Broadband forum: Useage

Let's say you download a 10MB file. Let's not discuss what 10MB is as to BINARY BYTES or DECIMAL BYTES as you can figure that out.

Let's discuss how you get that file.

1. From some web page.
2. From a FTP server.

After you are done, here's the question. Should the byte counter give you the same number of bytes on the meter?
Bob

It gives me a reference point of where you are today.

Here's the short answer. FTP transfers have less overhead. What happens is that many count the bytes they downloaded by what they got in the PAYLOAD or FILES but discount the overhead of the transfer. I only noted that there is a difference and why one software may count it different from the other.

You can see that both methods are correct. That is the software that told you download 10MB is right. And the software that counted the overhead and reported 12MB is also right. It's all in how we measure.

-> The issue of caps and limits is why your ISP if they do that must tell you where the meter is. That is, what web page you can look at to see where your byte counts are at today.

In closing, many don't secure their wifi network and end up with moochers. Anything less than WPA security is no security. Plenty of articles out there but I hope this helps you see where the measurement problem is. That is, what are we trying to measure?
Bob

So to ask the "modem" it may be hardware dependent. Sorry but I'm left to guess what you have here.

About moochers and such. That issue doesn't apply (almost!) to the usual broadband card from the cell phone companies so I missed if this is the issue/hardware.

If it is then the solution is to ask them where the meter is so you can watch it. My brother has such a card and he tells me he can check his usage.

Sorry I don't have a ready answer but look up NETLIMITER as a way to measure every byte.
Bob

Thanks for those posts Bob.

I will review, the link data and the netlimiter.

Apologies if I was a little ambiguious in my comments, I was trying to compare useage (not using windows) so something that attaches to, or records modem useage could be ideal, as you have now done.

regards

Lethal