Stats?

[mc721221]

Hi vodacom3g,

When are we going to have live (or at least daily) online usage stats with SMS and email notices as options?

[vodacom3g]

On-line stats are available on vodacom4me with a max. of 3 hours latency.

To access it you have to register on http://www.vodacom.co.za, obviously using your 3G datacard cell number.

You then go to 'My Account' -> 'Balances' and should see your usage information there.

Work is being done to make this near real-time (currently it can be up to 3 hours old) and a notification system is also being investigated.

Please let us know if the current system works for you.

I did not previously post on the stats availability as RPM did mention it a while ago.

[mc721221]

great.

SMS and email notices as options?

[Harley79]

What is the latest progress re: stats site? Is vodacom developing an email/sms based notification? Warning when reaching limits, etc? This topic mixed into other threads seems to have died. Would also be nice to give an estimated usage for the month, i.e. current usage/number of days so far*number of days in month..... that way I would be able to see if I need to slow down a bit, or speed up a bit :-) Would be VERY helpful to me in my "planning"

Thanks

[vodacom3g]

Although the dashboard contains a data counter, certain situations can make it inaccurate. Specifically, if the dash does not exit normally (i.e. it crashes, or you kill it), the usage data for that session is lost. Vodafone is working on a fix for this.

I assume you know you can go to www.vodacom4me.co.za to check your data usage?

If not, register on 4me with your 3G number, go to my profile->balances and you should see where you are with your data usage. Please see below for information on the latency of the usage data on 4me.

This is how the current billing process works:

Usage information is pulled from the systems down to byte level, there is no rounding of any data.

Usage information is turned into session information. A session record is written when one of the following occur:

- You switch bearer (GPRS <-> 3G)
- You terminate your session
- 24 hours after you initiated the session
- Every midnight

Once the session record is generated, it can take up to 3 hours to filter through to the 4me site. (And the SMS notification system)

Due to the potential long update periods (theoretical max of 27 hours), Vodacom is implementing a system with much better granularity.

I would suggest that in the meantime, if you download a lot, you disconnect with some frequency to allow up to date records to be posted on 4me and then to track it there.

The correct solution is an accurate dashboard with 4me trailing within a small margin. Vodacom will keep on working towards this.

After pressure from this forum, I'm glad to announce a SMS notification system will be available very shortly. You'll get one SMS when you're near your cap and another when you've reached it. The first SMS %-point is a function of the type of bundle you have.

You can also download and install a third party download monitor such as DUMeter.

[Harley79]

Yip. I do that now, but the usual complaint re: I use up bandwidth to check my bandwidth (I know its a fraction to do it, but still the principle, and Vodacom web site fairly graphical.

Any chance of a daily/weekly email notification? Or SMS for that matter considering vodacom don't have to pay for sms's I really like the ADSL notification I get daily for the office.

And I will welcome the SMS notification, but would also be nice to know/be told without having to log into website how I am doing for the month (budgetting)

Then lastly, the dash is great, but no matter what, will hardly ever agree to ACTUAL recording of Vodacom, I think that is going to be a fact. So even when it is fixed I would not feel comfortable relying on it, not at R2/MB

:-) So nice to have direct comms with your provider, and get feedback VERY quickly. Thanks for taking part.... I see WBS still getting told that Vodacom support is WAY better.

[vodacom3g]

Can't find any fault with your suggestions. Will pass them all along.

What we have right now (4me + 2 SMS's) was a quick response to the requests from the forum. Systems are being designed and constructed that will be much closer to your suggestions. No lip service, I've seen the drafts.

In terms of being notified daily, where's the break-even point between being notified and being harassed? Probably very different for different users / bundles.

Maybe a request / response mail or SMS, in addition to the standard ones?

[Harley79]

Response mail sounds good. SMS increases cost to user again, which I know vodacom likes

Daily/Weekly mail could be selected in 4Me, much like Hellkom ADSL, if you want to be harrassed, you get it, else you don't. I Appreaciate the resolutions re: feedback from forum, just trying to move up a gear :-)

[vodacom3g]

No problem.

What we need to find is the most acceptable solution in the shortest time period. Something you mentioned made me wonder:

How about a very lightweight, text based URL where you can see your usage? Won't be much more bandwidth than a request / response mail.

[rabbiddog]

Weekly stats for me would be fine. As stated earlier I doubt I would reach my cap. but at some point I will.

[Harley79]

Thats sounds kewl. Something completly basic. Clean, quite frankly I don't think anyone will mind if it is not even password protected, so a url with a parameter for the cell number. I mean it is not top secret information.

[caroper]

It should also be suitable for viewing on WAP, as there may be times when you need to know the status, without booting the laptop, or if you are using a phone as a modem rather than a data card (any chance of an SDIO data card?).

Cheers
Chris

[Harley79]

I designed a kewl spreadsheet that I punch in my current usage and the date, it works out my average usage per day for the month to date, and then estimates at that rate, what my usage will be for the month..... then I know if I must slow down or speed up. :-) Just need to get the usage in a easier means, or even automated :-)

[rabbiddog]

The dash tends to hang (at least thats what I have seen. I have not used the dash for 2 weeks now). I would rather use stats from vodacom as these would be more reliable. (my spelling sucks, and more so after drinks)

[vodacom3g]

The light-weight usage stats URL has been approved and will be constructed.

Once it's up, it might be nice for the forum members (ic, harley79) to build a client that will pull the stats daily and build up a usage profile.

This can then be made available to everyone.