ISP measurement shows excessive internet usage

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colmack

56 posts

Master Geek

Topic # 191479 5-Feb-2016 13:59

I appear to have used 200 GB in one month, where I would guess my normal usage to be 5 to 10% of that at the very most.

Internet is delivered through (presumably) a fixed wireless system I don't know what company, but I think it is based in Dunedin. I live in a house (with no phone line) attached to a business, which buys 100 GB per month, of which it uses 30-60 GB for itself, including a 'free internet' for customers. There is a separate feed to my house. Theoretically I can use the remaining 50% or so. I have a separate router and internet logon / password for the house.The Service Provider is able to measure the two separately.

The business has informed me that they had received a monthly account for 260 GB of which they had used 40, and that therefore I was responsible for the rest.

What could I be doing in my situation to be gobbling up such a massive amount of Internet? What would anyone have to do?Could there be another possible reason (eg something to do with the way our Internet is delivered or set up)?

My typical usage is described as well as I can below:

My internet devices are: Macbook Air (every day), smart TV (every day), Apple TV (almost never), 64 GB iPhone (every day), 16 GB iPad (most days, briefly), Android tablet practically never, though a bit recently, and a wireless printer.

I am in the habit of leaving the internet connected for all the relevant devices, and I have been using iCloud to synchronise between the three Apple devices. I have about 300 songs on the iPhone, though none on the Mac (they are on a separate HDD, only connected when backing up). I disabled iCloud backup some time ago. I have never downloaded movies or action games. My iPhone usage is about 1 - 2 hours total each day, not counting phone calls / text messages. If it is relevant (and I don't think it can be) I have used 4 GB of my iCloud quota.

My normal usage is nightly streaming internet radio (7 hours), otherwise a few emails (10 per day max), about 10 minutes of Facebook per day, and perhaps an hour on average of internet browsing. Some of this would involve the occasional YouTube clip. I also download any updates for operating system or apps. I download 2 - 3 apps in a month, usually using them for both iPhone and iPad. In the last month I also downloaded 800 MB of photographs onto my Android tablet, though this was a 'oncer'. Recently I downloaded and installed Garageband onto the Mac, iPad, and iPhone. I don't believe I have, or have had, any other significant use.

I would particularly like it if anyone answering this post could include their own position / experience.

deadlyllama

892 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 278

Reply # 1485940 5-Feb-2016 14:23

It's essentially impossible to answer this question properly without having decided, a month ago, to start monitoring your internet traffic.

When you say "business used 40GB, therefore you must have used the rest" is that based on the service provider being able to differentiate between your usage and the businesses' usage (and the free hotspot)? Or do they count it some other way?

Does your wifi have a password on it, etc? Have you given it to anyone else? Do you have any way of monitoring your usage during the month, or do you only find out when you hear from the business you're sharing with that they've got a large bill?

In the old days when I wasn't on unlimited, I'd check my usage via the ISP's website every few days, and they would automatically send me an email if I was within 10% of the month's cap. Is something like that an option?

Sideface

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Reply # 1485990 5-Feb-2016 15:27

4 people support this post

If the business has such a small data allowance (100GB) why are they offering "free internet" to customers?

It's literally asking for trouble.

Sideface

colmack

56 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 1486005 5-Feb-2016 15:38

Sideface: Thanks for taking the time to comment. I have nothing to do with what the business does. However, in the month in question, the 40GB used by the business included customer use of free internet. My usage, which is measured separately, evidently brought the total usage to 260GB.

My problem is the amount I evidently used, irrespective of how the business used.

deadlyllama

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Reply # 1486009 5-Feb-2016 15:44

colmack:

Sideface: Thanks for taking the time to comment. I have nothing to do with what the business does. However, in the month in question, the 40GB used by the business included customer use of free internet. My usage, which is measured separately, evidently brought the total usage to 260GB.

My problem is the amount I evidently used, irrespective of how the business used.

You might have a virus/etc.

Something might have downloaded heaps of windows updates or similar.

Did you stream netflix/etc? Could it have been left on by mistake?

I suspect you'll be stuck with the bill -- trickier to negotiate with the ISP when you're not their customer. In case it's an ongoing problem, you need to get on top of it *now* and find out how you can monitor your usage throughout the month. You don't want to get the same shock in a month's time!

colmack

56 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 1486034 5-Feb-2016 15:51

Deadlyllama: Thanks for your contribution. I have no way of monitoring my usage accurately (I only wish I could log in somewhere to check how much I'm using). The reason I gave as detailed a picture of my usage as I could was in the hope that someone whose own use is similar could provide me with at least a ball-park figure for comparison.

My data use is separately measurable by the business - at least, by the technician called in by them to determine how the total data was being used.

I do have my own log on and password, which has never been given to anyone except close friends and family during visits. They all live hundreds of kilometres away anyway.

Jase2985

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Reply # 1486037 5-Feb-2016 15:55

more details on how you are actually connected, what devices you connect and connect to etc

colmack

56 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 1486039 5-Feb-2016 15:59

Jase2985: Thanks for responding. I don't know any more about how I'm 'actually' connected. I gave all the information I could in my original post about what devices I have connected and what I use them for.

Jase2985

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Reply # 1486045 5-Feb-2016 16:12

its a bit hard to help if we dont have all the info, might be worth taking the time to find out

raytaylor

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Reply # 1491392 12-Feb-2016 21:13

One person supports this post

- You can install a data meter on each of your devices

- You can install a second router which has bandwidth metering

Things that typically use heaps of data on our network are

- icloud syncing between devices (it doesnt sync across the LAN, it always goes via apple servers)

- Windows updates, windows 10 downloading, computer gets shut off, windows 10 download restarts starts again when its turned back on

- bittorrent left uploading

- netflix and kids not telling the truth about their usage

- ddos from other online gamers (happens quite regularly and usually only for customers with kids that game online)

- xbox / ps downloads

- apple tv. the original appleTV-version 1 has a 700mb+ firmware update that it doesnt store due to no internal storage and it downloads it after every power cut.

- youtube and netflix set to high definition, look at your account settings. 1gb per hour of streamed or pre-buffered video when set to medium 480p or low quality.

DDOS is one that can happen to anyone, and you cant control it. The isp delivers the data to your modem just like any other data. Unless its a huge ddos its possible that the isp wont detect it. We get them occasionally for gaming customers but its possible to happen to anyone.

Ray Taylor
Taylor Broadband (rural hawkes bay)
www.ruralkiwi.com

There is no place like localhost
For my general guide to extending your wireless network Click Here

colmack

56 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 1491618 13-Feb-2016 15:34

raytaylor: thanks very much for your helpful reply.

I turned off iCloud syncing some time ago. My platform is Mac OS X, not Windows.

I have never used bittorrent, nor netflix, nor play any interactive games. I don’t own xbox or playstation and I have an apple-TV v3 which I almost never use anyway.

I watch perhaps 20-30 YouTube clips per month from [FaceBook links and instructional videos, when (say) I am researching how to use some new software. I don’t usually change the YouTube quality, but just take it as it comes.

I don’t understand what DDOS means :-)

Last weekend I removed the lead from the wall socket to the wireless router, thus cutting myself off from the internet supply. I used my iPhone as a hotspot and reset all devices to that source. For a period of two days I went online rather more than what would be a typical amount for me.

The difference in data allowance between the start and the end of that period (as determined by the 2degrees app) showed that in that two days I used 1GB of phone data, which extrapolates to 30 GB per month.

My feeling is that I have proved that I use 30 GB or less, so anything more than that can only be explained by either incorrect set-up (my signal not being properly split between my house and the business), or something is wrong with the ISP’s measurements, or we (business + house) are being ripped off by being charged for far more than we’re in fact using.

Do you see anything wrong with my reasoning here?

Your thoughts much appreciated.

johnr

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Reply # 1491631 13-Feb-2016 16:31

Scan with Malwarebytes for Mac

https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/mac/

Jase2985

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Reply # 1491637 13-Feb-2016 17:15

One person supports this post

the problem is unless you can provide more information on how you are getting wifi, what router is being used to deliver the internet, how they are "splitting" things i dont think anyone will be able to help you any more than telling you to check your own devices for issues.