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WAIT... WiFi can Stay Connected while on Standby!?!?

Stangs55

Stangs55

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 3, 2007
777
46
The Lone Star State
iceterminal

iceterminal

macrumors 68000
May 25, 2008
1,870
27
Dallas Tx.
Not sure about staying connected when in standby.
I can see the pros and the con's to both.

Having it stay connected, wouldn't that run the battery down faster?

But having it stay connected, you should be able to use Skype/etc. that way.

Hmm, maybe have it as an option would be nice. But I don't see that happening.
 
Willis

Willis

macrumors 68020
Apr 23, 2006
2,293
54
Beds, UK
I have OS 4 GM on my iPhone and in standby, it doesn't show Wifi as being connected until I get to my home screen.

Maybe if the app is active and then turns the screen off it stays on, but I havent got anything to test it with.
 
N

nolesfan

macrumors regular
Apr 1, 2010
209
0
I am in the same boat so I hope that it does work on stand by. Even if not though it should work with skype anyways because you can have it open in the back ground I believe.
 
P

profets

macrumors 603
Mar 18, 2009
5,115
6,146
I assumed thats what they meant by "Persistent WiFi" as one of iOS4 features. From those of you with OS4 installed, is it not working, or is there an option somewhere?
 
mkrishnan

mkrishnan

Moderator emeritus
Jan 9, 2004
29,776
15
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Willis said:
Maybe if the app is active and then turns the screen off it stays on, but I havent got anything to test it with.
Click to expand...

Isn't that true now (i.e. with the 2.x-3.x firmwares)? For instance, if I lock the screen using the NPR or Pandora apps, they keep streaming content over WiFi (just as they do for EDGE/3G data connections).

By extension, one would hope that would be true for these apps if they run in the background; otherwise, having them run in the background would be annoying, since one would have to make them active again before locking the phone....
 
D

Damitri

macrumors member
Jan 15, 2007
52
0
New York, NY
mkrishnan said:
Isn't that true now (i.e. with the 2.x-3.x firmwares)? For instance, if I lock the screen using the NPR or Pandora apps, they keep streaming content over WiFi (just as they do for EDGE/3G data connections).

By extension, one would hope that would be true for these apps if they run in the background; otherwise, having them run in the background would be annoying, since one would have to make them active again before locking the phone....
Click to expand...

Yes my iPad (WiFi only) keeps getting emails even when it has been on standby for a long time. And battery time is still awesome. Why would this be any different on the iPhone? Did anybody try turning off 3G data but not WiFi and then just leave the phone for a couple of hours?
 
techwarrior

techwarrior

macrumors 65816
Jul 30, 2009
1,250
498
Colorado
Stangs55 said:
I work in a place where there is zero AT&T reception, but WiFi coverage in 100% of the area. I just read that iOS4 will allow WiFi to stay connected even when the device is in standby,, IS THIS TRUE?!

And if so, could I just get a skype landline number, stay connected to WiFi, and use my iPhone 4 at work through Skype?! (please say "yes"!)
Click to expand...

Sort of... iOS 4 touts the ability for WiFi to remain connected when the phone is sleeping, and Skype has been demonstrated as a multitasking app that will ring when it is in the background...that should work regardless of data network as Skype is now capable of 3G. However, Skype update is not yet available with multitasking...when it is, the answer will be absolutely YES.
 
Stangs55

Stangs55

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 3, 2007
777
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The Lone Star State
techwarrior said:
Sort of... iOS 4 touts the ability for WiFi to remain connected when the phone is sleeping, and Skype has been demonstrated as a multitasking app that will ring when it is in the background...that should work regardless of data network as Skype is now capable of 3G. However, Skype update is not yet available with multitasking...when it is, the answer will be absolutely YES.
Click to expand...

Actually, the bigger issue with me is that I have no 3G reception where I work, but I have WiFi everywhere....so even with multitasking, if my WiFi is not running in the background, I'll receive no Skype calls.

What I need is for WiFi to remain on even when I am in standby so that Skype maintains a connection to the Skype servers.
 
WardC

WardC

macrumors 68030
Oct 17, 2007
2,727
215
Fort Worth, TX
iPads stay connected and download e-mail messages on WiFi while on standby, I can hear my iPad "ding" all night when it's on standby. I don't see why the iPhone couldn't do the same exact thing.
 
A

Arne

macrumors regular
May 14, 2006
172
0
Germany
@Stangs55 I think I have some good news for you:

Yesterday I was at the university and I noticed, that the wifi was always on (persistent connection, I confirmed this later with my router at home). I thought that was just a iOS4 bug, but as it turned out, my cellular data was not working due to a problem with all german iPhones on T-Mobile, that had been jailbroken using Spirit in OS 3.1.3.

The obvious conclusion is, that the iPhone does indeed use a persistent wifi connection, if there is no cellular data available. That means (if I am correct), that you will indeed be able to use a skype landline number at work, the push and the voice data would be routed over wifi and wifi will stay connected the entire time you are out of coverage.
 
I

ianray

macrumors 6502
Jun 22, 2010
452
0
@
WardC said:
iPads stay connected and download e-mail messages on WiFi while on standby, I can hear my iPad "ding" all night when it's on standby. I don't see why the iPhone couldn't do the same exact thing.
Click to expand...

Do you have Push email? Do you have mail set to 'Fetch' on a periodic basis? :confused:

Or is it really so that iPad stays connected to Wi-Fi, and achieves great battery life? :)
 
Phil Lee

Phil Lee

macrumors 6502
Mar 19, 2008
320
1
Manchester, UK
I have a 3GS running iOS 4 with Gmail setup to push. I just switched off cellular data so the only data connection was via wifi. I put it to sleep then waited a couple of minutes before sending myself an email. My iPad and iPhone notified me the email had arrived within a second of each other without waking up. This suggests that wifi is indeed persistent with iOS 4.
 
Kadman

Kadman

macrumors 65816
Sep 22, 2007
1,216
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Phil Lee said:
I have a 3GS running iOS 4 with Gmail setup to push. I just switched off cellular data so the only data connection was via wifi. I put it to sleep then waited a couple of minutes before sending myself an email. My iPad and iPhone notified me the email had arrived within a second of each other without waking up. This suggests that wifi is indeed persistent with iOS 4.
Click to expand...

Now THAT'S how you test something! Awesome. Thanks for the lab work! :)
 
X

Xirian

macrumors member
Sep 17, 2007
80
47
I had my sim removed and my phone sitting for an hour and got a push alert from facebook via wifi, so yes, it seems to stay connected.
 
N

NeonKitten

macrumors newbie
Jun 26, 2010
1
0
Another way of testing, of course, is to look at your WiFi router's status pages if you have access to them.

My 3GS running iOS4 is set up to automatically use my WiFi when I'm at home. On previous OS versions, once the phone was in standby the WiFi connection would be terminated.

However looking at my router status now, I see my iPhone's MAC and IP address on the "connected wireless clients" list, and as I type this it has been connected for 7 hours 42 minutes. All of that time the phone has been in standby and with a 5-bar 3G cellular connection. I can ping it from my desktop machine while it's in standby and get a response. iOS4 very definitely does implement persistent WiFi on the iPhone, no question.

My problem with it is simple: if WiFi uses more power than 3G - the oft-mentioned reason why the phone's connection for push has always been 3G even when in WiFi coverage - then why do we not have an option to turn persistent WiFi off? (I don't want to disable WiFi altogether, I just don't want the phone using WiFi when not in use).

It possibly explains why my 3GS's battery drains ridiculously fast when I'm at home, but at the normal rate when I'm out.
 
iMacDragon

iMacDragon

macrumors 68020
Oct 18, 2008
2,358
704
UK
NeonKitten said:
Another way of testing, of course, is to look at your WiFi router's status pages if you have access to them.

My 3GS running iOS4 is set up to automatically use my WiFi when I'm at home. On previous OS versions, once the phone was in standby the WiFi connection would be terminated.

However looking at my router status now, I see my iPhone's MAC and IP address on the "connected wireless clients" list, and as I type this it has been connected for 7 hours 42 minutes. All of that time the phone has been in standby and with a 5-bar 3G cellular connection. I can ping it from my desktop machine while it's in standby and get a response. iOS4 very definitely does implement persistent WiFi on the iPhone, no question.

My problem with it is simple: if WiFi uses more power than 3G - the oft-mentioned reason why the phone's connection for push has always been 3G even when in WiFi coverage - then why do we not have an option to turn persistent WiFi off? (I don't want to disable WiFi altogether, I just don't want the phone using WiFi when not in use).

It possibly explains why my 3GS's battery drains ridiculously fast when I'm at home, but at the normal rate when I'm out.
Click to expand...

Wifi uses way less power than 3g.

even apples battery stats indicate that:

Internet use:
Up to 6 hours on 3G
Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi
 
I

ianray

macrumors 6502
Jun 22, 2010
452
0
@
NeonKitten said:
Another way of testing, of course, is to look at your WiFi router's status pages if you have access to them.

My 3GS running iOS4 is set up to automatically use my WiFi when I'm at home. On previous OS versions, once the phone was in standby the WiFi connection would be terminated.

However looking at my router status now, I see my iPhone's MAC and IP address on the "connected wireless clients" list, and as I type this it has been connected for 7 hours 42 minutes. All of that time the phone has been in standby and with a 5-bar 3G cellular connection.
Click to expand...

This is very interesting. I checked my iPhone 3GS + iOS4 with Airport Utility, and see that iPhone disconnects when locked (assuming push notifications, push email, etc are all off).
 
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