Data is life! This has been a common cliché. But more than a cliché now data is everything to any upwardly mobile person in this age and times.
The concern overtime has been how to manage your data to last for the weeks or days allocated while you achieve maximum usage.
An ‘idle’ computer, tablet or smartphone may still use up data for background activities like software update downloads and presence status checks of your contacts on social networks like Skype, Facebook and WhatsApp. Social networking applications periodically access the internet to verify and indicate to you which of your contacts are ‘online’.
Most importantly, please note that all Smart Devices have a built in capability to make high data consuming transactions only on WIFI in order to save Carrier Network Data Charges.
Below are tips to explore.
1) Secure Device Wi-Fi Settings
a) Ensure to change password every fortnight.
b) Passwords once shared (and not changed) allows access to people around you
c) Several apps are available on android to hack WiFi passwords
2) Refresh Self Care Session History
a) Visit and login using your user name and password
b) Default password is same as your UserID and changing password is suggested
c) Data session history at Selfcare is updated after switching off your device
d) To keep track of time & data you spend on streaming video sites
e) Manage amount of data downloaded / uploaded in a session
3) Do not break download session in between
a) Data downloaded before you refresh / restart gets deducted from your account.
b) Before starting to download, check data balance in account to avoid disconnections in middle of download session. This helps to save data in your account.
4) Manage Resolution quality of Online Video transmissions
a) Reduce Video resolution to 240P when watching online video sessions or movies.
i) 1080P HD quality always consume higher amount of data as compared to 144P.
ii) Youtube / Netflix etc… configures video streaming session at AUTO wherein based on bandwidth / speeds received your quality & data usage also increases.
b) Configure video resolution to “Standard” quality on Video Chat applications like Skype, Oovoo etc…
5) Manage Data Sync with Internet Cloud / Online Storages
a) Most smart devices are pre-configured to use WIFI connectivity for data transmissions
b) Turn off DATA SYNC / Update on your smart devices (Phones/Computers)
c) These services (Photo / Video Uploads) replicate/sync in background and consume data
d) Windows 8 computers have pre-installed applications which replicate and consume data
e) Disable / Uninstall applications which you do not use.
6) Avoid using Torrent Downloading Applications since these
a) Upload data from your system in background
b) Are major source of virus and malwares on your systems and devices
c) If used, ensure “Settings” are configured to upload @ 1kB and download @ 90kB to avoid fast data deduction.
7) Install updated antivirus and anti-spam software on your computer
a) Virus infected computers / devices may send out mass emails without your knowledge.
b) Such devices also start consuming high data volumes by transferring data in background.
