Bandwidth Management Tips

The configurations of operating systems, web browsers, and applications generally assume an unlimited, always-on broadband connection. As such, they will often try to connect to the Internet on their own to download updates and transfer files. They will also operate without any regard to the amount of traffic they generate to perform routine tasks. Consider the guidelines in this topic to eliminate unnecessary background Internet activity and minimize the amount of data you consume. Adopting these guidelines will help ensure you use the service in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.

IMPORTANT! In addition to the tips below, KVH offers the Category Controls feature, a powerful tool to help manage and monitor VSAT data usage. An authorized myKVH user for the vessel can use the Category Controls feature in KVH Manager to block or restrict data usage from certain types of applications.

Disabling Wi-Fi Access on Mobile Devices

If you don’t intend to use your mobile device to access the Internet over the antenna system, disable the mobile device’s automatic Wi-Fi connection to the BDU's wireless network. Most mobile devices also have a setting called "Airplane Mode" which can be used to disable all cellular and Wi-Fi data usage, until turned off.

Preventing Automatic Updates

The default configuration of many applications allows them to download updates from the Internet automatically, without any user interaction. KVH recommends that, while the device is being used at sea, you set up these applications either to not check for updates or to notify you before downloading them. These applications include:

Anti-virus software
Spyware protection software
Web browser
Mobile apps
Adobe Acrobat® Reader
Apple iTunes®
Windows® Update or Mac® Software Update

Note: Android™ devices offer a “Restrict Background Data” setting, which will prevent background updates from all installed apps. iPhone®/iPad® users can go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and disable it to prevent apps from refreshing in the background.

Any malicious applications hidden on your device may also use your Internet connection without your knowledge. Therefore, prior to using your device onboard the vessel, run a full system scan with an up-to-date anti-virus and spyware detection/removal utility.

Disabling Automatic File Backup and Synchronization

The default configuration of many cloud-based file sharing and syncing tools allow them to upload files (including photos, videos, and other media) and synchronize mobile devices without any user interaction. KVH recommends that, like preventing automatic updates, you set up these services for manual backup and synchronization only. These cloud storage services include:

Apple iCloud®
Google Drive™
Microsoft SkyDrive®
Dropbox™
Box

To disable other automatic downloads, iPhone/iPad users can go to Settings > iTunes & App Store and disable automatic downloads and/or cellular data. Android users can find sync settings in Settings > Data Usage > Menu. In addition, push notifications may be disabled.

Firewall Protection

A firewall can prevent most applications from accessing the Internet without your knowledge, as well as protect your devices from outside intrusion. KVH recommends that you enable the firewall on your router or individual network devices.

Web Browser Settings

All popular web browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari, offer various tools that allow you to minimize the amount of data they consume. Consider these options:

Limit Multimedia Downloads

Set up your browser to disable multimedia content embedded in websites from playing automatically.

Enable Pop-Up Blocker

Many consumer websites overlay small pop-up windows over the main page to launch ads. Turn on your web browser’s pop-up blocker to prevent these from running and consuming data. Your web browser might also offer tools to block websites or types of content that you specify, or allow access to only certain websites that you trust.

Maximize Caching of Web Pages

By default, web browsers automatically refresh the content they have stored in their cache. If the browser finds a new version of a website is available, it will delete the version it has stored locally and download the new one. KVH recommends you set up your browser to download new versions of web pages only when you visit them, and also increase the size of the cache to the maximum level permitted for your browser.

Disable Preloading of Web Pages

The mobile version of Google Chrome (the default browser on Android devices) speeds up web browsing by preloading the destination web pages of links shown on the currently viewed page. This feature consumes an enormous amount of data and should be disabled.

Avoid Multiple Browsing Tabs

KVH recommends that you browse the web using a single open browser tab. Any tabs left open in the background may continue to consume data.

Data-Intensive Applications

The following applications can consume a great deal of data whenever they are active or running in the background:

Skype (uses 40 MB per month just to maintain your status, in addition to the data used for actual calls and chats)
RSS feeds and widgets presenting real-time information (e.g., news, weather, stocks ticker, sports scores, etc.)
Social media (e.g., YouTube and Facebook)
Peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing (e.g., BitTorrent, Gnutella, etc.)

Mobile Websites

Many organizations now offer alternative versions of their websites optimized for mobile devices. Although designed for smartphone users on a cellular connection, you can access these mobile websites on a desktop or laptop as well. KVH recommends you visit mobile websites instead of full sites whenever possible to minimize the amount of data used.

To view the mobile version of a website, simply replace the “www” in the address with an “m”. For example, to view the mobile version of CNN’s website, you would enter “m.cnn.com” in your web browser.

Email Best Practices

There are several ways to reduce the amount of data your email application uses. Consider the following email best practices:

Use an IMAP (Interactive Mail Access Protocol) server instead of traditional POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3).
Disable automatic sending/receiving of new mail.
Send messages in plain text rather than HTML format.
Compress all attachments.
Disable automatic signatures and read receipts.

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