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Excessive iPad Data Useage

I bought a 3G iPad and signed up for the $15 / 250 MB plan based on the assumption that since I never go over 250 MB / month on my iPhone I'd be in reasonable shape for the iPad. Yet 3 days into the data plan I got an email from AT&T warning that I had "used" 220 MB of my plan! This is crazy since y iPad had been home all 3 days on my wireless network. 3G was turned on, just as it is on my iPhone, but that shouldn't have been an issue since I was on the local network, right?

Wrong, apparently. When I returned the 3G pad to the store, most of the genius bar guys were stumped, but one suggested this as an explanation. He stated that when the iPad (or iPhone) is in sleep mode the wireless connection is lost. If PUSH is turned on, the device then looks to the 3G network to continue updating things. While not an issue for an iPhone with unlimited data, perhaps it is a major issue for 250 MB / month data plan users. AT&T told me my iPad was using about 100 MB a day, incredible since I never even look at intensive things like YouTube video or email large image files. Surf the web, yes, but nothing unusual. Certainly not 100 MB of bandwidth a day.

Until the iPad gets smarter about using bandwidth and/or AT&T finds an answer (why would they, it's money in their pockets for unchecked data useage like this) that is reasonable, I'm over the need for a 3G iPad. WiFi is available enough places when I'm traveling that I can do without this additional recurring monthly cost.

iPad 3G

Posted on May 17, 2010 2:02 PM

40 replies

kramey74

Level 1

105 points

May 18, 2010 3:05 PM in response to celliott147

I agree celliot147. Originally from Austin, I appreciate you even more 😉

The entitlement thing especially..it's something I don't understand.

May 18, 2010 3:10 PM in response to celliott147

I don't know what "self-entitlement" is, but thank you for all for valuable advice. I am a decent, honest person who entered this forum out of genuine frustration at the way I had been treated on the phone for 45 minutes, when I was being as patient as I could be with this poor employee, and trying to understand what I still maintain is an immoral stance on the part of the company. I'm sorry that this was taken up and used for some other agenda. I wish you and your friend Kramey nothing but the best, and truly wish you would stop writing hateful responses. I'm outta here.

May 18, 2010 3:11 PM in response to kramey74

You don't think you're entitled to get what you agree to? Interesting.

May 18, 2010 3:31 PM in response to Mark Alberhasky

I similarly got the reasonable plan and the went to the unlimited plan.

My use model was that I turned off 3G when within a WiFi area (using the settings). When I connected I turned it on manually. The 250MB lasted 2.5 weeks at this.

Then I made a mistake and let a program decide that it can turn and connect as it desired (that program was a map/traffic related one - I removed it). Within a few hours I went from 50% to 100% use.

So, from my experience there is a bit of user control of the use. But one needs to be careful about what one allows the applications to do willy-nillie.

Of get the unlimited 3G plan and be done with it.

I also waited till I used up all my limited data plan before signing up for unlimited. I did without a plan for a bit - but - meh! Their loss. So, I didn't have a problem with the plan charges (that I see on my account yet anyway).

crh24

Level 3

930 points

May 18, 2010 3:40 PM in response to Mark Alberhasky

Mark Alberhasky wrote:
I bought a 3G iPad and signed up for the $15 / 250 MB plan based on the assumption that since I never go over 250 MB / month on my iPhone I'd be in reasonable shape for the iPad. Yet 3 days into the data plan I got an email from AT&T warning that I had "used" 220 MB of my plan! This is crazy since y iPad had been home all 3 days on my wireless network. 3G was turned on, just as it is on my iPhone, but that shouldn't have been an issue since I was on the local network, right?

I knew that my iPhone usage of 3G is relatively small but to be sure I signed up for the unlimited plan when my 64GB 3G arrived and thought I could just check the usage at the end of 30 days and see if it made sense to go with the 250GB plan. Like you, most of my usage should be near a Wi-Fi connection.

It has been 12 days since I turned on the unlimited service and I have made no attempt to limit usage in any way, I just turned on both Wi-Fi and 3G and let'er rip. In that 12 days according to Settings->General->usage I have used up about 33MB, 3.3MB up and 29.8MB down. Most of the 'down' data transfer occurred when I took a 20 mile trip and tracked it with the 'maps' app. All of the map data was downloaded via 3G.

I do have notifications turned on and have Mail check my server (3 different accounts) every 15 minutes. I have push notification set up for the textPlus app but not for any others.

Checking my usage by accessing Settings->Cellular Data->View Account doesn't tell me anything. I guess the traffic isn't reported when you have an unlimited account.

Based upon my experience--admittedly not definitive as it is a sample point of 1--I would say that perhaps something 'unusual' is going on with your 3G connection.

w7ox

Level 4

2,407 points

May 18, 2010 3:53 PM in response to Sick of Lies

Sick of Lies wrote:
I HEAR YOU!! I got the most expensive iPad on May 7, signed up for 250MB, knowing I wouldn't use more.

I'm amazed anyone would by a 64GB 3G iPad and not go unlimited on the data at one buck a day! But we're lucky: Apparently in some countries there is no unlimited data plan offered and your bill can grow without bound.

Thankfully, no need to sign up for a contract. If you find 3G is not useful, you can opt to shut it down with no penalty. And still have a GPS receiver built in 🙂

"Sick of Lies": Must be tough on you during election years 😉

Phil

May 18, 2010 4:04 PM in response to w7ox

I feel that assessing ones frugality over recurring costs verses non-recurring is relevant.

Frugality of recurring expenditures makes funds available for the future.

Comparing conditions of other locations has little relevance too I think.

However, it appears that there is some confusion or disparity based on the OP's presented information. Whether it be with AT&T, the contract interp. or what It seems this needs to be addressed with AT&T.

May 19, 2010 12:11 AM in response to EmbeddedGeek

I notice that the OP hasn't returned to this thread and I'm not surprised.
Everyone here, I believe, is missing his point, and that is why should he have any 3G usage at all at times when he only wants to connect to wi-fi? He's not moaning about how little time he gets for 250Mb, he's simply concerned about why this is happening when he is (theoretically) only connected to wf-fi.
If I was in his position, then I would have posted on this as well.
It was my intention to take up something like that plan when I get my iPad next week as I am in wi-fi areas 99% of my time, but now I'm not so sure. I don't want to build up extra bills in a month when I don't need to - simple as that.
Like the OP, I have hardly used much cellular data on my iPhone's unlimited plan - a few hundred Mb in 7-8 months - and I assumed that the same would be the case on my iPad.
I think it would be good to explain why this has happened to the OP. As I said, it doesn't happen with the iPhone.

May 19, 2010 6:01 AM in response to igmackenzie

I have two thoughts.
One, I spent over $900 US for my 3G-WiFi iPad - for this 3G user ten dollars a month for the unlimited plan vs the limited plan is just 'noise' - thirty dollars a month is not unreasonable to me considering in the first month I'll receive over 6Gb of cellular data (doing a forward estimate).
Two, Apple should update the settings to make it more clear how to turn off 3G and just use WiFi - for example, it is not intuitively obvious to a casual user that going into Airplane Mode turns off 3G - early adopters pay for the 'privilege' of being an early adopter in different ways.

May 19, 2010 6:11 AM in response to MarkMauno

Look, it's not a question of reasonableness of the cost. That's not in question.
The OP's point was that he shouldn't have to be eating into his 3G data allowance if he's on wi-fi.
Perfectly sensible point!

celliott147

Level 6

11,907 points

May 19, 2010 10:41 PM in response to igmackenzie

unless the wi-fi bug is affecting him and he hasn't followed apple's guidelines to alleviate them...

I have been testing on wi-fi only for a month before i activate my 3G...2 reasons... 1. to get the kinks with the wi-fi bug worked out... 2. to get an estimate of data usage via physically calculating the data sizes of the pages i regularly view...

May 21, 2010 5:40 PM in response to MarkMauno

You can turn off 3G by turning off cellular data in settings. If you go into airplane mode you turn off wi fi as well.

cdharris

Level 1

2 points

May 21, 2010 9:06 PM in response to Mark Alberhasky

I think there may be a problem with your iPad. I have the same set up as you in that I leave 3G on all the time, but mostly use my iPad in WiFi areas. I have push and notifications enabled. In more than 2 weeks, my cellular data usage is only 35 mb.

May 22, 2010 12:14 AM in response to cdharris

This is exactly what I was hoping for. I'm getting my iPad on the 28th and I was making the assumption that my cellular data behaviour would be similar to my iPhone. Like you, I am in a wi-fi area almost all the time and my iPhone cellular data usage has been about 200Mb in 4 months.
On that basis, I felt that the Orange UK deal of 5p per Mb was the most suited for my needs as I would have spent around £10 over several months, yet had the facility there at all times.

Mr.C UK

Level 2

410 points

May 22, 2010 10:02 AM in response to igmackenzie

The only thing is that doesn't give you free wi-fi access at BT Open Zone locations.

I'm either going to go with the O2 1GB/month ( £10 ), O2 3GB/month ( £15 ) or Orange 3GB/month ( £15 ) options. I'm not going to download songs, videos or apps at least using 3G, just email and web browsing. If I'm at a free wi-fi hot spot then I may do so. I just have to make sure the 3G is turned off at the time.

Excessive iPad Data Useage