What steps can I take to reduce my data usage?

Disabling music sharing programs (such as Kazaa, Napster, and Morpheus) reduces your Internet service usage. These programs, if not properly configured, may allow any Internet user to consume your data and your personal computer's resources. Please visit our "How to disable File Sharing programs" page for more information about this item.

Running any type of server also may consume a tremendous amount of data. Operating a server at the end of a residential Internet connection violates PenTeleData's Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP).

Finally, if a wireless device utilizing your residential Internet connection hasn't been configured properly, unauthorized users may consume your Internet access without your knowledge. Please consult with the manufacturer's specifications and double-check your wireless configuration settings to ensure it has been correctly set up.

What may be the reason that I exceed my data cap?

Some causes of overages may include:

  • Peer to peer file sharing programs (Bit Torrent, Limewire, etc.)- downloading movies, etc.
  • File Uploading and downloading of any type
  • Streaming Video (watching TV, You Tube, Netflix, Hulu, Roku boxes, Skype – HD video uses more bandwidth than normal video)
  • SMART TV’s that pull updates / downloads regularly (such as Google TV, or a SMART DVD appliance)
  • Streaming Audio (listening to the radio / music files)
  • Video / Web Cams (even when set to low settings, if a constant 24 x 7 connection, can cause high bandwidth consumption)
  • Online / streaming gaming (X-Box, PlayStation)
  • An unsecured wireless connection
  • Running servers of any kind (Please note, this is also violates PenTeleData’s Acceptable Use Policy.)
  • Virus infections (severe) – generally affects “uploads” (sending from computer to the internet)
  • MAC users that run Microsoft Outlook
  • Using Cloud / file back-up services
What types of files use a lot of data to download or upload?

It is important to remember the amount of data you use is largely impacted by your online activities, not just the amount of time you spend online.  Video streaming (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube), file sharing, online gaming, etc. are all activities that count toward bandwidth consumption. 

Here are some examples:

  • Web Surfing for one hour = 18 MB
  • Average Email size (without attachments) = .02 MB
  • Online Gaming for one hour = 20 MB
  • Social Networking for one hour = 51 MB
  • Streaming Video for an hour (SD) = .75 GB
  • Streaming Video for an hour (HD) = 2 GB
  • Video Chatting for an hour = .34 GB

Please note: 1 GB (gigabyte) = 1024 MB (megabytes)

To exceed a 250 GB limit, you would have to do any of the following:

  • Send 50 million e-mails (at 0.05 kb/email)
  • Download 50,000 songs (at 5 MB/song)
  • Download 63 high definition movies (at 2 GB/hour streaming) ex. Based upon 2 hour movie

Upload 25,000 high resolution digital photos (at 10 MB/photo)
 

Why does PenTeleData have data use limits?

PenTeleData manages its network with one goal: to deliver the best possible Internet experience to all of its customers. High-speed bandwidth, data, and network resources are not unlimited. Managing the network is essential to promote the use and enjoyment of the Internet by all of our customers. We use reasonable network management practices that are consistent with industry standards. 

What is data usage?

In short, data usage is the amount of data that a user sends and receives (uploads and downloads).