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Unexpected Usage - Can anyone explain?

Geejayjay
Newbie
Posts: 1
Registered: ‎20-10-2015

Unexpected Usage - Can anyone explain?

My wife and I, both pensioners, are modest users and for years have been on a 10GB per month contract. This has proved more than adequate although additional usage can be bought at £5.00 per 5GB. Our PC is hard wired into the router and we have a wireless connection for a Kindle.
Towards the end of September the usage suddenly increased to over 5GB PER DAY although our usage of the computers had not changed. The problem was via the wireless connection and, although we changed the incription, this did not solve the problem. We therefore shut down the wireless connection until we were able to establish and PAY EXTRA for unlimited usage. Shortly after this new unlimited contract was established our consumption suddenly returned to normal so we are now paying for more than we require.
To us this is a mystery although we hope someone out there can give us an explanation.
5 REPLIES 5
AlaricAdair
Champion
Posts: 5,658
Thanks: 647
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎21-03-2011

Re: Unexpected Usage - Can anyone explain?

Do you run Skype?  It used to be, and perhaps still is the case, that Skype will select some PC's to act as relays for other people's Skype traffic.
Otherwise run Malwarebytes anti-malware software on your PC to check for nasty software. You can get it here: https://www.malwarebytes.org/
Now Zen, but a +Net residue.
MattyC
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 3,201
Fixes: 46
Registered: ‎10-04-2014

Re: Unexpected Usage - Can anyone explain?

Hi Geejayjay,
Aside from your Kindle, do you have any other electronic devices in your property that may use a wireless internet connection?
Matty
ex-Plusnet staffer. Any posts after 28/07/2017 aren't on behalf of Plusnet
Qwertzycaotl
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎13-10-2015

Re: Unexpected Usage - Can anyone explain?

If you check your usage for the month it also gives a breakdown of what was being accessed.
This might help narrow down at least what the traffic was for.
Might be that you had a weak Password on the router or was your router somewhere where the encryption key and SSID could have been read?
alanf
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 1,931
Thanks: 78
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎17-10-2007

Re: Unexpected Usage - Can anyone explain?

If a computer has been upgraded to Windows 10 then by default updates may be uploading to serve other Microsoft customers.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/31/windows_10_torrent_updates/
Strat
Community Veteran
Posts: 31,320
Thanks: 1,609
Fixes: 565
Registered: ‎14-04-2007

Re: Unexpected Usage - Can anyone explain?

Which you can turn off in Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update > Advanced Options > Choose how updates are delivered.
Windows 10 Firefox 109.0 (64-bit)
To argue with someone who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead - Thomas Paine