How can I stop my brother from using up all the bandwidth

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designwebsite

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#15717 4-Sep-2007 18:12

Hi everyone,

Well basically we are on Xnet River plan with a 16 gb cap. My brothers computer and my computer are connected to the internet through an ethernet switch which splits the connection from the router. Is there any way in which i can control his bandwidth because he just keeps sucking up all the bandwidth. He uses like 3 gigs a day only on youtube and P2P. What can I do to stop this. It would be ideal if I can slow his speed down or somethning. Any ideas?

tonyhughes

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#85345 4-Sep-2007 18:41

If you can gain administrative access to his PC, and give him a limited account (*and* he is not tech savvy), then there are plenty of software tools to limit bandwidth.

Alterntively, using a PC with 2 NICs that becomes a gateway using something like Clarkconnect could be an option.

Theres no easy solution for home that will work well if he is determined and/or tech savvy.

wmoore

510 posts

Ultimate Geek

#85348 4-Sep-2007 18:51

designwebsite: Hi everyone,

Well basically we are on Xnet River plan with a 16 gb cap. My brothers computer and my computer are connected to the internet through an ethernet switch which splits the connection from the router. Is there any way in which i can control his bandwidth because he just keeps sucking up all the bandwidth. He uses like 3 gigs a day only on youtube and P2P. What can I do to stop this. It would be ideal if I can slow his speed down or somethning. Any ideas?

Increase your cap and get your Brother to pay.

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designwebsite

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#85350 4-Sep-2007 18:56

ok well..hes not extremply tech savvy but..having said that he will notice if theres an extra icon in the task bar. I can install a software and if that software can be hidded then that can be perfect.

tonyhughes

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#85362 4-Sep-2007 20:08

Google search for bandwidth limiting software.

I did this exercise for someone else a few months back, I believe its all commerical software (starting from about $40 USD). No freeware here sorry.

freitasm

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#85381 4-Sep-2007 22:02

I like the suggestion of making your brother pay. Use = Pay.

tallPete

99 posts

Master Geek

#85391 4-Sep-2007 23:19

I'm in a flat with 11 other people and 4 other computers at the moment, and we have a 12Gb a month cap. I put in the router (a WRT545GL running tomato). The buggers in the flat used up all the 12Gb in 4 days in the first month. I reconfigured a few things and now the 12Gb lasts the whole month (just!)

Firstly I defined what the internet was for in the flat. The internet here is for making video calls home (they're backpackers) and for writing emails. It is also for playing games when bored.

It is not for watching entire movies on youtube or clones because you are too tight assed to go down to the video shop and hire it. It is also not for downloading music or movies.

The way I did it was this. Within the modem I put the firewall on to a high level. This blocks all file sharers, such as BitTorrents, Limewires etc. It doesn't block BitComet, because it carries out some diabolical activity to get through and eventually does. The default firewall even on High allows things like emails etc - prebuilt exceptions.

It doesn't block things such as MSN Messenger, or the Yahoos or ICQ because they all go via Port 80 if required. They also use another protocol (can't remember the name) to work around the block. Some people like to play online games, I manually opened holes in the firewall for these, and similarly for Skype.

Youtubes etc use Port 80 and can't be blocked like this. So I use keyword blocking in the router to block these. BitComet and Youtube, video.google.com etc are blocked here.

This allows everybody to do what they want on the net, and 90% have no idea anything is blocked, except when they try to watch vids, or download stuff using P2P.

This has done the trick.

cokemaster

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#85392 4-Sep-2007 23:30

freitasm: I like the suggestion of making your brother pay. Use = Pay.

Probably the wisest words I've heard so far. Education is far better than trying to implement solutions that are easy to bypass.
In a household or a flatting situation, people need to understand that there are costs when using internet or phones. Excessive usage means = they should pay for it.

I would probably just run something that measure traffic from per IP or computer so that at the end of the month you can then approach him and say 'You used xxGB at yy cost, pay up or lose internet access'. I've done that previously in flatting situations and its worked rather well.

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Ultimate Geek

#85393 5-Sep-2007 01:27

hey there designwebsite, i too have bandwidth hungry brothers.

pfsense makes per-protocol and/or per-machine throttling easy, works best with an ADSL modem that supports PPP half-bridge aka IP extension mode (in dynalink firmwares)

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designwebsite

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#85397 5-Sep-2007 07:07

Yepp, Trust me education only goes so far..... Hes 14, and LOL dosnt have a job and our parents pay for the internet.

Yep but I dont think there is any easy way to this solution. Have to shell out about $99 (I dont think i will) Cause its not worth it. HAha we should develope a product as a group that does this and sell it online for like 10 bucks and also have a free version. HAha make quite a bit of DOSH from a lot of people around the world.

LOL im new to these forums BTW and they seem great

AmooMan

307 posts

Ultimate Geek

#85400 5-Sep-2007 08:53

I 2nd getting a WRT54GL or WRT54G running third party firmware. I don't know anything about tomato.. but i have used DD-WRT and it should work well for you tho.. Im about go find out about Tomato tho.. cos it sounds ok

rwales

122 posts

Master Geek

#85410 5-Sep-2007 10:10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison