data usage

[Taodo]

I am using wireless home broadband with a limited 500gb data. For the past weeks, I notices there was a massive increase in our daily used data. We are only two people at home and mostly streaming videos. We never use over 150GB for over 2 years (the max we used was 11gb/day) and our habit haven't changed. However, recently we checked, we could use around 21gb-36gb a day.

I tried to call Optus but can never reach them after so many hours waiting on the phone. I tried to message them too but no reply after so many days.😡 I have checked my breakdown data too, at first I thought it was the google photo app but we deleted the apps and the used data was still unbelievable. Is there any solution for this?

[SillyGogo]

1. Check usage. Goto each of the devices and under data usage and see which app is using how much data. With streaming, maybe it is going for a higher quality from a better signal, where as before it might be doing 720p and now with improved signal it might go to 1080p etc. Some app are doing background uploading and downloading that can take up alot of data. So maybe turn off background data for those apps.

2. Check another other people connected. See that there is no uninvited guest on your network. Do a quick sum of the data from data usage on all of your devices and see if it match up with Optus's usage, remember to add both upload and download data. Check your wireless modem network map and see if there is any unknown devices connected to your network. Perhaps change your wifi network passphase/password and see if the data usage improves.

[petergdownload]

Optus currently have very few staff to handle issues, so yes contact takes a very long time at the moment. Some great suggestions above. Note that data usage can take a few hours or days to show up but you should at least see where all this 30Gb is being used. What does it say?

Also do change your password on your router.

[Taodo]

Hi, thanks for your response. I checked and did not find any issue with my usage data. I found out yesterday that google photo used the most data on 03 April so my housemate and I deleted the app. On 04 April, up until 8:00pm, we only used 8.3gb but when I checked again this morning, we have used 37.1 gb. For 4 hours, more than 20gb of data gone. That’s why I tried to check with Optus technical issues team but cannot reach them 😞

[Taodo]

My optus app breakdown did not really show what the data used for. I can see the most used app on 04 April is youtube but we did not watch youtube whole day😞 . We are using wireless home broadband and I don’t know how to change password for my wifi. Usually I give the provider a call so they can guide me to change it but I could not reach Optus.

[SillyGogo]

On your devices, do they show 20gb used and which app by how much? As per @peterdownload usage from Optus could be delayed. Are you saying that the usage is about 20Gb more from the Optus report compare to the data usage on your devices?

It is hard to get a hold of Optus, my suggestion is contact via the MyOptus App, there will be some wait. In the mean time, see if you can find where the data leak is occurring. Look at the data usage from your devices. I found before that ads from free apps like game are doing alot of background downloading while you are playing, then it will show a video ad.

[Taodo]

Uhm! My data breakdown showed that we used very little on 04 April. I don’t see anything odds that “eat” all the 37.1gb data in one day. I did not use the internet after 8:00pm last night and my housemate most likely just watched a few videos after that time. It showed we had used 8.3gb up until 8pm yesterday so I could not see why data being used so much after that.

I messaged optus both on the app and social pages like facebook, twitter since Friday and still no response. 😳.

[petergdownload]

Not to be impolite, but you're not answering the questions being asked. Why do you think you "ate" 37.1Gb? Where are you getting this information from? What/Where in the Optus app is it saying you have? and what apps is it assigning this data too?

[Taodo]

Hi, Sorry for being unclear. I wish I could attached all the screenshots to show you what’s going on. It’s hard for me to explain because I do not know what my data are used for. I tried to figure it out but I failed to understand the problem.

I checked the breakdown data from my Optus app and that’s why I know how much data are being used. The optus app breakdown showed me we have used 20.8gb on 03 April and 37.1gb on 04 of April. The most used app on 03 April was Google Photo which about 15gb and we deleted it. the my Optus app only showed me which app being used the most like youtube, google photo, browsing. And yesterday, youtube was the most used app -55.2%. However, when I checked my youtube usage, it’s less than 1gb on 04 April. Same as for other activities, all less than 3gb.

With the wireless home broadband, there is no instruction on how to change wifi password, they only showed how to change password for the admin account.

[petergdownload]

No probs. It is a strange one and to be frank the tools and data Optus provides to monitor data can be pretty flaky. Stuff get assigned to 'best guess' apps and data arrives late. Overall data doesn't match data breakdown numbers etc.

One important thing is that Optus doesn't really discus data until a bill is issued. So you might find it all is a moot point as it is resolved properly at the end of the month.

Google photo seems pretty specific. A lot of times these data issues are because something is syncing with the cloud. Sending movies and photos to the google servers etc. Give it a day or so after deleting apps before you can expect data usage to settle down (late updates)

Hopefully it settles down. Get a few more days observations and see if you can see some patterns emerging. Keep a record of what you do data wise - like watching 1.5 hours of you tube) shut off devices you are not using.