How To Measure Bandwidth of Interviews on Android

 

Bandwidth Steps

Step 1: Understanding the parameters that affect the bandwidth

The following factors influence the size of a survey and the amount of network bandwidth consumed during synchronization:

• Survey size and complexity – Larger surveys generally require more data to synchronize.

• Survey attachments – Attachments included with the survey, such as media files and Subject Stores, increase the amount of data transferred.

• Quota configuration

  • Standard quotas synchronize whenever an interview is completed, consuming additional bandwidth.

  • Live quotas synchronize more frequently than standard quotas, resulting in higher data usage.

  • The greater the number of quota cells, the more data is transferred during each synchronization.

• Synchronization interval – More frequent synchronization results in higher data usage. The default synchronization interval is 30 minutes, but it can be adjusted in the SurveyToGo app settings.

• GPS sampling – Collecting GPS locations also consumes data. Continuous GPS tracking or shorter sampling intervals increase data usage.

Please note:

• When a survey is modified and saved, SurveyToGo downloads only the changes during the next synchronization rather than downloading the entire survey again. For example, if you update the text of a single question, only that change is synchronized.

• To minimize bandwidth usage, all data transferred between the device and the SurveyToGo servers is compressed.

• If a device is reassigned to a different surveyor who has access to different surveys, the device must download that user's assigned surveys. If the device is later reassigned again, it will need to download the surveys for the new user, which will increase data usage.

Step 2: Measuring the bandwidth of the data with Android’s 3^rd Party Application

Because bandwidth consumption depends on many variables, we recommend using a bandwidth monitoring application to obtain the most accurate measurements for your specific survey.

One free Android application that can be used for this purpose is Bandwidth Monitor, available from the Google Play Store.

To measure SurveyToGo's bandwidth usage:

1. Install a bandwidth monitoring application on the Android device.

2. Reset the application's counters before starting SurveyToGo.

3. Conduct the survey or interview as you normally would.

4. Review the application's statistics to see how much data SurveyToGo consumed during the session.

This approach provides the most accurate measurement of bandwidth usage for your specific survey configuration and workflow.