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API for usage statistics.

SpeedEvil
Dabbler
Posts: 17
Registered: ‎30-09-2007

API for usage statistics.

I would quite like to - for obvious reasons - have a little widget on my desktop to show my usage for this month.
I can't easily do this locally, as I have multiple devices.
While of course https://portal.plus.net/view_my_broadband_usage/index.php can be scraped to extract the numbers, the format of this may change, breaking any tool that automatically extracts the usage.
Some simple page - in a static format - perhaps CSV text, listing paid/free usage and limits, or perhaps JSON, would enable tools to be developed to do this simply and reliably.
6 REPLIES 6
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: API for usage statistics.

SpeedEvil
Dabbler
Posts: 17
Registered: ‎30-09-2007

Re: API for usage statistics.

"I cannot do this locally, as I have multiple devices".
tom:quote
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: API for usage statistics.

If they are all computers running windows you can
As I understand it you install the program on all the PC's and it will aggregate the results assuming they are all networked
pierre_pierre
Grafter
Posts: 19,757
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: API for usage statistics.

true Jim.
A slight But, Just been away for four days with a netbook, it added those days usage to the total when I got home
SpeedEvil
Dabbler
Posts: 17
Registered: ‎30-09-2007

Re: API for usage statistics.

They are not all windows devices - linux, phone, wii, ...
Plus - a program gives the programs idea of what the figures are, not plusnets.
While these should normally be very close, in some circumstances they are not close enough to avoid charging.
Some way of automatically being able to ask plusnet how much you've used, which can be used by anything - from a tiny browser plugin to ... would be nice.
WebDude
Grafter
Posts: 115
Registered: ‎11-03-2010

Re: API for usage statistics.

Agree a 'plug in' would be nice, but even then, with reporting being up to 2 hours out of date, might not be close enough to prevent charges (hint, set the amount you are willing to pay down to 0.00 and then instead of charging an extra 5 pounds, your traffic would be limited to 128 kbps, which in my view is far better than paying 5 quid [for up to 5 GB of data] and perhaps being less than a day away from the new billing month).
I have a small Windows Mobile phone which I can use to stream BBC radio (Win Media Player streams, available at least for the time being - see web link under my name) but cannot install anything for local data collection.  I also have a Freespire (linux) box, one running Ubuntoo and another running Centos, as well as an iMac (G3 old all in one unit like a swollen TV) and a few other machines from Windows 98 SE on.  Doubt I could gather all the data together.
Some years ago, however, I did suggest (on the Usergroup pages) that before resetting all the month's usage figures down to zero, Plusnet could send an e-mail of all the numbers in a layout similar to that shown for a month's usage.  [ As a bit of further thought, this should (a) be "opt in" so as not to annoy people, or make extra work for the systems by doing it for everyone, and (b) allow for (i) CSV or (ii) HTML or (iii) both types, to be sent in the e-mail.  CSV would allow building up of spreadsheet(s) or a database, while HTML would allow one to view the past statistics in the same form as the existing online web portal "snapshot".  I keep meaning to view the month's figures the day before the new billing period starts, but all too often forget, and those numbers are lost (to the customer, though no doubt PN could produce them if needed for any dispute over usage). ]