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communication:bandwidth_conservation [2020/05/21 12:10]
frater_secessus [video 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.
  
-As with drinking water, power, food, and waste tanks, 'dwellers often have to manage their use of data bandwidth.  Here are the most common factors:+Here are the most common factors:
  
-  * cost - on metered or capped plans going over can be expensive +  * 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.  +  * Availability - sometimes the connection is sketchy or has too many users for the size of the pipe.  
  
  
 +----
 +===== 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.
  
 +If you can reduce or eliminate any kind of video data usage, you've made the problem of data vastly smaller already.
  
-===== conserving mobile data =====+Professional-quality photo uploading can also take a lot of bandwidth, but it's still nowhere in the same range as video.
  
 +**What DOESN'T take up a lot of bandwidth**
  
-==== navigation frugality ==== +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.
-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.+
  
 +----
 +==== General tips for reducing data usage ==== 
 +(Aside from avoiding 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.   +  Use cell phones or mobile devices when possible, instead of laptops. 
- +    * 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]]. 
-==== web frugality ==== +  * Turn off data usage when not needed 
-**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. +    * 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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 ==== 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.  You can [[source:youtube-dl|see what resolutions are available with the ''-F'' flag]]. 
  
 +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. 
  
- 
- 
-If you can, download the media during off-hours;  this is the kindest to the provider and to other users. 
  
 === YouTube frugality === === 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.  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: For "talking head" type videos you can download the audio only, using something like:
communication/bandwidth_conservation.1590077449.txt.gz · Last modified: 2020/10/11 19:48 (external edit)