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Posts: 29 | Thanked: 17 times | Joined on Oct 2009
#1
Hi!

I have an issue with my new N900 (Thank you Nokia!) where I will start an application (or connect to a network) that requires the internet and connect to either WiFi or 3G. The app will work fine and eventually close in normal operation. I then have no applications open which are using the network. At this point I would expect that the network connection would automatically be turned off, yet it is not.

I am thinking of filing a bug for this but I first wanted to check here to see if anybody else had noticed a similar problem and may be able to point out something obvious that I am missing.

Thanks!
-Zach

Last edited by zgold550; 2009-10-13 at 20:03.
 
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Posts: 2,173 | Thanked: 2,678 times | Joined on Oct 2009 @ Cornwall, UK
#2
I understood it was supposed to do this, unlike other devices which only connect when necessary. Hence the discussion about switching to 2g when not in use, or wifi automatically.

Or am I being even dumber than usual?
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Posts: 369 | Thanked: 191 times | Joined on Sep 2009 @ Virginia
#3
Well, that isn't what happens on your PC....eth0 stays up regardless.

Perhaps it may be a battery-drain on the N900, but how significant? Is it worth saving the power if you have to wait for a network interface to reinitialize next time you fire up your browser?
 
Posts: 29 | Thanked: 17 times | Joined on Oct 2009
#4
Originally Posted by Hogwash View Post
Perhaps it may be a battery-drain on the N900, but how significant? Is it worth saving the power if you have to wait for a network interface to reinitialize next time you fire up your browser?
Yes. It is well known that 3G/Wifi/etc. are very large drains on the battery. Every other smart phone I have used has disabled radios when not in use.
 
Posts: 369 | Thanked: 191 times | Joined on Sep 2009 @ Virginia
#5
Sure they are, but they drain the battery at different rates depending on what they're doing. How much of a drain is it to have such wireless interfaces fall back to an 'idle' state?

Nokia's own mission is to have an 'always on' device that lasts you a whole day (by which I take it to mean a 'working day' - say 10 hours)

If I have an app that wakes up periodically and polls some network service, will the renegotiation etc involved with reinitializing the network interface each time, actually prove to be more troublesome?

I don't know the answers to these questions....I'm just curious
 
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Posts: 2,669 | Thanked: 2,555 times | Joined on Apr 2007
#6
Originally Posted by zgold550 View Post
Hi!

I have an issue with my new N900 (Thank you Nokia!) where I will start an application (or connect to a network) that requires the internet and connect to either WiFi or 3G. The app will work fine and eventually close in normal operation. I then have no applications open which are using the network. At this point I would expect that the network connection would automatically be turned off, yet it is not.

I am thinking of filing a bug for this but I first wanted to check here to see if anybody else had noticed a similar problem and may be able to point out something obvious that I am missing.

Thanks!
-Zach
This is standard use on the N900. As others previously have stated, this is meant to be an always on device, which means both power and internet connection. If you want it to disconnect your net connection, you'll have to do it manually.

Intended behavior.
 
Posts: 29 | Thanked: 17 times | Joined on Oct 2009
#7
I disagree with the 'always on' arguement.


This is *not* an internet tablet anymore. Yes, it may have its heritage there but now its a phone. Why? Becayse that is who this device is competing against.

And if the N900 wants to compete it needs to last at least close to as long, battery wise, as its competition. Having ANY radios or ANY hardware on when its not used is a waste of battery, regardless of how large a waste.

Other devices that the N900 competes with go to great lengths to disable unused hardware to conserve battery and I believe the N900/Maemo should do the same.
 

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zerojay's Avatar
Posts: 2,669 | Thanked: 2,555 times | Joined on Apr 2007
#8
Originally Posted by zgold550 View Post
I disagree with the 'always on' arguement.


This is *not* an internet tablet anymore. Yes, it may have its heritage there but now its a phone. Why? Becayse that is who this device is competing against.

And if the N900 wants to compete it needs to last at least close to as long, battery wise, as its competition. Having ANY radios or ANY hardware on when its not used is a waste of battery, regardless of how large a waste.

Other devices that the N900 competes with go to great lengths to disable unused hardware to conserve battery and I believe the N900/Maemo should do the same.
It's not an argument. It's fact. The N900 is an always-on device. As someone that has an N900 in his hands typing this, it most certainly IS still an internet tablet with a phone attached to it. Nokia has worked long and hard to make sure that having it always on isn't that much of an impact on battery life and they did a good job of it.

Remember, the whole point of the thing is to bring you constant connectivity. How are you going to get those IMs if your radios are off?

Turning radios off makes sense on those old phones. This is a new type of device and a new way of doing things.
 
Posts: 29 | Thanked: 17 times | Joined on Oct 2009
#9
I don't think the following marketing message would go over so well

"Try the new N900! It will get you your email and internet instantly because it is always on, but only in the morning. You'll have to switch to your old blackberry in the afternoon"

The vision you propose is very compelling zerojay. The only problem is our technology is not at a point where we can enable this. The battery simply will not last a full day with the radios on and hence the N900 still has to act like everybody else it is competing with and disable unused devices.


So, back to the original point in this thread. Is there a way to automatically disable radios or should I file a bug?
 
Posts: 47 | Thanked: 14 times | Joined on Sep 2009 @ Evry, France
#10
Maybe you should file a "feature request" instead. I personally believe the device should behave as it is now. But maybe adding an option to disable the 3G radio would be useful. For instance, imagine the case where you're far away from any network (camping?) and you don't want the radio to stay on and keep looking for a carrier.
 
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