Help Does Atrix automatically use Wi-Fi?

[who4ever]

There are a lot of conflicting opinions on Wi-Fi management. Naturally, I want to use Wi-Fi whenever possible. Naturally, I don't want to deal with turning it on and turning it off. How do I set the phone to use WiFi when ever available but to keep the drain of the battery down? Do I need an app for this?

 

[barry99705]

If wifi is on, and you're in range of an access point you can connect to, it will default to that.

 

[who4ever]

Does it work the other way also? If WiFi is on, and there is no WiFi available, will it default back to the ATT data system? Should I just leave WiFi on all of the time? Thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

[Evil.Bonsai]

Does it work the other way also? If WiFi is on, and there is no WiFi available, will it default back to the ATT data system? Should I just leave WiFi on all of the time? Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Was about to say no, but just tried it and it DOES work. I 'forgot' my home wifi connection but left wifi on. Phone used data as normal. So as long as your in range of a previously used or open network, it should switch to using that if wifi is on. However, this will likely cause a lot of battery drain since it will be 'listening' for wifi all the time.

 

[UnCommonGrafx]

If battery life is the concern, turn it off and manually check when you THINK you might be in a wifi location prior to heavy data usage.

Just takes a moment.

Otherwise, it's a slick system of reminders and notifications. Driving down the street is kind of weird as it picks up all the wifi connections on the way. If you can find a route with a few on the way you could connect to them on the way home.

 

[barry99705]

Yea. It will use the "fastest" connection for data. There's a checkbox in the wifi settings to display/not display the found wifi notification. I usually leave all the radios running all the time. It will turn on/off what it needs when it needs it.

 

[who4ever]

I'm still not sure. I just took my dog for a walk around the block. I was on WiFi. Tried to connect to the Internet and I got the "page not found" message. I turned off WiFi and the browser opened right up. More and more it seems I have to do this manually. If so, it seems kind of silly.

 

[Evil.Bonsai]

I'm still not sure. I just took my dog for a walk around the block. I was on WiFi. Tried to connect to the Internet and I got the "page not found" message. I turned off WiFi and the browser opened right up. More and more it seems I have to do this manually. If so, it seems kind of silly.

I wouldn't think your wifi would go quite that far. Should probably lose signal a few houses down, or less.

 

[who4ever]

THAT'S MY WHOLE POINT!!!! Once I lost my signal the Atrix should have AUTOMATICALLY switched over to non-WiFi but it didn't. I had to do it manually. This doesn't seem very smart-phonish.

 

[Evil.Bonsai]

THAT'S MY WHOLE POINT!!!! Once I lost my signal the Atrix should have AUTOMATICALLY switched over to non-WiFi but it didn't. I had to do it manually. This doesn't seem very smart-phonish.

Mine does that just fine. IF there is no wifi for it to connect to, it will use the cell data. However, if there is an open network it CAN connect to, it will do that. It's possible you're walking past someone's house that has an open network, but with a really low/bad signal, that your phone is connecting to. When you try to use the internet or whatever, since the connection is so bad, it has issues. I've left mine on and have seen it connecting to some network I wasn't aware of. Since I was driving, that went away pretty quickly, but it does do it. As previously mentioned, the best thing to do is just toggle it off/on as you use it, rather than just leave it on.