The white dash in the WiFi connection means you are connected to the WiFi connection. The green check mark means you are connected to the WiFi connection and also connected to UMA. Since AT&T does not offer UMA, you will not get the check mark.
This doesn't seem applicable. I DO get the green checks when connected to an AT&T hotspot, and the Wifi works. The Wifi logo is white, and I can still browse. (I know this, because I turned off the phone function and only left on the Wifi.) So if the check means UMA, then AT&T DOES offer UMA. Otherwise, the check does NOT mean UMA.
The answer is actually self-explanatory.... You have AT&T (there's your problem)! They may have wide coverage, but their network sux. Plain and simple. I have worked with far too many people on the AT&T network who eventually left because things just never worked right, and when they did it was only temporary. I'd rather have a smaller area of coverage and have things work great all the time than have a huge coverage area with things that only work sometimes.
This doesn't seem applicable either, at least as written. AT&T's NETWORK isn't the problem. It's something in the programming of the device. I appreciate your desire to bash AT&T, but it's not very helpful. At least to me.
I guess this means I'm going to have to give in and actually call the dreaded AT&T support line? Dear Lord, may God have mercy on my soul.
This checks your connection, not your Browser speed. To test the WiFi, connect to a WiFi connection and then disable the Mobile Network connection then run the test again.
P.S. Also at anytime while in the Browser you can press the "U" button on your keyboard to pull up the top menu bar and that will tell you right away if you are using the EDGE or WiFi connection in your Browser.
I wouldn't really concern myself with this too much, honestly. In the overall majority of situations, your WiFi connection is going to be at least 3 times faster than your EDGE connection as dictated by your Internet connection. Remember that the WiFi connection goes to a router that then connects to the Internet via a modem of some kind. That modem's connection speed (usually cable or DSL) is the speed that is realized over the WiFi connection - the WiFi connection itself is much faster than the Internet connection so the connection itself does not limit your Internet speed unless, of course, there is a bad WiFi connection with interference. It is also worth noting that the speeds you actually experience on your device is limited by the device hardware itself. This is why the browsing experience on the 8900 as compared to the Bold is very similar, despite the Bold being on a 3G connection - which is faster than an EDGE connection.
EDIT: I see the option you are talking about, its shows up in the menu only when you are using the Hotspot Browser configuration. I don't know what that option does. I just tried to select it on my device but I didn't see any noticeable change. I thought it was a quick switch back to the BIS data connection while browsing, but the status bar still said "WiFi" even after I selected the option. Maybe it does switch to BIS but just on that one page (the page did refresh when I did it) while keeping the setting on "Hotspot". This would be similar to using the quick switch option between page and column view where it only effects the current page at that one time.
