2G,3G,Wi-Fi, Trying to get my head round it

[tanda]

Hi, Just bought a Galaxy Ace (GT-S5830i), Have I got this right,
When I'm at home, I'm connected to my home Wi-Fi network to send/recieve text, phonecalls, and internet, download aps etc.
I have Wi-Fi ticked, and use packet data and data roaming, unticked.
when I'm out and about, I have use only 2G networks ticked, and use packet data and data roaming, unticked.
If I want a faster conection, untick use only 2G networks, and tick use packet data, but it will cost more.
What is data roaming, when should that be ticked/unticked, I supose I'm saying, what boxes do I tick/untick, when I'm at home, and out and about.
The use wireless networks/use GPS satellites, is only used with maps, or adding a location on facebook etc, so I take it, they stay unticked, unless I need them. All very confusing, or should they all be ticked, and it connects at home to Wi-Fi, and out and about by 2G. Thanks for any reply.

 

[ayush29k]

You are confusing a very simple thing, ticking the wifi box makes you connect to an available wifi network like the one present in your home, but when you are outside and there is no wifi network available you should use your own 2g/3g network that is provided by your cell network company, and to use that you have to tick the packet data box.

Now when you are using wifi, there is no need to use your cell network 2g/3g data, its unnecessary wastage of money as your network company charges you for the data used by your 2g/3g connection, so keep the packet data unticked when using wifi.
Similarly when you are outside and there is no available wifi network for you to connect to, keep the wifi off(unticked) and packet data on(ticked). If you keep both the wifi and packet data active, your phone will use only packet data and your continously running wifi keeps on trying to search for a wifi network fuitlessly and consumes battery unnecessarily.

Another thing you should know is that your cell company offers 2 kinds of network system 2G and 3G, 3G is faster than 2G but it also consumes more battery. So when you don't want high speed internet with packet data and want to save your battery, you tick the 'use only 2g' box, it will disable 3g and let you use only the 2g service, and when you need high speed you untick 'use only 2g' and enjoy your high speed 3g network data.

The 'roaming' box enables you to use or not use your packet data connection while roaming, now usually when on roaming the network charges a lot of money for using packet data connection, so its advisable to keep the box unticked if you don't want to use packet data while on roaming, otherwise you keep it ticked and use internet through 2g/3g while on roaming.

 

[tanda]

First of all, thanks for the reply, so let me see if I have this right,

when I'm out and about, I have Wi-Fi UNTICKED, and Use packet data TICKED, this will put me on the 3G network, or I can TICK Use only 2G networks, and this will use the cheaper,slower 2G network. (Both boxes ticked).

When I get home UNTICK Use packet data, and TICK Wi-Fi

In location and security, Whats the difference between, "use wireless networks" and "use GPS satallites",GPS is more accurate?

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Rxpert83]

GPS is much more accurate than the other one. Wireless networks will know your general location based only on what tower you are connected to. GPS will get it down to exactly where you arr

When your phone is connected to a wifi network, it should automatically be using the wifi network for its data services, so un ticking the packet data shouldn't be required.

However, that may be worth double checking as my devices may act differently than yours

 

[tanda]

When packet data and Wi-Fi are both ticked, at home it says Wi- Fi is connected, according to the icon at the top of the screen, if I turn the wi-fi off, it conects to 2G, so it look like the packet data tick is over ridden by the wi-fi tick, have I got this right?

 

[Deleted User]

When packet data and Wi-Fi are both ticked, at home it says Wi- Fi is connected, according to the icon at the top of the screen, if I turn the wi-fi off, it conects to 2G, so it look like the packet data tick is over
ridden by the wi-fi tick, have I got this right?

preference is always given first to wifi and then 2g/3g depending on the cellular reception that you are getting as in most cases the 2g/3g data are charged based on the usage buy your carrier.