What exactly constitutes "downloading"?

DeadMoney

Hi, my BB provider has a monthly limit on downloads and I am just wondering what exactly constitutes downloading? I know if I look at streaming vids such as youtube, this is still downloading so would eat up my limit. But what about playing music from music blogs? I don't mean downloading the songs but actually listening to them on a site, is this the same as watching youtube vids?

Thanks

zuroph

yes. looking at anything on the internet is achieved by the info being passed to your computer, thats what downloading is. if you open a webpage, it sends info to your computer, and your computer displays it.

x43r0

DeadMoney wrote: »

Hi, my BB provider has a monthly limit on downloads and I am just wondering what exactly constitutes downloading? I know if I look at streaming vids such as youtube, this is still downloading so would eat up my limit. But what about playing music from music blogs? I don't mean downloading the songs but actually listening to them on a site, is this the same as watching youtube vids?

Thanks

Yup

Web browsing is downloading even, albeit in negligible amounts. Think about it, your browser has to download each page before it can display it

DeadMoney

Ok sorry I definitely phrased the question wrong. I know everything I do online involves downloading but what I mean to ask is, does listening to music online take up the same capacity as streaming a vid? For example, watching vids on youtube seems to be very heavy on MB's being downloaded per vid. Is listening to tunes and radio podcasts the same?

zuroph

its a "how longs a piece of string question?" qustion. sound alone will generally be smaller than video with sound, but it all depends in what quality it is, how its compressed etc.

If you want to keep an eye on it, you can download free "download monitor software" that will keep tabs on how much you are downloading, so you can see for yourself.

DeadMoney

Cool, will check this out, thanks.

Cabaal

In short ANYTHING you access and view on the internet is a "download", doesn't matter if its streaming or an actual large video download its the same in the end

watty

HiFi audio is more than rubbish Web Video
Some Web Pages if you read one every 10s are worse than some audio streams.
It's impossible to know what you are using till you use it.

UDP streaming uses nothing in Upload. TCP/IP traffic (email & web page downloading) can have 10% or so upload. everything thing counts.

Many ISPs have a page you can visit.
Many Routers have a traffic monitor you can reset. Note traffic and reset each night or morning.

humaxf1

Although very negligible, if you have a computer connected to your router either via wireless or wired, there is traffic going back n forth from the "Internet" to your computer.

So technically you are downloading/uploading without a web browser open, listening to online radio, using yahoo messenger etc etc.

In short, any Internet activity is classed as downloading/uploading. The uploading is your request outward such as typing a web address and pressing enter. Downloading is the web page being displayed.

DeadMoney

Since the BB is not in my name, I cannot access the provider site where you check usage. Can anybody recommend the name of one of these free trackers that you can download to keep track?

Cantona's Collars

Try du meter trial for a while.

watty

That makes no sense

If you are sharing a router / WiFi point, you need to have it do the monitoring. Most actually do. Search the menus. Of course if it's someone elses BB, you don't have the password.

The person than has the BB is the person that needs to monitor.