[WXC/VFX] How accurate are the data usage pretty charts ?

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [WXC/VFX] How accurate are the data usage pretty charts ?

eljefe

99 posts

Master Geek

#71831 17-Nov-2010 22:06

How accurate is the data usage details on this part of the site?
https://viewbill.xport.co.nz/service/internet/broadband

My broadband seems to be disappearing at an alarming rate.
Tonight I got my daughter to take 3 hours of the net and during that time I monitored the usage.

During this time, at least 20 mb was added to the "bar" in the graph, despite no-one downloading anything, with only a couple of web pages searched while I tried to bone up on my security in case my wifi was being stolen.

I solved the mac addresses of all the machines connected to my router, no "extras" and nothing in the "wireless clients table" that shouldn't have been there.

Its using 64 bit WEP.

So I guess my question is, to summarise. Are the pretty charts used on that page able to accurate represent 20mb of useable over 3 hours? Is there a measurable time lag?

Cheers
Jeff

Dynalink.
Firmware:  3.30j
ADSL2+ :  A2pB021g.d19b

//
Wireless :  3.91.41.0

RunningMan

8954 posts

Uber Geek

#406160 18-Nov-2010 08:33

A couple of comments:

1) Anecdotally, the data usage is reasonably accurate - I've done the odd test download, and it seems to come out about right.

2) I don't think the data is live - I don't know how often it updates, but about every 1 - 2 hours, so you need to factor this in if doing any measurement. It takes a while for the usage monitor ro catch up with what has actually happened.

3) A better alternative to 64 bit WEP would be WPA or WPA2 - both of these are far more secure.

Ragnor

8219 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#406235 18-Nov-2010 11:48

WEP is not secure and can be cracked easily, switch to WPA... ideally WPA2 with AES.

20MB in 3 hours doesn't sounds like that much to me.

You can install Networx on the PC to monitor usage on that machine (remember to go into settings and check, ignore LAN traffic).

http://www.softperfect.com/products/networx/

eljefe

99 posts

Master Geek

#406240 18-Nov-2010 11:57

Ragnor: WEP is not secure and can be cracked easily, switch to WPA... ideally WPA2 with AES.

20MB in 3 hours doesn't sounds like that much to me.

You can install Networx on the PC to monitor usage on that machine (remember to go into settings and check, ignore LAN traffic).

http://www.softperfect.com/products/networx/

I still reckon 25mb is lot, if you are not actually doing anything, but it seems very likely, in hindsight that the stuff is not in real time.

I am tryign to remember why I went with WEP.... maybe an old PCMCIA card in on an old Linux lappy would only work with that? A good idea to revisit it I guess.

Thanks for that link, one of the machines is windows so might give it a crack.
Maybe 20mb is doable for 3 hours on facebook? Would have been a bit earlier than the hours I THOUGHT I was lookign at.

Cheers
jeff

Niel

3267 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#406335 18-Nov-2010 16:22

Windows update, Acrobat Reader update, virus scanner update, lots of things can be checking for updates while you are doing nothing on the internet.

You can never have enough Volvos!

bvidulich

58 posts

Master Geek

#407085 20-Nov-2010 14:50

Also Windows Live Messenger uses the internet in the background. More so the newer versions.

I can imagine Skype and other messaging programs use a bit of internet too.