AutoDisconnect

Contents

Description

This application automatically closes your idle connections (Wifi + 3G/GPRS + Bluetooth) in order for your batteries to last much longer if like me you have automatic synchronizations. It switches too the network mode of your phone (use 2G when 3G is not required by connection).

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 extra-testing repository. Please vote for it here.

Interface

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

Beta mode : Use 2G when not connected

This new beta functionality appears with the 0.4. It switches the network mode of your phone automatically to 2G when 3G is not required. So how does it work ?

Every time you launch a new connection, the network mode will be switched to 3G. If you're using Wifi, the switch happens too because of a bug in Maemo which makes impossible to know which connection has been launched in if-pre-up.d scripts. But in this case, AutoDisconnect will switch again the network mode to 2G in less than a minute. If you're using 3G then the network mode will be switched back only after the disconnection.

The drawback of this method is that the connection phase last 3 seconds more than in classic mode. So some of your applications which initiates the internet connection (like OMWeather) could believe to a timeout.

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 Beta mode : Use 2G when not connected above

Notes

PLEASE be aware that software hosted in extras-testing and extras-devel catalogues is not ready for and average phone users and is aimed to used only for testing purposes.

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

v0.4 - 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

v0.3.1 - 05-03-10

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

v0.3 - 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

v0.2.2 - 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)

v0.2.1 - 02-22-10

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

v0.2 - 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"