AutoDisconnect

Contents

Description

This application automatically closes your idle connections (Wifi + 3G/GPRS + Bluetooth) and switches the network mode of your N900 to 2G when 3G is not used, in order for your batteries to last much longer.

Analysis made with one automatic sync (calendar & contacts) running on a unused device every hour using Wifi Access Point : your batteries will last up to 5x longer with AutoDisconnect enable.

The package is available on the extras repository for the stable version, and on the extras-devel repository for the testing version.

Interface

To manage the application, you can launch the program 'AutoDisconnect' which is available in Settings > Connectivity. You will find 5 tabs :

Network Settings

You can choose which connections to check : GPRS (2G/3G) and Wifi. For each of these connections, you have a tab with similar settings.

Ex :

  • Interval : 5 minutes after 30 seconds
  • Traffic : 2 KB/min

The previous settings means that AutoDisconnect will begin to record the connection traffic 30 seconds after its launch. If 5 minutes later, the total traffic is higher than 5x2KB = 10KB, then AutoDisconnect will consider the connection as used and won't disconnect the device. The next check will happen 5 minutes later.

Auto-Switch 2G / 3G-Dual

Please note that this functionality does not depend of the setting "When should AutoDisconnect be active". So if you enable it, it will work no matter what.

This functionality switches the network mode of your phone automatically to 2G when 3G is not used. So how does it work ?

Every time you launch a new GPRS connection, the network mode will be switched to 3G or Dual Mode depending on your settings. After the disconnection, the network mode will be switched back to 2G.

The drawback of this method is that the connection phase takes more time than in classic mode because of the network mode change. So some of your applications which initiates the internet connection (like OMWeather) could believe it to be a timeout. The switch to the Dual Mode required more time than the classic 3G switch, so use it only when you are in a area where the 3G coverage is bad. You can select the duration of the switch, which will depends of your phone/area. The lowest value is the better.

Note : the network mode won't be changed if you are making a call at the same time.

Possible issues

Automatic MFE synchronizations (calendar, task, email) are not working anymore

An application which required Internet doesn't connect to Internet automatically if the device is not connected (See Bug 7180), except if the author has manually implemented that functionality. So how to keep MFE or my widgets working?

  • In Settings > Internet Connections, Use "Connect automatically" to any network or a specified connection and set the "Search Interval" to some value.
  • Alarmed is an application which allows you to run scripts periodically. Install it and create a periodic run of the following script, which will initiate an Internet connection and run a sync : 
 #!/bin/sh
 
 dbus-send --print-reply --type=method_call --session --dest=com.nokia.asdbus /com/nokia/asdbus com.nokia.asdbus.sync

My Widgets are not refreshing anymore

See Automatic MFE synchronizations (calendar, task, email) are not working anymore above.

See Auto-Switch 2G / 3G-Dual above

Notes

Please report any bugs or suggestions here. For a bug submission, please include the AutoDisconnect log file with your post. Its location on your phone is /var/log/autodisconnect.log.

AutoDisconnect is under GPL license so you can get the full source on github http://github.com/abrisse/AutoDisconnect.

Changelog

0.4.7 [07-21-10]

  • Fix [#6028] Need longer "switch last" durations
  • Fix [#6070] Add Exception for Pidgin Plugin
  • MinorEnhancement : Notification labels changed

0.4.6 [06-14-10]

  • Fix [#5923] Cannot disable the auto-switch 2G/3G - Reporter dagee04
  • Enhancement : Add a link to the Wiki

0.4.5 [06-12-10]

  • Enhancement of AutoSwitch [#5861] : 3G/Dual option - Reporter jaguilar / Active only when 3G is on - Special thanks to maddler / Others enhancements
  • Fix [#5918] : The minus button on the SpinBox on the bluetooth tab was defective - Reporter hironico
  • New feature [#5870] : Add an option: "Do not disconnect while using the device" - Reporter c1fs2aom
  • New feature [#5919] : Add a grace period for each connection

0.4 [06-01-10]

  • New feature [#5732] : Switch automatically 2G <-> 3G - Reporter : automagic68
  • New feature [#5700] : Do not disconnect when openvpn is running - Reporter : maddler
  • New feature [#5738] : Do not disconnect when VoIP or an IM Account (Google Talk, Skype) is used
  • New feature [#5310] : Each connection (gprs and wlan) has its own settings
  • New feature [#5221] : Control Panel Applet - Reporter : pillar
  • Fix [#5733] : Bluetooth is disconnected when the FM Radio is used - Reporter DaSilva
  • Enhancement : Bluetooth manager has been updated and is not loaded anymore when not activated
  • Change default settings & Others enhancements
  • Use of PR 1.2 Qt libraries

0.3.1 [05-03-10]

  • Enhancement : Bluetooth settings changes are now taken in account at the next check

0.3 [05-03-10]

  • New feature [#5260] : Add option "Disable when plugged in" - Reporter : phedders
  • New feature [#5662] : Add option "Disable Bluetooth if no device is connected" - Reporter : DaSilva
  • New feature [#5233] : Add option "Do not disconnect if ssh connections are active" - Reporter : fred123
  • New feature [#5659] : Limit can now be set in B/KB/MB
  • Fix : New Installer (AutoDisconnect didn't work anymore when reinstalled)
  • Enhancement : UI has been reorganized an now uses tabs

0.2.2 [02-22-10]

  • Fix : Max Idle Traffic was a value per second instead of minute
  • Minor Fix : UI Interface - Spelling Traffic instead of Trafic (french)

0.2.1 [02-22-10]

  • Fix [#5236] : Disconnection always happens when interface is up since more than 10MB
  • Small enhancement : display notification when settings are saved.

0.2 [02-19-10]

  • Fix [#5214] : Connection delay - Reporter : amorek13 - Many thanks to mclarson for solving the problem
  • Fix [#5216] : Increase the digits visible in the input fields - Reporter : jakiman
  • Fix [#5222] : Configure Uninstaller & Installer
  • Fix [#5225] : Prevent 2 instances of AutoDisconnect to be run at the same time
  • Enhancement : Punctual connections (~20 seconds) will be closed during the next interval check instead of the second next one.
  • Note : the upgrade from 0.1 to 0.2 will remove your current settings.
Retrieved from "http://wiki.maemo.org/AutoDisconnect"