like the topic says, i've given up on the iphone (3G 16GB) and i've moved to the N900. I'm enjoying it, so far, but there's some issues i'd like to address, the largest of which involves the N900's lack of ability to stay online.

during the day, the phone collects e-mail and takes IM messages like i expect it to, but, quite often, when i explicitly open the phone for an online task (even when i'm in range of known wifi spots [home & work]), it can't access data through the browser or message someone over IM because it's not online (no live data connection).

it has cell reception bars, usually as 2G (i leave it as 2G for battery life, the same way i did with my iphone), but i have to manually point it to a way to get online (either wifi or, more likely, to a data connection through my wireless provider - which usually requires a switch to 3G - this is another curiosity, as i'd like to maintain a 2G data connection like i did with the iphone).

i don't understand why it's not maintaining a 2G data connection at all times... or why it lets go of and doesn't regain a wifi connection.

under settings --> internet connection:
'Connect automatically' is set to 'Any connection'

to use this device, a constant data connection seems a necessity. my data plan is unlimited and i'd like the N900 to be live at all times. hopefully more experienced users can point out if i've gone about something wrong or how to improve the data connection reliability/useability.

i dont understand what exactly your problem is.but if i go online at home it chooses automatically wlan and if im outdoor it chooses 3g or 2g.
but its reallt curios that you want to be always online because most users wants the opposite,to be auto disconnected.the app auto disconnect does that.

do you know that your battery will probably die after a half day if youre always on???

Go to Settings, Internet Connection, then choose your connection (say, the one you have at home) and click through options until you get to Advanced. There, switch off the power saving mode. See if that helps. It did help me, but it eats the battery like crazy. Haven't found a better solution so far, so perhaps power users can help with this one.

Download an app called mode selection applet, then go into clock menu ,there should now be 3 buttons to choose from dual, gsm, 3g,pick gsm it should now stay on 2g connection.

to use this device, a constant data connection seems a necessity.

Surely you only need a connection when an application actaully requires Internet access. If you are connected all the time by manually engaging an access point, battery life will suffer.

If you have 'Connect automatically' set to 'Any connection' then when a application requests Internet connectivity the device should connect. This seems a reasonable compromise.

A sensible app to install then is 'AutoDisconnect' this will automatically disconnect the access point when traffic falls below a certain threshold.

Once I've connected to the internet via 2G/3G it stays connected via 2G/3G until it looses signal, and I'm pretty sure it reconnects when it gets it back. Only when I have no apps requesting the internet will it disconnect if out of range....

Does you n900 is loosing 2G/3G signal or it's getting weak?

thanks for the replies, it does seem as though i'm misunderstanding what the device is/should be doing to some degree.

the main thing i'm a bit frustrated with:
- is when i open the n900 and run an app that requires internet data and the result is a prompt from the phone saying no internet connection available and i have to manually tell it to connect to t-mobile internet. i'm not sure why this is a manual process. even if there's no existing connection, it should go fetch one.

any thoughts on that?

I don't know about your connection issues but you may want to check this out too for your email client:

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=56634

As for connection issues, I know AutoDisconnect will let you use 3G when you need and then switch back to 2G when it's not in use to save battery.

This is not true. I am constantly online... either with 3g or wifi. Though i am not using the browser all the time. And it will hold the charge more than 24h. Normally around 48h.