5 minutes i'm reading an article and my battery meter fly's away before my eyes.

It's like sitting in your car and revving the engine all day long but not going anywhere

That is unless I have this Wifi On/Off/Running thing completely wrong.

 

[Phenomenological]

When you aren't using the wifi to browse...turn it off. Using your analogy, when you get home and park your car in the garage, you don't leave the engine on all night do you? Or when you finish the ironing leave the iron switched on ready for next time?

 

[Opium]

Like I said, If I can't find a solution, then I will turn it off when not needed.

But since this is a forum full of people way smarter than myself, I'm just trying to figure out why some people have their stats at 100% On, and like 10% running, and some (like me) have it "running" full steam all the time.

Does anyone else have any insight in to my query? Even if it's too tell me I'm completely wrong about the way I'm interpreting these stats in Spare Parts. I'm just trying to understand this function of the Android OS.

Thanks

 

[benchmark]

i think it all has to do with what we understand to be My Wi-Fi on and Wi-Fi Running.
I myself have WIFI on always.
I thinkMy Wi-Fi on just means wifi activated on the phone without necessarily there being a signal or connection.
On the other hand Wi-Fi Running may refer to when it is connected to an available signal, but not necessarily that there is data exchange.
So in theory, if you have wifi on at home where there is a constant signal available then both percentages will be the same.
If you install an app that monitors wifi data transfer then you can quickly rule out if your phone is exchanging data over the internet even when idle.

 

[adam_hilluk]

i think it all has to do with what we understand to be My Wi-Fi on and Wi-Fi Running.
I myself have WIFI on always.
I thinkMy Wi-Fi on just means wifi activated on the phone without necessarily there being a signal or connection.
On the other hand Wi-Fi Running may refer to when it is connected to an available signal, but not necessarily that there is data exchange.
So in theory, if you have wifi on at home where there is a constant signal available then both percentages will be the same.
If you install an app that monitors wifi data transfer then you can quickly rule out if your phone is exchanging data over the internet even when idle.

strongly agree ith all this. So does anybody know of an app/widget which monitors wifi usage?

 

[nx1977]

Have you enabled WiFi sleep? I leave WiFi on 24/7 and it doesn't use much more power than switching on & off.

 

[adam_hilluk]

Have you enabled WiFi sleep? I leave WiFi on 24/7 and it doesn't use much more power than switching on & off.

okay so i've done this via

menu > settings> wireless & networks > wifi settings > menu > advanced

i've set it to switch to GPRS after 15 minutes... but i turn data connection off via a widget... therefore will i just have no connection or will it use data connection by itself?

 

[Eris Ed]

I only use wi-fi at home with my wireless router, so I keep wi-fi enabled 24/7 and it gets used only at home. At all other times the phone uses 3G/3G+ for data.

If 3G Watchdog tells me I'm getting close to my data Fair Use limit, I turn off Mobile Internet using a toggle, therefore the phone switches between GPRS and wi-fi depending on whether I'm at home or not.

Not noticed any noticeable effect on battery life

 

[Eris Ed]

okay so i've done this via

menu > settings> wireless & networks > wifi settings > menu > advanced

i've set it to switch to GPRS after 15 minutes... but i turn data connection off via a widget... therefore will i just have no connection or will it use data connection by itself?

I'd be interested to hear if wi-fi turns on again when needed for data after the 15min sleep mode has activated......

 

[adam_hilluk]

I'd be interested to hear if wi-fi turns on again when needed for data after the 15min sleep mode has activated......

i can confirm it does turn back on

 

[danielvago]

A little off-topic maybe, but is there a way for the phone to not switch to wifi, if the wifi signal is weaker than the mobile net (3G, H, E)?

 

[nx1977]

i can confirm it does turn back on

But only in range on a known wifi point