Interesting data usage overnight...

[elistan]

The reports of 300 page bills prompted me to log in to the wireless.att.com site and check my settings. While I was there, I confirmed that I'm properly set up for the unlimited data plan and such. I don't expect any surprises during my next bill.

Anyway, while there I called up a list of my data usage - indeed, each session was listed on its own line. What really caught my eye was 3,682kb today at 1:01am, and another 5,407kb at 1:35am this morning. I was asleep and the phone in stanby, and I did not receive any emails at that time. Wifi should have been the active network connection, not EDGE, since my router is always on. There was another 1:01am transmission for 1,1718kb a few days prior, on the 10th.

There are other at-or-around-1:00am data transmissions that I'm pretty sure I didn't initiate. I wonder what's going on? Over-the-air iPhone updates? Anybody else have similar data sessions when they weren't using the phone?

 

[n00basaur]

It was the monster that lives under your bed.

 

[elistan]

Nah, I got the monster it's own pre-pay phone so it would stop using all my minutes.

 

[johnee]

That is interesting. Can you disable the edge network and see if you get the same data transfers through wifi?

Certainly they can't be updates if they are every/every other day.

is that data downloaded to your phone or uploaded from it?

 

[diamond.g]

The reports of 300 page bills prompted me to log in to the wireless.att.com site and check my settings. While I was there, I confirmed that I'm properly set up for the unlimited data plan and such. I don't expect any surprises during my next bill.

Anyway, while there I called up a list of my data usage - indeed, each session was listed on its own line. What really caught my eye was 3,682kb today at 1:01am, and another 5,407kb at 1:35am this morning. I was asleep and the phone in stanby, and I did not receive any emails at that time. Wifi should have been the active network connection, not EDGE, since my router is always on. There was another 1:01am transmission for 1,1718kb a few days prior, on the 10th.

There are other at-or-around-1:00am data transmissions that I'm pretty sure I didn't initiate. I wonder what's going on? Over-the-air iPhone updates? Anybody else have similar data sessions when they weren't using the phone?

Glad I am not the only one getting this.

 

[b257177]

Hmm... not seeing this in the last week or so of my own data details.

 

[rdowns]

While this may be Apple transmitting its RDF several times a week, isn't it more likely that it is email being received?

 

[kdarling]

It's AT&T transmitting your Pearl Jam listening history to President Bush.

Ooops. Sorry. Actually, they would censor that, not send it.

Seriously, what requires EDGE? Visual voicemail does. Anything else?

 

[The Prise]

you need edge to run the iphone. thats what i gather.

 

[MacTheSpoon]

Wow, weird, I'm seeing this, too. But... looking the stats over, I'm pretty sure that it's not logging the many times during the day that I've turned the iPhone on and surfed the web for a few minutes, then hit the snooze button. So is it possible that the early morning transmissions are sort of a summary of the day's total data usage that the iPhone is sending to AT&T?

The only thing that bothers me is that, if so, it's a bit inconsistent, because it's recorded data use at some other times, too...

 

[MacTheSpoon]

Oh, just noticed this little notice on their web site. So yeah, i guess these are sporadic summaries, they don't really correspond exactly to the exact times of data use.

"Important Information: There are delays in reporting and processing data records. It may take up to two to five days for airtime usage on the AT&T wireless network to show up in any Data "Used" category. Additional delays may occur due to technical difficulties. Further delays may apply to roaming usage, which is based on usage records received from other carriers. A delay of a minimum of two to ten days for roaming usage is usual and up to 60 days or longer is possible. During the time your invoice is being processed, you may not be able to view your usage or you may experience additional delays in reporting of usage. This usage information is only an estimate and, regardless of what is shown, your next invoice will be determined by the information contained in our billing system, not this usage information."

 

[gceo]

At my work desk I have a speaker that is very sensitive to GSM signals, and I've noticed activity without receiving email, txt or VM. It usually only occurs about once a day. Sounds similar to when receiving a VM, so I assume something is being transmitted to the iPhone.

 

[beate]

I was wondering why my bill suddenly increased in bulk. Looking it over, I noticed pages of "Data Transfer".

I rarely use Edge but do turn WIFI off (when I remember) to conserve battery.

Looking over the bill, I notice that there is data transfer every hour of 1KB.
Check your bill - it's like 1:00AM, 2:00AM, 3:00AM, etc.
Sometimes it's 1:04 but then it's X:04 for the remainer of the day at every hour.

Data is going OUT, by the way.

 

[coolbreeze]

Data being silently transferred to the NSA!

 

[iPhoneHome]

Is it possible that when you put your phone in Standby mode, it automatically switches to Edge? I think the phone has to be fully on to notice the Wi-Fi network request. Also do you have your email automatically update every hour?? Or do you have it on the manual setting??? This could explain why some people are getting the data transfer every hour....

just my 2cents.

 

[iPhoneHome]

I was wondering why my bill suddenly increased in bulk. Looking it over, I noticed pages of "Data Transfer".

I rarely use Edge but do turn WIFI off (when I remember) to conserve battery.

Looking over the bill, I notice that there is data transfer every hour of 1KB.
Check your bill - it's like 1:00AM, 2:00AM, 3:00AM, etc.
Sometimes it's 1:04 but then it's X:04 for the remainer of the day at every hour.

Data is going OUT, by the way.

Also, the iPhone has to send data out to properly connect to your imap and pop accounts. emails just dont magically show up with out the request for them (that would be a crazy little thing called PUSH, and who wants that??? lol)

 

[drater]

They're Watching Us!

 

[beate]

Is it possible that when you put your phone in Standby mode, it automatically switches to Edge? I think the phone has to be fully on to notice the Wi-Fi network request. Also do you have your email automatically update every hour?? Or do you have it on the manual setting??? This could explain why some people are getting the data transfer every hour....

just my 2cents.

Well, I have my email set to manual.

I do show some days when the usage doesn't show every hour - just randomly. I figure that must be when I have the WiFi turned on and don't change locations much forcing the service into Edge. I've found WiFi seems to stay on unless I go out of range. Of course, I can't see that it's on while in Standby mode...but it seems to stay on as it's available the second I leave Standby.

For battery conservation, I turn WiFi off as I've heard that it's constantly "pinging", or something to that effect. My guess would be that Edge, when on, does the same thing to ensure that the connection is still there. Only Edge usage shows on the bill.

Still a bit freaky seeing all this communicating going on without me...in black & white!

 

[overcast]

At my work desk I have a speaker that is very sensitive to GSM signals, and I've noticed activity without receiving email, txt or VM. It usually only occurs about once a day. Sounds similar to when receiving a VM, so I assume something is being transmitted to the iPhone.

That happens with every phone.

 

[/"\/oo\/"\]

At my work desk I have a speaker that is very sensitive to GSM signals, and I've noticed activity without receiving email, txt or VM. It usually only occurs about once a day. Sounds similar to when receiving a VM, so I assume something is being transmitted to the iPhone.

I like to think it's the phone checking in with the time servers to make sure it's all synced clock-wise (as silly as that sounds...)

 

[gceo]

That happens with every phone.

Ah... my first GSM phone... with all that noise, I would think I would get better reception.... (My only complaint so far)