Methods and apparatus to measure mobile broadband market share
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to measure mobile broadband market share. A disclosed example method involves invoking an adapter query on a computing device in response to detecting a request for Internet services, identifying a plurality of available adapters on the computing device based on the adapter query, and determining whether the computing device includes a mobile broadband service provider based on which one of the plurality of available adapters is servicing the request for Internet services.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a circuit;
a remote application interface to invoke a networking adapter discovery query of a computing device in response to detecting a request for Internet services;
a data card rule manager to:
identify available networking adapters on the computing device based on the networking adapter discovery query;
detect an active one of the available networking adapters when the active one of the available networking adapters exhibits (a) a first internet protocol (IP) address servicing the request for Internet services at a first time and (b) a second IP address servicing the request for Internet services at a second time;
confirm that the computing device is unassociated with an identified mobile broadband service provider when the networking adapter discovery query identifies an inactive mobile broadband adapter;
identify a NULL Internet protocol address associated with the inactive mobile broadband adapter to confirm that the computing device is unassociated with the identified mobile broadband service provider; and
an analysis manager to send at least two trace routes to identify possible routers of a network, the analysis manager to:
send, at a third time, a first trace route networking command to the network via the active one of the available networking adapters using the first IP address to identify a first router associated with the first IP address;
send, at a fourth time, a second trace route networking command to the network via the active one of the available networking adapters using the second IP address to identify a second router associated with the second IP address; and
determine a traveling status for the computing device by comparing the first router and the second router, wherein i) the computing device is traveling when the first router is different than the second router, and ii) the computing device is not traveling when the first router is the same as the second router, at least one of the remote application interface, the data card rule manager, or the analysis manager implemented by the circuit.
2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the analysis manager is to identify an operating system associated with the computing device prior to invoking the networking adapter discovery query.
3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the remote application interface is to tailor the networking adapter discovery query on the computing device based on a type of the identified operating system.
4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the remote application interface is to employ an ipconfig command as the networking adapter discovery query.
5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the data card rule manager is to identify an active adapter as at least one of an Ethernet network interface card or a wireless network interface card when the networking adapter discovery query identifies the inactive mobile broadband adapter.
6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to, at least:
invoke a networking adapter discovery query of a computing device in response to detecting a request for Internet services;
identify available networking adapters on the computing device based on the networking adapter discovery query;
detect an active one of the available networking adapters when the active one of the available networking adapters exhibits (a) a first internet protocol (IP) address servicing the request for Internet services at a first time and (b) a second IP address servicing the request for Internet services at a second time;
confirm that the computing device is unassociated with an identified mobile broadband service provider when the networking adapter discovery query identifies an inactive mobile broadband adapter;
identify a NULL Internet protocol address associated with the inactive mobile broadband adapter to confirm that the computing device is unassociated with the identified mobile broadband service provider;
send at least two trace routes to identify possible routers of a network by sending, at a third time, a first trace route networking command to the network via the active one of the available networking adapters using the first IP address to identify a first router associated with the first IP address, and sending, at a fourth time, a second trace route networking command to the network via the active one of the available networking adapters using the second IP address to identify a second router associated with the second IP address;
and
determine a traveling status for the computing device by comparing the first router and the second router i) the computing device is traveling when the first router is different than the second router, and ii) the computing device is not traveling when the first router is the same as the second router.
7. The storage medium as defined in claim 6 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to identify an operating system associated with the computing device prior to invoking the networking adapter discovery query.
8. The storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to tailor the networking adapter discovery query on the computing device based on a type of the identified operating system.
9. The storage medium as defined in claim 6 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to employ an ipconfig command as the networking adapter discovery query.
10. The storage medium as defined in claim 6 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to identify an active adapter as at least one of an Ethernet network interface card or a wireless network interface card when the networking adapter discovery query identifies the inactive mobile broadband adapter.
11. A system, comprising:
a circuit;
first means to invoke a networking adapter discovery query of a computing device in response to detecting a request for Internet services;
second means to:
identify available networking adapters on the computing device based on the networking adapter discovery query;
detect an active one of the available networking adapters when the active one of the available networking adapters exhibits (a) a first internet protocol (IP) address servicing the request for Internet services ata first time and (b) a second IP address servicing the request for Internet services at a second time and (c) an active activity status indicating the servicing of the request for Internet services is occurring;
confirm that the computing device is unassociated with an identified mobile broadband service provider when the networking adapter discovery query identifies an inactive mobile broadband adapter;
identify a NULL Internet protocol address associated with the inactive mobile broadband adapter to confirm that the computing device is unassociated with the identified mobile broadband service provider; and
third means to:
send at least two trace routes to identify possible routers of a network by sending, at a third time, a first trace route networking command to the network via the active one of the available networking adapters using the first IP address to identify a first router associated with the first IP address and sending, at a fourth time, a second trace route networking command to the network via the active one of the available networking adapters using the second IP address to identify a second router associated with the second IP address;
and
determine a traveling status for the computing device by comparing the first router and the second router, wherein i) the computing device is traveling when the first router is different than the second router, and ii) the computing device is not traveling when the first router is the same as the second router, at least one of the first means, the second means or the third means including the circuit.
12. The system as defined in claim 11 , further including fourth means to identify an operating system associated with the computing device prior to invoking the networking adapter discovery query.
13. The system as defined in claim 12 , wherein the first means is to tailor the networking adapter discovery query on the computing device based on a type of the identified operating system.
14. The system as defined in claim 11 , wherein the first means is to employ an ipconfig command as the networking adapter discovery query.