Data usage with/without an adblocker

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
S

shabby

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,782
45
91
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...n-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=3

Not only is your data usage doubled when not using an adblocker but so is your time loading them... whose got time for that?

boston.com
Without ad blocker 389 files, 16.3 megabytes, 33 seconds
With ad blocker 52 files, 3.5 megabytes, 7 seconds

la times
Without ad blocker 178 files, 6.2 megabytes, 12 seconds
With ad blocker 20 files, 1.7 megabytes, 3 seconds
 
WelshBloke

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
32,886
11,029
136
This is one reason why I always thought browser benchmarks were utterly pointless.
Measuring the difference between browsers in ms in tests then downloading a ton of random extraneous data when you use them in the real world.

Frankly the Web is pretty unusable without some sort of control over what data is getting squirted down your tubes.
 
KeithP

KeithP

Diamond Member
Jun 15, 2000
5,664
202
106
Yet another reason to use an ad blocker, that being said...

They looked at home pages for their test. I would have to think that home pages are probably the most ad laden of the pages on a given website which probably distorts their numbers.

-KeithP
 
GrumpyMan

GrumpyMan

Diamond Member
May 14, 2001
5,780
266
136
Yeah but now Ablocking programs are allowing white listed ads...kind of like Weight Watchers allowing certain donuts.....
 
Red Storm

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
234
106
This is the primary reason why I use adblockers without a second thought. These poorly optimized ads are eating into the bandwidth that I'm paying for. No thanks.
 
Oyeve

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
22,058
880
126
Well, Adblock DOES make AnandTech a lot faster. The new owners are freaking ad happy!
 
lopri

lopri

Elite Member
Jul 27, 2002
13,310
687
126
I wonder if the web saw influx of ads recently. They were not this bad last time I tried to surf without ad blocking software. I have gotten an S6 and been trying to use it without root access because I want to give Samsung Pay a try, but the amount of ads that hits my face is unprecedented. They became more obnoxious as well. Ads that follow around my scrolling, ads that wait for pages to load then appear full-screen out of the blue, and ads that automatically play video with or without sound,..

I am most likely to root and install Adaway. (it uses HOSTS file so whitelisting is built-in)
 
lopri

lopri

Elite Member
Jul 27, 2002
13,310
687
126
Some ads start out innocuously in a skinny banner form then stretch themselves to full-screen mode once the pages load, without giving me any option to x it out other than waiting out. I could not believe it when I first experienced it.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,650
10,173
126
shabby said:
Adaway gets rid of ad's in apps/games too unlike an adblocker extensions in a browser.
Click to expand...

It's also lighter. Besides, everyone should have root. If you don't have root, you don't own the device.
 
WelshBloke

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
32,886
11,029
136
shabby said:
Adaway gets rid of ad's in apps/games too unlike an adblocker extensions in a browser.
Click to expand...
I'm ok with ads in apps. If I don't want them I'll get the paid ad free version, if there isn't one I'll use a different app.
I can't really use a different Internet so I kind of have to make my own solution there.
 
WelshBloke

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
32,886
11,029
136
lxskllr said:
It's also lighter. Besides, everyone should have root. If you don't have root, you don't own the device.
Click to expand...
Why? I don't need or want root. If there's something I don't like about the ROM I'll dick around with it before I flash it.

I'm running a custom ROM now but I've ripped the root access out of it. I wish developers would release roms without root as standard and then let people enable it as needed. Most people haven't a clue what they are doing and just grant root access to whatever crap they download.
 
D

dawheat

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2000
3,132
93
91
lxskllr said:
It's also lighter. Besides, everyone should have root. If you don't have root, you don't own the device.
Click to expand...

No longer an option for me either. Between wanting to use Samsung and Android Pay as well as my corporate email app checking for root.

FF with ublock is good enough on my phone.
 
M

MustISO

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,927
12
81
Haven't noticed an change with Adblock in Firefox but if I start seeing ads I'll switch to something else. NoScript may also help to block some of the ads.
 
Ichinisan

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
136
shabby said:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...n-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=3

Not only is your data usage doubled when not using an adblocker but so is your time loading them... whose got time for that?

boston.com
Without ad blocker 389 files, 16.3 megabytes, 33 seconds
With ad blocker 52 files, 3.5 megabytes, 7 seconds

la times
Without ad blocker 178 files, 6.2 megabytes, 12 seconds
With ad blocker 20 files, 1.7 megabytes, 3 seconds
Click to expand...

Less data to download, less time spent downloading, done with task more quickly...in the end you get far more use out of the same battery charge.
 
L

lothar

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2000
6,674
7
76
WelshBloke said:
This is one reason why I always thought browser benchmarks were utterly pointless.
Measuring the difference between browsers in ms in tests then downloading a ton of random extraneous data when you use them in the real world.

Frankly the Web is pretty unusable without some sort of control over what data is getting squirted down your tubes.
Click to expand...
Especially now that the iOS9 includes an Ad blocker by default, which means the shipping Android phones are at handicapped by default unless they're already rooted with an Ad blocker installed.

There are still many tech sites doing Sunspider benchmarks...
 
Ichinisan

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
136
lothar said:
Especially now that the iOS9 includes an Ad blocker by default, which means the shipping Android phones are at handicapped by default unless they're already rooted with an Ad blocker installed.

There are still many tech sites doing Sunspider benchmarks...
Click to expand...

iOS 9 doesn't have an ablocker by default. iOS 9 adds an API for Safari to support "content blockers," and you can download content blockers from the App Store. Your installed content blockers also apply to Safari webviews in other apps.
 
L

lothar

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2000
6,674
7
76
Ichinisan said:
iOS 9 doesn't have an ablocker by default. iOS 9 adds an API for Safari to support "content blockers," and you can download content blockers from the App Store. Your installed content blockers also apply to Safari webviews in other apps.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the clarification.
 
Red Storm

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
234
106
dawheat said:
FF with ublock is good enough on my phone.
Click to expand...

Yep that's what I rock, but I do use Chrome at times as well.

Another neat addon for FF is black background and white text. Helps squeeze out that extra little bit of battery life out of an AMOLED panel. Also is useful for web browsing in dark(er) lighting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom