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What is the best way to connect to the internet using my mobile phone?

geek84

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Posted March 16, 2012 at 12:13PM

Hi Folks

I have a smart phone which enables me to connect to the internet. When I touch the internet explorer icon, the phone connects to the internet (eventually).

However, I have got wireless internet at home and my mobile phone also has wi-fi facility.

Can you tell me what is the best way to get connected - shall I just press the internet explorer icon to get connected to the internet (which I am doing at the moment), or shall I enable my wi-fi facility on the phone, and then connect to the internet? Also, what method should I use when I am not at home?

Can someone also please explain the advantages/disadvantages of connecting either way.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

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mgmcc

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Posted March 16, 2012 at 2:30PM

You haven't mentioned the type of phone - Android, Apple or other - but, in general, if you have access to your wireless router at home, that's the best way to connect. You'll have the benefit of the full speed of your home broadband service. There's no additional cost involved and you aren't using up your data allowance.

When not at home or somewhere that allows you WiFi internet access, then you need to use the phone's "mobile data" service. Depending on where you are, the connection may be 2G (GPRS/EDGE) or 3G (3G or HSDPA). An Android phone will indicate the type of connection you've got with the symbols G, E, 3G or H.

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geek84

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Posted March 16, 2012 at 7:34PM

Hi

Many thanks for you reply. I have an Android phone - HTC Wildfire S.

What do you mean by 'I won't be using my data allowance?'

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mgmcc

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Posted March 16, 2012 at 11:22PM

What do you mean by 'I won't be using my data allowance?'

Your contract with your mobile phone provider will include a data allowance, frequently 500MB per month. Connecting with 2G/3G will use up this allowance.

Connecting via WiFi to your home broadband router doesn't use any of your allowance from the phone provider.

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geek84

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Posted March 17, 2012 at 8:19AM

Hi

Many thanks for your reply.

I still don't understand the word data allowance. Does it mean that this is the amount I can download or is this the amount I can browse through i.e. just read?

Thank You.

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mgmcc

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Posted March 17, 2012 at 9:08AM

Your phone provider will give you a "data" allowance in addition to text and call allowances that you can use in the month. This is the number of Megabytes that you can transfer over a 2G/3G connection. It includes both downloaded and uploaded bytes and would be used browsing the web, sending & receiving mail etc when "Mobile Network" is enabled in the phone's "Wireless & network" settings. If you connect by WiFi to your home broadband service, the phone automatically disables the 2G/3G connection and any data transferred doesn't count against your monthly allowance.

I really cannot put it more simply than that.

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geek84

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Posted March 17, 2012 at 1:38PM

Thank You.

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