How to manage your Internet usage
About internet usage
Internet usage represents the amount of data you send (upload) and receive (download) over your Internet connection. High usage activities include downloading movies and watching videos.
The speed of your Internet connection does not affect the amount of data you use.
Réseau Picanoc's Internet plans include various usage allowances. If you exceed your allowance, excess usage will be charged at the rate set as part of your package. The maximum fee payable if your allowance is exceeded is $ 100.00 / month. If you want more usage, you can upgrade to a higher category service.
Find out which usage allowance is included in each package:
- New customer? Compare our Internet plans to find out the usage allowance for each.
- Existing customer? Log in via the Member Zone to find out the allocation included in your package and monitor your monthly usage.
Monitor your usage
To view your current Internet usage and history:
- Log into your account via the Member Zone on your computer.
The usage period begins at 12:00 a.m. on the first day of your billing cycle and ends at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of your cycle.
Since this is the case for other telecommunications services, such as long distance calls, any usage remaining at the end of your billing cycle will expire and will not be carried over to the next cycle.
Internet Usage Notice
Receive online and email notifications as you reach the Internet usage threshold included in your plan.
Internet Usage Notice: Call us at 1 877 770-0040 to manage your preferences.
Control your use
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Prevent unauthorized use of your Internet connection
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- Encrypt or password protect your wireless home network to prevent unauthorized access to your account. For information on how to do this, check your router's manufacturer's website.
- Never share your Internet user name and password.
- Install and regularly update anti-virus software.
- Install the recommended security updates for your operating system.
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Limit the use of sharing software
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- Some popular peer-to-peer sharing software (eg Bit Torrent and Shareaza) will upload shared files by default, as quickly as your connection allows. This activity often takes place without your knowledge, but can represent significant monthly usage. Check the software settings and make sure the upload speed is limited.
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Pay attention to music streaming
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- Turn off Internet audio players (streaming) when you are not at your computer. Leaving them running may cause use without your knowledge.
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Check your news reader settings
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- Do not set your news reader (eg Usenet) to automatically download body messages for the groups to which you are subscribed. Otherwise, you could download a large amount of data that you are not interested in.
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Avoid spam
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- Install software to limit the receipt of spam.
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How to manage your internet usage / Increase your usage allowance
Increase your Internet usage allowance by switching to a higher category service. You will get a larger usage allowance and may also benefit from higher speed.
Call us at 1 877 770-0040 to change your package.
Even if you subscribe to an Additional Download plan in the middle of a billing cycle, you will be able to take advantage of the full additional usage allowance until the end of that billing cycle.
Internet usage estimator
Your transfer capacity via your Internet access is measured in gigabytes. Approximately 1 GB of data is equivalent to:
- 200 songs of 5 MB
- or 1,000 images of 1 MB
- or 1 film of 700 MB (lasting approximately 1 hour 30 minutes)
If you're used to downloading audio or video content, you've probably noticed that all of these downloads use up a lot of your bandwidth.
- Here are other examples of increased consumption:
- Streaming video or audio content (eg Netflix, YouTube, etc.)
- File exchange through sharing software (P2P)
- Online play (XBOX LIVE, Play Station Network, on computer, etc.)
- Online sharing and storage on cloud servers (Google Drive, iCloud, DropBox, etc.)
- Use and update of smartphones, tablets, smart TVs connected to your Wi-Fi network
- Adding connected objects, such as surveillance cameras
Since you are the only one who can manage the amount of bandwidth used, here are some tips to help you reduce your consumption:
- On Netflix, reduce the image quality. By modifying the reading parameters, you will reduce your consumption.
- Check if multiple file sharing software (like Dropbox, Apple iCloud, Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive) is installed on your computer, as these programs can use a considerable amount of bandwidth.
- Disable or limit file or printer sharing.
- Update your operating system regularly.
- Update your antivirus system regularly, as some malware can consume a lot of your bandwidth.