So you have a phone with mobile data on your plan. Additionally, your device can use WIFI. But which is better?
It’s better to use WIFI when it’s available and switch to mobile data when it isn’t. Because this is optimal, your device already facilitates this process. Doing so conserves mobile data, saving it for when you need it and potentially saving you money, all while maximizing your data experience.
There are several reasons why this is the most optimal approach to managing data on your device. If you’re curious to find out what some of them are, read on!
What is the difference between WIFI and mobile data?
The difference between WIFI and mobile data is pretty stark when you peel back the layers. They are two reasonably unique ways to deliver the same kind of data. Let’s start with WIFI.
A WIFI connection is typically provided by a WIFI router but can also come from a hotspot created by a mobile device. Even though hotspots exist today, WIFI’s original function was to allow you to connect to a wired internet source wirelessly.
When you connect to a router WIFI connection, your computer is another device on the router’s switch. That means all other devices on that router can see your computer on the network, and you can see theirs. Just like if you connected to the router using a wire.
That’s why some people consider public WIFI to be a bit risky. You never know who else is using the same connection.
However, when you’re on that router’s switch, you’re also behind the packet filtering firewall that the router has built-in, and it’s protecting your computer from the raw internet. If it isn’t your router, you have no way of knowing if the owner has created any holes in that firewall, but most folks aren’t networking savvy enough to make changes like that.
At any rate, that’s effectively how WIFI works. It provides a wireless bridge or connection to the router or hotspot switch, and from there, you access the internet like a wired computer. So naturally, your data speeds will be dependent on the internet service on the other side of the router.
When you connect to WIFI, the access is usually provided free by your host, or it’s part of your monthly internet charges. You don’t get charged extra. You’re just able to use your wired internet service wirelessly.
Mobile data is a bit different. There are multiple technologies available today; too many to go through individually. Ultimately, your device connects to the cell tower network to access all of its services—talk, text, and data.
The towers are then interconnected to a network, public or private, which leads back to the service provider. From there, your device can access the internet.
Even though the wireless technology and the various protocols that support the activity are very different from WIFI, they manage to accomplish the same thing with the same data.
In a mobile network, the data speeds have many more factors impacting performance. First, you have the wireless protocol that your device uses. Then you have the capacity of the service provider’s network. And finally, the loading on that network and how speeds are affected during peak usage times.
Distance to a tower and obstructions between your device and the tower creates challenges in the mobile data sphere that mimic the same challenges present in the WIFI sphere. For example, if you’re too far away or something is blocking your line of sight, your signal, and correspondingly, your data speeds will suffer.
Data is often billed by how much you consume. So many Megabytes or Gigabytes for a price. Some providers offer unlimited plans with speed throttled at a given threshold. Others have truly unlimited data with no restrictions. Regardless, the cost can be a real factor when using mobile data.
Why is it better to use WIFI over mobile data when ever possible?
Historically, it was always better to use WIFI over mobile data just because of the cost. Older plans had relatively little data available, and it could be expensive. Depending on what your service provider options are, you may still be dealing with this.
Overage charges for exceeding your allotted data were and still are incredibly high. These days, with our data-heavy applications, exceeding a data limitation can be very easy. So easy you may not notice until it’s too late. By leveraging WIFI as much as possible, you can reduce your chances of exceeding your data package.
Additionally, if you have one of the unlimited plans, you likely have one of the plans that throttle down to a slower speed if you use it too much. So that also creates the situation where preserving mobile data for when you don’t have any other option is reasonable.
Another factor that is fading into history is that data speed used to be more of an issue. Today, mobile data speeds are usually quite good, but in the past, they were limited. Slower speeds made WIFI a preferred data source because it was faster and made the experience better.
Mobile data can be impeded by interference or barriers, just like any other signal, especially if you’re in a more rural area. However, if you have a WIFI signal nearby, you can still access data services regardless of your location, even with a weak cellular signal.
Best practices for switching between WIFI or mobile data
You’ll notice when you connect to a new WIFI connection that you can choose to connect to it automatically. By checking this option, whenever you’re within range of this WIFI signal, your mobile data will turn off, and your device will connect to the WIFI signal in question. This option can be handy for managing your mobile data.
However, you may want to be picky about which WIFI signals you use. For example, your home WIFI should automatically connect, but what about the local coffee shop? It depends on how you feel about it. Maybe not? Connecting to your friend’s and family’s WIFI will also likely be an automatic connection unless you have a reason to be concerned.
The biggest thing to consider is that when you connect to a WIFI signal, you’re on that switch with other devices, and there’s nothing in between your device and the devices of others. So if you trust the network, then having it set up as an automatic connection shouldn’t phase you. On the other hand, if you aren’t sure, maybe you’ll connect to it but possibly not automatically.
At the end of the day, it depends on your risk tolerance. For example, I don’t use my phone for any banking or personal information beyond the basics needed to operate the device. So, for me, connecting to a given network is less of a concern than for someone who banks with their device and saves all their passwords on it.