# Forum Home Renovation Television, Computers & Phones  Email downloads

## Chevre

G'day all,
I can't come up with an answer so I thought I'd ask here.
The missus uses three computers around the house, all connected via a wireless router to the net.
She receives emails on all three computers (the same emails) and replies from whatever computer she is near. 
My question is:
Is this tripleing our downloads.....or do they just get downloaded once?? 
Can't logically nut this one out myself.

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## Oldsaltoz

The two computers that are networked get the e-mails via date transfer from the master computer, so only one download.

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## Master Splinter

Depends. 
If she's pulling the same content down to each computer, thats 3x the downloads.  If the email is set to 'delete from mail server' when downloaded by a pop 3 client, then it'll just be downloaded to whatever machine she's on at the time, but that message won't be available to the other PCs. 
You could set up a transparent proxy on a gateway box or firmware flashed router (one compatible with dd-wrt so you can install a minimal linux o/s on it) to intercept and store calls to the mail server, but unless it's emails with ten meg of attached files, its not worth the hassle. 
A bigger chewer-uperer of download would be the automatic updates for Windows - some of these come in at 40-50 meg, so that will be done for each PC unless you've got a server running as a windows update server and have all the computers configured to pull their updates from there (or you update via sneakernet).

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## woodbe

Actually, this depends on the setup of the computers and the software in use. 
It is perfectly possible that your missus is downloading all messages three times, and it is also possible that the messages are only downloaded once, or anything in between. 
If your missus is using hotmail/gmail/whatever in a web browser, then each computer will only download a list of messages and subjects - perhaps the message itself if it has no attachments. 
I wouldn't worry about it unless you are on a limited connection. Are you blowing your download limit? 
If its cost you are worried about, the 3 computers on all the time might consume more electrical power than the impact of a bit of extra downloading might have on your wallet. 
woodbe.

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## Chevre

> Depends. 
> If she's pulling the same content down to each computer, thats 3x the downloads.  If the email is set to 'delete from mail server' when downloaded by a pop 3 client, then it'll just be downloaded to whatever machine she's on at the time, but that message won't be available to the other PCs.
> .

  Thanks all...the above would be the ideal set-up for me. (as I also get them on my computer) 
A  bit more playing around required.

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## su-ed

Assuming you (she) are not using a webmail client, or are running your  own MX relay at home (which if you were, you probably wouldnt need to  ask the question)... The short answer is yes, each computer has to  connect to the mail server and download each message. QED the bandwidth  usage would be tripled.  
I can go into more a more detailed explanation if you have no life like me  :Doh:

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## su-ed

MOST email providers will provide a webmail client these days,  which would be the simplest way to get around this problem.... 
I know TPG is postoffice.tpg.com.au, try googling for "[isp name] webmail client", the login credentials will be the same that is used in the software mail client (outlook, thunderbird, etc) installed on the PC.

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## Master Splinter

...actually, if anyone knows how to configure Win 7 to share updates with other computers on the network, I'd love to know.  I keep meaning to read all the deployment documents and radius servers and (acronyms I have forgotten) and stuff...but it rapidly gets too much for me!

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## Chevre

Family is a Mac family....the update problem exists there too.
And they tend to be bigger updates too. 
Checking out the webmail options as we speak.

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## chromis

> ...actually, if anyone knows how to configure Win 7 to share updates with other computers on the network, I'd love to know.  I keep meaning to read all the deployment documents and radius servers and (acronyms I have forgotten) and stuff...but it rapidly gets too much for me!

  
Thinking along the lines of WSUS which I use at work, I found this WSUS Windows Offline Update, Updated 
I haven't tried it but it might be suitable.

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## Master Splinter

Ta.  I'll have a look at it!

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## Oldneweng

I have the same situation. We have three computers. You will be downloading emails 3 times. Like everyone says if it was different you would know about it. I download email to my notebook, but it is set to not delete from server. When I download onto my PC it deletes them from the server. My wife hardly ever uses email so her notebook is not a prob. 
Not perfect but what do you do. I would like to have network storage but portable so no NAS Network Attached Storage). I have a 1 G portable HDD I am waiting for the money to attach to router with a network USB server but according to my research the only one that works properly is a Belkin unit. I don't know if it can then be used as a windows storage device ie set all document to a single set of directories on this HDD rather than spread among all computers. Probably not, else what is the need for a NAS. Ok speed! 
Unless you are getting large attachments in your emails the total download volumn would not be much anyway. Would be a problem finding a reply tho if you cannot remember which computer. Central storage is a great concept. Cloud computing is a possibility for that issue but not yours. Unfortunately the people who develop these systems have massive storage, download and often financial backup and rarely consider the users at the bottom of the heap. I myself have a 1G peak and 4G offpeak up/download limit before I start paying extra. This costs $40 month on satellite which is all that is available to me. 
Dean

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