data usage on wifi

[alipali1]

I have a 200MB data plan and rarely reach my limit.  However, this month, I reached the limit in just over half the month.  I looked at my data usage online and for almost half of the data usage listed, I was at home and on wifi.  My phone switches to wifi as soon as I drive into my driveway and never switches to 3G, so I know that I'm always connected.  These charges are typically between 6-11pm and I'm always home at this time on weekdays.

This happened to me about 6 months ago and after going back and forth between AT&T and the guys at the Apple Store, I found someone who had me backup my phone and restore the factory settings and that solved the problem.  But, it's happening again and I shouldn't have to keep resetting my phone, nor should I be charged for data when I'm on wifi!

Someone mentioned turning off 3G in the General/Settings menu, but I shouldn't have to do that every time I enter a wifi spot, whether at home or elsewhere, in order to use data. 

[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

As has been posted many times, the iPhone DROPS wifi after 15 min on standby, unless its plugged into AC.

If you want to be sure you're not using cellular data, you will have to turn off cellular data. Otherwise your iPhone or just about any other smartphone can and will use data at various times, depending on the apps you have installed - and it will use cellular data if it happens to occur when the phone is waking up from standby due to push notifications or "check email" intervals, unless you have it on AC and associated with your wifi.

If you want to control your celluar data use, that's the only way to do it.

[alipali1]

Sorry, I've done a lot of searches for this and never saw that iPhones drop wifi.  I guess I'll have to turn off cellular data whenever I'm home then.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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alipali1 wrote:

Sorry, I've done a lot of searches for this and never saw that iPhones drop wifi.  I guess I'll have to turn off cellular data whenever I'm home then.

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It dies when the phone hits sleep mode. The phone will also auto switch if you wifi connectin in tenuous and cannot maintain a solid signal

[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

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alipali1 wrote:

Sorry, I've done a lot of searches for this and never saw that iPhones drop wifi.  I guess I'll have to turn off cellular data whenever I'm home then.

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If you're on the 200MB plan, closely managing your cellular data use, or only very rarely using the device are the only ways to safely stay under the limit.

[ramrod the 3rd]

I just purchased a refurb iphone 4s  for my wife and I have had the exact same issues. She was originally on a 200MB plan and within a few days went up to 1GB while watching Netflix vids at home on our WIFI. It appears to be automatically switching over to 4G without warning. I went into settings and switched to WIFI only to see if it was dropping out...... and after over an hour of watching videos, the WIfi never dropped out. So it is not a wifi issue. I'm not sure if this a 4S issue exclusively  because I have owned an Iphone 4 for almost 2 years and have never had this issue of switching over to 3G. In fact I let her use my iphone 4  to watch Netflix for approx over 1 hour and not once did it switch over to 3G.

I know that some people are saying that the phone automatically switches over to Cell data after 15 min if not plugged in. This is incorrect because I do not have this issue on my iphone 4. Also we are both running IOS 5.1 so it does not appear to be an ios issue.  I am currently in the process of exchanging her phone for another iphone 4S and will soon find out if this is an issue with the 4S or if we just happened to get a bunk iphone.

[ramrod the 3rd]

I need to clarify something. Yes,  when my iphone sits idle for a while I do notice that it goes to  3G and then quickly transfers back  to wifi when I click the screen..... but is should NOT be transfering over to 3G/4G when I'm in the middle of using the WIFI such as watching Netflix.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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ramrod the 3rd wrote:

I need to clarify something. Yes,  when my iphone sits idle for a while I do notice that it goes to  3G and then quickly transfers back  to wifi when I click the screen..... but is should NOT be transfering over to 3G/4G when I'm in the middle of using the WIFI such as watching Netflix.

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or maybe your wifi connection is being overwhelmed and reseting itself?

[Underlyingsound]

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alipali1 wrote:

I have a 200MB data plan and rarely reach my limit.  However, this month, I reached the limit in just over half the month.  I looked at my data usage online and for almost half of the data usage listed, I was at home and on wifi.  My phone switches to wifi as soon as I drive into my driveway and never switches to 3G, so I know that I'm always connected.  These charges are typically between 6-11pm and I'm always home at this time on weekdays.

This happened to me about 6 months ago and after going back and forth between AT&T and the guys at the Apple Store, I found someone who had me backup my phone and restore the factory settings and that solved the problem.  But, it's happening again and I shouldn't have to keep resetting my phone, nor should I be charged for data when I'm on wifi!

Someone mentioned turning off 3G in the General/Settings menu, but I shouldn't have to do that every time I enter a wifi spot, whether at home or elsewhere, in order to use data. 

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Yeah, Wi-Fi drops after 15 minutes asleep and not on a charger.