o2 WWAN

[JUSTASKING]

My phone keeps dropping wifi in preference for 02 WWAN.

02 WWAN doesn't show up in my wifi list.

Automatic connection to networks is DISABLED on my phone (iphone 12)

I connect to the internet via my wifi - private, unique password protected - however I've started using a VPN. The VPN software alerts me whenever my phone drops my own wifi connection and starts using o2 WWAN. 

None of my computers have WWAN capability and no-one in my house has that ability either.

This means someone somewhere is using WWAN to connect and spy on my device - which would require them to have access to my phone details? 

Or is there another reason why my phone would connect to a WWAN network automatically?

Thanks

[Bambino]

@JUSTASKING This is just a guess, and I'm sure someone here who's more technical than I am will know more, but I would think that it probably has something to do with your VPN. Have you tried connecting the VPN to a different IP address? What happens when you switch the VPN off?

Difference Between WLAN and WWAN | Difference Between

[madasaf1sh]

@JUSTASKING

WWAN is Wireless Wide Area Network, is the proper name for Mobile Broadband / Data Connections.

So basically your VPN, is sensing a drop in WiFi, can be one or more packets, and your phone, is switching to o2's data network.

Do you have on your iPhone, network assist enabled? as this will drop to o2's data network as well.

No one is spying on your device or network traffic, if they are they can use much simpler techniques.

Also if your worried about people prying on your connection don't use a paid for VPN service, setup your own. (most keep logs of traffic for law enforcement etc).

[JUSTASKING]

Thanks for your help. my phone isn't able to switch to a data network because I don't have a sim card in this phone.

The reason I don't have a sim card in it is I believe it was compromised from the day i bought it. eventually after months of harrassment in different forms, i removed it and relied upon my wifi to connect. The reason I use a vpn is i'm unable to use whatsapp video calls without it. When I try to whatsapp a contact the call goes through but I can't hear them and they can't hear me. If they try to contact me via whatsapp video, the call is cancelled their end immediately and I get a notification that i've missed a call. 

I logged into my router and discovered there were 6 proxies opened for whatsapp on my network so I cancelled all of those, but the issue is still happening. 

Anyway, the original point is my phone can't connect to a 4G network because I don't have a sim card installed.