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Monitoring data downloaded via a phone in real time


MtB

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I have a problem. Someone here might have the answer. It must be a common problem amongst boaters and peeps who use the wifi hotspot on their phones regularly.

 

My Mac Book has just chewed through the whole of the 60gB monthy data in less than a day. I had no idea it was doing this until the text came from Vodafone telling me I had 2gB of my 60gB left. Then five mins later another text telling me it was ALL GONE. 

 

There seems to be no way of seeing the rate at which a laptop is downloading data as far as I can see, and some googing comes up with no viable solutions to my surprise. A few old apps which don't work with current OS but thats about it. Does anyone here know a way to watch the data a lappy is downloading in real time?

 

The thing is, I bought another 2gB for £10 and it gobbled that in ten minutes too. I'm connected now to the marina wifi but I need a way of seeing when it has finished its data gobbling and safe to re-connect via the phone hotspot. And to be able to see my data all going down the drain before its all gone, next time it happens, so I can stop it before its too late.

 

Many thanks for any suggestions.

Edited by Mike the Boilerman
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the myvodafone app will let you track your useage.  But the bigger question is why are you using mobile data when connected to the wifi?  Also, 60 gig in a day is some going.  Check that you are not having automatic updates downloading.  Or some kind of streaming going on continuously?  Something is not right with your set up [not that helpful, I appreciate...]

Edited by Wittenham
added 'mobile data' to make it more clear
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4 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

My EE app allows you to determine used data, but not in real time, which I think is what Mike is after.

 

Exactly this. 

 

Yes My Voda will tell me if i look, but there is no readon to look until afer all the data has unexpectedly gone. Im looking for advanced warning, which is against the interests of the service provider to give.  

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1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Exactly this. 

 

Yes My Voda will tell me if i look, but there is no readon to look until afer all the data has unexpectedly gone. Im looking for advanced warning, which is against the interests of the service provider to give.  

I think you can set a data warning limit if the phone is using 4g, well, you can on my Android thing,but to get this on a tethered macbook may require an app.

 

I suspect someone like Tumshie, or Dr Bob who have I-thingies may know the answer.

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Mike, you need to go to the Activity Monitor (in the Utilities folder, I think, haven’t got the MacBook open at the moment) and check data usage. A quick Google found this: “There's a simple way to check your data usage on a Mac, too. Open up the Activity Monitor. While there, click on the Network tab to see current data usage and determine which apps and programs are hogging the most.”

 

I’d be very suspicious of such a fast burn through that much data. Is someone piggy backing on your hotspot or are watching HD films?

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1 minute ago, BruceinSanity said:

Mike, you need to go to the Activity Monitor (in the Utilities folder, I think, haven’t got the MacBook open at the moment) and check data usage. A quick Google found this: “There's a simple way to check your data usage on a Mac, too. Open up the Activity Monitor. While there, click on the Network tab to see current data usage and determine which apps and programs are hogging the most.”

 

I’d be very suspicious of such a fast burn through that much data. Is someone piggy backing on your hotspot or are watching HD films?

Activity monitor would be similar to the Taskmanagers monitor I expect.

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Thanks for all the suggestions but only Rusty seems to understand what I'm asking for. A way to prompt me to go and look at stuff like Activity Monitor when I think everything is hunky dory, but it actually isn't. I can go for months at a time using only 10gB a month then suddenly, unexpectedly all my 60gB vanishes in an hour. I want something to warn me its happening before all the data has vanished so I can disconnect and stop it. Conducting an inquest into what did the damage after my data has all been used up is a different issue, needing different tools.

 

The free network monitors as suggested by Rusty all seem to get awful reviews so buying a 'paid for' one seems to be the way to go. Fanx Mr R!!

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I have an app (free), 3G Watchdog, on the phone that gives real time usage and can set warnings etc.

On PCs and laptops I use Networx (free) which can display live download speed on the notification panel, as well as lots of usage stats.  Don't know if it is available on a Mac.  It's a very useful tool, but make sure you get version 5.x which you can still find, and don't let it update automatically as if it goes to V6 you have to start paying.

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2 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Thanks for all the suggestions but only Rusty seems to understand what I'm asking for. A way to prompt me to go and look at stuff like Activity Monitor when I think everything is hunky dory, but it actually isn't. I can go for months at a time using only 10gB a month then suddenly, unexpectedly all my 60gB vanishes in an hour. I want something to warn me its happening before all the data has vanished so I can disconnect and stop it. Conducting an inquest into what did the damage after my data has all been used up is a different issue, needing different tools.

 

The free network monitors as suggested by Rusty all seem to get awful reviews so buying a 'paid for' one seems to be the way to go. Fanx Mr R!!

I understand Mike......and no I havent got a clue. I use EE the same way as Rusty to see what has been used and activity manager to see what 'is' happening but not found anything to tell you automatically how much is being used if it over a certain level.

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I should have added in my post just above, I use my phone to tether the laptop to via a hotspot.  The phone will give a warning when a particular point is reached in the charging period, which can be total GBs or percentage of monthly allowance.  So for example, if set to say 75% it would have warned Mike before all his data vapourised.

 

When I had a more limited data allowance, I found it a problem when on a 4G or 4G+ connection (which seem much more available now) as a very fast connection could really use up the data when using something like Skype.  On my mooring (and on Nantwich embankment for example) I can often get a 4G+ connection giving me 50Mb/s plus download speed - faster than my fibre connection at home.

 

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2 hours ago, john6767 said:

In the settings for a network in Windows, you can specify that it is a metered connection to stop it doing stuff like updates. Presumably there is similar on a Mac?

We would use System Preferences rather than setting, but it's the same thing in the end; I had a look in networks and couldn't see anything that resembles that set up but we do have a software updates section in system preferences that probbly does what you mean. But I believe MtB said that he's done that already. 

The below isn't necessarily for MtB just for any future Mac user who may be wondering why their data is getting eaten. 

 

 

 

System Preferences - Software Updates - untick blue box beside "Automatically Keep My MacBook Up To Date". This means you can start the download of an update whenever it best suites you. 

 

You can also do a similar thing in each app for example to stop photos automatically down / up loading open Photos and go to the tool bar top left hand corner, so Photos - click Photos - preference - iCloud check preferred settings. 

 

The same can be done in all Apple app and most non Apple. 

 

 

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I know this is no use to MtB whatsoever, but 60gb a day equates to 1800gb a month - I watch very little TV, but lots of Netflix, Amazon and TV catchup and I think the most i've used is about 150gb a month. I want to avoid what has happened to him - how can you get through 60gb a day?

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4 minutes ago, Mike Tee said:

I know this is no use to MtB whatsoever, but 60gb a day equates to 1800gb a month - I watch very little TV, but lots of Netflix, Amazon and TV catchup and I think the most i've used is about 150gb a month. I want to avoid what has happened to him - how can you get through 60gb a day?

Are you using a MacBook and or an iPhone?

 

 

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4 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Is your I thingie downloading a new OS ?

 

Mine's just done an app update but we're not showing an OS update yet.

 

I say we to mean Mac users - just to be clear on the royal we ?

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50 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Is your I thingie downloading a new OS ?

 

 

How would I know?

 

(Other than by my data unexpectedly running out perhaps? Even then, how would I know it was an update? How would I find out what the cause of the massive data use was? A different question for a different thread perhaps...)

 

Edited by Mike the Boilerman
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1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

How would I know?

 

 

If you go to the App Store on your Mac and look at the updates section it will tell you what the last few updates have been, if they weren't that long ago. 

 

 

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