Monday, August 13, 2018

Spend less and get more internet

If you're like me, you want to get more Gigabytes and pay less money.

My main tip is to use less video, especially by using lower resolution video settings.  I use the lowest possible youtube video resolution on my laptop.
Some people autoplay youtube videos on their phone - I have autoplay OFF.  I just watch when I want, not when I'm asleep looool.

I buy a lot of gigabytes on my modem.  There are smaller plans for phones.  These usually have fewer MB or GB but are generally more expensive per GB.  I'm going to check for an even better plan - the rates should be going down, down.
Some people let Whatsapp auto-download all incoming media - I turn that setting off.
I don't worry about the small stuff, like app downloads, many apps are just a few MB or dozens of MB, which is manageable.
I can't control very much about all the updating and notifying on my Android device, but those operations are not very heavy on MB anyway.  Actually, I switch almost all notifications off, but that's more because I like peace and quiet, not for the cost.  And I get irritated with so many updates, but maybe there's a reason for them, I don't know.

Other than that, the things I pay attention to:

  • I choose smaller packages when I download torrents, like movie torrents.  Say I have an option over 3GB and another under 1GB, I choose the smaller one.  
  • Also, now that I'm starting to use mobile more, I'm looking at trying out the bandwidth-saving apps like Google Go and Youtube Go, maybe, if I have the time.  


More Tips from the experts: 

Choose The Right Package
Make sure you select a package that accommodates all your needs; several options have been made available to cater for different user requirements.

Secure Your Modem
Reset the modem default password immediately and never share your password. We recommend using a combination of alphanumeric characters that is easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess. Change your passwords periodically.

Be very Careful with Torrents
Torrents are a popular way of quickly downloading large files over the Internet. When downloading a file, your system will also upload at the same time. You are paying for both downloading and uploading traffic. In many cases, the upload data is higher than the download data. You can control the upload traffic in the settings of the torrent software.

Voice over IP (VoIP) and Webcams
Using the HD-Quality desktop FaceTime, Skype and other similar utilities can be useful, fun, and exciting they also consume both uplink and downlink bandwidth. Consider turning off the video when making long calls or after the initial minutes of your call to save on bandwidth.

High-Definition (HD) Videos
Most video providers, including YouTube, give you the option of HD picture quality while viewing. The higher the quality of the video, the more bandwidth is consumed. Carefully consider each video and determine whether you truly need top quality and advise everyone in the household to do the same.

Automatic Software Updates
Software updates are useful and increase the reliability and functionality of your system but be aware of the bandwidth they consume. With most homes having several systems per user all the updates can take gigabytes. Monitor your bandwidth usage to know when best to apply updates manually.

Independently monitor your bandwidth consumption
You can track your bandwidth usage on your modem as well as using third-party software like My Data manager on each device connected to your modem to monitor your actual usage.

Online backups and File Synchronization via Cloud
Whenever you use your DropBox and similar utilities to synchronize files between computers bandwidth is utilized. Online backups also consume a lot of bandwidth especially for the first full backup.

These tips are to enlighten our customers so they are savvy users and get the most of their broadband service. Hope you continue to enjoy the service and the access it creates to help you achieve more! 



I mean, the main thing is that internet is getting cheaper, so yaaaayyyy enjoy it.

Source: Data Costs Across Some Major Cities In Africa
(July 2018, in TechCabal)
They cite about 1GB for N1000.  I usually buy about 50GB for N10,000 - a good rate. 

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2 comments:

t said...

I just noticed there's unlimited monthly internet for about the same amount I now pay for 30GB monthly. (Needs an initial installation fee). Likely to switch to that soon. It's called wifi.ng

Meanwhile, my phone internet has been poor and I just found it's my fault :) so now I've visited their offices, got my SIM upgraded and my settings changed, and yay, same company, same fees, better technology, better connection (though I've only tested it for a minute) . Upgraded!

t said...

Specifics: upgraded sim to 4G, changed access point.

Previously on UpNaira

 

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