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Someone please explain my android firewall data usage?

S

SonyXperiaZ1S

Newbie
Hello all! I'm using a Sony Xperia Z1s (obviously) on 4.4.4., and have very recently decided to step away from carriers (Straight Talk, specificaly) and venture off to try using an at&t unite hotspot, paired with TextNow. So far it's been fantastic, but there's one problem that I soon learned that seems to hammer new phones harder than my previously main gingerbread Samsung.... heaps and heaps of background data being used. Here's what I've done:
In settings, I turned off auto sync data.
I also set my hotspot as a hotspot, specifically, in settings.
Set Google play not to auto update apps.
Set Google play not to notify me on updates.
I've also disabled some apps that were using background data, as I don't use them at all anyway (such as Google movies, magazines, music, etc).
Still frustrated with so much data seeming to slip through, I discovered NoRoot Firewall. Within seconds, Google Play was heaping notifications into my firewall notifications! I noticed it had also eaten through half a gig in the background without my knowledge prior to the firewall. Goodbye Google play, hello sideloading.

Anyway, now the firewall is using a lot of data.... I have the firewall itself blocked from using data, by the same said firewall, but it keeps building. It's used 96 megabytes already since last night's installation. This is becoming super frustrating, as my firewall is supposed to be saving my data. Can anyone help explain this, or recommend any ideas?
 
I just went and stopped the firewall and disabled a lot of apps, but I would like to use the firewall instead of doing this. Just want to know if the data it's showing is the data the firewall is using, or if that's showing me how much data it's SAVING me? Someone who knows, please answer, no guesses... I don't want to pay for more data based on a guess. :/
 
I know with my carrier (Verizon) I can look at my account online and see how much data I've used. Does AT&T have the same option?
 
Thanks for answering, Johnny! And somewhat, AT&t has an online area where you can log in and check how much you've used of your hotspot, but it measures it only by gigs (and half gigs)... It would be much more helpful if it measured by megabytes too, but I digress... Anyway, I've tried various apps for monitoring Wi-Fi usage (this gets admittedly confusing when I am also using unlimited WiFi from public locations), but I am mostly wondering why on earth a firewall must use such massive amounts of data when their purpose, to me, seems to be to save data.... Or perhaps I'm looking at it all the wrong way. :P
 
I have searched and searched and found nothing. Nobody seems to have had the same issue you're having. That in itself is weird. I know you asked for no guessing so let's call this a theory. It sounds like noroot firewall works by making all of your data go through it. Could it be that it's not really using data itself? It's something else using data through it.
Another plus about this site, when I throw out one of my hair brain ideas someone comes along and proves me wrong. If nothing else we've been bumping this thread back to the top? Perhaps one of the greater minds here will see it and chime in.
 
johnny_w said:
I have searched and searched and found nothing. Nobody seems to have had the same issue you're having. That in itself is weird. I know you asked for no guessing so let's call this a theory. It sounds like noroot firewall works by making all of your data go through it. Could it be that it's not really using data itself? It's something else using data through it.
Another plus about this site, when I throw out one of my hair brain ideas someone comes along and proves me wrong. If nothing else we've been bumping this thread back to the top? Perhaps one of the greater minds here will see it and chime in.
Click to expand...


I know, same here, been scouring the internet for anyone with a similar situation. the only other person who complained of this who I saw was in the comment section on Google Play, on the Nonroot Firewall. I emailed the devs, as well as devs on another firewall app about it, neither have responded to my emails.
 
EarlyMon said:
Are you using the root firewall (ipchains) or an unrooted app?

The root firewall uses no data, so it must be an app.

To really know what goes where, the best way I know is with "Network Connections"

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.antispycell.connmonitor

Not sure how this might help but I hope it does.
Click to expand...

I was using the No Root firewall on Google Play. Also tried Mobiwol. The dev at Mobiwol said that how Android counts its data is basically a lie, that nearly all data that it says Mobiwol is using is actually the data the apps use that are granted access through Mobiwol. Makes sense, but then why does 1) My android list, say, both Instagram and Mobiwol using 200mbs, if it was only instagram using the data? Essentially, android would be listing it twice. That part can be believable, but heres the part that gets my goat... Even when im not online, i can click the drop down Mobiwol option in my status bar to check on what its doing. There is a counter that pops up showing bytes, and its constantly going up up up way up!

If a rooted firewall is the answer, i would love to root this phone.... Too bad its updated to KitKat (thank you, Sony.....) And cant seem to find a kitkat method to root, only jellybean, which would require me to downgrade. Rooting doesnt seem to be an easy task with this phone. :(
 
A lot of interprocess communication uses the network software stack in Android, Linux and the like. And those bits never ought to leave the device but they still communicate with each other the same way they communicate with the outside world.

Once you implement a firewall - that's really only like a gate, closing when needed - then essentially everything passes through it.

I don't know how accurate that data usage tool is that you're using.

The Network Connections app I linked earliest will tell you what is talking with the outside world and exactly who it's talking to.

Not sure if that's making sense, hope it helps though. :)
 
EarlyMon said:
A lot of interprocess communication uses the network software stack in Android, Linux and the like. And those bits never ought to leave the device but they still communicate with each other the same way they communicate with the outside world.

Once you implement a firewall - that's really only like a gate, closing when needed - then essentially everything passes through it.

I don't know how accurate that data usage tool is that you're using.

The Network Connections app I linked earliest will tell you what is talking with the outside world and exactly who it's talking to.

Not sure if that's making sense, hope it helps though. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks again for replying! Since being in contact with the developers at mobiwol, I decided to run a little test. I shut off all background communications through the firewall, and also shut off all wifi communications. I turned my Wi-Fi on, but with those settings, no apps, save for mobiwol, could use any bit of the Wi-Fi. After a half hour's calculations of 56kbs used by mobiwol, that would amount to a bit over 70megabytes per month. So, that is actually less than i thought, but still too much, as the developer said it ought to be using only very few kbs per month (vs over 80,000!). I downloaded the app you recommended, it's a nifty little tool! Seems like mobiwol and it was on the same page about what apps were trying to use background data, so thats a comfort to know.
 
Lol, entirely welcome.

Just for grins, check your data usage in Airplane Mode.

I know, I know - but it's good to get a baseline and it's not too hard.
 
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