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communication:bandwidth_conservation [2021/12/17 20:42]
princess_fluffypants
communication:bandwidth_conservation [2021/12/17 22:53] (current)
princess_fluffypants [General tips for reducing data usage]
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 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 =====+---- 
 +===== Conserving Mobile Data =====
  
 **What takes up a lot of bandwidth?** **What takes up a lot of bandwidth?**
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 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. 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)+---- 
 +==== General tips for reducing data usage ====  
 +(Aside from avoiding video) 
   * Use cell phones or mobile devices when possible, instead of laptops.   * 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 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)+    * 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   * 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.     * 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.
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     * 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)     * 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.     * 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. 
-==== navigation frugality ==== +    * 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. 
-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. +  * 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 
-**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.   +    * 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
- +
- +
-==== web frugality ==== +
-**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. +
  
  
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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.  
  
  
communication/bandwidth_conservation.1639791768.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021/12/17 20:42 by princess_fluffypants