Today we are permanently connected to the Internet. If we take into account that at any time we can receive a WhatsApp message or email on our mobile, basically we are online most of the day. Now, for this to be possible, there must be a connection. We don’t always have a Wi-Fi network nearby, so we won’t always be able to connect all our devices. For this reason, it may sometimes be necessary to share data from the mobile to the computer, for example, to be able to navigate. In this article we are going to explain how to control and limit Internet consumption when sharing data.
Control mobile data consumption
When we use a device to browse the Internet, we can control what we are consuming . If we simply have the mobile on standby or we only open the mail or WhatsApp to see if something has arrived, consumption is very limited. If, on the other hand, we are downloading large files or playing streaming videos in high quality, consumption will be higher.
But what happens if we share data with another person? We don’t have the same control over how much you’re going to consume. For one thing, that person might start downloading files or updating the system even without realizing it. That would notably increase the consumption of the tariff.
In addition, that mobile or computer with which we are sharing data could have some type of malware that consumes the Internet in the background, without our knowing it. For all this it is important to control the consumption of mobile data when you are going to share data with another device and not be surprised.
Although it will depend on the exact model of mobile you have, you can usually see the consumption if you go to Settings, enter Connections and go to Data usage. There it will show you how much you have consumed in the last period of time, which is usually the month in which you are. This will help you detect excessive consumption if, for example, the device with which you share data is spending more than it should.
You can also see more specifically where that consumption is used. To do this you have to give the option of Use of mobile data. Beyond showing you how much you have spent, you will be able to see which applications or services have consumed the most resources. You will be able to have greater control and thus avoid problems.
How to limit data when sharing the Internet
To prevent excessive data consumption and your rate from running out quickly, you can limit data. You can put a maximum of Internet data that the person with whom you are sharing the connection will be able to consume. This way you can avoid unexpected problems.
Limiting the data consumed when sharing the Internet is very simple. What you have to do is go to Settings, Connections, Internet Sharing, Configure and Advanced. There you will see an option to Set mobile data limit. You just have to click on that option and set a data limit.
These steps that we have mentioned may vary depending on the exact model of the phone, but it is usually more or less the same. From that moment on, you will already have a limit set so that the person with whom you are sharing the Internet cannot consume more than what you have established.
You can put the limit you want. For example 500 MB, 1 GB, 10 GB… This will depend on the data rate you have contracted and how much you want to grant so that another person can browse without you having problems of running out of the Internet rate on your mobile.
Therefore, if you are going to share Internet data with another person and you want to control your consumption and avoid surprises, a good option is to limit your data usage. You just have to follow the steps that we have mentioned and you can set the maximum you want to share and thus avoid running out of data.
How to avoid excessive consumption
If you are going to share the Internet and want to prevent the rate from being consumed, beyond setting a data limit, you can take into account some tips to avoid excessive consumption. We are going to show what you should avoid so that your data does not run out quickly. Just by keeping this in mind you can save a lot.
Avoid streaming videos
The first thing you should avoid when sharing the Internet with another person is that they watch streaming videos in high quality. For example, avoid watching YouTube or Netflix videos in 4K, since this is going to consume a lot of data. Here the difference is very significant between watching a video in lower quality or going to HD 1080p or 4K.
Therefore, if the person who connects to your Wi-Fi is going to have to watch streaming videos, it is interesting that they play them in low quality. This way you can avoid excessive consumption that could make the limit jump or even exhaust the data rate.
Do not update the device at that time
Another thing to avoid is updating the device when you are sharing data. If, for example, you connect a computer to your mobile and share the Internet, that Windows system may have pending updates and start updating. The same if you connect a mobile or any other equipment.
The updates are obviously going to consume Internet resources. They will quickly exhaust your data in case there is a new version with a large number of files to install.
Avoid cloud sync
You also shouldn’t sync to the cloud when you’re sharing data. This can use up quite a bit of internet if very large files are being synced. You can easily exhaust the data rate in a moment if, for example, a folder full of videos that you have on your mobile is synchronized.
This point is important and must be taken into account, since some applications such as Dropbox or Google Drive allow automatic synchronization. Once a device is connected to Wi-Fi, it quickly begins to sync to the cloud. But of course, if you are connected through shared data, this is a problem.
Do not download large files
Logically , downloading files will also consume the Internet. The larger the size of those files, the faster the data rate will run out. It is something that must be controlled very well to avoid problems that may affect the data rate and see that it runs out quickly.
Therefore, one more tip is not to download large files when you connect to a shared connection. It is better to wait until Wi-Fi is available and avoid problems with the limit.
In short, as you have seen, it is possible to manage the consumption of mobile data and set a limit when you are going to share the connection. This will avoid excessive consumption and you will not have problems that the data rate runs out quickly. You can also take into account the advice we have given.