Android vs. iPhone, Part I

Let me start this by saying I think the Android OS is superior to the iOS in many ways, which I will cover later. For now, take it on faith that I think this.

Having said that, I've found what looks to be a serious problem with Android on my new HTC Desire HD phone. I am still looking into this problem and I have implemented what may be a solution, but it will take up to 48 hours. More on that in a moment, but first, some background.

I had 2 iPhones before now, the second one a 3GS. Whenever I entered my flat, I found the iPhone would be connected to BTOpenzone and I would have to manually connect it to my own hub. This was a trivial step and caused little problems as the phone maintained the chosen connection thereafter.

Not so the Desire. After my first day with it, I found it repeatedly dropping the connection or else being unable to connect at all. It would see the network and then stall at 'Obtaining IP address'. Some googling led me to believe that others have had similar issues.

One possible solution was to download an App called WiFi Analyzer, which I did. I would show a screen shot, but I need to root my phone to use the app that does this and I haven't had time yet. The analyzer showed BT Openzone broadcasting exactly over the space my home hub was using. It also showed a few other networks in the area but showed an opening at channel 4. I switched the hub to that channel and lo and behold, BT Openzone followed my hub.

Turns out if you are on BT Total Broadband, you will have been 'automatically' added to the BT Fon programme which turns your home hub into a BT Openzone hub that can be seen and logged onto from other people. They get IP addresses in a different range from yours, so there is no security risk, but they are using your broadband. Of course you get to use theirs as well.

If you want to opt out of BT Fon, you can do so by going here http://www.btfon.com/. You'll need your BTInternet ID and password. I believe this will fix my problem and I will post when the service shuts off as it will take up to 48 hours.

In the meantime, I think this is a serious problem with Android that it does not appear to be capable of holding your preference for a WiFi connection the way iPhone does.

Sorry, on this one I have to give a big rasberry to Android. Apple got it right, painful as that can sometimes be to say.