how do i know if i'm on wifi or using data plan?
dekahorn02
Newbie

When I look at my phone I don't know if it's using the wifi we have or it's using my data plan.  When I'm using the wifi at work it shows 'Disconnected to xyz's wifi'. So I know right away to stop using, cause it switched over to my data.  I have no idea when I'm here at home.  The phone shows the wifi symbol on the left upper corner with a little ? next to the symbol.

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Re: how do i know if i'm on wifi or using data plan?
tikibar1
Community Leader
Community Leader

When you're connected to wi-fi, the wi-fi symbol should be visible in the status bar and the 4G symbol grayed out.  When you pull down the notification shade and look at the wi-fi quick setting, it should say the name of the wi-fi that you're connected to underneath the button.

Suggestions:

go to Settings > Wi-Fi > tap More in the upper right-hand corner > tap Advanced

then ensure that you have the following turned On:

Show Wi-Fi Pop Up

Wi-Fi Notifications

Keep Wi-Fi On During Sleep

and ensure you have the following turned Off:

Smart Network Switch

And to be on the safe side, you also may want to open the Play Store app, tap the three bars in the upper left-hand corner, scroll down to Settings and tap it, tap Auto-Update Apps, and change it to Auto-Update Apps Over Wi-Fi Only.

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Re: how do i know if i'm on wifi or using data plan?
Tidbits
Legend

That means wifi nearby and you are not connected to any of them.

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Re: how do i know if i'm on wifi or using data plan?
tikibar1
Community Leader
Community Leader

When you're connected to wi-fi, the wi-fi symbol should be visible in the status bar and the 4G symbol grayed out.  When you pull down the notification shade and look at the wi-fi quick setting, it should say the name of the wi-fi that you're connected to underneath the button.

Suggestions:

go to Settings > Wi-Fi > tap More in the upper right-hand corner > tap Advanced

then ensure that you have the following turned On:

Show Wi-Fi Pop Up

Wi-Fi Notifications

Keep Wi-Fi On During Sleep

and ensure you have the following turned Off:

Smart Network Switch

And to be on the safe side, you also may want to open the Play Store app, tap the three bars in the upper left-hand corner, scroll down to Settings and tap it, tap Auto-Update Apps, and change it to Auto-Update Apps Over Wi-Fi Only.

Re: how do i know if i'm on wifi or using data plan?
SuzyQ
Community Leader
Community Leader

The screenshot below shows both cellular and wifi - the arrows are under the wifi meaning that's where the data is being used; they light up when data is being exchanged.  If I was using my cellular connection, the arrows would show under the 4G symbol.  If there is a question mark near the wifi, it's not totally connected for some reason - it sees it but needs a login?

Screenshot_20160804-142416.jpg

Re: how do i know if i'm on wifi or using data plan?
dekahorn02
Newbie

I followed your instructions and looked at SuzyQ's diagram she sent after doing what you said.  I'm still seeing the WiFi icon on the left with the '?' next to it and I see under the 4G the arrow up and arrow down going on and off.  What I mean by that it's going the colors of white then to grey.  Like an on and off switch. Sometimes a second apart and sometimes a minute or more, on or off.  So what I tried doing was an App update on for my Facebook.  The 4g arrows were off while updating and the icon for wi-fi was there, but with the'?' mark still.  Then 4g arrows went on while it was installing.  I checked my data usage before and after completing the update.  The data usage did go up.


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Re: how do i know if i'm on wifi or using data plan?
tikibar1
Community Leader
Community Leader

Yep, you're on cellular data and not wi-fi.  As noted earlier, it sounds like you have wi-fi nearby but haven't connected for some reason, like maybe a missing password?  When you go to Settings > Wi-Fi and ensured it's On, there should be a list of available/nearby wi-fi and if you're connected to one of them, it'll say Connected below that wi-fi name.  Since it sounds like you aren't connected, you should just see a list.  Tap the name of the wi-fi you want to connect to, enter the password if required, and tap Connect.

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Re: how do i know if i'm on wifi or using data plan?
dekahorn02
Newbie

Ok I think I'm starting to figure out what is happening.  I was always getting wifi at work cause it was available to sign in there using their password.  Now that I'm off for the summer and at home it's not accepting our password we use at home for our Centrylink wifi.  I have no problem signing on the wifi with my ASUS Laptop at home.  I bought the phone and a tablet the end of August and hardly ever use at home cause I'd get home at 7:00 at night and up at 4:00 and go to work at 5.  So now I'm realizing after all this time I can't get on wifi for phone or tablet at home only.  I tried signing on to KFC from a parking lot I was parked at and I was able to get on the wifi (no password required).

When I bought the phone and tablet was there something I needed to setup to use our Centrylink wifi at home?  What I do at home is click on settings > wifi > my Centrylink7746 > 'CONNECT' > Password pops up for me to enter, I key in our wifi password hit done on the key pad, then it come back and says in red 'Incorrect password'.  So did I miss something I have to do on both the phone and tablet to get our homes wifi?  The tablet is a Samsung Galaxy Tab S. Phone is a Galaxy S6.

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Re: how do i know if i'm on wifi or using data plan?
SuzyQ
Community Leader
Community Leader

When you get the initial pop up for connection to your home wifi, is it asking for a network key, perhaps, with an option to enter a WEP or WPA password? If so, skip the first option and go to to the password option, try entering your password there.

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Re: how do i know if i'm on wifi or using data plan?
dekahorn02
Newbie

Suzy Q,

This is what it shows when I hit our home wifi:  Security: WPA/WPA2PSK.  Right below that it has the options of:  FORGET EDIT CONNECT.  That window doesn't always pop up.  Sometime when I am in the Settings and hit wifi it opens up and I click on our home wifi and it says: Password.  I enter our home system password.  Then I hit the DONE button on the keypad.  The only option to click is the word CANCEL.  The word CONNECT is not lite up to hit.  So it never connect and puts me onto our Data Usage instead.    

   By the way your picture you had displayed for me is what triggered I'm not getting onto the internet all this time for about one year.  I always thought I was on it when I saw the symbol on the left top corner with a '?' next to it.  I never had a smart phone or used internet on a phone before I got this phone last year. 

   I also have the same problem with my Samsung Galaxy Tab S.  Purchased at the same time, in August 2015.

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Re: how do i know if i'm on wifi or using data plan?
SuzyQ
Community Leader
Community Leader

When the Cancel/Edit/Connect window comes up, can you click on Edit?  Try doing that and re-entering your home system password.

You can also try Forget, and then letting it re-find the wifi and re-connect.

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