1gkar: Question concerning setting up my network. I connected up the modem to the TPlink 5-port ethernet switch. DSL line was via extension 10m lead to secondary jackpoint.

1gkar: Also, is there an app that can supply accurate, real-time data useage, so I can see what amount of data various types of connections (eg. streaming video) use?

1gkar:  I used to use the dial-up connection box to read the data sent & received before I had an umlimited account.

1gkar: One final thing: do people shut down their browsers everytime they stop surfing to prevent data being refreshed?

1gkar: I'm guessing, as you didn't say anything about blocking flash content on webpages, there is nothing available, except the pop-up blockers I already know about. If this is the case, what's the programme of choice?

grant_k:

1gkar: I'm guessing, as you didn't say anything about blocking flash content on webpages, there is nothing available, except the pop-up blockers I already know about. If this is the case, what's the programme of choice?

Some visitors arrived so I didn't get time to answer that bit.

TBH, I don't worry about blocking Flash Content.  The amount of data your typical ad. consumes is not that great, and occasionally, one of them might be of interest (very occasionally though :P ).

Firefox's Popup Blocker does the job just fine and TBH, it's more often recently that I have to unblock a site because there is some info. I want to see which appears in a pop-up box.

The amount of unwanted popups seems to have lessened in recent months, or maybe it's just the kind of web sites I visit

1gkar: I could easily get used to the high download speeds: 2.5 minutes to download some 82mb of Windows updates this morning.

1gkar:  Just have to watch running out of data cap halfway through the month.

grant_k:

1gkar: I could easily get used to the high download speeds: 2.5 minutes to download some 82mb of Windows updates this morning.

That's a download speed of 4.5Mbps -- pretty respectable.  Goodonya Slingshot

1gkar:  Just have to watch running out of data cap halfway through the month.

Surely Slingshot have the option for you to buy an extra data block during the month???

With SNAP, I can login to their portal and add extra data @ $2 per GB with a few mouse clicks.  What do Slingshot offer in this regard?

1gkar: Ever heard of a budget, GK We ain't all on 6-figure incomes

grant_k:

1gkar: Ever heard of a budget, GK We ain't all on 6-figure incomes

Yeah, fair comment John.

Actually, I just looked at your profile and I remember your name from somewhere that started with ACI (unless it was a namesake of yours).  If I have made the right connection, it's great to catch up with you again

Anyway, thanks for your kind words earlier and I'm glad to have been of assistance with your move from dial-up to broadband.

By using DU Meter, you should be able to get a good grasp of the types of internet usage which are the most data-intensive.  Any kind of streaming video is the main culprit, together with hefty downloading of music files.  I don't expect you will be into Bit Torrents (at least initially) so that shouldn't be an issue.

My wife and I get by quite happily with a 2GB data cap on our wireless connection, although when we had 3 teenaged kids at home, it was a different story...