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communication:bandwidth_conservation [2017/01/08 09:13]
frater_secessus [web frugality]
communication:bandwidth_conservation [2021/12/17 22:53] (current)
princess_fluffypants [General tips for reducing data usage]
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 ====== Bandwidth conservation ====== ====== Bandwidth conservation ======
  
 +Similar to dealing with [[water:start|water]] or [[electrical:12v:battery_capacity|electrical power]], it is typically easier to reduce your consumption rather than trying to add more supply.
  
 +Here are the most common factors:
  
 +  * Cost - on metered or capped plans going over can be expensive
 +  * Availability - sometimes the connection is sketchy or has too many users for the size of the pipe.  
  
  
 +----
 +===== Conserving Mobile Data =====
  
-===== conserving mobile data =====+**What takes up a lot of bandwidth?**
  
 +tl-dr: **Video.** Anything to do with video consumes //inordinate// amounts of bandwidth; it's the data equivalent of trying to run an electric heater.  Everything else is an afterthought in terms of data usage compared to video. This includes having Zoom or other videoconferencing calls, streaming/watching video on Youtube/Hulu/Netflix/Amazon/Disney/Apple/TikTok, uploading video, anything.  It's //all// going to take more data usage in just a few minutes than the entire rest of your internet usage might in an day.
  
-==== navigation frugality ==== +If you can reduce or eliminate any kind of video data usage, you've made the problem of data vastly smaller already.
-There are **offline navigation apps** like [[https://play.google.com/store/search?q=copilot%20gps|CoPilot]] and [[https://play.google.com/store/search?q=osmand|OsmAnd]] (free) that allow you to download maps on wifi and use them without data while traveling.  Note that realtime traffic data doesn't work in these scenarios since the apps are offline.+
  
 +Professional-quality photo uploading can also take a lot of bandwidth, but it's still nowhere in the same range as video.
  
-**Google maps will let you download certain map tiles** for offline use.  This would work best if you are in the same areas but would be less useful while traveling.  +**What DOESN'T take up a lot of bandwidth**
  
 +tl-dr: **Anything that isn't video.** Even audio streaming is barely a drop in the bucket; a 2-hour-long podcast is 20-30mb while a 2-hour-long movie is //500-2,000mb// For those operating on limited quantities or quality of data, it's best to find some music, podcasts, or audiobooks to fill your entertainment time rather than trying to figure out how to binge Netflix in your van.
  
 +----
 +==== General tips for reducing data usage ==== 
 +(Aside from avoiding video)
  
-==== web frugality ==== +  * Use cell phones or mobile devices when possible, instead of laptops. 
-**Quick Answer**:  the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UBlock_Origin|uBlock Origin]] browser plugin for Firefox and Chrome/Chromium is simple to use and surprisingly effective.  It is a good first step to reducing web bandwidth use. +    * Mobile web browsers and apps are generally formatted and designed to be more efficient about data usage, and most web sites will have mobile-optimized versions that are more lightweight.  
 +    You can sometimes fake this on some desktop web browsers by using extensions to trick them into fetching the mobile versions of web pages, or by doing it manually with specific web addresses (for example, https://m.facebook.com) 
 +    You may want to hack that behavior by sending a false [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_agent#Use_in_HTTP|user agent string]]. 
 +  Turn off data usage when not needed 
 +    Modern devices are very "chatty", in that they're consistently taking up bandwidth to perpetually be checking for new e-mails, posts, messages, cat pictures and app updates. 
 +    * When going to bed or when you know you're not using the device for a while, turn off just the data connection.  This will stop this continuous trickle of background data usage, and can make a big difference for those on pay-per-gig or capped monthly plans. 
 +    * This means that you may not get notified immediately when someone posts a new cat picture, however SMS and phone calls will still come through (as those operate on a push notification from the cellular network, rather than a pull from the phone) 
 +    * Many cell phones will have options for "Low Data Mode", which will attempt to limit or stop this background behavior as well. 
 +  * Offline Navigation 
 +    * There are **offline navigation apps** like [[https://play.google.com/store/search?q=copilot%20gps|CoPilot]] and [[https://play.google.com/store/search?q=osmand|OsmAnd]] (free) that allow you to download maps on wifi and use them without data while traveling.  Note that realtime traffic data doesn't work in these scenarios since the apps are offline. 
 +    * Google maps will let you download certain map tiles for offline use.  This would work best if you are in the same areas but would be less useful while traveling. 
 +  * Use add blockers 
 +    * The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UBlock_Origin|uBlock Origin]] browser plugin for Firefox and Chrome/Chromium is simple to use and surprisingly effective.  It is a good first step to reducing web bandwidth use
 +  * Video Frugality 
 +    * If you are going to stream, see if you can turn the quality down as low as you can tolerate.  Use your phone instead of laptop or tablet, as they will typically default to a lower resolution stream. 
 +    * See the section below for frugality with Youtube specifically
  
  
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 You can try to force the use of a mobile site even if you are on a computer. Mobile sites tend to be cleaner, simpler, and generally less gunked up with bandwith hogging multimedia. You can try to force the use of a mobile site even if you are on a computer. Mobile sites tend to be cleaner, simpler, and generally less gunked up with bandwith hogging multimedia.
  
-The traditional way mobile sites were/are denoted was with the prefix "m" Compare the https://m.alaskaair.com/ mobile website with the https://www.alaskaair.com/ . If the site does client analysis you might get pushed to the regular www site.  You may want to hack that behavior by sending a false [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_agent#Use_in_HTTP|user agent string]].+The traditional way mobile sites were/are denoted was with the prefix "m" Compare the https://m.alaskaair.com/ mobile website with the https://www.alaskaair.com/ . If the site does client analysis you might get pushed to the regular www site.  
  
  
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-=== compression proxies === 
  
-A compression proxy runs between you and the internet and optimizes / compresses web content to save bandwidth.  It may downgrade image quality for substantial savings.  It is an internet version of [[lifestyle:mail forwarding|a mail forwarding service]] that throws out the junk mail and extra packing before sending your mail mail to you. 
  
-Note:  **HTTPS (encrypted) traffic cannot be optimized** by third parties because it is encrypted and the proxy can't see what it is.  +=== compression proxies ===
  
-[[http://www.opera.com/|Opera]] made the first mainstream browser to offer a compression proxy on their mobile and desktop browsers.  Now the Chrome mobile browser has a proxy and there is [[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/data-saver/pfmgfdlgomnbgkofeojodiodmgpgmkac|Data Savings plugin for Chrome/Chromium]].+compression proxy runs between you and the internet and optimizes / compresses web content to save bandwidth.  It may downgrade image quality for substantial savings.  It is an internet version of [[lifestyle:mail forwarding|a mail forwarding service]] that throws out the junk and extra packing before sending your mail (web page) to you.
  
-If you are technically minded and have a server somewhere you can run your own compression proxy using freeware like ziproxy.   
  
-=== YouTube frugality ===+Note:  **HTTPS (encrypted) traffic cannot be optimized** by third parties because it is encrypted and the proxy can't see what it is.  
  
-Force YouTube video quality down as far as you can stand.  You can also configure downloading tool like [[https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl#installation|youtube-dl]] to pull down videos for watching later+[[http://www.opera.com/|Opera]] made the first mainstream browser to offer a compression proxy on their mobile ~~and desktop~~ browsers.  ~~Now the Chrome mobile browser has a proxy and there is a [[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/data-saver/pfmgfdlgomnbgkofeojodiodmgpgmkac|Data Savings plugin for Chrome/Chromium]].~~
  
-For "talking head" type videos you can download the audio only, using something like+If you are technically minded and have a server somewhere you can run your own compression proxy using freeware like ziproxy.  Frater Secessus runs one of these and will make a login for you if you want to play with it.
-  * ''youtube-dl --format bestaudio [URL]'' if you intended to process the file further; or +
-  * ''youtube-dl --format worstaudio [URL]'' if you are going to use it directly +
  
-Pulling down audio only when possible can save 90% or more bandwidth.  +The [[https://github.com/ayastreb/bandwidth-hero|Bandwidth Hero project]] compresses images;  significant assembly required.  
 + 
 +A german ISP runs [[https://www.skyzip.de/skyzip-free-acceleration-and-compression-proxy-encrypts-your-traffic-increases-browsing-speed-and-saves-your-bandwidth-english/|SkyZip]], a compression proxy.
 ==== email frugality ==== ==== email frugality ====
  
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 ==== video frugality ==== ==== video frugality ====
-**Streaming is evil** when bandwidth is limited. Some networking gear is socket-limited;  there is a certain number of "slots" available for users.  When web browsing, reading email, etc, a user will take one of the slots for active data then release it.  //Streaming holds a monopoly on the socket//, which can block other users from using the resource.+**Streaming is evil** when bandwidth is limited. Some networking gear is socket-limited;  there is a certain number of "slots" available for users.  When web browsing, reading email, etc, a user will take one of the slots for active data then release it.  //Streaming holds the socket open//, which can block other users from using the resource.
  
-If you must stream use the minimum video quality you can tolerate. 
  
 If you can, download the media during off-hours;  this is the kindest to the provider and to other users. If you can, download the media during off-hours;  this is the kindest to the provider and to other users.
  
 +Some streaming services allow you to download for offline consumption.  In that case you can d/l shows when near wifi and watch them later. 
 +
 +
 +=== YouTube frugality ===
 +
 +Force YouTube video quality down as far as you can stand.  You can also configure a downloading tool like [[https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl#installation|youtube-dl]] to pull down videos for watching later. 
 +
 +You can [[source:youtube-dl|see what resolutions are available with the ''-F'' flag]], and request the lowest-resolution complete video with something like:
 +
 +  youtube-dl -f '160/278/133/18/22' [url]
 +
 +
 +For "talking head" type videos you can download the audio only, using something like:
 +  * ''youtube-dl -f bestaudio [URL]'' if you intended to process the file further; or
 +  * ''youtube-dl -f worstaudio [URL]'' if you are going to use it directly.  
 +
 +Pulling down audio only when possible can save 90% or more bandwidth.  
 +
 +If you need both audio and video, those pieces can be pulled down separately and combined for absolute smallest filesize:
  
 +  * ''youtube-dl -f worstaudio+worstvideo [URL]''
 ==== android ==== ==== android ====
  
communication/bandwidth_conservation.1483884831.txt.gz · Last modified: 2020/10/11 19:48 (external edit)