[octal105]

Hi,

Can anyone please shed some light on this? Apologies if this has been beaten to death

When you are connected via BB bridge with wi-fi on (working) does your data use come from the wi-fi or mobile data?

My understanding is that when you are in BlackBerry Bridge tab using Bridge Browser or anything else under this tab, you are going through your mobile data. However, if you are using your PB browser under �All� tab, you are going through wi-fi, same goes for applications listed under �All� that require internet connectivity to work (youtube).

Do I have this right?

Thanks in advance!

[Chaddface]

The PB will pick it's WIFI first. If that is not available it will go to your phones WIFI(if available) then to your data connection.
Edit: I spoke to soon. The bridge browser does uses the phones connection(wifi first then carrier connection)regardless if your PB has a WIFI connection or not. Tested by turning off mobile and WIFI connection on the phone.
Anything else under the bridge tab is communication between phone and PB and not your carrier.

[anindoc]

When you are connected via wifi you are using bandwidth via wifi only.

When you have the bridge connected and use the bridge browser, it will go through your phones data plan, irrespective whether the Wifi is present or not.

When you have the wifi switched off, or you are not in a coverage area, and you are using the the bridge browser, native browser or simple browser... it will ALL go through your phones data plan.

[Chaddface]

When you have the bridge connected and use the bridge browser, it will go through your phones data plan, irrespective whether the Wifi is present or not.

I don't think that's true. I'm using the bridge browser now with my carriers connection turned off.

[anindoc]

I don't think that's true. I'm using the bridge browser now with my carriers connection turned off.

Possible, I haven't tried it out, thanks for correcting the error

Ok I was right the first time around then, no problems- Chaddface has posted his edit, so here is mine

[JeepBB]

I think the moral here is not to use the Bridge Browser at all, as it seems completely redundant.

If you use the "normal" Browser, the PB will sort it out intelligently. If it sees WiFi, it'll use WiFi - even if you have a bridged BB connected as well. If you lose WiFi connectivity, it'll automagically switch to using the Bridge connection (through your Dataplan).

Which appears to be exactly how the Bridge Browser works too. However, things were not always so.

Way back when, the normal browser would only connect through WiFi. If you lost WiFi, you got an "No Network Access" error. The only way to browse in the absence of WiFi was for you to switch apps and start to use the Bridge Browser (through your phone's Dataplan).

Some time ago, in one of the 1.07 OS updates, the WiFi -> Bridge -> nothing automagic connection hierarchy was (silently) introduced... at which point the Bridge browser became pretty much a historical curiosity.

Bridge-exclusive apps (messages, contacts, etc) will always use the bridge to the BB phone because they are special - it's really just a display of what is on your phone.

I'm not sure how OS2 native email might change that connection hierarchy - I guess we might know soon.

[octal105]

Thanks everyone!

reason why i asked is because i only have 1 gig of data/month and wanted to make sure i don't go over when leaving bridge on.

[Chaddface]

I use the bridge browser often at home to listen to sirius radio and youtube. Works fine through the bluetooth connection and phone wifi. It frees up the regular browser. Like have multiple windows instead of just multiple tabs. I also have a habit of closing my streaming window by mistake which requires me to log in again.

[Chaddface]

You'll be fine. Test it out at home by turning off your rogers connection but leave WIFI and bluetooth on. You will still be surfing and not using any data.

[JeepBB]

I use the bridge browser often at home to listen to sirius radio and youtube. Works fine through the bluetooth connection and phone wifi. It frees up the regular browser. Like have multiple windows instead of just multiple tabs. I also have a habit of closing my streaming window by mistake which requires me to log in again.

Yes, that's a good point - and I can see that would be useful.

I'm glad the automagic connection hierarchy is now standard. It used to drive me to distraction having to switch to using the Bridge Browser at work (no WiFi!) because it is completely independent of the normal browser and I hated having to maintain two sets of bookmarks!

And yes OP, be assured WiFi will be used in preference to your BB's Dataplan. Particularly important as here in the UK, 500Mb is standard.

[Hgouck]

Like Chaddface I use both. The bridge browser to listen to music and than the regular browser to surf. It works well that way. Also to address octal105 concern of going over minutes, The BB compresses the data that goes through it so you will tend to see less usage than with a non BB phone. I use the bridge app for surfing quit a bit when I am in the field or on work sites (2-4 hours) and have never gone over 750 MB. Now I am not downloading videos or streaming music during those times but downloading pdf, looking up specs, and gathering general info for jobs. Plus Email and SMS/MMS

[TheScionicMan]

at which point the Bridge browser became pretty much a historical curiosity.

Maybe for BIS users, but for BES users, it is still alive and well. Through the bridge browser, I can access our internal work network. Can't get to our intranet from the Browser, but I can with the Bridge browser.

Also, 2G connections don't seem to like the regular browser pass-through thing...

[octal105]

Thanks everyone, good to know about the automagic connection hierarchy....this is why I love my PB, we have 2

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[diegonei]

I think the moral here is not to use the Bridge Browser at all, as it seems completely redundant.

If you use the "normal" Browser, the PB will sort it out intelligently. If it sees WiFi, it'll use WiFi - even if you have a bridged BB connected as well. If you lose WiFi connectivity, it'll automagically switch to using the Bridge connection (through your Dataplan).

Which appears to be exactly how the Bridge Browser works too. However, things were not always so.

Way back when, the normal browser would only connect through WiFi. If you lost WiFi, you got an "No Network Access" error. The only way to browse in the absence of WiFi was for you to switch apps and start to use the Bridge Browser (through your phone's Dataplan).

Some time ago, in one of the 1.07 OS updates, the WiFi -> Bridge -> nothing automagic connection hierarchy was (silently) introduced... at which point the Bridge browser became pretty much a historical curiosity.

Bridge-exclusive apps (messages, contacts, etc) will always use the bridge to the BB phone because they are special - it's really just a display of what is on your phone.

I'm not sure how OS2 native email might change that connection hierarchy - I guess we might know soon.

Bridge Browser is MANDATORY if you need to access the company's intranet via BES. And we know lots of BB users are BES users, so it does have it's value and use.

OP: If you're not in a BES, if you have WiFi on, then why are you using Bridge Browser?

[Chaddface]

Possible, I haven't tried it out, thanks for correcting the error

Ok I was right the first time around then, no problems- Chaddface has posted his edit, so here is mine

To be clear your still not right and I did my edit minutes after I posted and after reading the OP's question again.
I'll say again the bridge browser will use your phones wifi before it looks for carrier data. So using the bridge browser while the phone is connected to wifi will not use carrier data.

Easy enough to try yourself.
Turn off your carrier connection and turn on wifi. Bridge browser still works.

When I said in that post that it uses the phone connection I meant wifi or carrier. Bridge browser picks wifi first. I will edit once again to be clear.

[anindoc]

To be clear your still not right and I did my edit minutes after I posted and after reading the OP's question again.
I'll say again the bridge browser will use your phones wifi before it looks for carrier data. So using the bridge browser while the phone is connected to wifi will not use carrier data.

Easy enough to try yourself.
Turn off your carrier connection and turn on wifi. Bridge browser still works.

When I said in that post that it uses the phone connection I meant wifi or carrier. Bridge browser picks wifi first. I will edit once again to be clear.

I was talking about the carrier data plan vs wifi connection at home,not the one that the BB connects to at home or otherwise. I however get your point.
I was saying that if one does not have wifi connection the BB is hooked onto, then in absence of a wifi network the browser will use the phones data plan, which is similar to when one is traveling and have no wifi coverage where everything goes via the bridge which inturn uses the phones data plan.

[glassofpinot]

Thanks everyone, good to know about the automagic connection hierarchy....this is why I love my PB, we have 2

Glad you asked octal105 - this was a very helpful thread. I didn't think about the "tries phone's wifi connection first" twist. Probably because while I use wifi for the PB often, I have rerely used it on the phone.

[octal105]

Bridge Browser is MANDATORY if you need to access the company's intranet via BES. And we know lots of BB users are BES users, so it does have it's value and use.

OP: If you're not in a BES, if you have WiFi on, then why are you using Bridge Browser?

sorry for the confusion, i am not using bridge browser. PB bridge to BB when there is no wi-fi available. i leave bridge connected even when wifi is available and wanted to know where the data is coming from (mobile data or wifi)

[Chaddface]

The PB will pick WIFI over carrier connection.
I always leave the PB connected via bridge. Leave the phone wifi on and you can use either browser without using mobile data.