topic 3G icon flashing while on WiFi in Get Support

3G icon flashing while on WiFi

Rich11 — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 23:37:36 GMT

I just signed up with PM with their $40 for 4.5 gig deal and I've been noticing severe drain with cell standby. I also noticed that the 3G icon constantly flashes on while on WiFi. Should it be coming on while data is not in use? As you can see below, my battery is discharging incredibly fast.

Re: 3G icon flashing while on WiFi

RobertQc — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 14:46:04 GMT

Certain things, like MMS require cell phone data and do not work on Wifi.

If your wifi connection is slow, poor quality, has any issues your mobile data will be continually coming back on.

Also some options allow your phone to use both mobile and wifi for the fastest and interrupted speed

Also If you go into settings, system, developer settings you can change how aggressive your mobile data is handled, or if both should be on, etc.

Also, your phone uses data all the time without your knowledge, consistantly all day long. If you want to tune your phone you need to get a firewall and or disable backround data

Re: 3G icon flashing while on WiFi

will13am — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 14:44:36 GMT

What phone and software is involved here. I believe the wifi connection is unstable which leads to mobile data connection going on and off. Wifi takes precendence over mobile data. For me, I find the opposite effect is taking place where the phone tries to hang onto a totally unusable wifi signal and thus not allow mobile data to work. My phone will stay connected to my home wifi when I am 100 meters from home where signal is totally unusable.

Re: 3G icon flashing while on WiFi

will13am — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 14:46:31 GMT

@RobertQc wrote:
Certain things, like MMS require cell phone data and do not work on Wifi.

If your wifi connection is slow, poor quality, has any issues your mobile data will be continually coming back on.

Also some options allow your phone to use both mobile and wifi for the fastest and interrupted speed

Also If you go into settings, system, developer settings you can change how aggressive your mobile data is handled, or if both should be on, etc.

Also, your phone uses data all the time without your knowledge, consistantly all day long. If you want to tune your phone you need to get a firewall and or disable backround data

Mobile data always active is not a default setting.

Re: 3G icon flashing while on WiFi

MacMe — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 14:50:38 GMT

If you go into your phone settings and check your data usage, you should have Mobile data usage and Wifi data usage. Click on Mobile data usage and you see what apps are using it and how much they are using it.

Re: 3G icon flashing while on WiFi

RobertQc — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 15:08:49 GMT

@will13am wrote:

Mobile data always active is not a default setting.

Agreed, but still worth checking? I thought it was still good awareness to know options like this exist and not that this is the case but sometimes settings get changed without the users knowledge. Everyone has that techsavvy friend who thinks they know everything and likes to play with settings. I don't know the whole story and people buy used phones without doing a factory reset or play with menu's while intoxicated that they don't understand lol 🙂

Since my phone is set to "mobile data always active" (which I set) all the time while connected to my wifi I get the LTE popup on the other side of my house dispite signal strength being shown. Costs me extra battery but I am always connected.

Re: 3G icon flashing while on WiFi

Effort — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 15:29:28 GMT

I prefer not to have that option checked. If I'm using 4G mode (I'm usually not because I prefer the 7-13Mbit of 3G mode), I notice it's already connected to 4G as soon as I disable wifi. 3G on the other hand takes about 5 seconds before the icon pops up.

Re: 3G icon flashing while on WiFi

pakmode — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 15:44:02 GMT

@RobertQc wrote:
Certain things, like MMS require cell phone data and do not work on Wifi.

If your wifi connection is slow, poor quality, has any issues your mobile data will be continually coming back on.

Also some options allow your phone to use both mobile and wifi for the fastest and interrupted speed

Also If you go into settings, system, developer settings you can change how aggressive your mobile data is handled, or if both should be on, etc.

Also, your phone uses data all the time without your knowledge, consistantly all day long. If you want to tune your phone you need to get a firewall and or disable backround data

Great post.

This could absolutely be a possibility.

Re: 3G icon flashing while on WiFi

Rich11 — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 16:35:30 GMT

I made sure that data isn't set to always on previously, pic below.

Also I have an AC1900 router within a meter or so of me. The phone was used, an eBay special that is the American Sprint version of the S5. I never factory reset it because it seemed to work well enough other than having to wipe the cache to have it switch over to data while away from home.

I'll also add that I'm relatively close to a Telus cell tower.