Most of the Indian broadband users are on limited bandwidth plans. The reason for choosing these limited broadband plans is lower price than unlimited plans and also higher speed than unlimited plans. For example BSNL 500C+ plan gives you 2.5 GB of free bandwidth and 2Mbps speed whereas unlimited 750 plan gives you only 256Kbps speed. So most of the people use limited plans. These plans offer high speed but can also result in a heavy monthly bill if you go beyond your download limit. This article is about monitoring and saving your bandwidth to save yourself from extra bills.
Monitor your Internet usage
A limited broadband user must monitor his internet usage. By monitoring internet usage you can spend less time on internet when you are reaching to limit. Networx is a great software to monitor your bandwidth. You can also set free hours so that it ignores counting in that period. You can also set monthly quota and it displays warning messages when you reach near to the limit. An alternative to NetWorx can also be NetMeter.
Link: Networx
Take advantage of your Free Downloading hours
Many limited bandwidth plans offer free downloading hours. Like BSNL500C+ plan offer free downloading between 2AM to 8AM. Most of the ISPs have same plans, you get free downloading at night. But it is difficult to wake up at 2AM and download. But by using scheduling softwares like your Internet Download Manager, you can easily take full advantage of your free hours. Schedule your download manager to start downloads at 2am and stop at 8am. Place download links in the day and it will automatically download at night.
Save bandwidth while browsing
While surfing the net, you can screw up a lot of bandwidth. Sites with flash content, loads of images and advertisements eat up lots of bandwidth. To save your bandwidth without effecting your great browsing experience, use Ad blocking addons in Firefox or Chrome. Also use the FlashBlock addon to save loading unwanted flash objects, animations and videos. It will save your bandwidth and also improve your browsing experience.
While using all these tools, you should also remember on thing that these tools can only save your bandwidth if you want them to. You should also control yourself from clicking on every link or downloading at monitored hours. In the end, we also want to hear from you, what are your ways to save bandwidth?
9 Comments
Some basic steps shown there. If you are a linux user then get sidebar widgets which shows real-time usage and keeps counting for a month, which will make you realize every second that how much you have used!
Turn off your images from the browser setting….it would cut down your usage tremendously…..
nice tips . however background downloads often remain unnoticed and take bandwidth. So any auto update feature must be switched off.
nice tips mate …thanks for sharing!! ;P
Guyz you have to use flashblock, adblockplus, try dataone usage finder by shaplus software its free and excellent guarantee you’ll like it
There are text based browsers like lynx, opera(which has text based browser setting) which can save a lot of bandwidth , when you know what to look for in internet. Cheers.
add block plus to the browser
thanks mate
Nice tips… but every month i need to buy another 1 or 2 gig bandwidth….