If a profile’s displayed amount does not match other sources.
A profile counts the total amount of data moved by applications while it is active. While in most cases this matches a given connection, there are some cases where TripMode cannot ensure fine grained attribution:
- In a case called multi-homing where two or more connections are active at the same time (for example ethernet and tethering), the default connection (also called primary) is the one used to detect which profile to use. All data used by applications will then be attributed to the profile associated with this primary connection. This means that for example browsing the local ethernet network while using the internet over a tethered phone can result in local data traffic being attributed to the profile that matches the tethered phone. You can minimize the risks of incorrect attribution by following those guidelines.
- If you have at one point set TripMode to use manual profile selection then went back to automatic, it is possible that a profile has been manually selected for a different network than the one it is preferencially associated with. This will give false counts when returned to automatic usage as some traffic does not match what would have happened normally.
In all cases, it is important to remember that a profile is a set of blocked and allowed applications with optionally an alloted traffic amount. In automatic mode one is created and named after a primary connection when it is used but this does not mean that it is exclusively associated with it. Specific connectivity or manual selection can alter the traffic seen by a given profile.