| mevetts |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 06:38 PM |
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BB usage meter?
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Hi,
I think I remember reading in a previous WU issue, that there are ways of moitoring BB usage so that you ensure that you remain within your monthly allowance.
Does anyone know of such programs and where I could get hold of one as I'm moving (hopefully!) to BB tomorrow!
Cheers,
Mark.
| ourstanley |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 06:50 PM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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I'm have been using NetMeter for six weeks now just for checking my usage although not required with my download limit but it's always worth knowing what you are using. It saves daily, weekly and monthly totals as well as projected totals.
| wildthing666 |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 07:24 PM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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I have just downloaded the latest BETA version and like the look of it my other meter tautoligy was playing up so was thinking of replacing it which i have now done
| Fusion |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 08:02 PM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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Please do not rely on the Tautolog Bandwidth Meter , or any other to reliably report your usage.
I have used it and endorsed it for some time now, but after recently receiving a bill for £512, that's 455MB's for ONE MONTHS data card usage, when Tautology informed me I'd used 67MB's of a 65MB's limit.
An investigation is ongoing with the provider, but the use of third party software to monitor downloads is not supported.
The moral of this story is, do not rely on bandwidth monitors if you're on a monthly tariff and you have an allowed amount to download before you start getting charged for excess data downloads.
| mevetts |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 08:05 PM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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How do you monitor your usage then Fusion?
| putasolutions |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 08:16 PM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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You unfortunately have to rely on the ISP report, which they should provide on line! However, despite Fusions' caveat, the monitors are normally a relatively good guide to what bandwidth you have used
A couple of other bandwidth monitors can be found here
| mevetts |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 08:23 PM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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Is it possible to run several programs at once?
| Fusion |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 08:36 PM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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Its actually quite hard to monitor your usage accurately.
Not sure if your at home, or in my situation when you're occasionally on the move and need an internet connection for work or for any other reason.
On my home setup, I have an unlimited BB usage so that's not a problem.
When away on business, and using an office data card to try to monitor the usage, again its not easy.
The card I use is an Orange data card, and the only monitor built in is a 'per session' counter which is fine, but it does not accumulate the amounts, and if you haven't physically wrote or noted down these amounts to add up later, its difficult to tell what you've downloaded in terms of volume.
This I'm sure is a purposely built in factor so that you and I can never know how much we have actually downloaded and keep downloading even if we are over our limit until we get an invoice for the data used and a fat bill to pay.
My situation is/was not unique in the fact that Orange users have been 'accused' of downloading more than they actually have!
There a one or two forums for Orange user complaints about the very same scenario.
However, trying to prove to a court of law that the big boys are wrong is a costly and time consuming affair, and your legal fees will far out weigh the actual cost of the 'wrong' amounts charged.
I may have been a bit harsh on BB monitors, I personally think/know Orange are at fault here, but cannot prove it.
So give you monitor(s) a chance, and see how it all adds up.
Just be cautious!
I'm pretty sure there are one or two providers, not for data card users, where you can go to their website and actually see your usage but can't recall them. Maybe someone can come in on that score and help.
| mevetts |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 08:41 PM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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I take your point and can see the frustration. I am only concerned with my home pc and whilst I don't think that I will get near to reaching my limit at the moment (no MP3 player in the house yet!), but would just like to be able to have some kind of rough idea as to my usage.
| putasolutions |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 08:49 PM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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I know that freedom2surf give you a daily report of the bandwidth used, even if you have an unlimited package. In all fairness, ANY ISP that intends to monitor your bandwidth should provide you with a usage chart, and if they don't complain, and then if they still don't complain to OFTEL.
How can you monitor the usage based on their data if they won't provide it to you?
| mevetts |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 08:53 PM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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Well, I'm trying out NetMeter and Tautology on my dial-up and see how they both go.
Cheers for the info.
Mark.
| Fusion |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 08:54 PM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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I'm sure on a home setup when you have reached your limit, that's that! You can't download anymore till the calender ticks over to the next cycle, and you will be told so in the form of an email or perhaps a splash message telling you of your limit being reached.
Its only with the data card setups that the scenario I have tried to explain will charge you per extra MB, as the 'small print' and agreed 'over the tariff' limits in your contract kick in.
| Fusion |
| (regular) |
| Sun Aug 21 2005 09:11 PM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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Just to add that, after I challenged Oranges alleged data usage, I asked for an itemised account of all my usage and they actually refused to offer it as proof!
This was company policy apparently, and they did not offer a print out of usage claimed.
Ureka . . . .I had got them!! How could they charge for an amount of data which they openly refused to backup.
To cut a very long story short, after seeking legal advice, was assured that if I took this to court, I would win, but the costs would be far above the amounts disputed so had to climb down.
However, Orange have changed company policy from my initial willingness to challenge them in open court, and they now have agreed to forward all requests for disputed data bills as proof.
| wildthing666 |
| (regular) |
| Mon Aug 22 2005 01:45 AM |
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Re: BB usage meter?
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Quote:
I'm sure on a home set-up when you have reached your limit, that's that! You can't download any more till the calender ticks over to the next cycle, and you will be told so in the form of an email or perhaps a splash message telling you of your limit being reached.
Its only with the data card set-ups that the scenario I have tried to explain will charge you per extra MB, as the 'small print' and agreed 'over the tariff' limits in your contract kick in.
I am on wanadoo's 2Gb package and in June I was just disconnected without any email notification, when i got to customer services on-line they said to check for spy ware, virus ect. they should have known if I had used the bandwidth up the only thing that has happened is I now have another option to connect called free access and it runs at dial up speeds. this gives a speed test result as for BB. The only option to check what i have used is for the present time on the pc as soon as I log off it starts from zero again so unless i write it down I have no proof. A novice would be totally confused sat there working out bytes into Kb then Gb, I know I am that is why I use a bandwidth meter