Why do I need to check how much data I have remaining?

For customers who aren’t on an unlimited broadband plan, it’s important to keep track of how much data you’re using. This helps to ensure your speed isn’t throttled, or alternatively, you’re not charged for excess usage. It also means you can pinch every kilobyte out of your plan before the month rolls over.

Checking your usage helps you to understand how much data you actually use. This makes it easier when it’s time to select a new plan, because you’ll know exactly how much data you’ll need.

You may also want to keep track of your data usage to ensure you’re not being charged for data you aren’t consciously using. For example, some people don’t realise that both uploads and downloads count toward your monthly allowance on some plans. If you leave a file sharing program open, it may be eating through your upload data. If you check your usage, you can diagnose the problem quicker before you find yourself left with no data each month.

Where do I go to check how much data I have left?

Online – log into your provider’s website

Going online is the easiest way to check your data usage. Broadband providers usually afford you with a login and password when you sign up, and you can use these details to log into an area of the provider’s website. Here, you can find your account details and make alterations. For example, on the TPG website you can check your TPG email inbox, change your direct debit details and update your contact details. There should also be a part on the site where you can check your usage and see how much data you’ve used during peak and off peak periods. It will also most likely display how much data you have left for the remainder of the monthly cycle.

One thing to be mindful of when checking your usage is that there is usually a 24-48 hour delay on the figures. This means that if you have used data earlier in the day, it may not show up until the following day or two.

Online – download a Widget which keeps track of your data allowance

Logging into your ISP’s website every time you want to check your data usage isn’t exactly an effective way to manage your valued time online. There are widgets designed to sit on your desktop and display the same data your provider offers when you log into their website. Some widgets give a more comprehensive overview of your data. For example, data monitoring tool “Ration” is a widget designed for Macs. It offers figures such as your peak/off peak usage, how much data you have remaining, your average usage per day and your average usage per day with the remaining data for the month. There are a number of widgets which are available as a free download for Macs or PC’s.

Because the data from your chosen widget comes from your ISP’s website, there may be a 24-48 hour delay on figures.

Call customer service

If you call customer service, an automated customer service voice may read out how much data you have remaining. Alternatively you may speak to a customer service rep who can look up how much data you have remaining. Again, there may be a 24-48 hour delay on data figures.