Finding a wifi connection in remote location

oldernonethewiser

twopenny said:

OK...yes I have connected to my home wifi so that's a start.

I've found 'Mobile Data. Enable data access over mobile network'  Turn that on if you want to be able to use data when not on Wifi, this will depend on your service with your mobile operator eg how much data you pay for

and 'Data roaming Connect to data services when roaming' This is only used when you are travelling outwith your home country eg UK to somewhere else. Can be expensive if not included in any package, best leave off

and 'Network mode CSM/WCDMA (auto mode) GSM perhaps? The system used in the UK

and 'Network operators Select a network operator'  Does this show your network operator?

It's probably better to ask you than state my guesses as to what is what

And thank you all for the help and keeping it very clear.

I used to be the wizz at tech when it all started and at work but now I'm more sunsets and bird song as are most of the people around me so no help.

Some comments in bold

facade

twopenny said:

<snip>

I've found 'Mobile Data. Enable data access over mobile network'

and 'Data roaming Connect to data services when roaming'

and 'Network mode CSM/WCDMA (auto mode)

and 'Network operators Select a network operator'

<snip>

Mobile Data. Enable data access over mobile network. this is the one you turn on if you really, really need internet access outside your own home. Turn it off again when you are done.

Having said this, you may have data included in your mobile contract, and you can use it a little. If you are on proper pay as you go (rather than pay monthly without a contract which is what you get with new phones) don't use it as each MB is 1p, and watching a youtube video will cost a few pounds.

Data roaming Connect to data services when roaming. This allows your phone to run up astronomical bills if you are abroad. Roaming means when connected to a different mobile network than the one you are with. Never turn it on.(unless your name is Rothschild)

Network mode CSM/WCDMA (auto mode). No idea, but auto sounds right.

Network operators Select a network operator. Probably wont do anything, but it lets you select a "foreign" network- if you are on EE, you could select O2. If it works it will cost a fortune because they will charge your company, who will charge you even more (to make a huge profit), so don't mess

Username03725

twopenny said:

OK...yes I have connected to my home wifi so that's a start.

I've found 'Mobile Data. Enable data access over mobile network'

and 'Data roaming Connect to data services when roaming'

and 'Network mode CSM/WCDMA (auto mode)

and 'Network operators Select a network operator'

It's probably better to ask you than state my guesses as to what is what

And thank you all for the help and keeping it very clear.

I used to be the wizz at tech when it all started and at work but now I'm more sunsets and bird song as are most of the people around me so no help.

Sounds like you're mixing things up a bit. Let's keep it fairly simple - this isn't absolutely exhaustive but covers what you've asked.

Your phone connects to the internet in three ways:

• Via your phone contract with your phone provider - when you signed up it will have included a monthly data allowance which could be anything from 1GB to lord knows what - it depends on your contract details.
  Your phone will be able to use your data allowance whenever you're out & about as long as it's within range of a phone mast - you'll know it is if you can make and receive calls, usually.
  
  Phone signals cover a large area and your phone automatically connects to the nearest or best signal.
  
  
• Via your home wifi that comes out of your own broadband router and is paid for as part of your broadband deal. This will probably be unlimited data. You'll need to connect your phone to it once using your wifi sign-on credentials and then whenever you're at home your phone will use data from your broadband supplier, not your phone provider with it's [probable] limited data allowance, as long as your phone has its wifi set to ON
  
  Your home wifi has a range of a few metres, so by the time you've driven up the road your phone has lost its connection to your home wifi and has probably switched to your phone contract data instead, automatically.
  
  
• Via wifi from places that offer free wifi - pubs, cafes, restaurants etc. You usually need to go into your phone settings to connect to these wifi points and you'll probably be invited to sign up for these, including providing an email address. Some public wifi will allow you to connect without any additional steps. A fake email address usually works, as long as it looks like one - fake@someisp.com will probably work. If you return to a place where you've previously used the free wifi your phone should recognise it and reconnect automatically. John Lewis restaurant does this. But you need to keep wifi switched ON on your phone for this to happen, just like you do for your home wifi.
  
  Public wifi has the same sort of range as your home wifi - walk 100 yards down the road from the pub and your phone will lose that wifi signal and revert back to your phone data, providing there is a good enough phone signal.

There's no real reason to have wifi switched off on your phone - leaving it on means that if it can connect to an already known wifi signal it will without your intervention, and that's usually preferable to eating into your limited monthly phone contract allowance. If you're concerned about the security implications of using public wifi, remember that your phone will only connect to services that you tell it to, and that public wifi isn't secure so avoid online banking etc.

What3Words: It's an app that sits on your phone. Install it at home via your broadband wifi and check that it works. Once it's installed it doesn't need any further data connection to work as - as already explained earlier - it uses your phone's inbuilt GPS to locate itself and generate the 3 word key. That said, it's useless without a data signal or a public wifi as you need one of those to send & receive the txt message with it on. 

There is a lot more to this, but from how I read the conversation above this should clarify it in your mind.

BikingBud

facade said:

Do you not have wifi of your own at home?

The Plan is you set the 'phone to never, never, never use mobile data except when you enable it in a dire emergency (because it is 1p a megabyte, which sounds cheap, but isn't) but to connect to wifi when available, which is free (as long as you don't start buying stuff), download what 3 words at home and it is ready for your next breakdown.

Never, never, never? Really?

So you are quite happy to provide personal details to all of the various "free" wifi providers rather than paying <£5 for a SIM only deal with unlimited, calls, unlimited texts and  ~3gb data. 

What value do you place on your privacy?

Once you realise that it's less than a pint of beer but provides massive utility then you may approach things more rationally.

Anyway, that aside What3words is great and coupled with Waze is a great navigation tool. I would strongly recommend trying it out and becoming proficient so that next time you need to, you can pinpoint and share you location quickly and easily.

Emergency responders as well as breakdown and other services use it to find the best route to support you. For many it has been a life saver.

Andy_L

Or you could just send them your position using the included, open-source plus codes in google maps without needing to download the what3words app

https://maps.google.com/pluscodes/

or access the phone gps directly & send them a lat/long

twopenny

Ok I've got to filter all this
I'll get on to it dr'ecly when I get home and sort the cats from the pigeons.
Seems like it could be a good idea as, like me, a lot of people go wild walking alone.
Much apreciated 

k_man

Username03725 said:

twopenny said:

OK...yes I have connected to my home wifi so that's a start.

I've found 'Mobile Data. Enable data access over mobile network'

and 'Data roaming Connect to data services when roaming'

and 'Network mode CSM/WCDMA (auto mode)

and 'Network operators Select a network operator'

It's probably better to ask you than state my guesses as to what is what

And thank you all for the help and keeping it very clear.

I used to be the wizz at tech when it all started and at work but now I'm more sunsets and bird song as are most of the people around me so no help.

Sounds like you're mixing things up a bit. Let's keep it fairly simple - this isn't absolutely exhaustive but covers what you've asked.

Your phone connects to the internet in three ways:

• Via your phone contract with your phone provider - when you signed up it will have included a monthly data allowance which could be anything from 1GB to lord knows what - it depends on your contract details.
  Your phone will be able to use your data allowance whenever you're out & about as long as it's within range of a phone mast - you'll know it is if you can make and receive calls, usually.
  
  Phone signals cover a large area and your phone automatically connects to the nearest or best signal.
  
  
• Via your home wifi that comes out of your own broadband router and is paid for as part of your broadband deal. This will probably be unlimited data. You'll need to connect your phone to it once using your wifi sign-on credentials and then whenever you're at home your phone will use data from your broadband supplier, not your phone provider with it's [probable] limited data allowance, as long as your phone has its wifi set to ON
  
  Your home wifi has a range of a few metres, so by the time you've driven up the road your phone has lost its connection to your home wifi and has probably switched to your phone contract data instead, automatically.
  
  
• Via wifi from places that offer free wifi - pubs, cafes, restaurants etc. You usually need to go into your phone settings to connect to these wifi points and you'll probably be invited to sign up for these, including providing an email address. Some public wifi will allow you to connect without any additional steps. A fake email address usually works, as long as it looks like one - fake@someisp.com will probably work. If you return to a place where you've previously used the free wifi your phone should recognise it and reconnect automatically. John Lewis restaurant does this. But you need to keep wifi switched ON on your phone for this to happen, just like you do for your home wifi.
  
  Public wifi has the same sort of range as your home wifi - walk 100 yards down the road from the pub and your phone will lose that wifi signal and revert back to your phone data, providing there is a good enough phone signal.

There's no real reason to have wifi switched off on your phone - leaving it on means that if it can connect to an already known wifi signal it will without your intervention, and that's usually preferable to eating into your limited monthly phone contract allowance. If you're concerned about the security implications of using public wifi, remember that your phone will only connect to services that you tell it to, and that public wifi isn't secure so avoid online banking etc.

What3Words: It's an app that sits on your phone. Install it at home via your broadband wifi and check that it works. Once it's installed it doesn't need any further data connection to work as - as already explained earlier - it uses your phone's inbuilt GPS to locate itself and generate the 3 word key. That said, it's useless without a data signal or a public wifi as you need one of those to send & receive the txt message with it on. 

There is a lot more to this, but from how I read the conversation above this should clarify it in your mind.

For clarity, a data signal or WiFi is not required to send or receive SMS messages, only a mobile signal.
Many remote locations with weak signal are able to send and receive SMS, even if voice calls or full mobile data are unreliable.

facade

BikingBud said:

<snip>

So you are quite happy to provide personal details to all of the various "free" wifi providers rather than paying <£5 for a SIM only deal with unlimited, calls, unlimited texts and  ~3gb data. 

What value do you place on your privacy?

Once you realise that it's less than a pint of beer but provides massive utility then you may approach things more rationally.
<snip>

Certainly not. 

I do have 1GB of mobile data a month, so I could use it, but I've never really found a reason to use data standing in the street.

I was making the worst case assumption that the OP had a proper old fashioned Pay As You Go sim*, since they were afraid to use any data.

If they have a modern "We call it Pay as You Go but it is actually a monthly subscription" sim or a monthly contract then yes, turn on data, but use it sparingly.

*A new proper PAYG sim is very hard to get. When I found that the Tesco sim in my backup phone had expired (because they now require a paid call/text every 6 months, but they didn't for many years) I had great difficulty in finding another, so it is now on RWG.

flaneurs_lobster

This is being overthought, a mobile phone with mobile data enabled will use so little data in everyday use as to be not worth worrying about. 

Can @twopenny tell us some details of their phone contract? Would be relevant to any advice about what to activate when. 

victor2

flaneurs_lobster said:

This is being overthought, a mobile phone with mobile data enabled will use so little data in everyday use as to be not worth worrying about. 

Can @twopenny tell us some details of their phone contract? Would be relevant to any advice about what to activate when. 

I am probably one of many who has a mobile on a PAYG SIM. I left Three when their rates went up from their 3-2-1 plan to something silly, so I moved to Asda, who promptly put their data rate up to 10p/MB. A smartphone with an email app, google maps, and various other apps that use data in the background, will soon eat up 10MB+ of data.

I have my mobile data turned off and only use it if something just can't wait or I'm going away for a few days and want to stay in touch. Then I usually buy a few GB of data in advance for around a fiver.

Without doing that, my credit would soon get eaten up, preventing me from making a call, so it is worth worrying about IMO.