GPRS data counter

[Snowolf]

any one know of a good GPRS data counter or a reliable way to keep track of the total data used via GPRS besides the counter on most phones?
does vodacom have a way to check how much data you have left ?

[Diago]

http://www.vodacom.co.za

Register and sign up. There is a 3 hour delay on the data bundles put it is pretty accurate and gives you all sorts of good information regarding your contract.

[Edinetz]

You can also use *111# Menu option 1 if you have a bundle and not near a PC

[vodacom3g]

There are also shareware data counters you can install on your PC.

[diabolus]

I'm really not to sure about that 3 hour delay thing, my data became 'accurate' only at the end of the week last week [meaning it jumped from 6MB to 100MB in a day without me being online for the previous 2 days]. Now of course it might be related to new contract and data bundles being loaded, dunno, but i just don't feel i get the real picture after 3 hours [instead i just log off and check the next day]. But it's as accurate as can get because that's essentially what you'll get billed for. [on vodacome4me]

I also assume it means "3 hours after you disconnected ". I.e. if you're online the entire day without a disconnect then you'll only see the usage for that day 3+ hours after you disconected?????? Or does it actually update regardless of you being 'on-the-line' ?

For example at Stellenbosch Univ we also pay per MB and the rates actually change depending on the TIME of day. [i.e. lower p/MB rates in off-peak hours]. So now you get strange little quirks like if you start your 1GB download at 3pm and it ends at 5:10pm you'll get billed off-peak rates for the entire download [5pm being the off-peak rate cutover]. Likewise if you start one at 3am and it ends at 8:10am you'll get nailed with peak rates. All this tends to mean that you can be downloading for a week [single file/ftp connection etc etc] and you won't get billed/update about it until you actually close/end the connection.....does vodacom work the same? [In short, Stellenbosch system can't bill you on connections that are still open/busy ]

[vodacom3g]

I've asked for clarification on how billing records are generated.

[Harley79]

Ok, well I have been online since like 8:30 this morning and no disconnections yet.... Murphy's law as I am awaiting a card crash re: another thread, but anyway.

I have downloaded 170 meg, according to windoze and my stats page shows exactly the same as it did this morning, i.e. I think the assumption that the usage is only updated after a disconnect must be right. Could be scary when you get your bill unless you know what you doing! Imagine not being disconnected for like 3 days and being just under your 95% mark, so no SMS warnings, and then you download a windoze service pack or whatever.... OUCH!

[Snowolf]

I've learnt the best place to check is the phones data counter but I know that the data card does not have an internal counter like a phone.
the *111# displays that I have only used .02 mb whereas my real data use is about 35 meg.

[Harley79]

v3g, I think the guys in the billing department need to give some serious and urgent attention to the billing environment. I have downloaded like over 200 megs in the last 48 hours cause I am trying to use my bandwidth before I go overseas, and my stats page STILL (Sunday 21:30) shows exaclty the same as it did on Saturday 09:30. And I have (purposefully) disconnected a number of time to update the site.

This can ONLY BUT cause billing problems for clients/Vodacom in the long term

[Snowolf]

same here, my account on vodacom4me.co.za says I've only used 26 meg and I know I've already run up about 50 meg, I know I'm using data and not dialup (imagine that bill) because the data clock is ticking over on my t610 and it shows the globe icon in the top left corner.
seems as though they got tech problems.

[vodacom3g]

All,

Have forwarded the concerns around billing record updates to the Billing guys.

[divv]

I am on prepaid, and I'm using Costaware to track my usage. Having put R110 onto my card, (plus the initial R10) I set my "limit" to 55M so I could see when to recharge. When I got to 95%, I bought a new voucher, but while loading it I found that my balance had gone down to R2.60 (whereas I should have had around R12 left).
Where did the rest of my airtime go? Is this lost to rounding up to the nearest meg everytime you disconnect? Is there anyway to get around this, apart from never disconnecting???
Thanks...
divv

[Harley79]

I asked the rounding issue before but cannot remember getting a reply But I would also like to know that answer. ESPECIALLY if they rounding to the nearest meg, cause then I may be pissed!

[ic]

CellC had a thing last year - free GPRS access to 1000MB for a few months, eventually I became so paranoid about going over the limit & everytime you disconnect they round up...I stopped using it even though it was free for a few months...

[kaspaas]

I don't know if I missed it, but it would be nice to have access to the "out of bundle" aspects of my cellphone account as well.

Eg what is the value of calls made for the month out of bundle, SMS's sent out of bundle, data usage out of bundle.

It will reduce some "Vocacom Invoice Blues"...

Apologies for asking so much V3G, but I guess you never guessed to get such real user feedback from this forum.