Status Page Data Usage as Comcast Limits Downloads

Just in case any one is wondering who is connected in Iceland, it’s me running a test of the Status Reporting. More to Follow. Ken

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My ‘balloon’ now wanders around since my ISP is now starlink. It’s traceroute and ip assignment is interesting to follow… usually now says Terrance, CA but sometimes Chicago. IL … always a guessing game. The main ‘ground station’ is Manistique, Mi for most of the satellites that my connection gets passed onto… but the ip address is assigned by some servers located… who knows where…

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Here in the US, cable carrier Comcast will begin to limit internet data usage on January 1, 2021. Unless you pay extra for internet data usage, you will only get 1,200 GB per month with additional charges up to $100 per month (in increments of $10 per 50 GB) if you go over. I would have to pay 3 times more for my internet connection! Other internet providers in the US are expected to follow suit. My typical month internet data usage on my Comcast connection averages 700 GB per month due to streaming TV and movies.

That said, how much data downloading/uploading are we using with a Dreamcatcher running Skylark connected to your local Wifi router? My measurements reveal that Skylark “phoning home” its status to http://status.othernet. uses about 1.6 MB/day (which works out to 48 MB/month). With my Skylark Port Forwarded and “phoning home”, it uses about 165 MB/day (which works out to about 5 GB/month) or .4% of Comcast’s new data cap. Ken

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These phantom internet data usages due add up.

  1. each of my devices checking for new mail
  2. each application checking for updates
  3. my two dreamcatches sending “status”
  4. each flight-tracker sending in 978/1090 tracking
  5. the weather station sending in continuous data
  6. each ‘location enabled’ device sending in position data to many companies
  7. many applications sending in ‘usage’ data or ‘analytics’ to some parent company

I may start turning off my dreamcatchers. Or I will put them on a different network mask that does not port data to my ISP

I don’t know if anyone asked Syed @Syed if Status Reporting could be turned off in Skylark? Ken

There used to be a feature to turn it off, but it no longer exists.

Here’s a simple solution to block Othernet Status Reporting for those Forum members using a Pi Hole:

Simply select “blacklist” telemetry.othernet.is and your Dreamcatcher won’t report in. It’s a permanent solution.

Also, many routers have a similar function to block connections. Ken