Serval Connect

Without a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth network connection to at least another phone, the Serval Mesh software cannot provide any useful function.

The Enable Services checkbox, when ON, causes your device to periodically announce its presence to the Wi-Fi network and sync Rhizome and MeshMS with all other devices. This may drain your battery while connected to a Wi-Fi network, even when the screen is off.

Below the checkbox are different options for connecting to a Wi-Fi network:

Wi-Fi

The settings icon opens the Android Wi-Fi settings screen, which allows you to choose a Wi-Fi network.

The checkbox turns Wi-Fi on and off, letting Android choose the Wi-Fi network to connect to, if it can.

Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot

The settings icon opens the Android Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot settings screen.

The checkbox turns your Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot on and off. When turning on, your existing hotspot settings are overwritten with the Serval Mesh settings, which includes setting the hotspot name (SSID) to "ap.servalproject.org". When the hotspot is turned off, your existing settings are restored, which you can see because your hotspot briefly turns back on and off again.

WARNING: Turning on the Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot TURNS OFF NORMAL WI-FI, so services like sync, messaging, calendar, etc. may use your mobile data plan and COST YOU MONEY.

WARNING: Turning on a Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot gives other people access to your mobile data plan, which could COST YOU MONEY.

Ad Hoc Mesh

Pressing the "Ad Hoc Mesh" text starts testing whether Ad Hoc Wi-Fi will work on your device. This involves testing whether Super User (root) is available, and if it is, re-installing the system Wi-Fi driver. THIS CAN CAUSE YOUR DEVICE TO BE PERMANENTLY DAMAGED.

Once Ad Hoc Wi-Fi has been tested and found available, the checkbox turns Ad Hoc Wi-Fi mode on and off.

WARNING: Turning on Ad Hoc Wi-Fi TURNS OFF NORMAL WI-FI, so services like sync, messaging, calendar, etc. may use your mobile data plan and COST YOU MONEY.


Copyright 2014 Serval Project Inc.

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