slingshot free off peak data...is it really?

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Northland

111 posts

Master Geek

Topic # 64668 20-Jul-2010 07:09

I am on the everyday plan which says from here

http://help.slingshot.co.nz/app/answers/detail/a_id/1582/~/what-are-the-free-off-peak-downloading-times-on-slingshot-broadband%3F

free off peak during 4-8am which seems to have been untrue ever since i signed up with slingshot a few weeks ago

my usage data goes up everytime i check it during these hours and it cant be any other times
because for the past 4days ive only used my computer between these times

nothings free and i knew it would be too good to be true usage meter is still climbing and its 7am .

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Uber Geek
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Reply # 353737 20-Jul-2010 07:40

Slingshot have an API that might help you monitor what's happening.
http://www.slingshot.co.nz/MyAccount/api/

You can call the helpdesk and ask them to double check to see it's working correctly.
Most people are getting the free data as advertised.

brucej

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 353740 20-Jul-2010 08:08

Hi

I have the slingshot Next Big Thing which gives free data from 1am to 7am and it does. If you log into 'my account' and go to 'my internet' and 'manage my data usage' it tell you there how much free data you've used.

Northland

111 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 353792 20-Jul-2010 10:29

hellonearthisman: Slingshot have an API that might help you monitor what's happening.
http://www.slingshot.co.nz/MyAccount/api/

You can call the helpdesk and ask them to double check to see it's working correctly.
Most people are getting the free data as advertised.

Thank

thank you for that link could you possible help me understand what this part of it means please.

DataQuotaGB=5,DataUsedGB=1.62,DataOffPeakGB=3.04,TodayDataSentTotalGB=0.08,
TodayDataRcvdTotalGB=0.2,TodayDataSentOffPeakGB=0.08,TodayDataRcvdOffPeakGB=0.17,LastBilled=08Jul 2010,NextBill=08 Aug 2010,iTalkMinutes=0

none of those numbers seem to match the numbers showing on my data usage meter at the moment

Northland

111 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 353795 20-Jul-2010 10:32

brucej: Hi

I have the slingshot Next Big Thing which gives free data from 1am to 7am and it does. If you log into 'my account' and go to 'my internet' and 'manage my data usage' it tell you there how much free data you've used.

Hi bruce could u please tell me if the usage date meter is in real time or is off by a day or 2? just doesn't seem to add up to me no way have i used as much as it says my computer is only used by me and i hadn't been online for 3-4days can't understand how its accumulated so much...

i rang but they keep saying its my fault when i know no one else could have used up the usage while i was away.

cldlr76

284 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 4

Reply # 353799 20-Jul-2010 10:41

I've always found their data usage meter to be pretty good.

Are you using a wireless connection? could a neighbour be stealing your data?

and have you checking for viruses etc?

Northland

111 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 353802 20-Jul-2010 10:45

cldlr76 - where do you go to check your usage data that is the most accurate and the most in real time?

theres just no way its being used up this fast.....no viruses and no im not on wireless
just the everyday broadband plan

Northland

111 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 353804 20-Jul-2010 10:48

I was just reading an older post

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=81&topicid=58578

and someone from slingshot has said visibill to look at account usage & balance

but when I did its way over what im using

anyone know how accurate visibill meter is compared to logging into "my account'
because my usage isnt the same

thanks

nickb800

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Reply # 353818 20-Jul-2010 11:18

Our flat is on the 25gb naked plan and go through ~150gig offpeak as well.

On Sunday morning I think we had a similar problem to the OP, the api showed that we had downloaded 8gig that morning onpeak, and our monthly quota was chewed through by the same amount. No way that we used that much, there were 4 machines torrenting but had a scheduler set to only DL during our offpeak time, which had been working perfectly through the year.
Did the usual checks - wireless is WPA2 TKIP+AES, all machines have current antivirus/firewall.

Anyone else had odd patterns of usage showing up? Possible billing issue for slingshot?

hellonearthisman

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Reply # 353828 20-Jul-2010 11:34

The API is pretty close to real time (up to 20mins off)

DataQuotaGB=5 This is how much data you have on your account this month. It includes leftover datablocks that you purchased.
DataUsedGB=1.62 This is the amount of billed data you have used this month
DataOffPeakGB=3.04, This is the amount of free data you have received this month.
TodayDataSentTotalGB=0.08, This is the total of all data send today.
TodayDataRcvdTotalGB=0.2, This is the total of all data received today.
TodayDataSentOffPeakGB=0.08, This is the total of the free data you send today
TodayDataRcvdOffPeakGB=0.17, This is the total of the free data you got today
LastBilled=08Jul 2010, ...
NextBill=08 Aug 2010,
iTalkMinutes=0 the amount of iTalk minutes you have used this month.

So your current remaining data should be 3.38 GB (DataQuotaGB - DataUsedGB)

Northland

111 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 353994 20-Jul-2010 15:39

hellonearthisman: The API is pretty close to real time (up to 20mins off)

DataQuotaGB=5 This is how much data you have on your account this month. It includes leftover datablocks that you purchased.
DataUsedGB=1.62 This is the amount of billed data you have used this month
DataOffPeakGB=3.04, This is the amount of free data you have received this month.
TodayDataSentTotalGB=0.08, This is the total of all data send today.
TodayDataRcvdTotalGB=0.2, This is the total of all data received today.
TodayDataSentOffPeakGB=0.08, This is the total of the free data you send today
TodayDataRcvdOffPeakGB=0.17, This is the total of the free data you got today
LastBilled=08Jul 2010, ...
NextBill=08 Aug 2010,
iTalkMinutes=0 the amount of iTalk minutes you have used this month.

So your current remaining data should be 3.38 GB (DataQuotaGB - DataUsedGB)

thank you hellonearthisman for the breakdown and also the link I will keep using that to keep tabs on my usage sorry to be a pain but just in regards to what shows on my visibill
Data usage summary by month
Unbilled summary by month
Traffic (Mb) 4,775.1836 does this include or exclude the off peak date usage used as well?
Then it would make sense to me why my 5GB is nearly all used up.

When I go to my "manage data usage" in My account it says I have 3.37GB remaining ?? Like what you have quoted
sorry if this is confusing I tried to explain it over the phone to someone and they didn't understand me.

Northland

111 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 353997 20-Jul-2010 15:42

nickb800: Our flat is on the 25gb naked plan and go through ~150gig offpeak as well.

On Sunday morning I think we had a similar problem to the OP, the api showed that we had downloaded 8gig that morning onpeak, and our monthly quota was chewed through by the same amount. No way that we used that much, there were 4 machines torrenting but had a scheduler set to only DL during our offpeak time, which had been working perfectly through the year.
Did the usual checks - wireless is WPA2 TKIP+AES, all machines have current antivirus/firewall.

Anyone else had odd patterns of usage showing up? Possible billing issue for slingshot?

I am having trouble even reading my bill so sorry i can't be of much help but to my knowledge my usage meter isn't correct but maybe I am reading it all wrong

Will have to wait and see when the bill comes?

hellonearthisman

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Reply # 354012 20-Jul-2010 16:15

Visibill is giving me messed up reading too, it doesn't correspond to my usage data.
I will ask on the unofficial Slingshot forums and see what they have to say.

Northland

111 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 354014 20-Jul-2010 16:18

hellonearthisman: Visibill is giving me messed up reading too, it doesn't correspond to my usage data.
I will ask on the unofficial Slingshot forums and see what they have to say.

Oh whew so its not just me. Hellonearthisman where abouts do you go to get the most accurate reading for your usage may I ask please? thanks

hellonearthisman

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Reply # 354028 20-Jul-2010 16:40

I mainly use the API to or the main Slingshot site, Manage my data.

Posted question on Slingshot here http://forums.slingshot.co.nz/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3632

Here is a useful app that logs what Slingshot thinks your usage is
http://forums.slingshot.co.nz/viewtopic.php?t=2422

If you only have one computer connected then you can use something like http://codebox.org.uk/pages/bitmeter2 (which is down at the moment)
To compare the two lots of usage data to see if something is off.

Northland

111 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 354544 21-Jul-2010 16:47

hey hellonearthisman i was just reading the response on the forum in regards to
the visibill data
being out of wack on the slingshot forum, mine is still showing way over
but didn't know it included the free off-peak data usage
so I am using the API link you have posted & going through using 'my account' to
manage my data
I did try to download the

BitMeter II to use but my com
puter wouldn't let me install

thanks for the help and better knowledge on slingshot :D

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