Data usage of NowTV box

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have any information on how much data is used by the NOWTV box when its in standby mode?

My parents have recently got one for christmas and its gone through 8gb of their allowance in 4 days , and they havent been watching programs on it .

Does the box update its content even in standby mode?

[Anonymous User]

@Anonymous User the box does update during the night, but there hasn't been any major updates for months and they wouldn't be that large. Are you sure the box is the cause and not something else on the home internet?

[4268]

I know I used 180gb average per month, though that covers all my internet use. It includes Now TV and Amazon Fire TV. I have recently changed suppliers so my usage may have changed.
Auto app updates on tablets and mobile devices can eat up data if you are not on unlimited.

[Anonymous User]

I have similar monthly usage - mostly Roku.

Decided to go for update to fibre yesterday - due 5th Jan

No problems using adsl but for extra £1

[Anonymous User]

Cheers for the replies Guys ( and/or girls)

My parents are both very old school , turning the sockets off at night rather than leaving things on standby .

There is 1 pc which is only used for email and limited browsing , say 30 mins a day max .

Average monthly usage was 2GB or less til they got the box and now its through the roof .

I've checked the wifi logs and the only questionable thing is the Nowbox connecting to the wifi when not in use

Unfortunatly the router doesn't give me device data use.

I've advised then to disconnect the power from the box and we'll check the data usage next week

[4268]

Sounds like a good idea. If it is still raised look at what is connected to the net. Out of interest has their system upgraded to windows 10? I don't know how much data that uses.

[ukbobboy]

Dear Forum Members

Unfortunately, and as most of us know, anything connected to the Internet will use it at quiet times to update, for example anti-virus and anti-spyware applications will update themselves every night (at around 2.00am), utilities such as Flash, Shockwave and a whole host of others will update either weekly or monthly, and not forgetting windows itself which updates (in the UK) every second Wednesday of every month and some of those updates are very big.

Plus Smartphones, Tablets and any other connected device will update and exchange information over the Internet whenever they are switched on.

So even if you do not use the Internet yourself your Internet connected devices will unless you switch your modem/router off but once you switch it on again your downloads will be playing catch-up on all the updates you have missed.

UK Bob

[Andy]

@Anonymous User

8GB sounds like a handful of films or TV programmes.

Is there any chance your parents might be playing content on the NOW TV box without realising? For example, if they start playing something for a few minutes and then decide not to watch it and flick the TV off or onto a Freeview channel, the NOW TV box will still be streaming the programme until it reaches the end. With the NOW TV box not having an Off button as such, your parents might not realise this will happen.

Perhaps mention to them that when they do use the box, always press the Home button on the top right of the remote when they have finished to stop anything playing, and put the remote somewhere it won't be accidentally pressed.

[Anonymous User]

@Anonymous User

One thing your parents should have is an unlimited broadband account.

Running a Roku/NowTV box on a fixed data allowance could cost them a fortune in charges.

[ukbobboy]

Andy

You have a good point, I have on occasion will be watching something via the Now TV box then switch over to the TV and then come back to the Now TV box channel much later on.  

I can imagine that if someone does this a few times, without realising the implications, data usage will unexpectedly shoot through the roof.

This seems a more plausible explanation of  IanL69's predicament then anything else.

UK Bob