"How much data" to work remotely - a couple thoughts

[RedSHED]

I don't know if there would be a lot of difference if accessing the network via cellular modem vs wifi or ethernet. I suspect the overhead is a little different but not a lot.

I've been doing quite a few zoom meetings lately, and watching the "data used" and recording it every hour. Only been doing this for a couple of days, but I figure after a couple of weeks I'll have a pretty reliable idea of what I need for work with the idea of being able to work wherever.

Typically I'll have 3-6 hrs of zoom per day, occasionally more. What I've seen so far is there is a huge variability to the amount of data shoved through the pipe depending on how much video is being shared and if it's screen sharing, how often the slide deck is updated. I *think* there is some variation depending on how big the zoom screen is too. Full screen on a 27" monitor seems to take more than a 3x3" window, but I'll watch that over the next couple of days.

Cloning and pushing to git repositories doesn't seem to have a lot of overhead beyond the content of the repos.

Back to zoom. The lowest I've seen, on a meeting I hosted with about 30 participants, was around 200 meg /hr. This was mostly a document review with comparatively few new "slides" or movement of the shared document. Full screen on an active call with lots of screen movement seems like it can be 2 or 3x that amount. I haven't quantified the effect of having an open VPN, so can't comment on that ... yet. I work with a local Jr High robotics team (software) and we meet via zoom with lots of video. I use a Linux box for that, and will start trapping data next time we meet.

Anyway, for me, for what I'm doing, and how I'm doing it, with the equipment I'm using, right now I seem to be seeing about 900 meg to 1.4 gig per day for 8.5-9 hrs. I figure some days will be 2-3x that, and figure there will be a couple that are more like 700 meg. I didn't watch it daily in January, but saw something like 40gig for 20-ish days, but I was doing some cloudy things and streamed some devops training in the background and that'll chew it up.

My evolving plan is to do a Pepwave dual sim mobile router with a couple of 15-20 gig plans, providing some redundancy and enough bits to do 10 days without worrying too much about getting digitally stranded while video conferencing with my boss.

Oh, and a shameless plug for bone conducting headsets for long zoom days.

[wulfraat]

Lots of discussion this topic. I use 300-400Gig per month run rate when I am working on the road. Others use less. Some use more.

Here is a recent current thread on this topic...

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f54...ml#post2453932

[Daquenzer]

I’m a real estate appraiser and at times our internet goes down and I use a MIFI modem to keep working. Doesn’t happen often, but I can’t wait around for half a day. I have 10 gigs on the modem. I can use 5 gigs pretty fast. It costs $70 per 10 gigs. That is really expensive. There are some cheaper solutions, but using cellular data is spendy.

[pdavey]

For FT working with a laptop tablet and phone with one person you are talking ~300 GB per month.

Getting a peplink router with dual modems and an unlimited data plans loadbalanced through mobilemusthaves is the best way to go.

When my GF and I were on the road for a month working FT and watching a show or two at night we blew through 600 GB with no issues.

[wulfraat]

Originally Posted by pdavey;

For FT working with a laptop tablet and phone with one person you are talking ~300 GB per month.

Getting a peplink router with dual modems and an unlimited data plans loadbalanced through mobilemusthaves is the best way to go.

When my GF and I were on the road for a month working FT and watching a show or two at night we blew through 600 GB with no issues.

^^^^ yup

[RedSHED]

I think this is an important part that got lost in the clutter:

for me, for what I'm doing, and how I'm doing it, with the equipment I'm using, right now I seem to be seeing about 900 meg to 1.4 gig per day for 8.5-9 hrs.

I'm not surprised that others have different experiences, but I'm betting they're doing different things. If I added home use (such as this, a streaming service, and other stuff) no doubt it'd be a lot more.

The idea is to keep work bandwidth separate from !work, and for that, I need to know how much data the work actually consumes. One week isn't enough data points, but so far the standard deviation is pretty low and the amount I'm seeing so far is pretty achievable.

[centennialman]

I was looking at the PepWave on the TechnoRv site....any ideas if the external antenna is absolutely needed and, if so, how in the heck would it be mounted with that massively thick cable going through the skin of the Airstream?

[coltnkat]

My wife and I work fulltime on the road and we are both regularly on video calls, sharing larger files, etc. Here are our "unlimited" data plans w/ Verizon (note: we stay west of the Rockies 90% of the year):

-iPhone Hotspot 30GB x 2
-MiFi Jetpack 15GB x 2
-iPad Hotspot 15GB
-T-Mobile Hotspot 1GB (flexible)

In a given month, using our hotspots only for work, we will use 75-100% of our data. We only use video on call when we need to (i.e. with clients, though I often share my desktop), and MS Teams allows me to turn off incoming video as well to help reduce bandwidth demands. As far as overhead goes, it ain't cheap, but it's a tradeoff.

[pdavey]

Originally Posted by centennialman

I was looking at the PepWave on the TechnoRv site....any ideas if the external antenna is absolutely needed and, if so, how in the heck would it be mounted with that massively thick cable going through the skin of the Airstream?

You absolutely need an external antenna if you want it to perform well. Remember inside the Airstream with all the aluminum it is like a giant faraday cage.

The windows will let some signal through but the best result with the best quality data feed will be with an antenna mounted on top.

The good news is the airstream already acts like a grounding plate so a low profile antenna mounted directly agaisnt the skin work really well.

There are a couple ways to mount it. Here are some pics of how I mounted mine.

Installed in the same place the factory Radio antenna was then directly below it drilled a 2.25 inch hole (to match the whole cover) then fed the wires down to the back of the cabinet and screwed the nut on.

The hole plug looks factory and fine by itself.

I installed the cellular booster inside antenna over it though as we use that in bad areas and the benefit is it directly feeds the cellular antenna from below.

[RedSHED]

Originally Posted by centennialman

I was looking at the PepWave on the TechnoRv site....any ideas if the external antenna is absolutely needed and, if so, how in the heck would it be mounted with that massively thick cable going through the skin of the Airstream?

This is an installation for the Airstream Connected setup done at Jackson Center. The hardware is pretty much the same, but the software is a little different if I understand it correctly. They seem to run it via the refrigerator vent.

If the link puts you off, the video is at youtube, and the full title is

Stopping at Airstream Factory Service for Airstream Connected WiFi | ZEPHYR TRAVELS - RV Lifestyle

-- if you search for that you'll probably find it.

https://youtu.be/hRPgRWZ2uZY?t=377

[Alreddawg19]

Anyone tried Starlink yet? I am in the waitlist and eager to try it!

[centennialman]

I communicated with the folks at TechnoRV yesterday and they said that the WeBoost antenna I currently have will work fine with the Pepwave system. I appreciate any input you folks may have

[lvrouter]

I'm running the Pepwave MAX BR1 Mini LTE in my Airstream. i tried AT&T SIM but had trouble with the account (AT&T is hopeless), just switched to T-Mobile SIM: $50/month for 100gg, works well so far. I've been using the internal antenna with good results but plan to mount an external one when time permits.

Nice thing about the Pepwave is that it also connects to WiFi at RV parks (although we all know how bad that can be) and WiFi at my house. it then creates it's own WiFi network in the Airstream. Whole thing is transparent once setup. WiFi is propriety, cellular is backup when WiFi isn't available. This feature does require $100 software upgrade which is not always clear on the websites that sell it.

This setup is for working while traveling and also lets my Ring alarm and cameras be online at all times.

Like any other data plans, 100gb is not enough for any amount of video streaming.

It is not a consumer product so it's not just plug and play. I'd be glad to answer questions if anyone has any, I've dealt with most of the issues.

[pdavey]

We have an unlimited dual sim through mobile must haves fdata provider for our peplink transit duo. Best way to go if you can swing it.

We don't abuse it but we don't worry either for $120 a month.

[MandN]

Originally Posted by centennialman

I was looking at the PepWave on the TechnoRv site....any ideas if the external antenna is absolutely needed and, if so, how in the heck would it be mounted with that massively thick cable going through the skin of the Airstream?

This is what we did(route through fridge vent, don’t know how thick cable is compared to weboost antenna cable.

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f317/diy-motorized-antenna-mount-for-weboost-cellular-booster-on-a-fc-2018-a-213031.html

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[MandN]

Has anyone tried this yet? Is there any reason why it wouldn’t work? Does pepwave already boost signal internally or it’s more of a bonding machine?

[trikdacy]

Originally Posted by Alreddawg19

Anyone tried Starlink yet? I am in the waitlist and eager to try it!

It seems that Starlink requires a fixed location. Each Starlink unit is pointing down to a specific coverafe area, and each Starlink had an ID, and the location of your service is "tied" to that ID.

[trikdacy]

Our Airstream Connect Unlimited Service with AT&T is up in May, but we grandfathered another year to May 2022. After viewing the ridiculous price on the "New & Improved" Airstream Connect package of $300 for one hundred gigabyte of data, we will not use the Airstream Connect Plan when our plan runs out. What we will do is make the Airstream a second vehicle on our Ford's Unlimited AT&T plan for $200 a year.
The AT&T's "New & Improved" Airstream Connect package based on gigabytes we would have had paid $4326.96 for the same data during the same period. I think AT&T is just taking adantage of Airstreamers, because if we can afford an Airstream, we can afford their ridiclous rate. I doubt there is an identifier that states which sim/provider you use to get on the internet. Once you are on the internet can anyone tell who your ISP is? I will go the most coverage/least expensive route in the future.
Attached is my data usage from 5/2020-2/2021.

[Squeegee]

If you have been using your work computer only for work (and not watching netflix/other streaming) there is a feature in Windows 10 to show how much data you have used on your network adapters in the last 30 days.


Go to settings -> Network and Internet. The usage for local file sharing, internet browsing/streaming, and windows updates all are summed there in one number. You may need to cycle through your wifi vs ethernet or docking station ethernet. While you can set each adapter to not download updates if set to a "metered connection" Microsoft will still push what they deem critical updates to your PC over that metered connection.


If you have more than one PC (one for your job, one for your travel buddy's job and then one for your personal use and so on) you will need to get those numbers too. Android will spell out data uses as well, mine has monthly totals with the net sum, and per app details. Remember phones tend to do updates over wifi "to save your mobile data" and your hotspot/cell router is wifi for your phone to abuse with update downloads if paired.


Again, Android and Windows 10 will spell out usage per app as well per device. I do not know much about IOS/Mac - those are for my better half to enjoy while I survive on the cheap stuff.


FWIW, I used Cricket's 20gb for $35 last year but only got out 12 nights over 4 months with the wife and two teenager boys. This year I am debating (due to Cricket's reported policy change on moving SIM cards to a different device and locking your account) going with T-Mobile's 5g 100GB for $50. That however puts our phones and our router all on one provider's network. I use a GL.iNet Spitz GL-X750V2 4G LTE Smart Route and it works great for us.



Squeegee