Quick Method To Improve Your Cellular Coverage
In the past, I have heard many of my clients complain about spotty cell phone performance to the point where the phone won’t even ring, and the call might automatically go to voicemail. For many of my readers, this may be a non-issue. If you have excellent internet coverage and have properly set up your phone, you should not encounter this issue.
My Wake-Up Call
However, in a recent service call, a homeowner wanted me to install a Wi-Fi signal booster because they were experiencing dropped calls, spotty service, and fluctuating volume. It was then that I realized their phones were set to “use Wi-Fi whenever possible,” which, although many might consider it a no-brainer, can have devastating effects in certain cases.
Why Wi-Fi
For years, the logic behind using Wi-Fi over cellular has been clear:
- It’s often faster, especially in places with weak cellular signals
- It doesn’t use up your data plan, saving money for those on limited plans
- Wi-Fi networks can be more secure, at least in private settings with strong encryption
- It can preserve battery life, since your phone doesn’t have to maintain a constant search for a cell tower
Why Your Mobile Devices Prefer Wi-Fi
Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android both prioritize Wi-Fi connections over cellular, assuming that Wi-Fi is always better. Some settings can help mitigate this, but most users leave the defaults untouched.
Also, mobile carriers have a vested interest in their clients offloading traffic onto Wi-Fi networks, making fewer data demands on their infrastructure. This translates to lower costs for them.
The Problem With Trusting Wi-Fi
Smartphones are designed to latch onto Wi-Fi whenever it’s available and trusted. But this can lead to several practical issues.
Following its programming, it will stubbornly cling to the Wi-Fi connection, even if the signal is weak and your mobile signal is strong. The result feels like poor mobile performance, but the real culprit is your device’s “signal-minded loyalty” to Wi-Fi.
Network Congestion and Interference
Additionally, when using public networks like cafes, airports, or hotels, they may be saturated with many users. So even if your signal strength is good, network congestion can make access sluggish and unreliable.
Wi-Fi has many advantages, so when should you use Wi-Fi over cellular?
- Use Wi-Fi when you have a strong, private, and secure network, such as at home or in a trusted office environment
- Avoid Wi-Fi when the signal is weak, you’re frequently moving between rooms or floors, or you’re on a weak or congested public network
- Trust Cellular when you see full bars of 4G or 5G coverage, and Wi-Fi is unreliable or slow
Summary
Wi-Fi is a powerful tool, but it is not always the best option. Removing Wi-Fi may improve your mobile performance. In each of the cases above, I had the user turn off the Wi-Fi on their phone, and each received perfect reception. While blindly following the “use Wi-Fi” rule can sometimes lock you into slow or unreliable connections, just turning off the Wi-Fi on your phone may not be as efficient as setting up your phone properly.
Phone companies understand these issues and often provide methods to overcome them. Most users maintain the phone’s default settings and lose the benefit of allowing their phone to automatically switch between the best options. To ensure you receive the best of both worlds, I recommend using a program like Copilot and ensuring your phone can automatically switch to the best available network.
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