Database Develop

Why does GPRS want to connect?

Hello,
on my Diamond, I have e-mail receiving set to "manually" and both weather downloading options unchecked. However, very often, the phone tries to connect to GPRS without asking me for permission. Few days ago, I was playing with my phone, what caused turning off NoData (I dunno why - I have neither turned the Internet profile to "enable" in its settings nor uninstalled NoData). A few moments later, I was VERY suprised to see that.. phone was connected to the GPRS for over 40 minutes! I thought that it'd make my bill like $50 higher. However, it raised my bill for only ~$0,5. I have no idea neither why did it connect nor what did it wanted to do with GPRS connection. Do you have such problems either? What's the matter? How can I fix this so my phone won't want to connect without my demand? Thanks in advance.

NoData should be enough, but I don't know why it reset to enabled if you didn't do this yourself? That said, all it does is toggle some registry settings so perhaps one of the other 'tweak' apps (have you got any installed?) reset the settings...?
Mathew

Yeah, I think that other tweaking apps could make it - that was my first thought. I have Diamond Tweak and Advanced Config installed and I was playing with them, so they could change the settings. My problem though is not to make Diamond unable to connect GPRS - because NoData does everything I want in that matter. I want to know why Diamond wants to connect, while forecast and e-mails checking are off. It'd be great to know that, because maybe then it'd be possible to be sure that (even without NoData) Diamond wouldn't connect to the Internet when we don't want it to do it.

With gprs it's all about the traffic.. the more you download, the more you pay.. I deleted the settings, so it can't connect, even when it wants to.. Only use wifi anyway..
U can enable NoData, but I think it's still possible to manually turn on the connection. NoData won't work then, unless you re-enable and softreset..

djind - oh man, I know how does GPRS work and what do I pay for..
I'll repeat once again, cause I think not everyone got this right. I want to know, WHY does Diamond want to connect to GPRS if it DOESN'T want to download forecast or e-mails. I'd love to have no situations with Diamond trying to connect - without NoData, without deleting settings. Just NO CONNECTING without my CLEAR DEMAND.
Then, please tell me what can make my Diamond want to connect.

You said u were playing around, so opening a page or checking and immediately unchecking weather download or any program using gprs would trigger the connection.. or mayme by accident pressed something..
It's done like that to increase your phone company's income
How about disabling the gprs auto-attachment option found in diamindtweak (or was it advanced config)

Just delete the setting if nothing work, and use wifi...
I actually have unlimited 3G service, so i don't really care if it stayed connected or not (and battery is not really a issue for me..)

djind said:
How about disabling the gprs auto-attachment option found in diamindtweak (or was it advanced config)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not going to help in this instance. Disabling auto-attachment merely stops the phone resgistering itself as a GPRS-enabled device with the network until it actually requires a data connection to be established. Hence, as soon as the OP's 'rogue app' requests a connection it will get one.
Tigrowski, sorry for the confusion - I was specifically answering your question of how to stop the phone connecting without your demand. I am not aware of an app that could identify this rogue app, but perhaps if you find a packet sniffer that'd give you some clues (i.e. from where the traffic is going, ports etc and, if using cleartext ASCII the actual data being sent).
All said and done though, I think you'd be better of just relying on NoData to put the barrier up as even when you've identified the rogue app you might not be able to make it behave. Besides which there'll likely be another one round the corner wanting to connect when it feels like it! (that was one of the reasons behind why NoData was developed, particularly for roaming users given the significant financial impact of out-of-control network-enabled apps)
Mathew
P.S. It's not QuickGPS periodically downloading almanac data is it? (check the setting as this can be controlled, although it should only be doing so weekly anyway)

Random Data Connections

Hey all,
I've had numerous random data connections on my XDA ignito since installing GenY's R5.3 which last for 8 hours + (until I physically disable it)
Although ive got a unlimited data plan through O2, this is annoying me no end and drainign my battery has a result.
Its even connecting itself throughput the night even though there has been no activity on the phone to cause it.
Ive installed Microsoft My Phone but the sync schedule is set to manual.
Installed cleanRAM and s2u2 but was happening before that.
Also unchecked 'download weather automatically' in the weather tab and the 'last update' confirms that.
Push internet is set to off in data settings under the internet tab.
Other than that, no other data programs have been installed short of whats on this ROM, ive set what i can find to manual.
I did enjoy the setting 'Disable all connections when device enters sleep' on the stock ROM that came with this phone but i've yet to see this setting re-appear on most ROMs ive seen.
Is there any programs on the sly in sense 2.1 that need to constantly check for updates?
Are there any tools to check what programs are accessing the data?
Can anyone suggest anything ive missed!?
Cheers for your help.

Search for Nodata app, it will help you disabling automatic data connection.

totally disable mobile Data

so im leaving the country in a few hours and taking my G1 with me, been looking at solutions to effectively disable ALL mobile data, without affecting Voice. basically i'll be using a PPD SIM and dont want random data charges munching my minutes.... all sense roms have this option built in, but heres a few problems, 1.5 has no nav in maps, and i plan on using it over WIFI, 2.1 sense is just too batt hungry and unstable to possibly wind up lost in a foreign country where i speak 0 words of the native language.
from what ive read APNdroid doesn't quite do it.... is there any way as root i could effectively "break" the data connection?
or alternatively does anyone know of SoftBank in Japan offers ultd Data for PPD SIMs? if so how much? and any ideas weather i'll be able to get 3G or only EDGE with my T-mo Radio

try dialing *#*#4636#*#*
then "Phone information"
menu button
"More"
"Disable data connection"
Do the same to turn it back on.

id read about this fix as well, however it appears it doesnt hold across reboots, ima be here for a couple weeks, i need a more permanent solution...
is there no way to physically remove the drivers that control the mobile network via ADB or maybe pull it out of an update.zip before flashing?

I think the option below it is "disable on boot". You could try that.

change the APN settings, or get a program called quick settings from the market. either way is a quick fix.

the set on boot option will reset its self after the WiFi is cycled... and of course without data i'll be using wifi as much as possible.... so far APN droid has served me pretty well, however i've still cought glimpses of that 3G icon, so if anyone has any ideas im all ears
i remember some early Haykuro ports that had improper Radio drivers and had no data connection, so if anyone knows what files those would be thats really the key im looking for

bump/update
the only time i see it trying to pull data when the APN is disabled, auto sync is off, and bkgrnd data is off, is in one of 2 cases, immeadeatly after i cycle off wifi, i see the 3g icon for a split second, and sometimes when im in Market uninstalling something
ive come to the conclusion its probably easier to just leave WiFi on and not touch the market unless ive got a WiFi signal, but now its almost a matter of i know that theres got to be a way to do it (seeing as with Root, i should be able to "break" just about anything) and its eluding me....
if anyone has any clue as to what files control the data "drivers" or whatever, im sure i can take it from there, just need a push in the right direction (or directory, lol)

Go to APN under Networks and just delete all the APNs.
Alternatively you can make a new one with bogus information and select it.

... did you even read my post.... that was my first try, days ago...

Strange data issues. How to track down malicious apps?

Alright, I really need some help from the big boys here.
I have had my N1 since release. I have T-Mobile and no data plan. Everything I do is over wifi.
On Friday, I saw the 3g icon on my phone for the first time. It appeared out of nowhere and just flips between 3G and E since T-Mobile just blocks data for non-plan users. This was killing the battery life of the phone.
I called Google and they ran me through *#*#4636#*#* to disable the data connection. This fixed the problem for a while; However after a while the phone will give a message that there is no service provider and will reconnect to T-Mobile (it has never done this before outside of phone boots). When it is back up the 3G/E cycling starts again. Even worse the data connection still lists as disabled and will not re-enable. I have to pop the battery out while it is running to get back in to disable it.
Google thinks its an app but I have removed everything but Touchdown and K9 which I don't think are the problem. I have used Android OS Monitor and I do see connections to 64.15.75.218 and 209.44.107.13 which are hot beds for malware and when I uninstall any app these connections vanish temporarily. But they come back after a few hours.
Anyone seen this before or know a way to track IP connections to a particular app?

I have no solution for tracing 'malicious' software but it is possible to just disable all mobile data usage.
Settings/Wireless and network settings/ Mobile networks > "Data enabled"
If you unselect this there should be no more data transfer while on the mobile network.

I do not have that option. Google Rep said it was only in froyo.
Problem is I did the same thing for 2.1 but it keeps coming back on. Even with wifi the phone connects to these ips so who knows what it is doing.

3G isn't used only for data, you can do voice on 3G.
Could be T-Mobile expanding 3g into your are where you didn't have coverage before.
Call T-Mobile and make sure you're not actually using data.
As for tracking applications, you can use System Panel Pro of the market to monitor how much data applications are using.

I know I am not using data. The T-Mobile account page is pretty detailed and I am unable to do anything online when wifi is off. 3G has also been available for a while here as I know others that use it.
I will check out system panel.
Thanks.

UmbraeSoulsbane said:
I do not have that option. Google Rep said it was only in froyo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is indeed only on Froyo, however, Froyo is out now, so install it and you'll instantly benefit.

A few more things:
Were you receiving or sending MMS (picture/video messages) when the 3G icon popped up? This is normal and doesn't usually come out of your data balance.
If you'd like to be triple-sure you're not using data, go into the APN settings. Edit the APN name - e.g. change tmobile.com to nomobile.com. Now it *really* shouldn't be able to access data.

Smarphones would be well to do to have a Zonealarm/little snitch type app for this purpose.
Id imagine ad based apps wouldnt be too happy about it. At the least an app that reports IPs times , and IN/OUT info.

I never use SMS or mms and have not gotten any during this time.
My concern is not related to getting charges but with unwanted use of my phone or data. When the data connection auto enables it will go through my battery in a matter or hours and who knows what the phone may be doing.
I know I can turn this off and make sure data is not used - in fact I have already done this. However when smoke enters room you don't just put a towel under the door and forget about it. I want to find the source of this and stop it because the behavior is not normal.
I agree something like zone alarm would be good. You should be able prevent or track an app activities for situations like this. If I knew what was connecting to these IPs and enabling the data connection I could stop it and report the app or submit a bug request. Right now I am just all alone.
I did try system panel which seems like a nice app but it does not give me good information on network usage by app. OSMonitor is better at connection monitoring but doesn't list by app. Why has no one thought to monitor network threads by app?

Try alogcat maybe? Any time you notice the icon suddenly appearing, save a copy of the logcat and comb through it.

alogcat may work. Figured out OSMonitor had something similar and filtered by app.
Now I just gotta wait I guess. Still not enough info to relate to IP though.

You should know that the data connection setting isn't an enforcement for the entire phone. It only acts as a notice to applications on whether or not to use data in the background.
Developers are supposed to respect those settings, but they are not enforced.

There is a free program called Network Statistics which is no longer in the market. I will backup the apk for you and upload it so you can use it. It shows the amount of data used by each app.
I too had a data hungry app issue and this helped me solve it immediately.
I'm just at work ATM, so I'll do it this evening. (Almost midday now here in Australia )
Cheers,
Ross

@JCopernicus
I am aware of this which is why I want to track this problem down.
@Ross
That sounds great. I appreciate the help. Not sure if tracking data usage is enough since I don't think the app is sending a lot of data. But I am willing to try anything.
I should be getting froyo soon so maybe that will help as well.

This is what I do when I want to ensure I don't use Data. Go I. To wireless connections. Mobile Networks, and then access points. Create a new one. I usually call it No Data. The for the apn, I just make something dumb, like no.data.com, and then save. After I'll select that as my apn.

The issue is not about the use of the data connection. I have done this and can guarantee the phone cannot use any cell data network. The problem is an app is trying to use it anyway even when it is disabled. Even if you ignore that as a concerning activity the constant 3G searching reduces the battery life to a mere hours.
I appreciate the help, but my issue is not with how to disable the data connection. Its about identifying malware on my device, and tracking an app calls to a specific IP.

Again,k 3g doesn't mean data. 3g is also used for voice.
If you only want to use "2g" switch your phone over to gsm only through 4636 or through the menu where it says "use 2g only".
You will never see the 3g icon again.
If you wan't to be 100% sure no app is calling an IP, then do a factory reset. Install apps one by one, monitor them through the various options given in this thread already.
You will not be able to prevent an application from "calling home" unless you modify the app itself. Apps use the data connection provided to them by the OS however they see fit.
Every app you install has a permissions prompt that will tell you it want's internet access.

JCopernicus said:
Again,k 3g doesn't mean data. 3g is also used for voice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Android "3G", "H", "E" or "G" icon denotes data. It may also appear temporarily when making the connection necessary to transmit MMS. It does not appear when the phone is using voice over 3G without a data connection.

Actually, this may be a T-Mobile issue - they just enabled the ability to do "pay as you go" data on ALL plans without a data plan, so they may be the ones turning on the ability to do data. You'd still need to authorize it in your browser, and I think it costs about $1/1MB so it is totally not worth it.
May be worth looking into because it wouldn't surprise me if their new "service" is screwing things up.

I am aware of 3G voice but the 3G status icon is related to data flow. I have had the phone since launch and posted this because this behavior is not normal. Even Google was perplexed by what it is doing. And as I said it is not constrained by the 4636 settings.
And I disagree that an app can use the network connection as they see fit. Rights are given to perform its intended purpose; anything else is malicious.

Question Data connection is active even when on WiFi

Hi all,
I'm noticing that the data connection seems to be active even when on WiFi. Is there any option that I need to disable so that the phone runs entirely on WiFi. I looked in the developer options and keep data alive option is unchecked. Am I missing something?

amirage said:
Hi all,
I'm noticing that the data connection seems to be active even when on WiFi. Is there any option that I need to disable so that the phone runs entirely on WiFi. I looked in the developer options and keep data alive option is unchecked. Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, just go into Wi-Fi Settings / Advanced and switch off tab (Switch to mobile data)
That's all.

Hi. Thanks for this but this option was never enabled in the first place. Anyways, it's self corrected now...aah..the wonders of the tech world

amirage said:
Hi. Thanks for this but this option was never enabled in the first place. Anyways, it's self corrected now...aah..the wonders of the tech world
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's enabled by default just to keep your internet connection stable when wi-fi has an issues.

amirage said:
Hi. Thanks for this but this option was never enabled in the first place. Anyways, it's self corrected now...aah..the wonders of the tech world
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will re-appear occasionally. Even if you turn off the "Switch to Mobile Data" setting, the mobile data icons and wifi icons will appear concurrently on the status bar. This happens even when the wifi connection is solid. Usually the mobile data icon disappears after a few seconds or minutes on its own. I'm not sure if its by design (for MMS or RCS or something else) or if it's a bug. But you're not the only one seeing this. My colleague has an S21U too and he shared a similar experience.

e.kabashi95 said:
It's enabled by default just to keep your internet connection stable when wi-fi has an issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm suffering from the opposite problem!
I *WANT* to keep mobile data enabled while connected to Wi-Fi, but the setting on my phone has no effect! When I turn on the setting, my phone will still ignore mobile data.
I verify this by connecting to my dashcam via Wi-Fi. The dashcam does not provide any internet via Wi-Fi, but merely allows my phone to view the dashcam output and stored files. But once I connect my phone to the dashcam, then my phone has no connection to the internet. I can't force it to use the mobile data at that point. The phone is not behaving as it should. My older phone, LG G6, is able to successfully connect to the dashcam and still access the data through the cell signal.
The S21 Ultra simply cannot achieve this. I have the T-mobile variant, in the US.
I believe this is a bug. Can you get this setting to actually work? Like maybe test it by connecting your phone to your Wi-Fi router but disconnect the modem from the Wi-Fi router?
I'll post a separate thread for this, because I think it's a bug and maybe others are suffering from it without realizing.