Wifi signal or Carrier network (which does the phone default to?)

[#1]

If I have the phone set to accept WiFi, will it automatically default to it (instead of the Rogers network signal) so I don't have to pay the network fee?!

Is there any way to check on which is in use? (I can see both the WiFi and the "3G" icons at the top of the screen and am confused by it!)

thanks in advance

Edward

[Martha-]

Hi Edward,

I have a Rogers variant of this phone and I use Rogers service.  I don't have a data plan, though, so I just disabled MMS & Data under Settings - Wireless Controls - Mobile Networks. I don't have the option to use data "a la carte", however, so I get a warning message explaining data pricing plans (per month or a single day) - I like it, I don't have to pay for accidental data usage.  If I wish, I can turn the MMS & Data setting back on in the settings and pay for a day of Rogers internet usage.

The phone has a Wi-Fi Sleep Policy setting as well, where it seems that the phone assumes that you wish to use WiFi when it is available, and under certain circumstances that you select, given a choice, the phone will choose Rogers internet instead (When the display turns off, Never when the phone is plugged in or Never).  This indicates to me that the phone defaults to Wi-Fi, but I don't see any documentation to support this.  You can find this setting under Wireless Controls - Wi-Fi Settings - press Menu key (four squares) then tap Advanced.

I don't support Rogers, I am just describing my experience with the software and service.  I hope it helps.

[#3]

Great answer Martha. Well explained.

So do you think that the safest way to maintain WiFi over Rogers is to set the WiFi sleep policy to "Never"? minimising the opportunity to flip over to Rogers?

Thanks again

[Martha-]

Yes, I would say that.

[sushidushi]

I, like Martha, have the Rogers variant of the X10 with no data plan.  I went in to Settings - Wireless controls - Mobile networks and rmoved the tick by 'MMS & data'.  This means that I can only use the internet over wifi, unless I add the tick back to the 'MMS & data' box, and the phone doesn't even attempt to connect me through Rogers.  I therefore no longer get the messages saying that I have attempted to access the internet without a valid data plan and explaining the daily or monthly costs, as Martha describes.  That would be the safest way of ensuring you don't go on to the Rogers internet, but does mean you wouldn't receive any MMS messages or access the internet unless you're connected to wifi whilst the setting is as I describe.  You can still use the phone as a phone and send and receive texts as normal.

If I were ever to want to use the Rogers internet services, it would be easy to go back in to settings and turn the 'MMS and data' setting back on.

I too am as certain as I can be that wifi takes precedence over the mobile network.  So, if the wifi symbol appears at the top of your screen, the phone will access the internet through that, and not through your mobile network.

[#6]

Thanks.

I rang Sony Ericsson technical support in Canada this morning, and because I AM on a Rogers plan, I was told that the phone is engineered to default to Rogers network over any WiFi, which is really dissapointing to learn. When I asked why this was I was told that this was how rogers had asked for the devices to be set up!!!

Says a lot about how Rogers work.