PAYG: Where do I find my download usage?

[Anonymous]

I already asked O2 customer services this question about a week ago but they haven't even sent me an acknowledgement.

When I go to the Mobile Broadband Access page for my PAYG, it tells me my Time remaining, which is not useful information as I already know it. What I really want to know is how much I've downloaded and how much remains before I reach my download limit..

Is there anywhere I can get that information? I'm using Linux and will never use Windoze software, so if the only method is something like Connection Manager it won't work for me.

Cheers,
Chris

[Anonymous]

Chris,

Usage meter isn't available to PAYG customers. You have to use an OEM tool - someone will be along to advise or google for one.

[Anonymous]

Many thanks for your reply.

<< Usage meter isn't available to PAYG customers >>

That is extremely irritating. It can't be difficult for O2 to put that information on a web page, so they must have made a deliberate decision to make life difficult for their customers. The result will be that I won't stay a customer for long.

Cheers,
Chris

[Anonymous]

Many thanks for your reply.
<< Usage meter isn't available to PAYG customers >>
That is extremely irritating. It can't be difficult for O2 to put that information on a web page, so they must have made a deliberate decision to make life difficult for their customers. The result will be that I won't stay a customer for long.
Cheers,
Chris

Just simply use a third party piece of software.
Unfortunatily with mobile broadband, it's a very low to nil proffit margin at the moment.
To set up a tool to integrate the allowance onto the O2 site would cost quite a bit of money.
In turn O2 would have to fork out this money and the result would be less revenue (people more cautious with how much they use)
And unfortunatily that's an illogical decision with a business. To spend money to make less

[Anonymous]

......To set up a tool to integrate the allowance onto the O2 site would cost quite a bit of money.
In turn O2 would have to fork out this money and the result would be less revenue (people more cautious with how much they use)

If you are a pay monthly customer then your usage is displayed within connection manager so O2 already have the feature; to integrate it into PAYG should be a simple process.

[Anonymous]

I'm with Seraphsailor on this. All that is needed is for O2 to take the one number, which they always have immediately available, and display it on a web page. That is a trivial job. Paying programmers to write Windows tools is what costs money, but not only is that expensive it also restricts access. Providing the information as a web page would give universal access and would cost virtually nothing.

I stand by my assertion that O2 have made a deliberate decision not to make that information easily available to us, their customers.

Retroman, what sort of third party software do you suggest? As far as I can see, there is nothing which will access O2's figure, only programs which will record the amount of data downloaded to my computers. That can only result in an approximation, a rough guess at what O2's figure may be.

Incidentally, are uploads included in the "download" limit?

[Anonymous]

I use DU metre on my computer to monitor my useage, but as far as i'm aware that's only for Windows OS
It will record upload and download useage and can be reset easily and has always been very accurate for me.
It's got a stopwatch on it as well for checking the useage over a certain time period.
Upload useage does count towards the allowance as well yeah. It's a free programme and i've been using it on all my Windows systems for a few years

[Anonymous]

Thank you for that, Retroman. It's always useful to hear recommendations. DU Meter must be a well known program because Googling "linux du meter" finds several messages from people who, like me, were looking for a Linux equivalent. I now have several leads for possible programs which will take time to test.

Cheers,
Chris

[Anonymous]

Try this for usage monitoring:

windoze link - don't know if there is a Linux version

http://www.softperfect.com/products/networx/

[Anonymous]

Thank you for that suggestion. Apparently there is (or was) a company called Linux Networx which has nothing to do with that particular program, so that makes it difficult to Google a Linux equivalent of Networx!

I have several ideas for possible equivalent solutions though, just not enough time at the moment to try them out. Soon though. In the mean time, I'll practice banging my head against walls by nagging O2 to provide the information.


Cheers,
Chris