Windows 10 excessive network usage: how to track

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freitasm

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#217911 18-Jul-2017 14:07

Anyone has any good ideas on how to track network usage on Windows 10? The built-in tool is only good for Windows Apps really.

Parents-in-law have two laptops, on a metered connection while on a road trip, used 3GB in a couple of days. I am told they only use Trade Me, Stuff and Email (Outlook with Google Suite sync app).

They also have Crashplan and Google Drive. Those were 100% synced before leaving (they have a fibre connection at home).

To save some of the mobile WiFi they plugged into a campsite WiFi - 1GB per day. One of the laptops used 100% of this in less than a day.

Disabled Crashplan and Google Drive. No torrents, presumably no malware (they run as Standard users, have Norton AV installed, MB runs periodically).

Is there anything I can use to track usage? If not previous usage at least something I can install and track that more accurately than Windows does?

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#1824395 18-Jul-2017 14:17

Turned off the Windows Update settings that make them a distribution node?

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freitasm

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#1824425 18-Jul-2017 14:38

gehenna:

Turned off the Windows Update settings that make them a distribution node?

Yes.

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Allanwster

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#1824432 18-Jul-2017 14:49

This might help

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

paulgr

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#1824444 18-Jul-2017 15:01

Allanwster:
This might help

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

Networx is a great tool for keeping track of download/upload transfer rates, or keeping track of data used daily/weekly used -- always one of the first things installed.

Been using it for years on Windows 7 and 10.

Can be minimized to take up very little space on the desktop.

Paul

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#1824589 18-Jul-2017 16:50

doesnt tell you what is using the data though.

i had issues where i was in australia with 1gb of data and windows would constantly use 150mb of data doing something or other when i connected to the net via a metered connection to my phones hotspot. i couldnt identify the exact program that was using it but it was one of the windows services.

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#1824603 18-Jul-2017 17:05

You probably need something along the lines of a Windows equivalent of Little Snitch and Netlimiter on the Mac.

xontech

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#1824608 18-Jul-2017 17:08

Glasswire may help?

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#1824610 18-Jul-2017 17:11

freitasm:

Anyone has any good ideas on how to track network usage on Windows 10? The built-in tool is only good for Windows Apps really.

Parents-in-law have two laptops, on a metered connection while on a road trip, used 3GB in a couple of days. I am told they only use Trade Me, Stuff and Email (Outlook with Google Suite sync app).

They also have Crashplan and Google Drive. Those were 100% synced before leaving (they have a fibre connection at home).

To save some of the mobile WiFi they plugged into a campsite WiFi - 1GB per day. One of the laptops used 100% of this in less than a day.

Disabled Crashplan and Google Drive. No torrents, presumably no malware (they run as Standard users, have Norton AV installed, MB runs periodically).

Is there anything I can use to track usage? If not previous usage at least something I can install and track that more accurately than Windows does?

Realistically.... will they pay attention to this and act on what they see, or will they just call you and ask you to fix it remotely?

________

Antoniosk

freitasm

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#1824617 18-Jul-2017 17:18

I will have to install and look at reports after a couple of days. But they can't keep going at $50 for 3GB every two to three days

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xontech

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#1824620 18-Jul-2017 17:25

"GlassWire's network monitor visualizes your current and past network activity by traffic type, application, geographic location, all on a beautiful and easy to understand graph. Go back in time up to 30 days and see what your computer or server was doing in the past. Click the graph to see details of what app or network event caused a spike in network activity."

Stu

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#1824621 18-Jul-2017 17:27

I've used Glasswire on Android for this purpose. Pretty sure they have a Windows option, but haven't used it.

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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xontech

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#1824623 18-Jul-2017 17:29

Stu:

I've used Glasswire on Android for this purpose. Pretty sure they have a Windows option, but haven't used it.

Yes for a Windows version.

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#1824627 18-Jul-2017 17:31

i used to use Netlimiter

Stu

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#1824630 18-Jul-2017 17:35

xontech:

Stu:

I've used Glasswire on Android for this purpose. Pretty sure they have a Windows option, but haven't used it.

Yes for a Windows version.

Looking at it now. Seems to do the job with Windows just as well as with Android, so far.

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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andrewNZ

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#1824651 18-Jul-2017 17:54

is the connection set as a metered connection?

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