Stupid question. What does Wifi do if you are already on Verizon's Network?

[Underwhere]

I know it's a stupid question but I'm still a little confused.

Say I'm sitting at home with Wifi off. I can peruse the net by going to my browser.

If I turn my Wifi on...well I can still peruse the net by going to my browser.

So really what does Wifi do for me?
Is it just for situations where you don't have any cell phone service (which is pretty much never for Verizon)

 

[thelion]

Not a stupid question at all. Wifi tends to be a bit faster than 3G. In addition, there are (some) places where you may not have a network signal but there is wifi.

 

[lemodular]

Wifi is not a substitute for cell service if you are trying to make a call.

To see which better, download the speedtest app to test and see if your wifi is faster than your 3G. In my case, my 3G is almost always faster at home so I just stick with that, but it is slower than wifi in some other locations.

 

[Underwhere]

So if I do minimal surfing, then really I have no use for wifi.
I don't recall the last time I was in an area where I didn't have cell service.

 

[silverx10]

Correct. WiFi has nothing to do with phone calls. Only internet-based functionality.

 

[lemodular]

....I don't recall the last time I was in an area where I didn't have cell service.

Don't you love Verizon?

 

[808droid]

Your download and upload speeds will be much faster using wi-fi, so if you have a wireless router at home, go into your phone settings, select wireless & networks, click on wi-fi settings, select your wireless router name id, configure your password to connect to your router and click on the wi-fi box and network notification.

So when are home your phone switches to your home wi-fi automatically, you can even configure other free hotspots like coffee shops, book stores, etc.

It makes your DROID experience 100x more enjoyable, by being able to open Facebook pics in a flash, upload pics, download purchased music from Amazon Mp3 and more.

There is a free app called speedtest, the same speed website to test internet speeds. You will notice a huge difference in your speeds using your wi-fi, for instance my 3g gets 900kbps down and 519kbps upload, on wi-fi I get 4784kbps down 1,029kbps upload. So if you want to use you DROID to the fullest, especially around hotspots, you will notice the supreme speed of the Android proccessor.

That is really good speeds for a proccessor this size, my home pc get 10.40mbps (10,400kbps) down and .97mbps (970kbps) upload or measured in MegaBytes per second, larger than KiloBytes per second in Android speed, but much better than 3g.

So, if you got it, use it, you'll love your DROID more!!!

 

[BillTheCat]

Another consideration... most folks will probably never use up their monthly data allowance, but the data sent over WiFi doesn't count towards your monthly data cap with VZW. (Remember, even the "unlimited" plan is really a 5GB cap)

So if you are a heavy data user, WiFi can help save you from paying for overages.

Whether WiFi or 3G is faster for you will depend on the speed of the wired internet connection you're tapping into & the router that's letting you in.

 

[silverx10]

Bill... the Cat... Wow, that takes me back. Big time. Anyway.

The 5Gb cap only applies to the tethering plan that they'll be releasing next year. As it stands now, there's no cap to the data limit for just regular data usage. Went over the actual stipulations of the "unlimited data plan" last night, and saw no such mention of any sort of cap.

 

[CKyle22]

Not a stupid question at all. Wifi tends to be a bit faster than 3G. In addition, there are (some) places where you may not have a network signal but there is wifi.

Wifi is MUCH MUCH faster than 3G.

 

[vonfink13]

i actually took my wireless router back to best buy...my 3g coverage at home is so good that even though the wifi was a bit quicker, the 3g is quick enough for me and it saved me $100...

 

[Milehighjc]

Just one more thought - WIFI gets you speed, but at the expense of battery life. Its definitely worth configuring your WIFI connection and having it available when you need it. If you are using the power widget, its VERY easy to turn off/on at the touch of one button.

For the first week, I left WIFI on most of the time as I was enjoying a lot of browsing, and downloading a lot of apps. Now, I leave it off most of the time to save the battery, and turn it back on when Im doing anything that is bandwidth intensive.

With WIFI on I would have to recharge sometime in the late afternoon early evening, with it off, I make a full day on one charge.

jc

 

[pennyb617]

Does wifi accrue data charges abroad?

Prevent data roaming charges in Mexico
So someone simplify this for me. I just want a phone to make short calls home, check messages and texts. If I uncheck the data roaming will that be enough? Will I be charged for the weatherbug update on the phone or any other app that requires internet connection? Should I diasble my apps? Does using wifi accrue data charges?????
Verizon told me I'd be charged for email when I turn on the phone whether I open it or not.
Verizon told me to stop my email account to prevent getting mail.
Verizon told me to upgrade my data plan (to 64.99) and they would prorate the fee when I return and only charge me for 5 days.
Verizon told me to not use my phone and have my calls forwarded to my other Env3 line.
Verizon never mentioned disabling data roaming once (after 2 calls).

Now I'm really confused. Somebody help me.

 

[Yodes]

One big advantage of wifi as well is it allows talking and surfing at the same time. Very nice considering Verizon's network can't handle that.

 

[asmallchild]

My wifi is a bit faster than 3g but it isn't as reliable plus it messes up my yahoo mail and facebook app