• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Screen Share without triggering data useage? Next Best Phone Now???

csmandroid

Lurker
Jun 18, 2020
8
0
So, I have a Galaxy S6 with a locked phone set to Verizon and a Verizon unlimited plan. I had the phone connected to the computer via USB hub and I was tethered. I am using SCRCPY-nonconsole to view video on the phone itself while surfing on the computer through/into/on basic pages like ebay and such. I went through my 30gb of tethered data in 7 days. It seems that Verizon counted ALL data (phone video and computer basic web page surfing) as tethered, since I was tethered when only using a minimum of actual computer shared data. I am calling utter BS on this one. I dont care how technical one wants to get, the downloaded data was NOT going directly to the computer, hence, THAT part wasnt tethered data.

Is there any phone I can use to separate the 2?

Also, when I was mirroring the video, I had the phones web browser running 720dpi setting and on my computer screen it was still pixelated. I assume my S6 cannot transfer 720dpi through the USB. With that said, Whats the next cheapest droid that can do that?

Thanks everyone.
 
Just so I understand, your carrier distinguishes tethered and phone data usage? They don't in my country, so I'm not familiar with this, but if that is the issue then because it is a carrier billing feature rather than a phone feature I'm not sure that it will make any difference what phone you use. But doesn't your phone provide a breakdown of what used the data? You should be able to see how much was down to the biggest using phone apps at least, and I'd expect it to show tethered data there (can't confirm as I only do tethering when on long train journeys, which for obvious reasons hasn't happened in the last few months). But even if it doesn't, if you have the total and the main app usage you should be able to subtract one from the other and see whether there are 30GB not accounted for by phone apps.

You could also look at data monitoring apps in the play store if the phone menu is inadequate.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ocnbrze
Upvote 0
Hi Hadron, thanks for the reply. Yes, I have 70GB+ (whatever the plus means) of unlimited (so, since it is 70GB, how can it be unlimited?) data and 30GB of tethered. The only thing Verizon shows is Data/Phone/TXT . They dont break it down anymore, I do not believe. They might, but, it took me 2 hours just to find out how to add 5gb of high speed data. Verizon "personal service" to the public is garbage!!

Even if I can not get away from it using an app or whatever, I still need to be able to see my phone itself, on the computer, through a cable, full screen (1920x1080) in HD. As of now, the Galaxy S6 I have looks to be around 240, or even less when stretched to full size 1920.
 
Upvote 0
So, I have a Galaxy S6 with a locked phone set to Verizon and a Verizon unlimited plan. I had the phone connected to the computer via USB hub and I was tethered. I am using SCRCPY-nonconsole to view video on the phone itself while surfing on the computer through/into/on basic pages like ebay and such. I went through my 30gb of tethered data in 7 days. It seems that Verizon counted ALL data (phone video and computer basic web page surfing) as tethered, since I was tethered when only using a minimum of actual computer shared data. I am calling utter BS on this one. I dont care how technical one wants to get, the downloaded data was NOT going directly to the computer, hence, THAT part wasnt tethered data.

Is there any phone I can use to separate the 2?

Also, when I was mirroring the video, I had the phones web browser running 720dpi setting and on my computer screen it was still pixelated. I assume my S6 cannot transfer 720dpi through the USB. With that said, Whats the next cheapest droid that can do that?

Thanks everyone.

The carrier should only be metering data that's actually been uploaded/downloaded through their network.

Don't know what this "SCRCPY-nonconsole" is, but is it streaming to a server on the internet, using the cloud? Because that would certainly use wireless data.

I've done similar things myself, had a laptop tethered to the phone, and any data that's transferred between phone and computer locally that isn't going out to the carrier network, is not metered or counted by the carrier of course..
 
  • Like
Reactions: ocnbrze
Upvote 0
Hey mikedt, no, I am sure they compiled ALL the data just because I was tethered. SCRCPY is just "some kind of" interface that runs through the USB debugging platform(?) on the phone and opens a connection between the USB port on the phone to allow communications with/to the computer. Then you can control the phone via computer keyboard while screen mirroring. I was using the phone to watch video's at around 480dpi and up, mirroring it to my computer WHILE being in tethered mode and checking emails and such on the computer. Wouldnt you know it, in less than a week, I used 30gb. I experimented, watching the basic data usage and just used my computer ONLY, while watching ALL videos in 144dpi to see how much I would use and I always ended up around 1GB a day. Thats been going on for 6-8(?) + now. Something strange happened this month and I lost all my data again.

Really could use an app that got down to the nitty gritty of data usage and where it wet/goes.

Another quick question.... This is the lounge. Is this the best place for this question? I am new here. Is there a general technicle section somewhere? I need to go look for it as I only joined last night around 3am my time, lol.
 
Upvote 0
Tethering is a service that has to use your mobile data. It works through cellular connectivity as an input, and online connectivity to other devices as an output. So when you have two devices when doing something like remote access to each other, they're connecting to each other via your mobile data.

If you pick up a typical wireless router, you can always just set up your own local network. Connect both mobile devices to your local network using WiFi instead of tethering. The only reason why you have to connect a router to an online connection is to provide Internet access. Otherwise, your local network is its own network and things like file and printer sharing all take place within your local network anyway. And if you want to do screen sharing between two devices, without involving the cost of using mobile data, do it over your own WiFi network, don't use tethering.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ocnbrze
Upvote 0
"Tethering is a service that has to use your mobile data. It works through cellular connectivity as an input, and online connectivity to other devices as an output."

Then there are 2 things I need to do.

#1 - Find a phone that will send AT LEAST 1920x1080 true video through the phones connection cable to the computer, and...

#2 - Will keep video and wifi separate

Final note is I live in the country. So far into the country, that my cell phone is the only available connection to internet. There is no other option, zero, ziltch, nada.

I have been looking at the Galaxy S8's. Will that do it? Looks good on paper, but, so did the S6 I have.

Thanks all.
 
Upvote 0
It's not so much keeping 'video and wifi separate' but more a matter of the source of the video that you need to focus on. Any video content coming from an online streaming content service -- i.e. Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, Amazon Prime,Vudu, etc -- has to have online connectivity. Mobile data usage has to be involved. A video that you have saved on one of your mobile devices, as an actual file, is not going to involve any online access. So no mobile data usage.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ocnbrze
Upvote 0
Thanks svim but I dont think you understand. I have 2 data tiers on the phone. One is for streaming to the phone and the second is for streaming to hotspot/wifi/tethering.

1) To the phone only: unlimited high speed data
2) 30GB high speed to tethering/wifi/hotspot, then, after, 600kb speeds.

I want to stream video to the phone only and mirror the display to the computer. I will then wifi, or hot spot ONLY emails and general web surfing to the computer, but, BUT BUT BUT, they have to be separate, or, they will run data together like a red and white candy cane, even though the "network data" is not going to the computer. Becuase it is "tethered", they consider ANY data thats used at that time as tethered data.
 
Upvote 0
Again, when you're using tethering, that's going to involve mobile data (cellular) connectivity. It's a process where you're mobile device uses its cellular connection as its input and sending a limited WiFi signal as its output. When you connect your laptop to that WiFi, the source is still your mobile data connection.

If you had a broadband connection, that would involve a modem/router, and your laptop would connect to the WiFi signal emitted by the router. The source would be from the broadband connection provided by your ISP.
By using tethering instead, your laptop is connected to the WiFi signal emitted by your mobile device, the source is your cellular service.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ocnbrze
Upvote 0
Svim, I am NOT using video data on my computer

I AM watching/using video ON "the" PHONE".

What does video data on the PHONE "itsefl" have to do with tethered email data ONLY on the computer?

Yes, all data comes to/through the phone. The phone has unlimited high speed data/tethering is/does not, so, it is calculated differently, or, is supposed to be, but, as long as I am tethered, it seems ALL data (phone and tethered) is calculated as tethered data.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
Hi ocnbrze

"when you stream movies on the phone and mirror it to the computer, do you have tethering turned on?"
ANSWER: Yes


"how is the phone connected to the computer?"
ANSWER: Micro USB from Galaxy S6 to standard USB port to the back of the computer.
why do you have it setup that way? why not just hook the phone to the monitor? why do you have to be tethered to the pc for that?
 
Upvote 0
There are a few reasons.

1) The phone only has a USB port (micro USB). There is no "video" port.
2) Being connected to the USB allows me to control the phone, and, also, I am able to mirror the phone through USB, hence, see video playing on the phone..
3) I thought I could tether low data, like email through the computer, use the phone for the heavy videos. This should have, in theory, kept my "Tethered Data" low.
4) Also as stated in the post, what phone CAN send full video to computer/monitor? Would the Galaxy S8 do that?
 
Upvote 0
Hey mikedt, no, I am sure they compiled ALL the data just because I was tethered. SCRCPY is just "some kind of" interface that runs through the USB debugging platform(?) on the phone and opens a connection between the USB port on the phone to allow communications with/to the computer. Then you can control the phone via computer keyboard while screen mirroring. I was using the phone to watch video's at around 480dpi and up, mirroring it to my computer WHILE being in tethered mode and checking emails and such on the computer. Wouldnt you know it, in less than a week, I used 30gb. I experimented, watching the basic data usage and just used my computer ONLY, while watching ALL videos in 144dpi to see how much I would use and I always ended up around 1GB a day. Thats been going on for 6-8(?) + now. Something strange happened this month and I lost all my data again.

Really could use an app that got down to the nitty gritty of data usage and where it wet/goes.

Another quick question.... This is the lounge. Is this the best place for this question? I am new here. Is there a general technicle section somewhere? I need to go look for it as I only joined last night around 3am my time, lol.

That clears it up for me.

I just don't understand, why is Verizon apparently metering and counting data that's just passing between the phone and computer. This is something I've never come across myself. Because with my carriers and everyone else I know, the carrier meters data within their network for data that's uploaded/downloaded over 4G.
 
Upvote 0
That clears it up for me.

I just don't understand, why is Verizon apparently metering and counting data that's just passing between the phone and computer. This is something I've never come across myself. Because with my carriers and everyone else I know, the carrier meters data within their network for data that's uploaded/downloaded over 4G.
At least some US networks view tethering as a way of charging extra. It's not the first time I've seen that, though I'd hope it would fade at some point.
 
Upvote 0

BEST TECH IN 2023

We've been tracking upcoming products and ranking the best tech since 2007. Thanks for trusting our opinion: we get rewarded through affiliate links that earn us a commission and we invite you to learn more about us.

Smartphones