Cell C - Possible Data Usage Inflation?

[morkhans]

I've setup a script to log my balance at midnight so I can tie it up to my data tracker.

I agree with ginggs, let's see how March goes...

 

[morkhans]

I'm still seeing a large discrepancy between CellC's balance and my data counters.
My usage for Saturday: 92Mb
CellC: 345Mb

 

[ginggs]

I'm still seeing a large discrepancy between CellC's balance and my data counters.
My usage for Saturday: 92Mb
CellC: 345Mb

So why were my results correct within 1MB?

Are you sure your BSD counters are counting all your traffic?

What happens if you download 100MB or so on your Windows box and compare with the RAS counters and those in MDMA?

 

[renierp]

I'm still seeing a large discrepancy between CellC's balance and my data counters.
My usage for Saturday: 92Mb
CellC: 345Mb

WOW! That is quite hectic! Almost 4x? Although we got some free data ect in feb, I really do think that we need o get this under their attention as soon as possible. We are starting to lose out if it goes this way. The big question though:
Is it accidental? Or are they struggling to make ends meet an trying to save some money? Take a little from a lot of people?
I am out of bundle and actually too scared to buy any airtime!
From Tuesday I will start monitoring on a daily basis


Sent from the MyBroadband iPhone App

 

[ginggs]

My usage for Saturday: 92Mb
CellC: 345Mb

Did you use USSD or the website to check your balance according to Cell-C? Do both agree?

 

[Tick]

I'm still seeing a large discrepancy between CellC's balance and my data counters.
My usage for Saturday: 92Mb
CellC: 345Mb

For what it's worth, just one little test here, I just downloaded a 132MB file over my Cell C, and the before/after data balance difference was very close to that, i.e. showed no discrepancy, let alone a 4x one. MDMA showed 138.9MB (which is about what I'd expect for overheads and other background stuff etc.) Not saying the problem isn't occurring, but if it is, it doesn't seem to be consistently occurring. (I haven't noticed a problem my side before, nor have I felt like one was happening, but I admit I haven't really been watching closely at all, so I don't discount the possibility.) Do keep a close eye on it though, I suggest. If there is a problem, it could just be more teething issues in their system, or worse, could be deliberate, either way, it's worth monitoring. Seems like a few people on this thread are seeing discrepancies.

 

[ginggs]

*101# balance before: 688.00MB
*101# balance after: 81.00MB*
Total according to Cell-C: 607MB

Session usage according to MDMA:
Sent: 31.16MB
Received: 565.6MB
Combined: 596.8MB

*Immediately after disconnecting the balance was 83.00MB, but after a couple of minutes it dropped to 81.00MB.

 

[Tick]

OK here's something weird.

Balance before: 545.00MB
Connect, download a 21MB file, disconnect
Balance after: 545.00MB

!?? Does the current balance only update periodically? If the current balance figure is out of date at any given time, then any measurements based on that could seem off, as they would not necessarily reflect all recent usage.

Also, the MDMA 'Current session, combined' counter reset all by itself several times during the download (even though the download itself did not seem to disconnect once), what does that mean? So the MDMA figure doesn't seem to be reliable. RSSI is -81, so signal a bit on the weak side, could there be something like the dongle 'reconnecting' at a lower network layer without breaking the TCP connection?

Edit Several hours later and showing 545MB. Tried another experiment: Connected again, downloaded a 12MB file, disconnected, and my balance is now 532MB - so that seemed correct, though the MDMA numbers are still messed.

Edit2 Another test, 531MB balance => 11MB file download => 519MB balance. Seems about right, and the balance is updating immediately. So either I was somehow mistaken and confused that the "before" balance was 545 in the first test, or Cell C's usage tracking missed some actual usage.

Edit3 Another different type of test:
519.00MB balance => connect very briefly, do only a few KB of transfer, disconnect => 518.00MB balance
518.00MB balance => connect very briefly, do only a few KB of transfer, disconnect => 517.00MB balance
517.00MB balance => connect very briefly, do only a few KB of transfer, disconnect => 516.00MB balance
Usage is indeed rounded up to the nearest 1MB for the session, even if you only download a few thousand bytes! Not cool Cell C

 

[renierp]

!?? Does the current balance only update periodically? If the current balance figure is out of date at any given time, then any measurements based on that could seem off, as they would not necessarily reflect all recent usage.

In my experience, it does update in real time, like you observed in later testing.

Usage is indeed rounded up to the nearest 1MB for the session, even if you only download a few thousand bytes! Not cool Cell C

From the Cell C Website

IN-BUNDLE DATA USAGE

* If a session was opened but no data was transferred for the 24 hour period an amount of bytes equal to R0.02 will be depleted from the bundle per day rounded to the nearest 10KB.
* Data usage is measured at the same applicable rate during peak and off-peak periods.

So it shouldn't round to the nearest MB, but seems that doesn't mean much

 

[ginggs]

Also, the MDMA 'Current session, combined' counter reset all by itself several times during the download (even though the download itself did not seem to disconnect once), what does that mean? So the MDMA figure doesn't seem to be reliable.

I don't want to take this thread off-topic, so please check which version you are using and post in the MDMA thread or the MDMA Beta thread.

 

[Pavan]

Cell C were supposed to change the billing increment to 25kB during their system cut-over earlier this month. I've heard that this will be put into effect during the month of March.

Have you guys tried comparing your MDMA stats with Vodacom or MTN usage stats? Would be interesting to see how the stats compare against the other two operators.

 

[morkhans]

So why were my results correct within 1MB?

Are you sure your BSD counters are counting all your traffic?

What happens if you download 100MB or so on your Windows box and compare with the RAS counters and those in MDMA?

Weekend was a bit crazy, I'll dig into this a bit more in the week. I have not needed to doubt my data counters, because they have been accurate since I've started using them, but who knows maybe something has broken somewhere on my side. Will do some investigation and feed back.

 

[morkhans]

Did you use USSD or the website to check your balance according to Cell-C? Do both agree?

USSD. Have not yet registered online.

 

[Tick]

From the Cell C Website

So it shouldn't round to the nearest MB, but seems that doesn't mean much

That also says "for the 24 hour period", so it seems a little vague. R0.02 is also less than 1MB.

 

[renierp]

* If a session was opened but no data was transferred for the 24 hour period

Come to think of it, they are actually quite specific... I cant really seem to find much on actual data usage.

Maybe the Cell C rep(s) can clear this up for us (if they dare to enter this thread)

 

[ginggs]

*101# balance before: 51.00MB
*101# balance after: 5.00MB
Total according to Cell-C: 46.00MB

Session usage according to MDMA:
Sent: 3.191MB
Received: 41.38MB
Combined: 44.57MB

Session usage according to Windows RAS counters:
Sent: 3398106 bytes (3.24MB)
Received: 43428921 bytes (41.42MB)
Combined: 44.66MB

 

[morkhans]

I monitored the traffic flowing through my gateway last night. Skype seems to generate an awful lot of UDP traffic, even when idle. The documentation suggests you won't become a super node if you are behind a NAT firewall, but I'm not so sure. I going run without Skype for a day or so and see if that makes any difference. If it is that I still don't understand why the traffic is not being picked up by my datacounter because it's always been accurate.

Anyway the new month is here so let the monitoring begin!

 

[renierp]

Skype is acting up weirdish on Cell C. When I had (what I assume to be) provisioning problems, I would be connected on the network, issued an IP address but I was completely unable to access the internet. I could access the Cell C website, and skype was connected. I didn't try to use skype at that point, was more concerned to get internet up and running. Does this mean that skype could also be unmonitored? I really doubt, as the operators see VOIP as a major threat to their networks. But something is up?

Anyways, back ON topic, it seems that Cell C does not round the data up to the next MB.
Unit Type Monthly Amount Rollover Amount Amount Used Amount Remaining
MB 5,120.00 0.00 1.53 5,118.47

Unless they maybe do it when the session ends? Also, this is the first time that I see decimal amounts on the Self Service website. They used to display my usage in MB only

 

[renierp]

So far, not too bad
Router
March 2011 (Incoming: 87 MB / Outgoing: 4 MB)

Cell C Website
Used: 92.46
Remaining: 5,025.56


Still a small discrepancy. Will check it daily. Funny part though, 92.46 + 5025.56 = 5118.02 and they allocated 5,120.00 . So its only 2MB, but this can grow?

 

[renierp]

Last update for the night, seems intact so far
March 2011 (Incoming: 748 MB / Outgoing: 24 MB) total = 772MB

Cell C website
Used: 771.43
Remaining: 4,348.09

The small discrepancy (where my router shows higher usage) might be from the fact that the Cell C website is unmonitored, been doing constant checks to check the balance there