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Does Push of info to iPhone go over my carrier's data services or what?

I have a 1st Gen iPhone (yep, it's still going), and was wondering how info gets "pushed" to it through my MobilMe account, meaning when it syncs my email, iCal, and Contacts?

Not that it syncs correctly, in fact I've been loosing all sorts of info on my iPhone for sometime now.


Does the info get pushed via my cell carrier's data services?


Reason I ask is, my cell phone carrier recently started charging me for data services, claiming my phone is accessing the web. I NEVER access the web on my phone. I work from home so have no need to access the web via my iphone. Even when I go out, I don't do this either, since I can't afford a data plan. Still, they are claiming it's happening multiple times a day and it's because it's an iPhone. I think this is total BS, but need to proof before I call them on their bogus charges.

Posted on Dec 22, 2011 6:41 PM

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Posted on Dec 22, 2011 6:46 PM

Push goes over wifi or the cell data, with wifi having priority, assuming you have wifi on.

15 replies

Dec 22, 2011 6:47 PM in response to schoodle

Yes. If you're not connected to WiFi, data goes over the cellular connection. All supported carriers require a data plan with the iPhone. I'm pretty sure you can disable cellular data entirely, which is what you need to do if you don't have a data plan and don't want to be charged for using it, on iOS 3, but to tell the truth, it's been so long, I'm not sure any more. I've never had a reason to want to disable cellular data at all. When I travel overseas, I buy a cheap disposable phone and get a local SIM, so it's not an issue for me.

Dec 22, 2011 8:54 PM in response to schoodle

Email, etc., will not go over regular cell service and visual voice mail does not work without data services either. What was probably happening was your phone would go into sleep mode, disconnecting WiFi, and then the phone handles data transfer through cell data.


Do you have the original iPhone with the metal back that is not 3G? Is it on AT&T? Because if so you have also shut off your text plan.

Dec 23, 2011 2:35 PM in response to deggie

I have a jailbroken, original iPhone, with the metal back, non 3G.

I'm on T-Mobile because they have the cheapest family plan.

Texting and email seem to work still, even though I have WiFi turned off, but I only have 1-2 bars at home, and sometimes none at all. Luckily, I have a home phone line, mostly because my cell service is so poor at home.


Apparently, T-Mobile has been charging everyone possible with pay-per-use data services every since they rolled out their data plan back in September, even when many people aren't using their phones. I would be at home doing nothing with my phone at all and they claimed I was connecting to data services when I know I never was.


My daughter's line started getting data charges in just the last month of service and I know she never uses data services either.


T-Mobile claimed my phone, which is WiFi capable, was using data services even when I had WiFi turned off. I have no idea how that's possible!?!


I was charged $27.86 for data services I never used on my Sept 15th - Oct 14th bill with the data usage starting on Sept 30th. The second month, starting Oct 15th, it was already at $50+ of useage when I first saw the charges on the pervious bill. I immediately called T-Moible to complain about the bogus data usage charges. They refused to credit me back for the usage, claiming I had used it all, even though I had not. They also said I had not opted-out of the service, that I had receieved a text telling me about the service, though I never got any such text. Then they said they had every right to charge me for the usage they said was/is happening, even though I said it was not happening. My phone wasn't just going out and using data services without my knowledge. What a load of crap! I mean come on! They said my phone was using data services even in the middle of the night when I was asleep, and also when I was on a plane and my iPhone was completely turned off too. They said one of my children must be using my phone late at night. I explained to them my only child who is still on my plan is a college student and doesn't even live at home, so I know that was a total lie. They were lying like crazy to sooooo many people about the their non-existant usage.


I asked T-Mobile to put a block on the data services and they told me they didn't have a way to do this, but even if they did have blocking, if I blocked data services, I would not get my emails or my texts either. That seemed strange as I never had an issue before this getting those emails and texts.


So, I knew something was very wrong with their data service program. I was pretty sure it was all a scam to convince people they need the data services when many of us don't use it, just because we have smartphones. They said my only recourse was to sign up for a small usage plan for $5 a month, even though I have no use for it and never use it, even while I've had it. However, I didn't stop there on trying to get the bogus charges credited back and find out why there is no way to block data services.


I called a local TV station's investigative team to look into helping me out. They were very quick about this and within a day, I had a call from an assistant to the President of T-Mobile USA saying I would be refunded for all the usage I was charged for x2. However, I still have the $5 a month charge showing up for the last 3 billing cycles now. So, I went online to find out if others are having these issues and found out they are:

http://support.t-mobile.com/message/58567


So, now T-Mobile is back tracking because I think they've been threatened with a lawsuit over it (I threatened them personally too).


So, yesterday, I called them again to complain about the data usage charge they put on my daughter's phone and to demand they initate a block for data usage. My daughter, who is currently home for Winter Break, said she never used andy data services on her phone either. They said they could do this immediately, but they claimed they can't do it for me. Hmmm, I don't think so! I'm going to call them again in a minute to tell them to credit me for those bogus usage charges again and to credit me for forcing me to sign up for a data plan I never use and to put the block on my line as well now!

Dec 23, 2011 2:40 PM in response to schoodle

schoodle wrote:


T-Mobile claimed my phone, which is WiFi capable, was using data services even when I had WiFi turned off. I have no idea how that's possible!?!


That's how it works, If you turn off wifi, if it needs access to the internet, it uses the carrier data network. If they can't disable it, it's an app that's probably calling home or checking something.

Dec 23, 2011 2:47 PM in response to schoodle

schoodle wrote:


I have a jailbroken, original iPhone, with the metal back, non 3G.

I pretty much stopped reading after this. Scanned it to see if there was anything of any importance or not, but there isn't. You're using a jailbroken phone, which can't be discussed here per the terms of use for these forums. You're using an unsupported carrier. You obviously have no understanding of how smart phones and cellular data plans work. WiFi is NOT reliant on your cellular data plan. Turning off WiFi has absolutely no effect on whether the phone will attempt to use data services other than to make the one that would be free (WiFi) unavailable, thus, forcing it to use the cellular data service.


Good luck.

Dec 23, 2011 2:52 PM in response to schoodle

schoodle wrote:


Oh Ho! Is that so? I turn off WiFi and that's when their data usage happens? So, I should leave WiFi on then. Hmmm, so even with WiFi turned ON there's no way to stop the phone from using data services?


Yes, how the phone works, if you're on wifi, it will use that as your data connection. when not on wifi, it will use your carrier data network. WiFi has nothing to do with your carrier.


So, any time you're on wifi, and you have push enabled or any service that is set to access the internet, it will use your carrier's data network to do so. If you've been turning wifi off, t-mobile is right, you were using their network.


Since the iPhone is a smartphone (not a 'feature phone'), more than likely there is no way they can not have it on a data plan. If you don't use it often, get their cheapest plan. Otherwise, you're going to continue to incur data charges. Most t-mobile data plans are only about $10 extra for a dataplan.

Dec 23, 2011 2:56 PM in response to schoodle

An App that's calling home? I don't use any Apps, though there are some on this phone. I just never use them. They were on the phone when I got it. I will have to figure out how to disable them then.


I have now turned off all the accounts on the phone. They didn't work well anyway. I never read my emails on my phone. The calander and the contact list were never synched up properly. Contacts were dropped out many times, very annoying when they are the ones you use the most too. The calander was often not correct either. Events never seemed to get pushed from my home computer to the phone. I have hated this phone for about a year because of it but wasn't sure if it ws the phone that was doing it or MobileMe as MobileMe wsn't getting the right info either.


Seriously, I should just go back to using a daytimer and get myself a basic phone. I never lost info when I used things the old fashioned way.

Dec 23, 2011 3:28 PM in response to schoodle

After more thought, I've decided to keep the 2MB plan for $5 a month. So far, according to my bills, I've only ever used ~50KB, so won't likely will be going over that usage anytime soon. But, should I need it, such as to get a map if I get lost, I'll have it there. And as KiltedTim has pointed out to us all, I'm not supposed to be discussing any of this on this forum, since I'm using a jailbroken iPhone on T-Mobile. So, I guess we should end this conversation.


But one last thing, thank you to everyone who was helpful here to me.

Does Push of info to iPhone go over my carrier's data services or what?

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