Internet Data Usage

midwinterain
midwinterain Posts: 4 Arc User
edited February 2015 in Support Desk
Hi all,

I downloaded PWI two weeks ago now and have become seriously addicted - however, five days ago my parents discovered that last month we went twice over our limit on internet data, and the bill was over $100NZD.

I'm from New Zealand, which is pretty well known for a) crappy internet and b) expensive internet.

I was wondering how many MB/GB of data you could (on average) expect to use when playing PWI for an hour. Two RL friends of mine both argue that PWI doesn't use much data, but in order to convince my parents i'd like to be able to give numbers or say 'you could use more looking at youtube for an hour/playing adult swim games for an hour', that sort of thing.

Really, really addicted to PWI, it's everything i've been looking for in an MMORPG for the last three years. I swear, if i'd found this five years ago as a kid i'd never have seen the light of day! To now be banned from it after a week of playing is irritating as hell, and i'd really like to get back on.

We're trying to find a plan with more data, but that could take weeks, and I need my Perfect World fix! XD

Any help appreciated. :)
Post edited by midwinterain on

Comments

  • SylenThunder - Twilight Temple
    SylenThunder - Twilight Temple Posts: 7,908
    edited July 2012
    PWI uses an incredibly small amount of bandwidth. I did some testing once, and a catshop left in West Archosaur used merely 12MB of total bandwidth in a 24-hour period.

    So, if you're on a bandwidth cap, (which was the purpose of my testing), your average maximum internet useage by the client would be a whopping 372MB per month. (Round to 400 if you do TW.)

    And that's an extreme scenario. So doing the math, you're looking at about half a megabyte an hour. I find my average when doing normal questing is under 200k an hour.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • shotwhointhewhat
    shotwhointhewhat Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2012
    This game can even be played on dial up. It takes next to nothing to play it. Only thing that may consume a bit is the updates.

    Depending on whether you have a daily allowance or a monthly allowance, you may want to launch the game directly from client instead of using the patcher/launcher. The launcher can eat up some data allowance. You apparently have friends that play. If there are any that are near to your physical address you can get them to copy big updates for you to save on your download allowance.
  • Vyvyan - Dreamweaver
    Vyvyan - Dreamweaver Posts: 323 Arc User
    edited July 2012
    SylenThunder - Sanctuary wrote: »
    PWI uses an incredibly small amount of bandwidth. I did some testing once, and a catshop left in West Archosaur used merely 12MB of total bandwidth in a 24-hour period.

    So, if you're on a bandwidth cap, (which was the purpose of my testing), your average maximum internet useage by the client would be a whopping 372MB per month. (Round to 400 if you do TW.)

    And that's an extreme scenario. So doing the math, you're looking at about half a megabyte an hour. I find my average when doing normal questing is under 200k an hour.

    This is totally bogus info. A catshop isn't indicative of bandwidth usage since it's basically a one way data transfer. And 200k a hour is total bs, that would barely get you logged in. ^^
    If your actively questing your looking around at least 5mb per hour.
  • Slegtst - Dreamweaver
    Slegtst - Dreamweaver Posts: 595 Arc User
    edited July 2012
    What are adult swim games?
  • laloner
    laloner Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2012
    I wonder if it was the initial download and the update that follows which put you over. Regardless of the disputed amount per hour PW consumes I doubt its enough to go over a reasonable cap. What is your cap by the way?
    AKA PermaSpark, Heartshatter
  • SylenThunder - Twilight Temple
    SylenThunder - Twilight Temple Posts: 7,908
    edited July 2012
    Vyvyan - Dreamweaver wrote: »
    This is totally bogus info. A catshop isn't indicative of bandwidth usage since it's basically a one way data transfer. And 200k a hour is total bs, that would barely get you logged in. ^^
    If your actively questing your looking around at least 5mb per hour.
    I recall covering this once before, I went back and found my post.
    This data was taken with active clients, not some catshop sitting in arch...
    SylenThunder - Sanctuary wrote: »
    I run NetLimiter3 on my systems and it monitors the exact network traffic for all applications and processes.

    Running the stat module for Elementclient.exe today it shows an average of 3-4 mb per hour with TWO clients running. (2 down one up, or 3 down and one up).

    That's not a lot.

    So that means 2 clients, running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for a 30-day month would use a grand total of 2,880MB in a month, or 2.8GB.

    With your 31GB per month limit (which is rather small I might say), you'll have 28GB of bandwidth remaining
    I have also had a GM verify these results.
    It's not bogus, this is hard data.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Vyvyan - Dreamweaver
    Vyvyan - Dreamweaver Posts: 323 Arc User
    edited July 2012
    SylenThunder - Sanctuary wrote: »
    I recall covering this once before, I went back and found my post.
    This data was taken with active clients, not some catshop sitting in arch...

    I have also had a GM verify these results.
    It's not bogus, this is hard data.

    Seems to me if 2 clients use 3-4mb per hour, your original statement of only using 200k per hour on 1 client would in deed be misleading.
  • SylenThunder - Twilight Temple
    SylenThunder - Twilight Temple Posts: 7,908
    edited July 2012
    Vyvyan - Dreamweaver wrote: »
    Seems to me if 2 clients use 3-4mb per hour, your original statement of only using 200k per hour on 1 client would in deed be misleading.
    Which is why I linked the post with the actual data. Memory did not serve me correctly when I posted that. the 3-4MB per hour was under extreme conditions. That is the high-end of what you will see. I took that measure with the intent of maxing out the data rate. You're average is going to be a bit lower than that.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • sambo2
    sambo2 Posts: 4 Arc User
    edited July 2012
    pwi uses really little..

    9,5 hour and only 4,4mb
    http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/821/datapwi.jpg/

    FFS stupid forum changed avatar again. Heartz btw >_>
  • SLITNOT - Heavens Tear
    SLITNOT - Heavens Tear Posts: 29 Arc User
    edited July 2012
    Live in Nz and i get by with 2gb and i use to be with telecom broadband so had 30gb then but now i use a T-Stick with telecom, seeing as my work has moved me 30km from the exhange.

    That 2gb on T-stick gets me by i find if i play pwi and use ventrilo for about 6 hours it gets to 100mb within that time but i only log on once a week with vent. But its better to play pwi and just not download anything like watching youtube can make a big impact.
  • LenieClarke - Heavens Tear
    LenieClarke - Heavens Tear Posts: 3,275 Arc User
    edited July 2012
    SylenThunder - Sanctuary wrote: »
    Which is why I linked the post with the actual data. Memory did not serve me correctly when I posted that. the 3-4MB per hour was under extreme conditions. That is the high-end of what you will see. I took that measure with the intent of maxing out the data rate. You're average is going to be a bit lower than that.

    Which makes perfect sense when you think about it, too. This is an old game, designed for the Chinese market (not, I believe, widely known for its high-speed broadband coverage), so a bandwidth-frugal client was probably among the design criteria.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Heaven's Tear alts: KenLubin, Sou_Hon, JudyCaraco --- level 5x chars.
  • Sabbathan - Heavens Tear
    Sabbathan - Heavens Tear Posts: 12 Arc User
    edited February 2015
    Can we necro this for updated info since the new expansion please? With 1TB of data being capped repeatedly I'd love new numbers please
  • SweetieBot - Lothranis
    SweetieBot - Lothranis Posts: 18,978 Arc User
    edited February 2015
    Sabbathan - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    Can we necro this for updated info since the new expansion please? With 1TB of data being capped repeatedly I'd love new numbers please
    This looks like a NECRO!

    Sabbathan - Heavens Tear replied to a message that was 2 years 6 months 29 days 8 hours 58 minutes old.

    Any thread over one month (30 days) old is considered to be a dead thread and you're not supposed to post in them. The person you are replying to probably doesn't care any more or can no longer be found on the forums. The topic itself could be out of date. Next time just make a new thread.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    I only respond if you begin a line with "SweetieBot", read the link below for commands
    SweetieBot FAQ / Usage: pwi-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=1566451

    Status: ONLINE
  • SylenThunder - Twilight Temple
    SylenThunder - Twilight Temple Posts: 7,908
    edited February 2015
    Sabbathan - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    Can we necro this for updated info since the new expansion please? With 1TB of data being capped repeatedly I'd love new numbers please
    Updates to the client have not significantly increased the data stream. All the graphics are on your side.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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