Can you define Downloading for me?

Question

We recently got our combined phone/internet bundle bill. For the 2nd if not 4th month in a row we have over exceeded our data package allowance. Can you tell me is this because of youtube use? We dont download movies, but I would use youtube a lot. Also, is playing games on Facebook considered Downloading? I downloaded several C.D.s over Christmas for presents from itunes, is that heavy usage? Or is using any part of the web counted? Like browsing websites and looking things up? Thanks for your answers

Answer 1

Downloading occurs the moment you surf the web and visit different sites. Text, images etc are downloaded (transfered from the server where the website is hosted) on to your local PC to be viewed in your browser. Not only that the Server and your PC also exchange certain amount of data and information over the network.

So downloading is:

Surfing sites

Watching videos on YouTube (The Videos are streamed/downloaded to your PC)

Facebook games:

Flash games are first downloaded to your PC and when you play and finish a game data such as scores etc are transferred to the server and you also get information about your standings

Games such as Mafia Wars have different pages that get loaded when a link is clicked that is downloading too

If you downloaded several CDS worth of songs/music from iTunes thats quite a bit of usage



If your usage is so heavy go for an unlimited data package if available. Then you dont have to worry about downloads

Answer 2

Technically downloading is the receiving of any data over an internet connection.



However some ISPs see normal browsing traffic as marginal so wont put this towards the quota.



Depending on what you use youtube for would depend, if you use it for giggles then chances are a little youtube watching wont hit it. If you watch HD TV shows, or a lot of TV then yes, if you have a smallish quota or a number of people in the home watchin HD streams then yes its easy to hit a cap.



In a nutshell anything that gets sent to your computer over the internet is downloading, as you are taking data from the internet to your computer.



If you are on mobile broadband, its not really made for downloading files and things, its internet on the go for that email and browsing. If you want to do alot of streaming and downloading, even a little then its best to get a fixed line connection.

Answer 3

Every web page, you access on the web is downloading as you're sending the link address, and then the internet server is presenting the website on your computer or any other device. So every information that you see on web is downloading. But when you talk about the youtube, its heavy downloading as its buffering data from the web in form of flash video, is generally high in case, you're watching a HD video. And also the applications that you use on F-B; are flash, java or shockwave files which are being downloaded to your temporary files. So for sure, its all downloading.

But normally the ISP's have radius server setup, where you can login and check the total data used till last session, normally offered by almost all the ISPs but some of them also update the data usage on daily basis. So you can just turn off and restart your modem, and check it on isp website by logging on to your account. Please contact your ISP for web address to check the data usage; and the same can also be checked with the customer service of the ISP.



Take Care

Answer 4

Downloading is basically getting videos,web pages or music etc: sent from the internet and onto your computer if you use Youtube alot that may be the thing that's used the most usage on your allowance as watching videos is sending a video and audio too your computer.. If watching HD youtube videos that will use more of your allowance.



So anything from the internet webpages,youtube, videos or music getting sent to your computer will all use your usage allowance, I doubt the likes of Facebook games use much or if chat on Facebook that wont use much either.

Answer 5

Downloading is when you save files from the Internet onto your computer.



Does the wording on your contract mention downloading or data usage? Data usage would include all of the things you mention - downloading, web browsing, streaming video, emails, etc. Downloading does not include those activities. In my experience it is usually data usage that is measured and restricted, rather than just downloading.

Answer 6

All the others' answers are spot on - Internet usage consists of everything sent and received over your connection. That involves game consoles, computers, and wifi-enabled phones. What I do at my home is monitor my bandwidth using a tool called DU Meter from Hagel Technologies. There is a free alternative out there called Rokario.

Answer 7

What is your supposed limit? Youtube DOES take a lot of Download data. Facebook games aren't that much. Downloading CD's is a lot of data as well.

Answer 8

To read this page you first have to download it.



if you view youTube

and the video is 15min's long and HD you first have to download it before you see it.



this is not like tv it does not work on radio waves.



everything you view, first has to be downloaded.



.

Answer 9

here is your answer



thanks



ian