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Help DroidPro International Users Only. Question about syncing

trophynuts

trophynuts

Extreme Android User
When using your phone internationally does it constantly sync as it does when in the US? If So how much data did that consume? Now that VZW no longer offers unlimited data plans for international use i'm worried a little about using a Global Android phone. Is there a way you can simply turn ALL syncing off? So that it's not eating up data in the background?
 
I'm moving this support for organizational purposes. If you disagree, PM a mod and they'll move it back.
 
I travel internationally quite a bit (most recently in China for an extended period), and I just turn the data connection completely off to avoid anything potentially running in the background. It's difficult to truly deactivate everything from trying to connect in some way, even if you have the sync settings switched off. On the default Android power bar widget, there's a sync option. There are also options under settings-data manager-data delivery-email and corporate sync/social applications for turning off data push, fetch, and for only allowing the phone to sync over WiFi.

But there always seems to be something that still tries to run and connect, so I just turn background data and data completely off (settings-data manager-data delivery) when traveling internationally. WiFi will still work for everything when you switch it on.

It's also amazing how long the battery lasts with data turned completely off, which is particularly useful when traveling.
 
bsweetness said:
I travel internationally quite a bit (most recently in China for an extended period), and I just turn the data connection completely off to avoid anything potentially running in the background. It's difficult to truly deactivate everything from trying to connect in some way, even if you have the sync settings switched off. On the default Android power bar widget, there's a sync option. There are also options under settings-data manager-data delivery-email and corporate sync/social applications for turning off data push, fetch, and for only allowing the phone to sync over WiFi.

But there always seems to be something that still tries to run and connect, so I just turn background data and data completely off (settings-data manager-data delivery) when traveling internationally. WiFi will still work for everything when you switch it on.

It's also amazing how long the battery lasts with data turned completely off, which is particularly useful when traveling.
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dang...that Sux that is almost no reason to even use an Android device for international travel. If you could just turn Syncing off and know for sure that it was off that would work. I often go to South Korea and Germany and i usually use my Bold 9650. It works great and doesn't really eat up any memory in the background....plus i get to use BBM. Maybe i should just re think this and stick to my trusty BB while out of the country. Thanks for the info.
 
One way to test it out would be turn off background data, turn off sync, and set it to sync only over WiFi (you can always manually sync over a cellular connection) for a day or so at some point before leaving, if you're able, and see what your phone does by monitoring your data usage during that time. That will give you an accurate idea of what the phone is doing in the background (if anything at all) and would be likely to do internationally. Technically it shouldn't be doing anything that you don't specifically initiate yourself with those settings.

I typically just try to avoid any potential major charges at all by either buying a local SIM card (which is what I usually do) or by turning the data connection off completely. With data off, I can still use a lot of the functionality of the phone with applications that operate offline (many of which come in handy - particularly ones that use the GPS) and WiFi when it's available.
 
yeah the issue i have with that is. Lets say i want to send an email using gmail or i want to chat with someone via google chat or other im service...how would i do that if i turned all data conns off?

I usually go the route of buying a local calling card. I've weighed the options of using a prepaid local sim in the country i'm in and to me it just isn't viable. I use skype when in the hotel and if i'm out and about i can use the calling card. The countries i visit at least , the calling cards are a really good deal.
 
trophynuts said:
yeah the issue i have with that is. Lets say i want to send an email using gmail or i want to chat with someone via google chat or other im service...how would i do that if i turned all data conns off?
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Just turn the data connection back on for the times you want to use it, and then turn it off when you're done. WiFi still works when the data is turned off as well.

It may just be a particular app I have that tries to use the data connection when I have stuff set for things not to, but technically, all you should have to do is turn off sync and turn off background data. Then your data connection is still active, but it won't be running anything you don't know about. You'd be able to use Gmail or chat whenever you want without turning the entire data connection on and off. Give it a shot before leaving to test it out to see how it works for you. It should work just fine.

One advantage to a prepaid SIM is not really having to worry about the data access. They're relatively cheap, especially compared to the rates Verizon charges for you to roam internationally with the pre-installed SIM. If you're going to use the phone with the SIM card Verizon has in there, you're going to pay quite a bit for any data usage. It's simply not worth it unless you've got the cash to blow. I normally pick up a prepaid SIM for a few dollars, and I'm set. A prepaid SIM won't work so well in South Korea though (I used to live there and still travel there, and their cellular restrictions are ridiculous).

Calling cards are great for using landlines or a local cell phone, but using them in conjunction with paying for international roaming (if you use your phone with the pre-installed Verizon SIM card) is far more expensive than a prepaid SIM. If I need to call out of the country on the prepaid SIM, I just pull up Skype mobile. Buying minutes through Skype is typically cheaper than a phone card (at least in the places I've been).
 
bsweetness said:
Just turn the data connection back on for the times you want to use it, and then turn it off when you're done. WiFi still works when the data is turned off as well.

It may just be a particular app I have that tries to use the data connection when I have stuff set for things not to, but technically, all you should have to do is turn off sync and turn off background data. Then your data connection is still active, but it won't be running anything you don't know about. You'd be able to use Gmail or chat whenever you want without turning the entire data connection on and off. Give it a shot before leaving to test it out to see how it works for you. It should work just fine.

One advantage to a prepaid SIM is not really having to worry about the data access. They're relatively cheap, especially compared to the rates Verizon charges for you to roam internationally with the pre-installed SIM. If you're going to use the phone with the SIM card Verizon has in there, you're going to pay quite a bit for any data usage. It's simply not worth it unless you've got the cash to blow. I normally pick up a prepaid SIM for a few dollars, and I'm set. A prepaid SIM won't work so well in South Korea though (I used to live there and still travel there, and their cellular restrictions are ridiculous).

Calling cards are great for using landlines or a local cell phone, but using them in conjunction with paying for international roaming (if you use your phone with the pre-installed Verizon SIM card) is far more expensive than a prepaid SIM. If I need to call out of the country on the prepaid SIM, I just pull up Skype mobile. Buying minutes through Skype is typically cheaper than a phone card (at least in the places I've been).
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yeah that is just a pain though to turn data on every time i want to send an email, with my blackberry i can leave it on all the time and i don't even go over the data limits. Usually in Korea i get a calling card for 20$ with over 400 minutes on it. I use it when i'm at work. I don't get a lot of time to talk on the phone while im there and it works out that i'm doing most of the talking while i'm in the Hotel via skype.
 
trophynuts said:
yeah that is just a pain though to turn data on every time i want to send an email, with my blackberry i can leave it on all the time and i don't even go over the data limits. Usually in Korea i get a calling card for 20$ with over 400 minutes on it. I use it when i'm at work. I don't get a lot of time to talk on the phone while im there and it works out that i'm doing most of the talking while i'm in the Hotel via skype.
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Then I would really recommend doing a test run with sync and background data off before you leave. That will keep the data connection on all the time, like with your Blackberry, and you should only use the data you specifically want to use (email/chat/etc.) and none that you don't.
 
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