# Turn off WiFi so 3G will work?



## gdae23 (Apr 30, 2009)

I'm in NYC with no power. I tried to get my Kindle NYT subscription via my3G Kindles. But they just keep searching for a WiFi network, and the 3G doesn't go on. Is there a way to turn off this Wifi searching so that the 3G will work. The 3G is working on my iDevices.


----------



## SusanCassidy (Nov 9, 2008)

If there is a wifi connection available, 3G will not be used.  Tell the Kindle to forget any wifi connections it knows about, and it should switch to 3G.


----------



## D/W (Dec 29, 2010)

I don't know which Kindle(s) you have, but on the Kindle Keyboard 3G, press Menu and then Settings. Then select Wi-Fi Settings and "forget" the wifi setting there. 3G should then work (assuming there's a signal). Does that help you?

I hope power is restored for you soon!


----------



## Morf (Nov 18, 2010)

Sorry, but I don't think any of this is relevant.

If your Wifi is off (since the router has no power) then the Kindle will only try briefly to connect then will give up and try 3G - just like it does if it is out of range of your Wifi. 

You wouldn't have to forget your wifi just because you're a mile down the road, would you?  

The message about needing to connect to wifi only appears if both wifi and 3G connection have failed... it's a poor message, it should really say "need to connect to any sort of network" rather than "need to connect to wifi".

My suspicion is that the 3G service that the Kindle uses is unavailable.

I realise your iDevices are working with 3G, but I suspect they are using a different service provider - I don't know what providers they all use in the US.

Either way, forgetting your wifi network will not fix the problem, and will simply give you more work when power comes back because you'll have to re-enter your password and reconnect.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

If it's not finding the broadcast signal it should switch to 3G automatically -- if there's no power at all it's odd that it's not doing that -- but having it forget should solve the problem.  Note, however, you'll probably have to re-enter your wifi credentials when power comes back and the network is again available.

I had the situation where I had power, so my wifi network was still active, but we'd lost cable -- so it didn't actually have any internet access. . . . .so my kindles were properly picking up a wifi network -- it just wasn't a network that went anywhere.

edit after reading Morf's post: he has a good point. . .it might be that the 3G service is not available either.  If a lot of people are trying to use it, it might just be semi-overloaded so accessible.  Early this morning I had a decent 3G signal and could use the hotspot on my phone, but by 8:30 when people started getting up and trying to do stuff, the strength of the connection really went down. . . .


----------



## Morf (Nov 18, 2010)

...and Ann has a good point as well, if you have power in the building so your wifi router is turned on but your broadband connection is broken, then you *would* have to forget the wifi network to get to 3G.

Doesn't sound like this is your problem, though.


----------



## gdae23 (Apr 30, 2009)

Thank you all for your responses. I was looking for an option to forget WiFi, but I couldn't find one. I also thought it would automatically switch to 3G, but that didn't happen. I think those of you are on the right track who figured out it was probably a problem with the 3G provider. My iThings are on Verizon, but I'm pretty sure none of my Kindles are. I hadn't thought about that earlier. Looks like I'll just have to wait and read the paper a few days late.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

gdae23 said:


> Thank you all for your responses. I was looking for an option to forget WiFi, but I couldn't find one. I also thought it would automatically switch to 3G, but that didn't happen. I think those of you are on the right track who figured out it was probably a problem with the 3G provider. My iThings are on Verizon, but I'm pretty sure none of my Kindles are. I hadn't thought about that earlier. Looks like I'll just have to wait and read the paper a few days late.


Ah. . .yes. . . .Kindles are on ATT. . . . so that could be the difference. . . . . .head out to a Starbucks and find a free wifi hotspot!

But, as to forgetting. . . .go to settings and then WiFi Networks (from Home). Click 'view'. If there's a network it's connected to, there will be the option to forget it. Might be it's not there if it can't find the network at all. . . . .


----------



## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

Heh, Ann, you're assuming there are any Starbucks or anything else open in NYC right now...and that they'd be easy to get to (or easy to leave the house, or smart/safe to, etc.).


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Steph H said:


> Heh, Ann, you're assuming there are any Starbucks or anything else open in NYC right now...and that they'd be easy to get to (or easy to leave the house, or smart/safe to, etc.).


Good point...though I do know someone who lives uptown and her power is fine. 

Sent from my Kindle Fire HD via tapatalk


----------



## gdae23 (Apr 30, 2009)

> But, as to forgetting. . . .go to settings and then WiFi Networks (from Home). Click 'view'. If there's a network it's connected to, there will be the option to forget it. Might be it's not there if it can't find the network at all. . . . .


Yes, that's the problem. Since it's showing no network, it's not even giving me the option to forget the network. I was hoping someone knew a workaround, but it looks like there isn't one.

My neighborhood is pretty much shut down today. I didn't check for sure, but I'm guessing that includes the 4 Starbucks within 5 minutes walk of my home. I'm using my iPad and iPhone sparingly to conserve the batteries, but I was able to see the NYT site briefly and read today's headlines for all the sections. That will have to suffice for now! On the radio, the mayor just gave an estimate of the power here not being back on until the weekend. I suspect I'll (somehow) be back at work before that, so hopefully I can read the paper on my computer there at lunch, recharge my various electronics, and maybe hit one of the 3 Starbucks (maybe more?) that are within 5 minutes walk of my office for any WiFi needs.


----------



## gdae23 (Apr 30, 2009)

Charging my cell phone right now in a friendly Staples store about 10 blocks from my home. As soon as I got in an area with power, I was able to connect via 3G on the Kindle and get my NYT for today and yesterday. So that seemed to be the problem. I heard on the news that some cell towers were damaged in the storm, so that may have been an issue too.


----------

