Does tethering use up more data?

toby2111

Interested in the emobile select smart unlimited plan,has 15GB data included.Rang a rep to enquire could I tether on this plan,he said yes but its not recommended as tethering uses lots more data than just browsing on the phone.I'd be an average user,prob use around 5-7GB a month on a pre paid dongle.So would it just eat through this?

On a related point,how exactly do I tether a phone?I'm looking at Galaxy S2.Do I need to install software?Or is it just connect with USB and surf away?

PogMoThoin

Possibly, pc's and laptops have many more services running therefore could be using data in the background without you knowing or consciously browsing.

toby2111

Has anyone tethered with a Galaxy S2 before?How exactly is it done?

KrisW

Possibly, pc's and laptops have many more services running therefore could be using data in the background without you knowing or consciously browsing.

Yep.
Desktop OSes are written with the assumption of a permanently-connected, unmetered network connection. That makes authors do things that are poisonous if you have to pay for every byte...

Imagine using your entire data allowance up on some stinking .NET or Java auto-update.

toby2111

But will it not just stop using your data allowance when you untether it?I'm not very technically minded!

jimmycrackcorm

toby2111 wrote: »

Has anyone tethered with a Galaxy S2 before?How exactly is it done?

I normally just turn on the portable hotspot on it.

KrisW

Correct. Once you're un-tethered, only your phone will use the data allowance.

The problem is mainly that a typical PC is much more data-hungry than mobile phone, so while your PC is tethered to the phone, you will consume much more data.

toby2111

KrisW wrote: »

The problem is mainly that a typical PC is much more data-hungry than mobile phone, so while your PC is tethered to the phone, you will consume much more data.

So do you reckon my laptop would eat up 15gb of data pretty quickly while tethered?I'm not a heavy user,mainly general browsing,check email,watch YouTube,download an album now and again.

Eoin

Is 5-7GB a month average use? That'd be the guts of a year for me I'd say! Edit: sorry, on your PC not your mobile - that makes more sense!

The phone might have some usage stats on cellular data used, so you can keep an eye on it and just reset it every month.

Also, you could check to see if there's software for the PC that can tell you your bandwidth usage.

cookie1977

You'd be doing a lot of surfing while tethering to hit a 15gb download limit per month. Just avoid downloading big files such as iTunes movies. You should be fine for web browsing and some Youtube watching.

PogMoThoin

cookie1977 wrote: »

You'd be doing a lot of surfing while tethering to hit a 15gb download limit per month. Just avoid downloading big files such as iTunes movies. You should be fine for web browsing and some Youtube watching.

YouTube can be heavier than iTunes, depending on what quality you watch. 15GB isn't much for a desktop pc to consume in a month, but ample for a phone and some light tethering

toby2111

Does anyone know if the Galaxy S2 has usage stats,like what Eoin mentioned above,so I can keep track of usage when tethering.Don't want to end up with major bill!

PogMoThoin

toby2111 wrote: »

Does anyone know if the Galaxy S2 has usage stats,like what Eoin mentioned above,so I can keep track of usage when tethering.Don't want to end up with major bill!

There are some on the market
https://market.android.com/details?id=net.rgruet.android.g3watchdog&feature=search_result

cookie1977

PogMoThoin wrote: »

YouTube can be heavier than iTunes, depending on what quality you watch. 15GB isn't much for a desktop pc to consume in a month, but ample for a phone and some light tethering

Most people would use tethering as a backup to when they're not around wifi or in their own home. so yes as Pog says, it's not a replacement for your primary internet but rather for when you need it. Thats how I use it anyway.

Effluo

If you're careful with it you should be fine. Probably the biggest things to look out for which could potentially over do your data are torrenting programs and to a lesser extent windows update.

Youtube videos are about 25mb/video btw, it's worth noting for the prepaid dongles in particular how much all the things you use are actually costing you.

Personally I wouldn't update any of my programs when using a prepaid dongle.


If anyone is looking at this thread and want to tether, but their network or phone doesn't let them, then they should check out PDAnet, https://market.android.com/details?id=com.pdanet&hl=en

It's pretty good(at the end of the month trial you can just re-install to keep it free)

Rick Deckard

I'm on the "all you can eat" (15gb) with 3 since March, and use my iphones' personal hotspot for the laptop .

Use it day in work, 5 days a week.
Then as im out the sticks, use it at home in the evenings and weekends,

Use boards, youtube, email (work and personal), stream the footie, "special interest" sites, and have never gone over 5gb a month..

cookie1977

Rick Deckard wrote: »

I'm on the "all you can eat" (15gb) with 3 since March, and use my iphones' personal hotspot for the laptop .

Use it day in work, 5 days a week.
Then as im out the sticks, use it at home in the evenings and weekends,

Use boards, youtube, email (work and personal), stream the footie, "special interest" sites, and have never gone over 5gb a month..

Just to say with emobile if you go over I think they charge whereas with Three they "may" just throttle your speed but won't charge you.

Rick Deckard

cookie1977 wrote: »

Just to say with emobile if you go over I think they charge whereas with Three they "may" just throttle your speed but won't charge you.

correct.

toby2111

cookie1977 wrote: »

Rick Deckard wrote: »

"special interest" sites

Nice one!!

Effluo

3 say they don't want you tethering though. I'd say if you went much over the 5GB a month they might look you up on it. It's very easy for them to know what device you're using the internet with, but that PDAnet thingy gets around it

Rick Deckard

Effluo wrote: »

3 say they don't want you tethering though. I'd say if you went much over the 5GB a month they might look you up on it. It's very easy for them to know what device you're using the internet with, but that PDAnet thingy gets around it

Ive had no hastle so far, whats this PDAnet you speak of? To google with me.