How do smartphones connect to the Internet ?
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http://techexplained.net/how-do-smartphones-connect-to-the-internet/
Craig Charles
http://techexplained.net/author/craig/
There is plenty of confusion surrounding smartphones and how they access the Internet, so we explain everything you need to know, quickly and easily.
The confusion is largely down to smartphones being able to go online in more than one way, and if you get confused, you can end up with a hefty phone bill.
So to be clear, most consumer smartphones can connect to the Internet in two different ways. Through your cellular network and through Wi-Fi. We ll explain each below as well as the concerns and considerations for each.
Connecting via your cellular network
Connecting to the Internet through your phones cellular network is one possible way of connecting to the Internet via your smartphone, and can be referred to as connecting through a 3G connection, 4G connection or a 5G (coming soon) connection.
Basically you re using your phone s own network to connect to the Internet, and the good thing about this type of Internet connection is that its available almost anywhere you have a normal phone signal. This is because the signal is coming from the same place your phone networks mast.
You see, your phone network provider has masts that not only give you a normal phone signal so you can make calls, but they also transmit 2G, 3G and 4G signals that your phone can use to go online. If your smartphone supports the 4G technology (it probably can) then you can get a 4G Internet connection if you re close enough to a mast to get a signal (you probably are.) 4G is essentially a faster type of connection than 3G. 3G in turn is faster than the now-rarely-used 2G connection than older phones worked on.
But be aware lots of smartphone payment plans impose limits on how much Internetting you can actually do. Much like you can have a limited amount of minutes for calling people, or text messages, you also may have a bandwidth limit. This refers to the maximum amount of data your phone can receive from this type of Internet connection over a period of time, usually a month. Every time you visit a webpage, download a file or stream a video, you re getting closer to that limit, and if you go over it, you will get charged.
So if you have a 2GB monthly limit, you can download 2GB worth of information from this type of Internet connection every month and not get charged. Go over and incur extra costs. Remember, even visiting webpages results in information being downloaded to your phone!
Another problem with this type of Internet connection is that it s slower than traditional broadband Internet, but it is getting faster as technology improves.
Wi-Fi Internet
The other way of connecting your smartphone to the Internet is through a Wi-Fi network. In this case you can think of your smartphone in the same way as your laptop or tablet. Wi-Fi networks are transmitted by wireless modems and can be found in most homes or Internet cafes or any number of public wireless hotspots .
Basically, your phone connects to Wi-Fi in the same way as connecting to a laptop to Wi-Fi. First you need to be near a Wi-Fi connection (a modem or transmitter) that you have permission to connect to. This can be your own Wi-Fi connection, a friends connection or a public Wi-Fi connection.
Secondly you need to search the available wireless connections and pick the right one. In most places your phone can pick up a number of connections, especially in cities. Once you find the right network you will need the security key to connect to it, unless it is unsecured.
The good thing about Wi-Fi connections is that they are generally much faster than connecting through your cellular network, and with this connection you are not creeping towards your bandwidth limit. The amount of information you can download will depend on the Internet plan associated with whatever Wi-Fi connection you connected with. These generally allow for much larger limits, or may not even have any limits at all, so you don t have to worry as much about the amount of information you download.
This is why if you want to download something, like an app or a large update, it is better to connect to a Wi-Fi connection. It s faster and you don t have to worry about passing your bandwidth limit.
Other than draining the battery a little faster, the other main disadvantage to Wi-Fi connections is you simply need to be in the immediate proximity of a wireless network you have permission to access. If you re not, you can t connect. If you are in the proximity of one, this should in most cases always be the preferred method of connecting online.
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