Tethered to 3G? You need to know how to reduce your data use

[jjpcexpert]

I'm currently tethered to a 4G connection so this page will be graphics-light as I have graphics display disabled in my browser Iceweasel (like Firefox). So let us get moving with this guide.

First things are first. So open up your browser.
In your browsers settings, find out where to disabled automatic loading of images and pictures. In Firefox, it's Edit/Tools > Preferences > Content > Load images automatically. Uncheck this, and also uncheck "Enable Java", as that when enabled hogs bandwidth.
Now find out where your plugins section is in your browser. Again, using Iceweasel as the example, it's in
Tools > Add-ons > Plugins. Disable every plugin there is, as Flash and video playback hog bandwidth and your data allowance. I've got a data cap on my dad's Rogers (6GB between Dad and Mum, but I cap myself at 0.17GB to avoid haemorrhaging their bank account ) And that is NOT it.

Now you need IPTables.

Set a rule on chain OUTPUT to quota 160 MB and drop the rest.

$ sudo iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp -m quota --quota 167772160 -j ACCEPT ; sudo iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp -j DROP

Check you have at least 200 MB left on your cellular phone account though! You'll need 40MB in emergencies. Or change the 167772160 for however many bytes you can afford.
If you are a child using your mum's or papa's Internet access on mobile cellular, please seek permission from the billpayer(s) before using their access. I'm allowed up to 5 MB in one fix, which is a lot of websites - but not a lot of data. 160MB is less than what is left, so I should be allowed about that much. Also, in GNOME if you have it, open the System Monitor. In Debian it is in Start Bar/Menu > Applications > System Tools, in Ubuntu it is in Start Bar/Menu > System > Administration. I've already used 4 MB of my 5 MB, so bye-a and hope you enjoy using this guide!

[LowSky]

I'm so glad I don't have a cap.

[Drenriza]

I'm currently tethered to a 4G connection

My first question is, is this a real 4G connection or is it a 3G-LTE?

This this guide for a mobile or a stationary device? If it's for a mobile device, which?
Or is it for any Ubuntu device using a xG network?

[3rdalbum]

Or you could use Opera as your web browser with Opera Turbo turned on. It employs a compression proxy like in Opera Mini to reduce data use.

[jjpcexpert]

It's HSPA. It's AFAIK it's a pre-4G HSPA+ connection because I am in a rural area served by a very near urban transmitter.

[jjpcexpert]

What about open source mavericks? They never use Opera. I did the FOSS maverick's version, despite not being one.

[jjpcexpert]

And you flaming well should be Lowsky. Because Rogers are very limiting - their biggest Internet package on mobiles is 10GB.

[3rdalbum]

And you flaming well should be Lowsky. Because Rogers are very limiting - their biggest Internet package on mobiles is 10GB.

Amaysim's is 4 GiB and I'm with them. I've never even used 500 MiB in a month, except when I was purposely using up as much data as I could before the month rolled over, by torrenting and downloading Ubuntu updates! I do heavy surfing of Cheezburger sites such as Memebase, Very Demotivational, Comixed, etc which are basically all images.

However, I'm not sure if Amaysim's data use tracking is unaccurate in my favour, or if they're just honest and every other carrier is not. (probably a bit of both).

[szymon_g]

it would be helpful if ubuntu would support delta-packages /same as fedora or opensuse/. once, it saved me 96% of data /i.e during update i had to download 4 mb instead of 100mb/- but averagely it saves ca. 80-85%

[tlcstat]

Greetings,
I don't need to reduce my data use since I have unlimited data. I still try to keep it a 5G month. Only problem that I have is if I'm doing a big download like updating my TomTom map I occasionally have to cool my phone with a freezer gel pack. Else it goes into overheat. 100% mobile broadband and loving it! Works great on bluetooth also.
tlcstat