Moving out -> limited internet [2GB/month]

[Miss Lioness]

Well as the title says, I'm moving out because I'm going to the university. The room I've is currently without cable connection so I have to use a dongle that has a max limit of 2GB/month.

 

As I have never faced such a limit before, I wonder what sites is best to avoid so I preserve as much as possible of my data limit.

I know that should avoid youtube at any cost ;P. But I was wondering if there are other sites I should avoid completely.

Often I heard that the biggest consumption to data load is if you need to visit a webpage that you haven't visited before. Does this mean I should stay clear from clearing cache as much as possible?

 

Any other suggestions are welcome too =3!

[D. V. Devnull]

Well as the title says, I'm moving out because I'm going to the university. The room I've is currently without cable connection so I have to use a dongle that has a max limit of 2GB/month.

 

As I have never faced such a limit before, I wonder what sites is best to avoid so I preserve as much as possible of my data limit.

I know that should avoid youtube at any cost ;P. But I was wondering if there are other sites I should avoid completely.

Avoid social networks, anything else with live streams, and anything that will download massive amounts of data (such as upward of ~1 MB-4 MB in one go) like huge flash applets and java applets. Heck, you'll probably have to avoid RuneScape until you have better internet, due to the large data chunks that load when you're changing areas, as well as what happens with every single game update. :(

 

 

Often I heard that the biggest consumption to data load is if you need to visit a webpage that you haven't visited before. Does this mean I should stay clear from clearing cache as much as possible?

Don't clear your cache, but never let it fill up large areas (like, 3 GB, which is way beyond too much) of your computer's hard drive either. A maximum of 140-160 MB(Slow computers)/256 MB(Midrange Computer)/384 MB(High-End Computer) of disk space for your browser's cache is honestly all that's necessary and can be used without suffering real performance issues, and that's at a level where you can let the browser auto-determine when it needs to clear parts of that space for other data. Anything more is normally literally a waste and will slow things down, as I've come to learn the hard way, so only use more if you really have to. :mellow:

 

 

Any other suggestions are welcome too =3!

I would suggest turning off display of images on sites (If you even still can...) unless you need to see them, or you will eat up a good chunk of that data limit. Also, use AdBlock Plus and NoScript to keep the extraneous junk scripts/ads/widgets out, in order to make a reactive defense against those, or your data limit will be reached extremely quickly. (Yes, I admit you'll have to manually control AdBlock Plus and NoScript, but the payback on lack of junk is well more than simply worth it, and you even get to see all of what a page really doesn't need. You may even find it scary, being that there are tons of analytics companies that are profiling you while you're not even looking at what pages load, and even to an extent where you lose bandwidth from background auto-pings!) :geek:

 

 

 

 

I hope all my thoughts here help you in some way, and good luck at the university that you're going to! :thumbsup:

 

~D. V. "Trying to help beat away bandwidth drains..." Devnull

 

 

 

 

(p.s.: Just for reference, those junk ads/scripts/widgets out there have forced me to build a total of 1414 active filters in my AdBlock Plus build... but all that work has saved me a lot of time!)

[Sbrideau]

Well as the title says, I'm moving out because I'm going to the university. The room I've is currently without cable connection so I have to use a dongle that has a max limit of 2GB/month.

 

As I have never faced such a limit before, I wonder what sites is best to avoid so I preserve as much as possible of my data limit.

I know that should avoid youtube at any cost ;P. But I was wondering if there are other sites I should avoid completely.

Avoid social networks, anything else with live streams, and anything that will download massive amounts of data (such as upward of ~1 MB-4 MB in one go) like huge flash applets and java applets. Heck, you'll probably have to avoid RuneScape until you have better internet, due to the large data chunks that load when you're changing areas, as well as what happens with every single game update. :(

 

 

Avoid social networks and streaming is good advice. Runescape though is still playable with such a limit as it doesn't load much at all, much lower than what you think they do, Devnull. I measured it a couple of weeks ago because I needed to tether for a bit, to see if I could still play, and loading Runescape uses less than 1MB and while playing, uses dial-up era bandwidth (Provided there wasn't an update that day).

 

Often I heard that the biggest consumption to data load is if you need to visit a webpage that you haven't visited before. Does this mean I should stay clear from clearing cache as much as possible?

Don't clear your cache, but never let it fill up large areas (like, 3 GB, which is way beyond too much) of your computer's hard drive either. A maximum of 140-160 MB(Slow computers)/256 MB(Midrange Computer)/384 MB(High-End Computer) of disk space for your browser's cache is honestly all that's necessary and can be used without suffering real performance issues, and that's at a level where you can let the browser auto-determine when it needs to clear parts of that space for other data. Anything more is normally literally a waste and will slow things down, as I've come to learn the hard way, so only use more if you really have to. :mellow:

 

Why suggest so low numbers for cache? Your computer must be extremely slow if it can't handle more cache than that. On such a low limit I suggest not clearing the cache at all even if it reaches large amounts of Data, at least if it's a temporary situation. I, myself, am the type of person that does not clear cache often, and can sometimes have upwards of 5GB of cache on my mid-end computer, and no slow down. At that point it's more of a security reason to clear it.

[vmser]

Certain forums (dunno if all) have a 'mobile' display option. Takes out all the images that you'd need to load, but still lets you read everything.

(xpw has that option, haven't looked for it here).

 

As for news websites, I get some in Outlook through RSS feeds, which is just text and no images. If I'm curious about the images I click the article anyway, without having to load a bulky site each time. Definately agree on AdBlock being worth getting.

 

Try testing RS bandwidth on minimal and high detail, see how they compare?

 

Beyond the obvious (avoid streaming or any type of video and blogs with way oversized pictures), i have little to add besides suggestion something like NetSpeedMonitor to keep track of your bandwidth use. That'd allow you to track bandwidth usage rates for several things over a period of time.

[Peever]

Internet limits? What is this the 90s? Are you on dial up? Didn't even know those still existed.....

[Miss Lioness]

Well as the title says, I'm moving out because I'm going to the university. The room I've is currently without cable connection so I have to use a dongle that has a max limit of 2GB/month.

 

As I have never faced such a limit before, I wonder what sites is best to avoid so I preserve as much as possible of my data limit.

I know that should avoid youtube at any cost ;P. But I was wondering if there are other sites I should avoid completely.

Avoid social networks, anything else with live streams, and anything that will download massive amounts of data (such as upward of ~1 MB-4 MB in one go) like huge flash applets and java applets. Heck, you'll probably have to avoid RuneScape until you have better internet, due to the large data chunks that load when you're changing areas, as well as what happens with every single game update. :(

 

 

Often I heard that the biggest consumption to data load is if you need to visit a webpage that you haven't visited before. Does this mean I should stay clear from clearing cache as much as possible?

Don't clear your cache, but never let it fill up large areas (like, 3 GB, which is way beyond too much) of your computer's hard drive either. A maximum of 140-160 MB(Slow computers)/256 MB(Midrange Computer)/384 MB(High-End Computer) of disk space for your browser's cache is honestly all that's necessary and can be used without suffering real performance issues, and that's at a level where you can let the browser auto-determine when it needs to clear parts of that space for other data. Anything more is normally literally a waste and will slow things down, as I've come to learn the hard way, so only use more if you really have to. :mellow:

 

 

Any other suggestions are welcome too =3!

I would suggest turning off display of images on sites (If you even still can...) unless you need to see them, or you will eat up a good chunk of that data limit. Also, use AdBlock Plus and NoScript to keep the extraneous junk scripts/ads/widgets out, in order to make a reactive defense against those, or your data limit will be reached extremely quickly. (Yes, I admit you'll have to manually control AdBlock Plus and NoScript, but the payback on lack of junk is well more than simply worth it, and you even get to see all of what a page really doesn't need. You may even find it scary, being that there are tons of analytics companies that are profiling you while you're not even looking at what pages load, and even to an extent where you lose bandwidth from background auto-pings!) :geek:

 

 

 

 

I hope all my thoughts here help you in some way, and good luck at the university that you're going to! :thumbsup:

 

~D. V. "Trying to help beat away bandwidth drains..." Devnull

 

(p.s.: Just for reference, those junk ads/scripts/widgets out there have forced me to build a total of 1414 active filters in my AdBlock Plus build... but all that work has saved me a lot of time!)

 

I already use Adblock Plus and Adblock Pro. Both are good enough to get rid of 99,99% of the ads. But I am wondering what NoScript actually does and how it works.

 

Next I would like to know how I could set-up a cache limit, I have a pretty high-end laptop so I think I could do a higher end limit.

 

Well as the title says, I'm moving out because I'm going to the university. The room I've is currently without cable connection so I have to use a dongle that has a max limit of 2GB/month.

 

As I have never faced such a limit before, I wonder what sites is best to avoid so I preserve as much as possible of my data limit.

I know that should avoid youtube at any cost ;P. But I was wondering if there are other sites I should avoid completely.

Avoid social networks, anything else with live streams, and anything that will download massive amounts of data (such as upward of ~1 MB-4 MB in one go) like huge flash applets and java applets. Heck, you'll probably have to avoid RuneScape until you have better internet, due to the large data chunks that load when you're changing areas, as well as what happens with every single game update. :(

 

 

Avoid social networks and streaming is good advice. Runescape though is still playable with such a limit as it doesn't load much at all, much lower than what you think they do, Devnull. I measured it a couple of weeks ago because I needed to tether for a bit, to see if I could still play, and loading Runescape uses less than 1MB and while playing, uses dial-up era bandwidth (Provided there wasn't an update that day).

 

Often I heard that the biggest consumption to data load is if you need to visit a webpage that you haven't visited before. Does this mean I should stay clear from clearing cache as much as possible?

Don't clear your cache, but never let it fill up large areas (like, 3 GB, which is way beyond too much) of your computer's hard drive either. A maximum of 140-160 MB(Slow computers)/256 MB(Midrange Computer)/384 MB(High-End Computer) of disk space for your browser's cache is honestly all that's necessary and can be used without suffering real performance issues, and that's at a level where you can let the browser auto-determine when it needs to clear parts of that space for other data. Anything more is normally literally a waste and will slow things down, as I've come to learn the hard way, so only use more if you really have to. :mellow:

 

Why suggest so low numbers for cache? Your computer must be extremely slow if it can't handle more cache than that. On such a low limit I suggest not clearing the cache at all even if it reaches large amounts of Data, at least if it's a temporary situation. I, myself, am the type of person that does not clear cache often, and can sometimes have upwards of 5GB of cache on my mid-end computer, and no slow down. At that point it's more of a security reason to clear it.

 

I clear my cache every time I need to do bank business over the I-net =/,,,

And does it help if I play RS in client? I.e. less cache or something? And if there is an update I could just predownload the update somewhere else before logging in right?

 

Certain forums (dunno if all) have a 'mobile' display option. Takes out all the images that you'd need to load, but still lets you read everything.

(xpw has that option, haven't looked for it here).

 

As for news websites, I get some in Outlook through RSS feeds, which is just text and no images. If I'm curious about the images I click the article anyway, without having to load a bulky site each time. Definately agree on AdBlock being worth getting.

 

Try testing RS bandwidth on minimal and high detail, see how they compare?

 

Beyond the obvious (avoid streaming or any type of video and blogs with way oversized pictures), i have little to add besides suggestion something like NetSpeedMonitor to keep track of your bandwidth use. That'd allow you to track bandwidth usage rates for several things over a period of time.

 

Is there a program that can keep track of bandwidth usage for me? For specific programs I mean, or even specific websites?

 

Internet limits? What is this the 90s? Are you on dial up? Didn't even know those still existed.....

 

I'm using a dongle, thats like unlocking mobile 2G or so for laptops xD

[Peever]

O wow....so yup way behind the times lol

[D. V. Devnull]

<<<snip>>>

 

I already use Adblock Plus and Adblock Pro. Both are good enough to get rid of 99,99% of the ads. But I am wondering what NoScript actually does and how it works.

If you're using FireFox, check :arrow: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/noscript/ and :arrow: http://noscript.net/ for more info on NoScript and how it works... If you're using Chrome or one of the other major browsers, you'll need to search around as I don't know of corresponding extensions for them. :mellow:

 

BTW, if/when you have NoScript (or a matching equivalent) loaded, you might find a little under-the-hood tweaking is useful to get fine-grained control of a couple functions. Please make sure to read any/all documentation that you can find, as it will really help you make it run how you want/need. :)

 

Heck, it might even have fixed a page for me that was being a pain, even though I'm not 100% sure on that count. I still have yet to go back and do some testing. :-k

 

 

Next I would like to know how I could set-up a cache limit, I have a pretty high-end laptop so I think I could do a higher end limit.

My sincerest apologies, but it would help to know what browser you're using, otherwise this question might not be possible to answer. :(

 

 

I clear my cache every time I need to do bank business over the I-net =/,,,

Just curious, but how hard is it to control what sections and pieces of your cache are cleared at any given time? :huh:

 

 

And does it help if I play RS in client? I.e. less cache or something? And if there is an update I could just predownload the update somewhere else before logging in right?

You could indeed use someone else's internet to pre-download data before you're somewhere that you would have to use the dongle, which would render using the separate RS client program generally unnecessary. :geek:

 

 

Certain forums (dunno if all) have a 'mobile' display option. Takes out all the images that you'd need to load, but still lets you read everything.

(xpw has that option, haven't looked for it here).

Good advice from vmser here... I second this. :thumbup:

 

 

As for news websites, I get some in Outlook through RSS feeds, which is just text and no images. If I'm curious about the images I click the article anyway, without having to load a bulky site each time.

Another item I second, but with a caveat... Don't let RSS Feeds auto-load and/or auto-refresh in the background. Always load them manually. Auto-Load/Auto-Refresh can, and likely will, sip bandwidth from your data limit right out from under you. :uhh:

 

 

Internet limits? What is this the 90s? Are you on dial up? Didn't even know those still existed.....

I'm using a dongle, thats like unlocking mobile 2G or so for laptops xD

Heh... You two just made me think of the days of grueling slow 56K... What a pain those were. :roll:

 

BTW, Miss Lioness, you might find...

:XD:

...useful over "xD" for that nice laughing emote that looks like...

:XD:

...on the screen. ;)

 

 

 

~D. V. "Slow Net /w Limits... Madness..." Devnull

[Miss Lioness]

Oh right, should have mentioned I'm using Chrome. I prefer it looks and simpleness without all the clogginess of buttons and stuff everywhere. I have found a few NoScript alternatives for Chrome, one of them being certified by Chrome: SafeScript. Still I have no clue what it does =S.

 

On the second thing: I have no idea what goes into my cache and whatnot. All I know is that I need to clear it from time to time =/

 

Overall I don't use any RSS feeds but the 'General RSS Reader' where you need the url for it to work. So manual input...

 

 

On another note, I have some problems with Chrome lately. It seems he is loading multiple pages through like there is an auto forward going on. Do you know how I can get rid of it? I like to backspace or backbutton (a button on my mouse to go to the previous page) to go back. however it loads the same site and if I right-click on the [<-] I see a list sometimes very long of the same webpage. If I then try to go back it reloads the same page and that list gets longer, unless I'm quick enough to skip the forwarding...

You seem to know a lot about web browsers and browsing in general and this is getting on my nerves slowly.

 

I have tried if there was a program on my Laptop, but I couldn't find any. I have also checked my cache, cleared it. Checked extensions, etc. Now I'm pretty much clueless. The only thing I can think of that this is due Chrome itself. Not sure what other browsers do...

[Sbrideau]

I don't have the time to answer right now, but I'd still like to add that nowadays all browsers have a mode in which it doesn't keep the cache or any information. In Firefox it's called a private window, in Chrome it's Incognito window, and I don't know for Internet Explorer as I don't use it.

 

I would probably not use Chrome on such a small limit as it updates often and without the option to have it prompt you before updating, it updates automatically.

[Peever]

May I suggest a cell phone with unlimited data for all general use? Internet for RS only lol

[D. V. Devnull]

May I suggest a cell phone with unlimited data for all general use? Internet for RS only lol

I'm thinking she doesn't have that much money... Still a fun thought, however. ;)

 

~D. V. "Yeah, that's too pricey..." Devnull

[Miss Lioness]

May I suggest a cell phone with unlimited data for all general use? Internet for RS only lol

I'm thinking she doesn't have that much money... Still a fun thought, however. ;)

 

~D. V. "Yeah, that's too pricey..." Devnull

 

Well I pay about 15€ a month for about 1GB I-net, 75 phone minutes (I'm near deaf so I dont use it much) and unlimited text messages. Pretty cheap may I say =3

[Sbrideau]

May I suggest a cell phone with unlimited data for all general use? Internet for RS only lol

I'm thinking she doesn't have that much money... Still a fun thought, however. ;)

 

~D. V. "Yeah, that's too pricey..." Devnull

 

Well I pay about 15€ a month for about 1GB I-net, 75 phone minutes (I'm near deaf so I dont use it much) and unlimited text messages. Pretty cheap may I say =3

 

Wow that's about a quarter of what I pay for 100MB Internet, 100 phone minutes and unlimited text messages O_o. Guess it's true when they say Canada is one of the most expensive countries in the world for that.

[Peever]

May I suggest a cell phone with unlimited data for all general use? Internet for RS only lol

I'm thinking she doesn't have that much money... Still a fun thought, however. ;)

 

~D. V. "Yeah, that's too pricey..." Devnull

 

Well I pay about 15€ a month for about 1GB I-net, 75 phone minutes (I'm near deaf so I dont use it much) and unlimited text messages. Pretty cheap may I say =3

 

Wow that's about a quarter of what I pay for 100MB Internet, 100 phone minutes and unlimited text messages O_o. Guess it's true when they say Canada is one of the most expensive countries in the world for that.

 

Canada is a total rip off for cell phones. We get gouged so hard its disgusting!

[Miss Lioness]

May I suggest a cell phone with unlimited data for all general use? Internet for RS only lol

I'm thinking she doesn't have that much money... Still a fun thought, however. ;)

 

~D. V. "Yeah, that's too pricey..." Devnull

 

Well I pay about 15€ a month for about 1GB I-net, 75 phone minutes (I'm near deaf so I dont use it much) and unlimited text messages. Pretty cheap may I say =3

 

Wow that's about a quarter of what I pay for 100MB Internet, 100 phone minutes and unlimited text messages O_o. Guess it's true when they say Canada is one of the most expensive countries in the world for that.

 

I do have discount because its ordered via work. Still you would be twice more expensive now, even with that bundle o.O

[Mylez]

I had this while I was at uni for a few months, until I got broadband at my flat. It's doable. Just be careful, obviously no Youtube and whatnot, keep it to emails and basic browsing - RS didn't use that much from what I remember, it might be different now. The initial download while RS is loading used to be 12mb and then about 10-15mb/hour for general playing. You'll have to get new info on that, because this was ~2010.

 

Good luck!

[D. V. Devnull]

I had this while I was at uni for a few months, until I got broadband at my flat. It's doable. Just be careful, obviously no Youtube and whatnot, keep it to emails and basic browsing - RS didn't use that much from what I remember, it might be different now. The initial download while RS is loading used to be 12mb and then about 10-15mb/hour for general playing. You'll have to get new info on that, because this was ~2010.

 

Good luck!

Even worse, if she hasn't played in a while, then there's that ugly up-to-650 MB download to reload the game's local cache image. That's about 30% of her data limit right there. I know about this one because I used to check that data cache in my own disk file areas every so often... Really annoying when I would have to wait for the whole thing to rebuild. :roll:

 

~D. V. "Oh, the headaches I don't miss..." Devnull

[Sbrideau]

I had this while I was at uni for a few months, until I got broadband at my flat. It's doable. Just be careful, obviously no Youtube and whatnot, keep it to emails and basic browsing - RS didn't use that much from what I remember, it might be different now. The initial download while RS is loading used to be 12mb and then about 10-15mb/hour for general playing. You'll have to get new info on that, because this was ~2010.

 

Good luck!

Even worse, if she hasn't played in a while, then there's that ugly up-to-650 MB download to reload the game's local cache image. That's about 30% of her data limit right there. I know about this one because I used to check that data cache in my own disk file areas every so often... Really annoying when I would have to wait for the whole thing to rebuild. :roll:

 

~D. V. "Oh, the headaches I don't miss..." Devnull

 

Most people never delete the rs cache. Btw it's around the lines of 900+ MB if you delete the rs cache and you reload it, not sure if my sources are right though. My Jagex_cache_32 is only 5MB though.

[D. V. Devnull]

<<<snip>>>

 

Even worse, if she hasn't played in a while, then there's that ugly up-to-650 MB download to reload the game's local cache image. That's about 30% of her data limit right there. I know about this one because I used to check that data cache in my own disk file areas every so often... Really annoying when I would have to wait for the whole thing to rebuild. :roll:

 

~D. V. "Oh, the headaches I don't miss..." Devnull

Most people never delete the rs cache. Btw it's around the lines of 900+ MB if you delete the rs cache and you reload it, not sure if my sources are right though. My Jagex_cache_32 is only 5MB though.

Hmm... have you checked all the possible spots where such folders can exist? Also, have you looked for "jagexcache1" and/or "rscache" and/or other such folder names? I would bet you've got a lot more hanging around on your hard disk. Heck, make sure to give it a full look-over when you have the game up and running too. :huh:

 

~D. V. "That's how I found my ~650 MB..." Devnull

[vmser]

I cleared my RS cache the other day, was a whopping 1.6GB.

 

 

Also, this looked promising as far as what you wanted to keep track of:

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/241664/how_to_monitor_your_bandwidth.html

[Sbrideau]

I'm surprised that your ISP doesn't offer something to measure it. Both my ISP and my cell company provide this kind of service. That's how I know I used 60/125GB this month, and 98/100MB on my cell.

[vmser]

and 98/100MB on my cell.

 

No more internets for you then untill it resets.

 

My ISP lets you track it on a website, also 'hijacks' your homepage with a 90% warning if you get there.

Ive never had issues with my 150 GB/month limit though.

[D. V. Devnull]

and 98/100MB on my cell.

No more internets for you then untill it resets.

Not entirely true. He just has to wait until he gets home from work or whatever, though. :|

 

~D. V. "Which, admittedly, sucks anyway." Devnull

[Sbrideau]

Got too excited with the internet on my phone lol. Anyway it resets tonight.