When on Wi-Fi, if turn off Celuar data, AT&T Stops More Billing Usuage

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When on Wi-Fi, if turn off Celuar data, AT&T Stops More Billing Usuage

I only surf the web on my iPhone on my home Wi-Fi. I noticed that once I turned off the Cellular Data setting that AT&T's data servIce no longer reported any increases in data usage. No more phantom data usage. No more additional usage at all despite the my daily web surfing on my iPhone 4. Could someone please explain this to me? Thanks in advance.

iPhone 4, iOS 4

Posted on Feb 9, 2011 5:27 PM

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Answer 1

roaminggnome

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Feb 9, 2011 5:32 PM in response to hotJazz

Because you turned off the data service.

Data service turned off = no data usage.

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Answer 2

hotJazz Author

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Feb 9, 2011 6:18 PM in response to roaminggnome

Thanks! So just to make sure we are on the same page:

So when I am surfing on my WIFI with my iphone with celluar data off, AT&T does not think that I am receiving data? I am receiving web pages, watching video, dowloading apps and music, but not data that they want to track and bill?

Maybe ATT is not even in the loop with Celluar data off? When I turn Celluar Data on and surf the web on my WIFI, ATT tracks the incremental usage.

Is this common knowledge? Perhaps more people would have less data tracked and billed by ATT if they only turned on Celluar Data when they wanted to surf by 3G.

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Answer 3

roaminggnome

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Feb 9, 2011 6:22 PM in response to hotJazz

AT&T has nothing to do with your wi-fi usage.

Some things like visual voicemail require cellular data.

AT&T does NOT bill you for any of your wi-fi usage, ONLY cellular data from their cellular network. AT&T is not "in the loop" with your wi-fi usage no matter what your settings are.

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Answer 4

hotJazz Author

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Feb 9, 2011 6:56 PM in response to roaminggnome

OK, I will take your for it. I shouldn't complain, I guess.

Interestingly, when Celluar Data was on, ATT tracked my usage when I surfed on my home WIFI. When I called ATT Customer Service, the rep said that ATT always tracks usage even when I am surfing on my home WIFI. I couldn't understand why they would care if they couldn't bill me for the data on my home WIFI. So I thought I would experiment with turning off Celluar Data.

Thanks for your patience.

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Answer 5

deggie

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Feb 9, 2011 11:14 PM in response to hotJazz

I think you misunderstood what they said, or you weren't clear in your question. If you are at home using WiFi AT&T has no way to track your usage at all.

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Answer 6

hotJazz Author

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Feb 10, 2011 1:56 PM in response to deggie

If you enable Celluar Data, AT&T tracks, but does not bill, your home WIFI usage.

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Answer 7

deggie

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Feb 10, 2011 4:48 PM in response to hotJazz

No, they don't. How do they track how much data I'm sending back and forth when I'm using my home router with WiFi?

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Answer 8

Feb 10, 2011 5:09 PM in response to hotJazz

.

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Answer 9

Feb 10, 2011 5:12 PM in response to hotJazz

This is incorrect and wrong as wrong can be.

When your iPhone is connected to an available wi-fi network, unless your iPhone is connected to a power source when your iPhone goes to sleep while connected to an available wi-fi network, your iPhone will disconnect from the wi-fi network a short period of time after the iPhone goes to sleep and be connected to AT&T's cellular network for any internet access by your iPhone in the background such as checking an email account or accounts for new messages automatically in the background. If your iPhone remains connected to a power source when it goes to sleep while connected to an available wi-fi network, the iPhone will remain connected to the wi-fi network.

Message was edited by: Allan Sampson

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Answer 10

hotJazz Author

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Feb 10, 2011 8:11 PM in response to Allan Sampson

Do you surf your home WIFi most of the time with Celluar Data enabled and your carrier is ATT? If yes, check the Data Detail section on your ATT mobility bill.

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Answer 11

Feb 10, 2011 8:15 PM in response to hotJazz

Yes and I have, and what you provided is incorrect and wrong as wrong can be.

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Answer 12

hotJazz Author

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Feb 10, 2011 9:03 PM in response to Allan Sampson

Interesting.

When I called ATT Customer Service about the data usage tracking on my invoice, she told me that ATT always tracks data even when I surf my WIFI, which I surf 99% of the time. I rarely ever enable 3G.

My last bill had data transfer info like the following (I changed from unlimited to 200 MB):

Rate Code: CMB1=Data Unlimited, CMB2=200MB OF DATA
Rate Period (PD): AT=Anytime
Feature: GPRR=GPRS $0.00 rate APN002, MBRA=GPRS MB Dom $15.00/200MB APN002/APN003/APN004
Item Day Date Time To/From Type Msg/KB/Min Rate Code Rate Pd Feature In/ Out Total Charge
1 SUN 12/19/2010 9:23PM Data Transfer Data 24 KB CMB1 AT GPRR Out 0.00
2 MON 12/20/2010 8:23AM Data Transfer Data 605 KB CMB2 AT MBRA Out 0.00
3 MON 12/20/2010 12:44PM Data Transfer Data 2,905 KB CMB2 AT MBRA Out 0.00

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Answer 13

Feb 10, 2011 9:14 PM in response to hotJazz

The AT&T customer service rep you spoke with is as wrong as wrong can be.

Enabling or disabling 3G network access has no effect on being connected to AT&T's cellular network. Turning 3G access off prevents accessing AT&T's 3G network only. As I already provided, unless your iPhone is connected to a power source while connected to an available wi-fi network, very shortly after your iPhone goes to sleep, the wi-fi connection is disconnected to conserve battery. When disconnected from the wi-fi network, your iPhone's switches to AT&T's cellular network. AT&T IS NOT TRACKING YOUR INTERNET USE WHEN CONNECTED TO AN AVAILABLE WI-FI NETWORK.

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Answer 14

hotJazz Author

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Feb 10, 2011 9:29 PM in response to Allan Sampson

Every morning, noon and evening I surf Internet news on my iPhone on my home WIFI. My iPhone was NOT SLEEPNG at 8:30 am and 12:30 pm in the data in my previous post. I was surfing the web.

When I reviewed my entire Data Detail, NO data transfers happened between midnight and 700 am. Yet, ATT said that my data usage for the month was "Subtotal of KB's 29,373 KB".

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Answer 15

hotJazz Author

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Feb 10, 2011 9:37 PM in response to Allan Sampson

By the way, I originally logged this topic because I noticed that my data usage as reported by ATT declined when I disabled CELLUAR DATA.

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