If I am on a volume restricted UMTS/EDGE connection:
while leaving the notebook on all day to be aware of new email with a check, let’s say every 15 minutes, in absence of messages, system POP3, ***how much data consumes every check on the server for new mail? ***
This is to understand how much does it cost me in terms of my monthly 2GB budget if I choose this method.
Thanks for any tip, I did not find anything about it in Google. I suppose that POP in all cases should consume less then IMAP.
Ps. The connections are using all TLS or SSL where applicable.
You can work it out from first principles by looking at the typical packets in the POPs protocol as well as the TLS exchange, or you could use wireshark to snoop on a typical POPS exchange. The TLS exchange will cost you, unfortunately.
My guess is around a couple of kB total per check, and then add the mail fetched where there is something.
Thanks to both of you. @twelveeighty: unfortunately it is a PCMCIA card in my notebook (and my home, my castle and my door to my world, that’s why it is naturally running on openSUSE ). So I cannot limit the download of anything…because I would have no other possibility to receive mail in a trusted environment. However the amount of mail is limited and the attachment not so much an issue (I could limit them through kmail, but up to now never had a problem with it). What is in focus is actually the cost of normal “base line” operation. To understand if I can afford the “luxury” to leave it “constant on”.
@ken_yap: thanks for the tip with wireshark. This is really very appealing. I have it installed, now guess what, it is every time the same issue: yes there is the f****** manual but the issue is the opportunity cost to find the information. It is circular I guess, once you have read a lot, you need much less time to find the info (I am really under pressure in the moment).
If I will find the time and possibility I will try to join a linux user group here in Europe to meet maybe people “life”. So they can help me to speed things up.
But I would love to learn more about controlling the data transfer on your own PC (just in case E.T. wants to phone home and I do not want to pay for the bill lol! )
). So I cannot limit the download of anything…because I would have no other possibility to receive mail in a trusted environment. However the amount of mail is limited and the attachment not so much an issue (I could limit them through kmail, but up to now never had a problem with it). What is in focus is actually the cost of normal “base line” operation. To understand if I can afford the “luxury” to leave it “constant on”.