Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

over the last 3 week the Wifi app has used 100MB of my data, the very thing which is supposed to save my data is using it!
Sorry I cannot provide more info because I have uninstalled and reinstalled the app, and turned data off until I get a new bucketful
but I'm using Samsung S3

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

Are you in an area where it finds available wifi? Mine in 3 weeks has used 2.67 MB but there are only a few connections shown all of which are commercial.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

Yes there are hotspots all around, but it's pitiful that the app which is supposed to save my data is using it!

How exactly does it work anyway? because I connect to known networks automatically, but still have to sign in via the browser (e.g. _theCloud)

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

Is it WiFi Buddy or Virgin Media WiFi you're using?

If it's WiFi Bubbdy, as long as your S3 is on Android 4.3, you should look at upgrading the app to Virgin Media WiFi - https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ewifi&hl=en_GB

That should stop the need to sign into the networks the phone connects you to, adds the Hub hotspots to the available networks you can connect to, and all the main networks are secure rather than open.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

_theCloud is a free Sky service so no wonder you have to sign in.

Wifi buudy will only save your data allowance if there was a VM Hotspot nearby. If there's no VM hotspots near you it's useless and is likely to be using bandwidth to send telemetry back.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

That's not correct.

WiFi Buddy used third party hotspots - including the The Cloud.

Virgin Media WiFi also uses The Cloud, but uses the secure '_The Cloud X' version, alongside the hotspots created by the Hubs and the ex-Arqiva WiFi service in Airports.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

It was VM WiFi, after uninstall /reinstall it went back to Buddy and now I see it is VM WiFi again.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

OK Ben. I accept that now could you explain how the app can save you data.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

How does it get the map data when not connected to Wifi? Is that the issue? It can't indicate "there's a VM hotspot 100m from you" without having to access a load of data from somewhere/

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

Why would it need any map data?
It just needs to look for a wifi source, broadcasting with an SSID of Virgin Media.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

How would it pick up SSID from two miles away?

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

The app shows a map. Even if there isn't a hotspot in the immediate vicinity, it needs to tell where there is. I could be in London, but use it before a trip to Birmingham and find out where the hotspots are.

Not all VM SSIDs are a hotspot and not all eligible hotspots are VM routers.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

It's designed to 'offload' your mobile data usage on configured WiFi services whenever you're in range of one, rather than your tariff data allowance.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

I have installed Virgin Wi-Fi and when I am in range of my home Hub3 its seems to work and I get the pink circles but out of range of my home hub it doesn't work, is this because I have data permanently turned off?

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

well I'm back... got a refresh on my data allowance so let's try again, after 1 day Virgin Media WiFi has used 10.65MB of data, so it's goodbye VM WiFi, I still don't know what benefit you are but you are using more data than you save, bye bye

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

Are you manually opening Wifi Buddy each time? Once the auto-connect is set up, it works in the background. Only trying to use the map and the full list of hotspots nationwide would require data.

You can manually connect to a VM hotspot by using the connection list. I've just used it to manually connect to a nearby VM SH3 hotspot labelled "Virgin Media". Didn't need to use WiFi buddy for that.

In theory I could buy a cheap PAYG VM smartphone(£25 total), install an app on it, and get a free internet connection to my PC via a neighbour without them being involved. Useful to know if my connection went down.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

When I connect to a VM hotspot I don't use up my Vodafone mobile data..

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

I never open VM WiFi, just let it do its thing in the background

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

So is it actually Wifi Buddy that using is the data? If it is, there seems to be another connection managers available that will do the same thing.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

As discussed the Virgin Media WiFi app will only use data when it needs to show the map.

It'll do this over whichever data connection is currently active.

Once your device is configured there is no need to regularly run the Virgin Media WiFi app, but it does need to remain installed in case the SSIDs or security certificates need updating for the service.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

I don't have a mobile internet device as such, just a WiFi tablet. I started up WiFi buddy and it loaded the map and the list of hotspots. I then disconnected WiFi access(aeroplane mode), and then started WiFi buddy up again and it still displayed the map. What it couldn't do is overlay the map with the hotspots because that list isn't cached.

Is that a tweak needed for the app? 1) to cache the list and 2) to have an option to only update the list using WiFi.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

The first one I supposed it depends how far people move around. There would have to be a cache limit, and then would the whole cache need to be updated next time the app had a data connection? Do you risk making the data usage higher because of the cache then an immediate feed?

For the second option, I suppose it could be something added as a choice. However you can end up a in a Catch-22 i.e. to use the map to find a location with WiFi, you need a location with WiFi to use the map.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

The list won't change that much from week to week and an incomplete list is better than no list.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

I suppose, but for an area you have already cache'd then you'd probably know the locations already.

Where you need the map is in a new area where you may not have a map downloaded, so the locations list wouldn't help over a blank location. I also don't know whether the location list first needs the map and location to work.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

y'all keep banging on about maps, the o/p used 10MB in a day and travelled 5 miles.

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

We keep on going on about the maps, as that's the only thing in the the Virgin Media WiFi set up that would use data on an ongoing basis.

The app does two things:

1. Configure the device for WiFi access. After first setup this doesn't use any data
2. Display maps for the hotspot locations. This uses data

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

well I never look at the maps, and don't travel around much, yet used 100MB in 20 days, so I beg to differ

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

How do you it is WiFI buddy using up the data?

Re: Wifi Buddy using lots of Data
 

attached is an image of my data usage, the removed app at top was VM Wifi, from the day in question