What is the point of airplane mode?
#11
(05-11-2021, 06:37 PM)Avatars Wrote: Not only that if you toggle the dipswitch it cuts ALL the radios incl. the gps. Take google's FUSE nonsense into account and the 'modem' aoparently can't tell the difference between wifi, bt, and gps (only the software/gui can from a user's standpoint). Therein lies the issue. The control over who has the code to your modem/bt/gps abilities. Until google's nonsense stops it's just FUSEd nonsense endlessly. The cellular radio should be COMPLETELY separate from everything else PERIOD. The fact that it's not is a problem that won't just go away with an update. Need new hardware that separates that BS apart.

The dipswitches inside the phone are cute but in reality are worthless if all the radios are fused together in one module. The pinephone once you put a sim in that also has data, you can't switch data off without disabling the entire sim card. So my point stands. Fusing all the radios onto one switch is just plain bad engineering all around and does not make for "security" (theatre) whatsoever.

The WiFi and Bluetooth are handled by Realtek 8723CS and are separate from the WWAN modem.  Don't take my word for it, have a look at the PinePhone schematic yourself and search for the SW1-A and SW1-B switches that control the WiFi/Bluetooth and the modem separately.

What's Google FUSE, by the way?
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#12
Here's the Airplane Mode and Setting ap behavior I have experience with Mobian and EG25 modem firmware 01.003.01.003, though I think it behaved the same way with my original 01.001.01.001 firmware. Once you understand its buggy behavior, it's easier to deal with it and not get bit by it.

it seems Airplane Mode is falsely indicated whenever Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are both turned-off via either the screen top bar icons or the Settings ap. When this occurs, Settings >> Mobile displays no information, controls, or "Modem Details" but my modem can still send and receive SMS and voice.  The workaround to recover the Settings >> Mobile screen functions is to tap the Settings >> Mobile "Turn off Airplane Mode" button. Then Bluetooth will pop back on so it will need to be re-disabled too. Bluetooth can then be toggled on and off without incurring the false Airplane Mode. However, if both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned off, the false Airplane Mode will recurr.

When I'm away from home, I usually only want cellular service enabled on my Pinephone. Why power-up Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios when they are not being used?

Not only is this buggy behavior annoying but, in a true airplane mode, radio transmissions must be blocked.

Finally, If the Modem Manager GUI ap "Activate" button is pressed, the modem will provide WWAN data, even though the Settings >> Mobile screen continues to report "'Wireless Wan is disabled and falsely indicating "Airplane mode is on" or, if the "Mobile Data" switch is off, WWAN data can still flow. Re-launching the Settings ap makes no difference; it doesn't seem to know that Modem Manager GUI has activated WWAN on an network registered and connected modem! A user could unknowingly burn through expensive WWAN data this way!
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