What features don't work on WiFi?

[RandyL712]

I'm heading to Europe and will be using WiFi exclusively. I'm hoping that Fring allows me to use the phone (as a phone), and that I can check email and browse the web.

What features won't work? I know that GPS won't, as it relies on the CDMA towers. Anything else?

Any advice for using Fring on Wifi to make/receive calls and texts?

 

[dakster]

Fring should work fine. I just got back from Japan, and used sipdroid to make a number of calls. Obviously there was some lag as I was on the other side of the world calling the US, but it worked just fine. Fring should be very similar.

Your GPS WILL work, however for it to get an initial position fix (might take a little while), the CDMA radio *has* to be turned on. It doesn't matter if there aren't any CDMA towers there, or roaming, the radio itself just has to be turned on for the GPS to be able to get the initial fix. You might want to download "GPS Status" app, or use an offline map app.

Once you have your initial fix, you can flip airplane mode back on and the droid will keep the fix active. You might want to manually turn off data by entering in the phone dialer (4636 is info btw):
*#*#4636#*#*

Select "Phone informations"
Hit the menu button
Select "More"
And select "Disable data connection"

You can redo the process when you get back to re-enable the data connection.

What that does is disable the data modem radio, but leaves the CDMA voice radio active.

You can flip airplane mode on and off (to turn off your CDMA voice radio to save battery life), and the data radio should remain off until you go back through the *#*#4636#*#* process to re-enable the data connection.

Of course google maps won't work since you won't have a data connection, but if you use an offline mapping app you'll be able to see the map, and where you are on the map. No routing unfortunately, but it's a big help nonetheless to see the map, where you are, and where your saved waypoints are (favorite bars, hotels, train stations, etc).

I used Maverick Pro for my offline map program in Japan, and had created an atlas before I left using google maps as the source data, and just copied it and my waypoints file to the SD card. I had a ton of detail in my map for all of Japan, and more detail in all the cities I was going to, and the saved maps came out to under 700 MB of data on my SD card.

Hope that helps, have a great trip.

 

[RandyL712]

First - thanks for the great insight! I'm totally new to this.

Well, I actually will have a data connection (not 3G, but via the WiFi connection) - I'm buying a MiFi (portable WiFi hotspot) so I should always have (or most times at least) a good broadband WiFi connection.

Given that info - how would your post look?

 

[dakster]

So you'll have a wifi hotspot with you at all times that will work on the European networks? If that's the case, I'd just use google maps through wifi to the mifi device. Then you get all the fun routing and such that you wont' get with most offline map apps.

Much easier than using the offline map apps, most of them use atlas creator (or as it's called now, mobile atlas creator ,I think), which takes a little getting used to. It's not the most intuitive program, but pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

That European MiFi sounds like a handy gadget to have on such a trip

 

[RandyL712]

So on Wifi - every single feature works then? Nothing is dependent on a Verizon CDMA signal? (Other than making a phone call/receiving a text)

 

[dakster]

Yeah, google voice, email, browsing, gtalk, app market, online games, browser, etc all worked fine through wifi. Sometimes I would forget to turn back on the google account sync, but that was user error. I was sending/receiving text messages using my google voice account/number, and that also worked over wifi.

The only thing that didn't work for me while overseas was the "My Verizon" app.

 

[RandyL712]

Thanks for the help, it's really very much appreciated.

Any chance you're able to send me a Google Voice invite? I have been waiting months to get one from the website...

 

[aminaked]

There's another thread somewhere on here about going on a trip to Europe. One guy tries maps with just wifi and it works...no cell signal. Also, non-VOIP calls don't work and neither does the my verizon app as pointed out. That might be all.

That MiFi thing sounds cool!

 

[RandyL712]

The MiFi device is from Three (a big cell phone company in Europe) - it's 50 Pounds plus SIM cards, or 70 Pounds including 3GB of data. http://www.Three.co.uk Looks pretty cool.

Any chance you're able to send me a Google Voice invite? I have been waiting months to get one from the website...

 

[aminaked]

The MiFi device is from Three (a big cell phone company in Europe) - it's 50 Pounds plus SIM cards, or 70 Pounds including 3GB of data. http://www.Three.co.uk Looks pretty cool.

Any chance you're able to send me a Google Voice invite? I have been waiting months to get one from the website...

No on the invite. I've been waiting for one for months. I hear if you sign up with a .edu address you get it in 24 hours. There's a thread about that somewhere. But maybe you should just get one on ebay for $3. I might break down and do that too.

 

[dakster]

The MiFi device is from Three (a big cell phone company in Europe) - it's 50 Pounds plus SIM cards, or 70 Pounds including 3GB of data. http://www.Three.co.uk Looks pretty cool.

Any chance you're able to send me a Google Voice invite? I have been waiting months to get one from the website...

I'm afraid I'm out of invites, sorry :icon_eek:

 

[RandyL712]

No problem, I broke down and bought one on ebay

So - can I assume I am immune to any Verizon roaming charges as they don't have any towers out in the UK/Ireland that the Droid can communicate with?

 

[dakster]

Since you'll be in Europe, I doubt it will be an issue since you'll likely not find any CDMA networks there.

The big whammy is data. As long as you follow the directions for turning off the data connection, you'll take a way a lot of the risk.

When I was in Japan, I did have CDMA roaming coverage part of the time (my data was turned off). I never answered or made a call on the cellular network, and never sent any text messages. I did receive a couple of text messages, and there is a charge for that but it's pretty small. I think my verizon bill was about $1 more than usual.

If you don't answer or make any calls, you'll be fine. Text messages can't be stopped from receiving, but the cost of those is pretty minimal.

But again, you won't have coverage at all likely, so it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[hydrolex99]

Sorry to interrupt, question on fring. Can fring call any number ie, cell phone's and landlines or is it just a network in itself like skype to skype calls that actually works over wifi?