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Rapid data drain during second half of data cycle

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Sweetpea3829
Tutor

Rapid data drain during second half of data cycle

Ok, I posted about this on a similar thread, just a couple of days ago, and that thread has been deleted.  

 

Every data cycle, we start off doing just fine.  Our data depletes by about 2-3 GB during the first half of the cycle.  Then, during the second half of the cycle, the data just DRAINS.  Nothing changes in our usage from the first half of the cycle to the second half.  

 

This has been going on for several months.  

 

To answer some questions I've seen asked of others...

 

1) Wifi is never left on on any of the devices that we own that use it.  (This would be a number of tablets...all of which have their wifi turned off unless I, specifically, turn it on...only mom knows the password).  

 

2) Our phones' wifi is turned off (occasionally they are turned on, within range of our Hughesnet modem, but they are never left on, and we do not update under our own Wifi...that's what the YMCA wifi is for).  

 

3) We are not experiencing data stealing.  Our neighbors are old order Mennonite.  They do not have devices that use wifi.  Plus, we are password protected.  

 

4) My laptop is not automatically updating.  It only updates when I tell it to, and that's only during the 2AM-8AM time frame.

 

5) Our satellite TV is NOT connected to the internet.  I can connect it, but have only connected it during the 2AM to 8AM time frame.  

 

Again, during the first half of the month, I can check FB, email, news stories and watch the occasional short youtube clip and the data depletes at an expected rate.

 

During the second half...just leaving the modem turned on, and with no actual browsing, is a guaranteed half GB loss each day.  Yesterday evening, I had 2.7 GB left.  This morning I had 2.1  

 

I have today and tomorrow left in this data cycle and I'm almost guaranteed to run out of data at some point tomorrow, unless I turn off the router and browse only on my phone's data.  

 

Why is this happening?  And why has this been happening off and on for months?  

319 REPLIES 319
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@Sweetpea3829

 

There's definitely an uptick in the usage during the latter part of the month.  That's easily seen from the graph.  The hard part is going to be determining whether it's actual usage or something going funny with the system, and if it is, how do you conclusively verify it?  I'd still keep an eye on that Glasswire total usage for each day, and maybe you'll be able to see it there, if it's something having to do with the computer.  The only problem is that Glasswire only keeps data for a month (or maybe two, I can't remember), so it's harder to see a pattern from month to month unless you save snapshots of the total from each day.  

 

I'd get in the habit of saving a snapshot of the total data usage of the previous day and save the snapshots in a folder.  I say the previous day so that it's the full day, rather than the current day, which may not be finished yet, data wise.  That way you can have as many months worth of snapshots as you want to be able to identify a pattern.  

 

And my folks have Gen4, like you. 🙂 

Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

@Sweetpea3829

 

Some thoughts:

Tracking data usage can be a beast ....

I know I mentioned it before but if you can swing it, buy a router that tracks data per device. That will find the device and program/process/application right NOW:

Here is one:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320174

 

Beyond that .....

I never was a fan of the new "history" meter. To be clear, this one:

History 1.PNG

 

Never could get the numbers to jive.

It is fine for general trends but that is about it.

Remember your plan data runs from 8am to 2am so data used from midnight to 2am will effect "tomorrows" data display.

 

The amount of data being charged against your allowance is reflected in the near real-time "usage" meters, namely these:

 

MyAccount meter

Usage meter 1.PNG

 

or

 

SCC Meter:

Usage 2.PNG

 

The first one gives the greatest detail ....down to the single MB but requires that you have an open browser. That means that you are using data while that browser is connected to the 'net.

 

The second one, the SCC meter is "inside" the modem. It resolves to the nearest 50 MB but honestly, 50 MB is nothing. If you create a link in your browser favorites you can go directly to the page without having to have opened any other pages along the way that can and will use data while open.

 

I think you need to take a series of "snapshots" of one of those meters along with time the snapshot was taken.

Example: 8am is point A, another taken at 12 noon is point B. Subtract one from the other and you have the amount of data charged against your allowance. You can then compare that to the Glasswire usage for that period by adjusting to sliders to that defined period.

Now if you have an "event" such as turning on wifi and adding a tablet, make a snapshot just before and then again after connecting/disconnecting the tablet. Check againt Glasswire and the difference is the amount used by the tablet.

 

Browsers and webpages:

As you know "auto-start" embeded video will really use data .... but there is another .... HTML5 "pre-fetch". This will really use data and you won't even know it. It has to be blocked with a browser extension.

I suggest you do the following:

 

Download and install Firefox

 

Turn off "crash reporting" and adjust all other "privacy" settings

 

Install the following browser extenions:

Firefox.PNG

 

Then .....

Don't use Chrome for a given website for a few days ..... Facebook ... whatever. Instead use Firefox for the activity.

After a few days, use Glasswire to compare usage for that site and see if more or less data was used.

 

Honestly, if you can .... get a router. Here is my Asus for 1/30-1/31:

My Asus.PNG

 

Every connection path is covered from wired to wireless including the printer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Gwalk900, I wish a router were on the table, but...there are just not any extra pennies in the fund right now, lol.  I will check into your suggestion with Firefox.  The whole thing has gotten so exhausting, lol.  

 

@GabeU, one of the Mennonite neighbors was over today and he told me that they got a phone call from Spectrum, asking about their interest in broadband internet.  I hope they told them yes, even though they're not!  I'm hoping, because they're a large business, they'll attract a broadband provider.  

 

I NEED BROADBAND!  

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@Sweetpea3829

 

Cable internet?  Heck yeah!  That would be great if they did that.  


@GabeU wrote:

@Sweetpea3829

 

Cable internet?  Heck yeah!  That would be great if they did that.  


Get this...so I checked out Spectrum...they say they're available at our specific house.  I'm not holding my breath.  I've been here before, only to hear back, "Oh...sorry...we're not actually available there."  

 

In the meantime...the Mennonite boy that was here earlier had to do some searching for something on a Rewards website...and the data just tanked, lol.  

 

Current stats...

 

image.pngimage.pngimage.pngimage.png

So...weird observation...

 

I uploaded books to the kids' Kindles during the 2AM-8AM Bonus window.  I think it was yesterday, the 30th.  I see that we were dinged for 2.1 GB of data that day.  GW does not match the data AT ALL.  I can confirm that the tablets had their WiFi shut down right after I put those books on there.  Looks like they dinged me for the data under Anytime data instead of Bonus Data.  

 

Aside from those e-books, I don't think we were even on much yesterday.  

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV


@Sweetpea3829 wrote:

So...weird observation...

 

I uploaded books to the kids' Kindles during the 2AM-8AM Bonus window.  I think it was yesterday, the 30th.  I see that we were dinged for 2.1 GB of data that day.  GW does not match the data AT ALL.  I can confirm that the tablets had their WiFi shut down right after I put those books on there.  Looks like they dinged me for the data under Anytime data instead of Bonus Data.  

 

Aside from those e-books, I don't think we were even on much yesterday.  


This is where it becomes difficult, as all we know is that the majority of that 2.1GB was NOT used by the laptop, as is evidenced by Glasswire.  Keep in mind that the only way to be absolutely sure that nothing can use data via WiFi at any given time is to disable the WiFi in the modem.  

 

If you haven't shut down the modem since the data was used, the record of what was connected will still be in the modem logs.   

 

http://192.168.0.1/limited.html#!/general/conn_dev_info

 

With that said, it will only show what was connected and when it disconnected, but not how much data it used.


@Sweetpea3829 wrote:

@GabeU wrote:

@Sweetpea3829

 

Cable internet?  Heck yeah!  That would be great if they did that.  


Get this...so I checked out Spectrum...they say they're available at our specific house.  I'm not holding my breath.  I've been here before, only to hear back, "Oh...sorry...we're not actually available there."  

 

 

 


AND...dreams crushed.  She says we're 5000 ft from the nearest pole.  

WHY SHELLY, WHY?!WHY SHELLY, WHY?!

BirdDog
Assistant Professor

If any consolation 5000 feet would be very close for us. Pretty sure we'll never see cable in our lifetime where we are. The local provider talks about a closer DSL hub but even that isn't happening. 

 

The US being so large with such diverse terrain deters things smaller countries are able to do. Only hope I see is someday Internet being considered a necessary utility. Might see Co-Ops then like with electricity.

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV


@BirdDog wrote:

Only hope I see is someday Internet being considered a necessary utility. Might see Co-Ops then like with electricity.


You and me, both.  I just found out that the service I would get from the Broadband for All initiative in NY state is to be provided by HughesNet, not the ground based service I was hoping for.  No offense to HughesNet, but it's very disappointing news.  Not only does that mean that I still can't utilize the internet for entertainment like so many others can, it also eliminates an online job opportunity that I had stupidly gotten my hopes up for.  I should have known better.  😞 

Gabe, that stinks. 😕

Any chance an employer might pay to have wired broadband brought to you?

I'm not sure what would aggravate me more. Knowing wired Internet is probably never going to be in my area because we're to far out. Or being JUST 5000 FT AWAY! Ugh!

Yeah, the latter annoys me more, lol
BirdDog
Assistant Professor

As far as the providers are concerned 5000 feet  (almost a mile) might as well be the moon for a single user. If serving 10-20 houses then they might do it. Just the sad reality.

 

I had a heck of a time getting electric a bit over a quarter mile to my new house with the local Co-Op. Probably never would have happened with totally private company.

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV


@Sweetpea3829 wrote:
Gabe, that stinks. 😕

Any chance an employer might pay to have wired broadband brought to you?

I'm not sure what would aggravate me more. Knowing wired Internet is probably never going to be in my area because we're to far out. Or being JUST 5000 FT AWAY! Ugh!

Yeah, the latter annoys me more, lol

Nah, that's not going to happen.  But, such is life.  

 

We actually have cable less than a mile from here.  We even have a telephone access panel that has fiber run to it right at the end of my dead end road, which is about 2000 feet from my house.  But, they aren't going to bother extending the cable, nor running fiber optic lines, down a dead end road with only seven houses on it.  

 

One thing that is near is a WISP tower, but it's owned by the Native Americans, as it's on their reservation, and it's only meant for them.  I can even see it from here.  LOL.  Maybe one of these days they'll offer the service to the homes nearby, but as of right now, just like with the other things, it's not going to happen.  

SO frustrating.  And that's kind of where we're at.  Our road isn't a dead end road...but there would literally only be two, maybe three houses that would take advantage of any form of wired internet.  Our home, and one other "Englisch" home around the corner.  Possibly the one neighbor that already has access to wired cable internet, but from what I understand...not a very strong signal.  

 

Everybody else is Mennonite and they only use the internet "unofficialy off the record" at my house, lol.  I think the key, then, is for me to pressure the one neighbor that I do some work for...into pressuring Spectrum or Empire to run something our way.  A business would have more pull.  

 

Last night I emailed Empire and BEGGED them to extend their fiber.  Just a little bit!  But yeah...they shot me down.  It's so tantalizingly close.  And yet...so very far away.  

 

Anyways, so I checked data this morning...the first day of a new data cycle and funny enough, HN shows 1MB used!  I wasn't expecting that...we were in bed by 11pm last night and it's not yet 8AM.  Glasswire shows some activity between 12AM and 1AM.  I'm assuming probably updates, etc.   

 

I'm going to continue monitoring and keeping track of things on here for awhile, just to have it documented.  Thanks for all of your help thus far!  

 

Yesterday's stats, and current:

image.pngimage.pngimage.pngimage.pngimage.pngimage.png

 

 

 

Oh yeah, I changed my service plan from Gen4 Power to Gen4 Prime Plus.  

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

The 1MB is probably simply from connecting and checking the data, and it may be a round up, too, as in not a full 1MB.  

 

Does the Prime Plus plan have an increase in Bonus Data or Anytime Data, or both?  

Just an increase in Bonus. Which, I mean, I can download more in the way of educational videos during off peak hours now.

But still...lol

Interesting note...

 

I've been on a pretty good bit today.  Mostly this afternoon.  Remember, towards the end of the data cycle with HN, HNs data depletion acclerates (on my account).  We've all theorized maybe I was using the computer more (and last month I was), maybe there are external devices attached, etc.  We've monitored with GW and we've pretty much determined that we can't really determine anything, lol.  

 

But I want to post data usage so far from today so that you guys can see what I'm talking about.  It's the 2nd day in the data cycle, I've been using my laptop a considerable bit, and HN data is showing only 60+ MB of data used between yesterday and today.  I purposefully left Facebook up, and I was using Pinterest quite a bit, and still...data depletion is slow.

 

@GabeU, you mentioned last month that GW was showing more data usage than HN was...and we talked about the compression with Gen4.  Is it possible that the Gen4 compression is working in the beginning few weeks of the data cycle, but not in the last week and a half to two weeks?  Might that explain why the data depletion seems to accelerate?  

 

I know we've also all talked about other ways of monitoring the data, etc.  Gwalk had some recommendations that I still need to do, but won't have time for a few days (my MIL just had a massive stroke and my husband is on his way out of state to see her, so I'm parenting solo this weekend).  

 

Here are the current stats:

image.pngimage.pngimage.png

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV


@Sweetpea3829 wrote:

 

 

@GabeU, you mentioned last month that GW was showing more data usage than HN was...and we talked about the compression with Gen4.  Is it possible that the Gen4 compression is working in the beginning few weeks of the data cycle, but not in the last week and a half to two weeks?  Might that explain why the data depletion seems to accelerate?  

While I suppose anything's possible, it seems ulikely, especially in a situation where everyone's data cycle is different.  Really, the only way I could see something like that is if HughesNet were doing it deliberately, but I can't see them doing something like that, not only because I just don't think they would, but also because it could get them in a LOT of trouble if someone could show it, and with the tech wizards out there someone would have shown something like that by now, I'm sure.  With that said, though, it's only my personal opinion.   

 

Still, I hope just what is going on can be figured out.  It sure looks like the compression is working well so far this month, though.  You make me jealous.  😛 


@GabeU wrote:

@Sweetpea3829 wrote:

 

 

@GabeU, you mentioned last month that GW was showing more data usage than HN was...and we talked about the compression with Gen4.  Is it possible that the Gen4 compression is working in the beginning few weeks of the data cycle, but not in the last week and a half to two weeks?  Might that explain why the data depletion seems to accelerate?  

While I suppose anything's possible, it seems ulikely, especially in a situation where everyone's data cycle is different.  Really, the only way I could see something like that is if HughesNet were doing it deliberately, but I can't see them doing something like that, not only because I just don't think they would, but also because it could get them in a LOT of trouble if someone could show it, and with the tech wizards out there someone would have shown something like that by now, I'm sure.  With that said, though, it's only my personal opinion.   

 

Still, I hope just what is going on can be figured out.  It sure looks like the compression is working well so far this month, though.  You make me jealous.  😛 


Right though?!  That's what makes it so weird.  Look at that compression, lol.  I've been on this blasted laptop ALL AFTERNOON because I'm shopping for clothes for my MIL funeral (I loathe shopping, but I digress).  All afternoon on data hog sites and HN shows little in the way of data used. 

 

I even uploaded tax documents today to our Tax Man.  But just a few days ago, a day of surfing like today resulted in tons of data used.  

 

image.pngimage.pngimage.pngimage.png

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@Sweetpea3829

 

Sorry about your MIL.  I know that's going to be rough, especially for your husband and kids.  😞