Which actions count towards downloading and uploading?
Thread poster: Rajan Chopra
Rajan Chopra
Rajan Chopra  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 15:49
Member (2008)
English to Hindi
+ ...
Jul 4, 2004

I am connected to internet through cable and my cable operator raises the bill on the basis of consumption of megabytes during a month.

I am quite curious to learn which actions count towards downloading and uploading the data. I understand if we are downloading a file attached with an e-mail, it will be treated as download consumption. Likewise, if we obtain a software from some website, it will also amount to download.

1. But does simply surfing the net i.e. openin
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I am connected to internet through cable and my cable operator raises the bill on the basis of consumption of megabytes during a month.

I am quite curious to learn which actions count towards downloading and uploading the data. I understand if we are downloading a file attached with an e-mail, it will be treated as download consumption. Likewise, if we obtain a software from some website, it will also amount to download.

1. But does simply surfing the net i.e. opening and reading various websites also mean download?

2. If we have opened a webpage and have minimized it for hours and are working in some other software e.g. MS Word or Pagemaker etc., will it also contribute to increasing the monthly bill?

3. If we have logged on to two messengers simultaneously, will it mean double expense?

4. If we have opened a number of websites at the same time, does it mean increased consumption?

5. Whether working in XP operating system means consumption of more MBs in comparison with Windows 98?

6. If our system is infected with a virus, will it result in consumption of more MBs?


Any other relevant information in this respect will be highly appreciated.

[Edited at 2004-07-04 13:24]
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Stefanie Sendelbach
Stefanie Sendelbach  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:19
Member (2003)
English to German
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Virus Jul 4, 2004

Hi Langclinic,

A virus can indeed cause a huge consumption of megabytes. Maybe you want to try downloading one of the free virus check programmes and use it on your computer.

I had this problem once and I downloaded Zone Alarm and AVG Anti Virus. Since then, the problem is solved and I have a 'normal' consumption of megabytes.

HTH,
Stefanie


 
Rajan Chopra
Rajan Chopra  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 15:49
Member (2008)
English to Hindi
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks for your useful tip Jul 4, 2004

Hi Sundari,

Many thanks for your advice. I hope I'll also be benefitted by means of using the softwares mentioned by you.

Best wishes,

Langclinic




sundari wrote:





I had this problem once and I downloaded Zone Alarm and AVG Anti Virus. Since then, the problem is solved and I have a 'normal' consumption of megabytes.


 
MLeiria
MLeiria  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 10:19
Member (2005)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Every byte counts Jul 4, 2004

Basically, every piece of information you get from the internet will count for your download traffic.
So, every webpage you visit will be adding to your total, especially pages with photos and images (by the way, your browser will probably have an option to turn off the image downloading if you're just interested in the text; internet explorer has that option, i'm not sure about other browsers).
Naturally, an average webpage doesn't weigh much on the traffic, but if you visit lots of
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Basically, every piece of information you get from the internet will count for your download traffic.
So, every webpage you visit will be adding to your total, especially pages with photos and images (by the way, your browser will probably have an option to turn off the image downloading if you're just interested in the text; internet explorer has that option, i'm not sure about other browsers).
Naturally, an average webpage doesn't weigh much on the traffic, but if you visit lots of sites that weight becomes noticeable.

You don't increase your download just by having a number of browser windows open at the same time, only if you keep on refreshing them. Same thing with the messenger, having it simply logged on (or even two at the same time) will not increase the traffic significantly.
And the Windows version is not important for the consumption.

As a final note, there are programs to measure the traffic and make sure your ISP is not cheating. I use Metaproducts Net Activity Diagram, it's quite simple to use and does the job.

Hope to have helped
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Rajan Chopra
Rajan Chopra  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 15:49
Member (2008)
English to Hindi
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks for your informative reply Jul 4, 2004

Hi MLeiria,

I am sincerely thankful to you for your comprehensive and informative reply which has certainly enriched my knowledge in this respect.

Best wishes,

LC


 
Jeremy Smith
Jeremy Smith  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:19
Member (2003)
French to English
+ ...
BT Jul 4, 2004

British Telecom are in the process of introducing this: with a monthly allowance of 15 Gigabytes.

This is to enable customers "to take control of their own billing". Yeah, right.

Is there any way of consulting exactly how much download traffic you're generating? And if not, I wonder how BT customers are expected to accept extra charges for consumption they cannot monitor.

I'm rather concerned, because I tend to listen to Internet radio - all day, every day.
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British Telecom are in the process of introducing this: with a monthly allowance of 15 Gigabytes.

This is to enable customers "to take control of their own billing". Yeah, right.

Is there any way of consulting exactly how much download traffic you're generating? And if not, I wonder how BT customers are expected to accept extra charges for consumption they cannot monitor.

I'm rather concerned, because I tend to listen to Internet radio - all day, every day. But because this is streaming audio, rather than downloads, will this greatly affect the consumption allowance?

If this does push me over the limit, I will have no hesitation in dropping BT and signing up with one of their competitors.
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Hynek Palatin
Hynek Palatin  Identity Verified
Czech Republic
Local time: 11:19
English to Czech
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BT Jul 4, 2004

Jeremy Smith wrote:

Is there any way of consulting exactly how much download traffic you're generating?


You should ask BT about that. ISPs usually provide online traffic statistics.

There are also programs for monitoring your traffic, but I cannot recommend any specific one.

I'm rather concerned, because I tend to listen to Internet radio - all day, every day. But because this is streaming audio, rather than downloads, will this greatly affect the consumption allowance?


Streaming audio (or video) is nothing but a continuous download. It can greatly increase your incoming traffic depending on quality you choose and length of time you listen to the radio.

For example, if you listen to a radio that broadcasts at 56 kbps (kilobits per second), you download 56 * 60 / 8 = 420 KB (kilobytes) per minute (1 byte = 8 bits), 25.2 MB per hour. If you listen to the radio 12 hours a day, 30 days a month, then it's about 9 GB of data.


 


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Which actions count towards downloading and uploading?






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