In previous chapters about Carl's cellphone experience we asked about linking the cellphone to computer Wi-Fi, which, with help from Artisan, Johny, Mark and others, we eventually managed to do. Looking back on the experience I think I failed to have a clear idea of how it all works. It is important to realize that Wi-Fi expressly refers to wireless connections between router and device on one of the Wi-Fi radio bands, such as 2.4 GHz. But now I realize that my radio streaming computer was not operating in the Wi-Fi mode, it was connected to the internet modem through an ethernet cable. But a second computer, a work computer, does have a Wi-Fi channel, and I think my cellphone figured out a round-about way of connecting through the router. But what would happen if both computers used ethernet without any Wi-Fi at all. It seems obvious that the cellphone could then not connect to either computer through the router.
But another thing happens that's puzzling... while listening to KDX on the cellphone I continue to hear my station even when I move beyond the range of my router's Wi-Fi. How does that happen? I am guessing the cellphone switches to data access over the cell telephone network.
To avoid mental overload I will hold additional questions for another stab at cellphone operation.
Think of your cell phone wifi connection as a virtual ethernet cable to your router. You should be able to access all computers connected to your router, whether they're using wifi or ethernet cables.
None of my computers actually use wifi - they're all connected to my router through ethernet. And yet my cellphone can talk to any computer on the network through wifi.
And yes, I believe your guess is correct. When you go past your wifi signal, your phone will switch over to the cell phone network. It may actually be disconnecting for a short time and then reconnecting.
Artisan, I am baffled and boggled by what you say...
A 'virtual' ethernet cable? How can a wireless path between cellphone and computer be active when computer Wi-Fi is turned off? Is it a religious miracle or just magic?
Your cellphone is connecting to your wifi network via the router. You mention you have a router. The router runs a DHCP server and assigns an IP address to the cell phone.
Your computers, I assume, since you have multiple, also connect to the router, but via ethernet cables. Again, the router assigns an IP address to each. These IP addresses are typically something like 192.168.1.x or 192.168.0.x (depending on the router). 10.x.x.x is also sometimes used.
When your cell phone talks to a computer, it goes via it's wifi connection to the router, and then back out to the computer - the devices don't communicate directly.
The router also takes care of translating the local IP addresses assigned to the one that the rest of the world sees over the Internet.
I did make some assumptions there with your configuration.
As the Summer Solstice arrives, I have a new cell phone question. I use the cellphone everyday as a radio to listen to KDX from my pocket. The 'Player' that starts KDX playing is located on the Home page of my website at kdxradio.com, and today I happened to add a few things to the Homepage, but when I activate it on the small screen I am getting the previous version of the page. I do not know how to update the page.
You're getting the cached version of the page in your cell phone browser. Refresh the page (exactly how will depend on the browser you're using) and the new one should show up.
@artisan-radio Indeed, I need to REFRESH the page, but so far I haven't figured out how to do it. I don't see a coiled pointer like on computer browsers.
What browser is it? Chrome, built-in?
Sometimes the refresh is in the menu (three dots somewhere on the top or bottom).
You could try forcing a refresh by stopping and starting the browser. Or restart the phone.
As a last resort, you can go to Settings in the Phone, Apps Manager, and select the browser. There's an option to get rid of the browser cache and/or data. But you may lose any passwords, cookies, etc. that it has stored.
@artisan-radio Ya, the cellphone has the built-in Chrome Browser.
Of course, to test the REFRESH method I needed to add a change to my Main Website Page, so I added a bold announcement that 'The Blare Blog is Returning'.
But when I brought it up on the cellphone it opened already refreshed, so there was nothing else to try.
I do know that the '3-dots' you spoke of show up on certain screens but not on others.
It's not an urgent problem, just part of my slow education.
To be continued.
@carl-blare With the chrome browser, to refresh you have to swipe down from the top of the page.
The other day while avoiding the hot sun I got to wondering about as yet untapped possibilities with my cellphone. I wondered how to record my voice with it. And I wondered if it could record telephone calls being made on it. Finally, how can audiofiles made on it be downloaded to the computer?
For a long time I resented the cellphone, but now I'm getting to admire it very much.