Volume 26 | Friday, March 26th, 2021
Network Troubleshooting
Welcome back to Jump Seat. This week, we are discussing data usage on your satellite cabin connection. It is not always easy to understand how and why we see such large numbers when it comes to the amount of data used while in the air. We have some tools to help identify the heavy users and also ways to prevent wasted data usage.
In today’s world of high-tech devices, we often forget every device that is connected to our wifi services and what each device is doing while connected. One of the first things you can do while on your aircraft is determine what is connected to the internet. So often we find that devices get connected without people knowing or remembering that it was once connected in the past. This normally allows the device to automatically reconnect the next time it sees the aircraft's wifi. Laptops, tablets, and phones from passengers and crew members are all culprits. In some cases, we also discover that media devices installed on the aircraft are downloading content via the satcom connection.
Fortunately, the ARINCDirect Network Analyzer application can be downloaded to your iPhone or iPad for free from the Apple Store. After scanning for all devices connected to the aircraft wifi network, the tool captures a list that allows the user to determine which devices are truly using data. This proves to be valuable information when troubleshooting unknown data usage.  

The next potential problem with connected devices is background data usage for things like streaming music and photo library synchronizations, social media data push notifications, and updates to software across multiple devices. These are just a few of the heavy hitters that burn up data. Fortunately, ARINCDirect offers the Dashboard tool that provides operational information for the entire aircraft at a glance. 

The Dashboard tool is a true multitasker, but for today's topic, it is important to know that you can monitor the amount of data used in real-time as well as what types of apps are using that data. This data can be broken down to show the past 60 days or simply today's flight. The tool shows the amount of data used which helps determine whether background processes or intentional internet data usage is at play. A visual representation of how the data was used during the time period is also provided. 
Another great feature of the Dashboard is the ability to set up notifications for different levels of data usage. This is customizable to your needs. For instance, you can be notified when you use a predetermined amount of data or when you reach a certain percentage of your monthly allotment.  
In many cases, this information helps owners determine that the devices were in fact using much more data for background and unnecessary programs than what was intended. If you are tech-savvy it may be easy to disable the rouge processes, but for most people, it is not a simple task.

ARINCDirect can help identify the problem devices and programs and can filter out or prevent a lot of this from happening for you. The ARINCDirect Content Filtering service is used to prevent programs like iTunes, online music, streaming, iCloud backups, Google Drive, and many others. We encourage you to check out the ARINCDirect Network Analyzer and the Dashboard tools, collect all the information you can and contact us to determine your best options. In the long run, this can save money and keep the overall network performance working smoothly.
Did you know?
Useful Links:
  • To download the ARINCDirect Network Analyzer application, navigate here.
  • To access the Dashboard, navigate to the desktop version or download the Cabin Usage app here.
Thank you for reading!
We want to invite you to take another tour of our upcoming webinar training events to expand your knowledge of new and existing features. Register for these sessions listed on the ARINCDirect Help and Training page.