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When I turn WiFi on, my 3G connection shuts down, which is fine in most cases. However, I need to connect to a LAN at work that is not connected to the internet and I'd prefer not to lose my data connection when I connect to the work intranet.

How can I keep both connections active?

Ideally, I could limit this desired behavior to this one SSID because I want it to continue to operate with the default behavior for all other WiFi connections. If that can't be done, prefer a solution that is easy to toggle on and off.

I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Verizon Wireless) on CyanogenMod 9.

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  • See this answer In short you cannot have both on as they are mutually exclusive.
    – t0mm13b
    Sep 22, 2012 at 13:23
  • @t0mm13b, is this an Android limitation, then? My understanding is that with iOS, APNS is always enabled, and is always using the data connection. It would seem that with Android, you then simply go offline with some apps as the switch between the connections is performed?
    – cnst
    Jan 20, 2014 at 18:34
  • For example, I need to be able to be always available on SIP, it would seem like having WiFi enabled then precludes such requirement; on the other hand, when you don't have WiFi enabled, then the GPS doesn't work. WTF?
    – cnst
    Jan 20, 2014 at 18:36
  • @cnst its an Android limitation, mainly how the RIL driver is programmed in conjunction with Android's Ts TelephonyManager (PhoneManager). To be capable of using both WiFi and 3G would require modifications of the RIL driver and TelephonyManager/PhoneManager located in the bowels of the lower layer of the telephony mechanism handling on the java side. You mentioned about iOS's APNs which is definitely applicable for data transmission over the telephony 3G layer.
    – t0mm13b
    Jan 20, 2014 at 21:18
  • Also for GPS, it does not need WiFi, in fact, it can work over 3G if so required but Google Maps recommend WiFi usage in conjunction with GPS so not to drain your 3G data plan. If you are unlimited data plan by all means, great. But having said what I said, there is no known modification of RIL on the net to enable/bypass the mutually exclusive flip-flop mechanism either. Am 100% sure the same applies to iOS - switch on WiFi, 3G gets disabled. No wtf's there from what I can see.
    – t0mm13b
    Jan 20, 2014 at 21:20

3 Answers 3

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Despite the wide-spread information of its impossibility, an app named Super Download claims to be capable of this, as you can read in the article Combine 3G 4G Mobile Data + Wifi together to Boost Download Speeds at Geeknizer.

Super Download

As expected, this comes from one of the XDA developers (elban) -- and, also expected, it requires your device to be rooted (not an issue for you, as you're running CM9;) ).

According to the article, you should keep some things in mind additionally:

  • Using both connections is not supported on all devices / rom combinations.
  • Some web servers may provide insufficient functionalities on the requested files.
  • The Lite version has a filesize limit of 50 megabytes. You’ll have to buy full version to go further. But if you download it from here (using barcode below), its free, with full features, courtesy of XDA).

EDIT: t0mm13b was so shocked that he dug deeper, so I can now add the link to the FAQ of Super Download...

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  • Am shocked to see this - how the hell does it multiplex tcpip through both wifi and [3|4]g .... looks interesting, would expect that requires a custom kernel with a particular wifi chipset no?
    – t0mm13b
    Sep 22, 2012 at 15:44
  • @t0mm13b As I already wrote in my answer: Using both connections is not supported on all devices / rom combinations. That's all I know about it...
    – Izzy ♦
    Sep 22, 2012 at 16:05
  • I'm curious how well it works -- didn't try it myself, as I had no need yet. But just in case... Please, let us know then ;)
    – Izzy ♦
    Sep 23, 2012 at 0:10
  • It didn't work. I ran the app and I had both the 3g and the wifi icons in my notification bar but I couldn't get on the internet. I checked my connection status in elixer and it showed that despite the icon my cellular data was disconnected. Thanks anyway.
    – Matt
    Sep 23, 2012 at 11:46
  • So you probably was affected by the not supported on all devices / rom combinations. Sorry to read that. But it was worth a try.
    – Izzy ♦
    Sep 23, 2012 at 14:43
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There is Notification Toggle, which can display buttons on the notification bar to quickly toggle Wifi and many other stuffs. Didn't CM have this built in though?

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  • The toggles don't seem to override the either or restriction.
    – Matt
    Sep 22, 2012 at 23:33
  • @Matt: you're correct, it's an answer to this part of the question If that can't be done is like a solution that is easy to toggle on and off. I don't think there's a practical implementation of SuperDownload-like dual network is available for arbitrary connections yet, and so thusly.
    – Lie Ryan
    Sep 23, 2012 at 7:53
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That is very strange. There are some apps, like Livestream, that will allow you to connect over WiFi to a GoPro or other action camera and stream it using the cell phone's 4G connection.

I have a Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime and I can stream from a WiFi FPV camera. I did have to root the device though.

I do know for a fact that the Livestream app works for streaming WiFi video over 4G on both the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Grand Prime.

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