It can be done --- just not easily or intuitively. To start, you have to enable "airplane mode" on your android phone. This shuts down all communication. If yo

It can be done --- just not easily or intuitively. To start, you have to enable "airplane mode" on your android phone. This shuts down all communication. If you don't do this your phone will try to use your wireless service for all communication. Next, you have to selectively enable wi-fi. If there are any other wireless networks in the area that you connect to automatically, you have to disable them, otherwise, your phone will connect and use one of them first. Finally, with all other communication options disabled, you can connect to and force your phone to reluctantly use the local network with no internet access.