Telecom Internet Usage Problem!!

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Kelburn

25 posts

Geek

#71635 14-Nov-2010 10:18

Okay,
well this mainly revolves around the usage of our new Telecom Broadband.

We have three computers using our home network; my laptop, and two desktops. The second desktop is slightly older and remains of the majority of the time but the other is on most of the time and is used for surfing and emails mainly.

We got our broadband officially connected on the 5th of Nov but weren't able to use it as they didn't fully complete the connection till late at night (which we found out about after calling telecom to find out why our new modem was not working).
The next morning the modem still wouldn't work-turns out we got a bung one. So we used our old setup (D-Link DSL-502T and DI-524) which after the second modem didn't work properly we are still using. (The modem is ADSL 2+ and the speeds good so I'm happy for the time being).

Anyway nine days on, we've apparently used 8.5GB of our 10GB cap (all these are using the online My Telecom usage meter). And to be honest, this doesn't sound right to me. THe first three days show 2GB, 1GB, 1GB and then 2GB respectively The fourth day I can account for, downloading the Indesign CS5 Demo to use it briefly for a project, but the others I can't think. I would say since we only had the internet running for half that first day it would have been impossible for us to use 2GB. We weren't using any P2P programs or anything, the only downloading being youtube videos (but not a magnificent amount).

Anyway, I noticed this yesterday and did a test between 8pm to 9:15pm. Bascially, the main desktop was left on and I wrote down the usage that the online meter listed and after an hour went back to check and 30MB had been used. We had just had dinner before anyway so I fail to see how any internet could have been used at all (ie the hour before and then the hour as I did the test-no one used the internet)

I tried again last night. This time all computers were off (I even unplugged the main desktop-it seems to be very virally at the time with trend micro continuously telling me of an infection in the C drive which showed up nothing after a scan) I wrote down the usage at 12am 8,508.95 etc from my laptop and then as soon as I woke up this morning I checked it and around 25MB had been used. Now how is this possible at all if no-one was using the internet.

Tonight I will try again by double reading the usage (say at like 10pm then 11pm and make sure the modem and router are switched off) then in the morning re-reading it to see if anythings happened.

Whew, sorry about the long post, but does anybody have any suggestions or answers that could help!!?

Thanks,
Kelburn.

azzaj

88 posts

Master Geek

#404429 14-Nov-2010 10:56

Got any unwanted dhcp clients via the wireless?

If you want to make sure your usage syncs properly with telecoms systems you need to shutdown or reboot your modem and note there is a delay (it isn't in realtime).

perhaps you are seeing usage meter lag or perhaps you are seeing unwanted wifi clients.

how long til you switched on security when you went back to your old system?

Kelburn

25 posts

Geek

#404435 14-Nov-2010 11:20

Sorry but I will probably start to get confused here.

What do you mean by syncing the modem with telecom...?

And what did you mean by meter lag or unwanted wifi clients. I get the lag but that won't explain why 25mb has been used overnight (the hour prior to my 12am check, no-one had been allowed to touch the internet)

azzaj

88 posts

Master Geek

#404438 14-Nov-2010 11:32

When you shutdown your modem it closes your session and forces the usage to be counted for that day/hour/other undefined period but definitely before midnight.

unwanted wifi clients would be people nicking your internets through a wifi router with lax security.

if you leave your modem on it will send keepalive data and roaming bots will attempt to connect with it which should work out to around 25mb over 8 hours ish but wouldn't generally explain 2gb unless you were being spammed by a mass of bots in which case i would imagine your poor little modem would promptly fall over and not be much use.

do you have an iphone on wifi? or other wifi enabled device on most of the time?

Kelburn

25 posts

Geek

#404623 14-Nov-2010 21:32

So should I turn off the modem each night? Of that 2GB on the first day, I could explain myabe 500mb (But that could be pushing it...)

Well in terms of wireless, there's my laptop and also an ipod touch...

With the unwanted wifi clients, that did cross my mind so this morning I shanged the security from WPA-PSK (sorry if I write it out slightly wrong here) to WPA2-PSK with a new password....

azzaj

88 posts

Master Geek

#404629 14-Nov-2010 21:44

if you dont want to pay for a minimal amount of usage while you aren't using it then sure.

wpa although easy to crack is safe from most (unless you are lucky enough to live next door to an 'experimenter') wpa2 is better than most and should suffice.

make the password long and random and that will stop dictionary based attacks which makes it a few more steps harder.

install a trial of du-meter on the pcs and make sure your usage matches from now, there are the occasional times when they monitor the wrong port for billing, you can always call them and ask for a breakdown of the charges.

xtra allows one plan change per calendar month, i would suggest you make use of that function, the charges are prorata'd, keep an eye on your usage while the trials are good.