Everybody knows them and everybody hates them, but they still don’t seem to be going anywhere. Care to guess what I am talking about? If you guessed “data caps”, then you, my friend, are one of those people who absolutely despise them. In case you aren’t exactly sure what these are, you can always get more info about them online and join the army of these limits haters.
What Are Data Caps?
Speaking of getting more info, let me just quickly make it clear what these are, just in case there are still some people who aren’t thoroughly frustrated with their very existence. I’m sure you’ll quickly get on board once you realize how restrictive and utterly ridiculous these actually are. I mean, who would like the idea of having their Internet usage restricted?
So, to put it simply, a data cap is basically the maximum amount of Internet you can use during the course of one month. Also referred to as “data usage”, this is the limit that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) imposes, thus restricting the amount of data you can use per month. Of course, depending on what it is that you actually do online, you might spend these rather quickly or they might last the whole month, in which case you’re a pretty lucky fellow.
If you’re wondering why such a nonsense would exist, you are not alone. Everyone is wondering the same thing. In case you decide to do some research about it, you’ll see that it has to do with the so-called “fair use policy” according to which everyone needs to get their fair share of data, i.e. their portion of the Internet, if that sounds clearer and more interesting.
In case you’re thinking of joining the revolution against these limits, here’s a nice read: https://www.infoworld.com/article/3118333/4-reasons-broadband-data-caps-must-die.html
Even though you might want to be fair and even though you might actually understand the necessity for these restrictions, you cannot help but get frustrated with them at least once in a while. What can you do if that happens? Should you just go over the limit and what will happen if you do? Well, most likely, you will get charged some enormously high prices for the number of GBs you use after reaching the limit.
There is, however, a less expensive scenario, but it doesn’t mean that it’s more pleasant. Namely, some ISPs can decide to simply slow down your connection instead of overcharge you, which will definitely leave you frustrated. I’m not talking about an insignificant change in speed. Instead, I’m talking about such a speed that will make you want to pull your hair out every time you try browsing. Not so pleasant, right?
Is There A Way Around It?
If you are like most people, then you have probably thought about searching for ways to bypass these restrictions. Have you found it yet? If not, then you definitely weren’t looking hard enough, because there actually seem to be at least a few ways in which you can beat those Internet Service Providers at their own game, which doesn’t only sound fun, but it actually is rather fun, as well as beneficial and practical.
One quick look at the FastestVPNGuide’s data use analysis will help you understand that there is definitely a lot of confusion going around the whole idea of bypassing these limits, as well as about the whole manner in which your data are used. In other words, people generally don’t know what’s spending their GBs so quickly or whether there is something that can slow down the spending. For example, everyone is generally puzzled with how virtual private networks, i.e. VPNs, impact their data usage, but we will get to that a bit later.
Let us now get back to our main topic. To answer the above question, there is definitely a way around ISP data caps. In fact, there are a few useful methods you can use to your advantage and thus make sure that you aren’t hitting the limit every single month and thus either paying for more GBs, or browsing with an utterly slow connection. If you aren’t sure which methods I am talking about, keep on reading and you’ll soon find out. Simply said, I’ll give you a few useful tips on how to bypass ISP data caps.
- Get Data Saving Apps
This is one of the most logical solutions, although people don’t seem to be that fond of it yet. Maybe it’s because they still aren’t used to the idea. Basically, developers have started making apps that allow people to consume less, and thus save more, data while browsing. These are undoubtedly rather useful and I have a feeling that we’ll be seeing more of them once people get properly used to the whole idea.
2. Enable Data Compression
The above method might not sound appealing to you for one reason or another, which is why you will keep on looking further in order to find a different one. Well, here’s another useful tip for you. Make sure to check which browser you are using because some of those allow you to compress the data you are downloading to your devices. If there is one thing that ISPs don’t want you to know (find out more), then it’s the fact that simply enabling compression can work towards slowing down the usage of data on your devices and thus help you avoid reaching your limit.
3. Use A VPN With Compression
I have briefly mentioned virtual private networks above and I have also mentioned that people are confused about how using a VPN affects your data. So, let me explain that. You might think that you are hiding your browsing from your ISP and you definitely are in one aspect. They won’t be able to see what you are doing. Yet, the amount of data passing through your network can definitely be measured, meaning that using a VPN definitely counts against any caps that you might have imposed by your ISP.
If you thought that’s all I have to say about VPNs and data usage, then you were definitely wrong. People aren’t talking about VPNs in vain when it comes to bypassing those limits. Although this might seem impossible and although you can rest assured that there is no way you can hide the amount of data you are using when browsing through a VPN, it appears that there is actually something you can do with the aim of staying below your monthly limit.
Here’s what I am talking about. There are some VPN providers that offer data compression, which can further limit the amount you are consuming while doing anything online. This is rather similar to the above tip I have given you about data compression through your browser. It’s just that you could probably be more successful with the compression while using the help of a VPN. So, I hope this clears up all the confusion regarding VPNs and these limits.
The Bottom Line
To sum things up, you should understand that there is absolutely no way you can continue using the Internet normally after having passed that limit imposed by your ISP. You will either get charged more, or your connection will become pretty slow. However, there seem to be a few things, such as those seen at https://privacysniffs.com/blog/how-to-stop-bypass-isp-throttling/, that you can do in order to try to stay below that limit and that’s exactly what you should focus on if you are trying to bypass the caps.
Basically, you can either use data saving apps or enable compression on your browsers. In addition to that, you can find a VPN that allows compression and use it in order to try and achieve the goal that you are aiming for. Or, you can always opt for changing your ISP if there is a better one.