Data Usage accruing while on WiFi?
annie202
Enthusiast - Level 3

Question:  Want to know if newer iPhone 5 users (say, within the last couple of months) are having the following problem (DATA usage while on WiFi) and how did you resolve it?

Just got off the phone (again) trying to get a definitive answer as to why we (son and I) are being charged DATA usage while we are actively using WiFi in our homes/work.  The WiFi icons are visible on the phones and the IP addresses match the router.  I've done my own 'tests' which proved VZ was saying I was using their LTE while I was in my home.  

Between the phone calls, a visit to a VZW store, and a Best Buy rep (cell phone rep), I continued to get the runaround.  My most recent experience was that a tech said he called Apple and we both have defective phones. I have the 5 and son has 4S.  Either the antenna or hardware is malfunctioning; Apple said. VZ is sending new phones, we have to go through the whole iCloud restore (scares the heck out of me) and they can't promise that will fix the problem.  The funniest part was when he said this was a unique situation!  Seriously!

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Re: Data Usage accruing while on WiFi?
annie202
Enthusiast - Level 3

Update:

VZ sent me a 'like new' phone...I just paid for a NEW one 3 months ago!  Not only that, it didn't resolve my problem.  

Back to the drawing board. Not too happy right now. Smiley Sad 

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Re: Data Usage accruing while on WiFi?
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

Your three month old phone was "used" when you got it replaced under warranty. The warranty replacements are supposed to be "like-new" units aka "used".

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: Data Usage accruing while on WiFi?
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

annie202, we want you to draw a beautiful picture of your wireless experience on that board. This is why we provide the warranty replacement device. In the past, you had to ship your device to the manufacturer for repair, which can take up to 8 weeks to repair and leave you without a device. Now, we can diagnose the issue with you right over the phone. If we cannot address the problem while you're on the line and the problem is caused by a manufacturing defect, we'll send you a remanufactured replacement device (either the same model or one of comparable quality) right to your door. What issues are you having with your current device?

Lasina_VZW
VZW Support
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

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Re: Data Usage accruing while on WiFi?
Not applicable

The situation is addressed at the http://www.apple.com support forums. The general rule of thumb simply go into the settings on the iphones and turn off cellular data.

The reason I say that is unless you need to send a text message instead of a imessage you don't need it on. You also need data on if you send multimedia messages. The forum also mentions the resetting of the devices and or making sure you have the updated OS on your device.

With those replacement pieces of junk, I say junk because if you read this forum or even google it the like new replacement is fraught with problems that really have not been fixed so you end up with another users problems. As of probility can you fathom two devices in the same household let alone Apple iphones both have the same issues? do you even know what the odds are on this? Astronomical

Verizon claims those junkers go through a 100 point ibspection. note inspection not a repair. To just wipe a phones OS and polish it up is not repaired. Its purely cosmetic. I always just buy brand new, the odds are in my favor it won't happen again.

Good Luck

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Re: Data Usage accruing while on WiFi?
annie202
Enthusiast - Level 3

Thank you, Elector.

I had done all you suggested prior to writing in the forum.  I guess it boils down to turning off cellular (while in Wifi area) is the only answer. However, you would think Apple would have something in their software that identifies that you are in a WiFi area and automatically shuts it off.  They seem to have everything else. Could it be it was by design? Hmmmmm....Just sayin...

Thanks for the reply.  I appreciate you taking your time.  Smiley Happy

Re: Data Usage accruing while on WiFi?
Not applicable

No problem. I have both on in my iphone. But that little cellular icon is a blinking at times. Smiley Happy

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Re: Data Usage accruing while on WiFi?
Plowman
Newbie

Been dealing with this issue since mid-June when I got two new iPhone 5s. Verizon stopped helping me within two days but Apple had a rep that worked with me every day for about a month to no solution. BUT...

Last week my daughter's iPhone 5 had a problem with the volume buttons. Best Buy said I needed to go to Apple to fix it. I called Apple and set up an appointment with a store 60 miles away to have the phone switched out. While visiting with the young Apple tech girl I explained the issue with data sucking while connected to wifi. She asked if I'd changed out SIM cards. Hmmmmm......

She gave me two new Verizon SIM cards and told me to go back to my Verizon dealer and have them activate them. My daughter was in a rush and needed her phone, her brand new phone, but I figured I'd give my phone a try with a new SIM card.

Best Buy swapped the SIM card out with the new one. (My thought is that this new SIM card didn't come from the same stack of SIM cards that our original cards did.) I ran a test where I started on a Google page, searched a few things, went to YAHOO page, searched a few things, then watched a very short video on YouTube. My data with LTE was on but wifi was off. Then I turned on wifi, left data with LTE on, and did the same amount of searching, NOT going to the exact search pages. I thought the phone needed to search for something new and not pull up a previously viewed page. Again I watched a 30 second video, different from the first video.

My results were that the first test with data only used 4,598.6 KB. With wifi and data it used 0.5 KB. So even though it is still using data in a wifi zone, it cut itself to about 1/10,000th. (I think that math is close.) Now I'm wondering if my daughter's new phone will be completely successful with a new SIM card since it's ALL new.

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Re: Data Usage accruing while on WiFi?
suz_greeneyes
Enthusiast - Level 2

I am having the same problem on my brand new HTC One.  4G shows up on notifications while wifi is running.  WHY???

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Re: Data Usage accruing while on WiFi?
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Have on fear, Verizon is here! I can help with your wifi connectivity suz.greeneyes. May I ask are you trying to connect to a home, work, or public wifi? Also, what security protocol is the wifi network that you are connecting to? I would suggest turning off mobile data and connect to wifi to see if there is a difference in consistency on the connection. Once you have done so, please advise of your findings.

Thank you...

ArnettH_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

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