Child Item

Site Totals

61368 Questions Answered 267 Categories

Another data usage question

I have had a uscell wireless broadband account with a 5 gig limit for the last 7 years. I've seen the overage cost go from 50 cents a meg to 10 dollars a gig. When you get charged 50 cents a meg for overages, you learn real quick how to track and estimate your usage. I've been within 100 meg many times and within 2 to 300 meg consistently. NOW...I bought a NOTE 3 connected to the share everything plan through Verizon that started on the 1st of January. I have already used 2.5 gig in 7 days. Hey, I understand data usage but when I download files that are between 250-300 meg total(I put them in their own folder to ease measuring) but my data usage show between 700 and 750 meg? I am using it as a password secured hotspot to connect to my laptop wirelessly. I am the only user. A sales person speculated that because I'm connecting at 4g rather than 3g that I am using more data. Not sure how downloading a 40 meg file using 3g magically becomes(guessing) 100 meg using 4g.? data is data so how does the file get denser based on 3/4g? I have tried to a hardline tether from the phone to the pc and that seems to use less data? Is there a doubling of data transmission that gets accumulated? 1 time from the network to the phone and then again from the phone to the laptop? As I said, I understand data, did 26 years in IT, converted bits, bytes, into k, meg and now gig and beyond but this doesn't seem right to me.

Comments

Verizon_Support

ANewSmartPhoneUser, We certainly want to make sure your device is working properly and not measuring unused data. When using the hotspot, you are right that it will not double charge for the data usage uploading on both the device and computer. Your device does have a feature that informs you what programs are using the date. Have you used this feature to track times when the usage was taking place? If you go to your settings > Data Usage > you can move the graph for each day and it will show you what apps used the data. If it just shows hotspot, then you know it was while you were on your computer. I would be sure to check if any virus's, software updates, or programs are running in the background of your computer as this has been a known issue of unnecessary data usage. Lets make sure we can get you back to using your device with ease.

-PeterV_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

Jakeman1

The very first thing I would do is set up WiFi on your phone and change the Google Play to update first on Wifi.

Next I would Disable all of the bloatware that Verizon puts on your phone so it does not use Data by updating

Next I would install Onavo Count on your phone. This will track your Data usage at the Application level and is within .001% accurate. This application also gives you the ability to change the way an application works. Normally the Applications will use your Cell Data at will and Onave will allow you to change it from Data to Wifi Only which means the apps will only update when connected to Wifi. Do NOT put your email, text messaging apps or Facebook on this.

Next do NOT use Backup Assistant or Verizon Cloud. They have a habit of running and not fully syncing so it continues to run for 24-24-72 hours and then some all the time using data.

A good list of apps to disable is listed below (unless of course you use these). Also some of these apps might not be on your particular model of phone and you may have additional ones not on the list.

disable list.txt.zip

Child Item