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Insanely high data usage problem?

roryrocker13
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Registered: ‎08-08-2016

Insanely high data usage problem?

Basically my internet was messing up and was absolute **** with insane amounts of packet loss (25% to 75%!) and the connection speed was dropping all over. Long story short I thought it was something plusnets end. Once they ran a load of tests they determined it was infact that I was using like 500GB a month and then some (I am on unlimited package so they are not slowing me just the fact I use so much slows me) .

I then checked all of my computers and sure enough, my main gaming computer in the last 30 days has used over 200GB despite the fact that I have been out the house on holiday for a week with 0 computer usage and the internet completely disconnected and as I have just finished my GCSE's I have been out most nights so have barely racked up many hours on my PC. It then came to my attention that my brother (we live in the same house) has only used like less than 10GB when he spends literally hours and hours on his computer. Where he spends roughly 6 hours a day on his computer and probably 4 of those on youtube he has racked up about 8GB of usage (1080p video) and where I have spent probably 2 hours at peak I have used 141GB. (Here is my brothers usage: http://imgur.com/a/kJkmk and here is mine: http://imgur.com/A9S6YlJ )

I have no idea where to start to figure out what, why and how my computer is using so much I am hoping that maybe some of you can help in the community.  Also here is a speed test of my internet I can imagine some will only ask for it anyway: http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/5537760447 for some reason it says my ISP is BT (maybe that has something to do with it idk). Sorry for having to read such a huge body of text I tried to break it up Smiley

16 REPLIES 16
bobpullen
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Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

What browser extensions do you have installed? Seems that Chrome's sapping most of your data.

Bob Pullen
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roryrocker13
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Registered: ‎08-08-2016

Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

Adblock and the ones that come default with chrome (google docs ect)

idonno
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Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

Are you both hard wired or using WiFi (presumably separate routers)?

 

I've known Steam to do some massive updates but difficult if the computer or whatever is switched off.

Ever helpful. Grin Sure, I’d love to help you out. Now which way did you come in?
roryrocker13
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Registered: ‎08-08-2016

Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

Both of us are wired. Also our setup is a little confusing but right now we share a router (not the one that plusnet provides) but at any given time I can just plug in a second router to the switch that separates us and we both become connected to our own routers. The only thing is I only recently got a new router as we initially thought that the issue could have been the plusnet one (it wasnt) but because it was TP link and the one I used was TP link (the second router) they clashed because they used the same IP's and stuff I just havent changed it yet so they dont, Thats why I have one router but the problems I can assure you where the same when I had two.

markhawkin
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Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

@roryrocker13

 

Resetting chrome seems a good start.

Also do you use Powerline adapters?

From my experience they are not good with high levels of traffic.

 

 

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Browni
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Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

@roryrocker13 have a look at the usage breakdown in the link below (login required) it may shed some light on what's happening

https://www.plus.net/view_my_broadband_usage/index.php

roryrocker13
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Registered: ‎08-08-2016

Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

Alright. This worries me a little as under gaming the line is almost invisible and gaming is what I do lots of. The other category surpasses way past everything else (https://i.imgur.com/kEU972j.png) I really have no clue what it could be. Could someone else be on my network even though I literally just changed router and so the SSID and Password? I do understand the Web is about where it should be I guess as at any one time 4 people are streaming in my house. But the other category? What does that usually entail does anyone know (also I dont use powerline adapters plusnet has ran tests and my issue is that something is using up all my bandwidth and that is why its slow) my connection is fine there is just an unjustified amount of traffic on my network and seemingly from my computer but what is causing it is the real question.

** I didnt really sum it up too well but what I conclude from that is everything looks how it should apart from in the "other". Does anyone think that someone could be accessing my network remotely despite the fact that I just recently got a new router (and thus SSID and Password?)

roryrocker13
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Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

Can anyone help please. Its been 4 weeks and plusnet keep saying they will send out a tech at £50 to see if the problem is at my end or their end of the line and I already know its at my end but they wont even fix the problem once they find it.

markhawkin
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Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

@roryrocker13

Clearly you have a PC problem of some kind not an Internet connection problem so anyone sent by Openreach won't help.
It is down to a bit of PC diagnosis.
In order I would try

1) Malwarebytes scan (the free one)
2) Setting the DNS on your TP Link router to open DNS, creating an account and setting the block settings to the highest. Then one by one create exceptions for what you need. This should reveal what the machines on your network are doing. I would expect the cause of trouble to appear high on the Open DNS block list.

3) the nuclear option is a PC restore/reset/re-install.
That will fix it but it will take time to get it back to a good state.
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markhawkin
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Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

Looking at the Plusnet usage graph, the massive "other" seems to be used much of the night as well.

If you leave the offending PC on but doing nothing else, (nothing beyond start up processes running) what processes are using CPU ?

I'm minded that there is a virus involved in this.
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roryrocker13
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Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

Well thats the thing. My computer isn't on but shows significant usage of my internet during night as you say. This is where I draw a blank because (although tonight is an exception lol) I usually never have my computer on past midnight as I can get quite noisy when talking to people over skype as my headphones are sound proof and so I turn it off around 11 to 12 every night to avoid waking people up. Maybe a third party could be on my router. I think its unlikely as I just replaced it and so it has a new password. Also in the realm of a virus I have to admit to some dodgy torrent downloads but I have Bitdefender 2016 installed and I routinely scan whenever I think there could be a chance of infection and its turned up nothing with the latest full system scan I did today.

 

The one thing I really want to avoid doing is a windows re-install because I stockpile loads of videos (I mean like 2TB or more) that I dont have any other way of backing up as the biggest hard drives in my house are in my computer. Of course I have a separate drive for only windows but if it was a virus it would likely be all over my computer and I just cant risk losing all the hours of footage to ultimately find out that the problem wasn't a virus. I will try the DNS thing that was mentioned earlier as well its just finding the time to do it. As my brother and sister are off school now I am usually greeted with flak when I start disconnecting things from the internet lol.

rongtw
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Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

2 things i would try Smiley  

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals/processexplorer

 

you may be able to narrow down what is running Thumbs_Up

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markhawkin
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Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

@rongtw Excellent suggestions.

@roryrocker13

What was the result of the Malwarebytes scan?

If it found anything is what it found now fixed ?

You CAN set open DNS on a machine (set a static IP address and put Open DNS in there) which will cause less protests from other users.
As you have 2 routers another alternative is to put your machine on one and use the WAN port of the other on your cabled Internet connection. Assuming the second router is like the TP link and allows DNS settings that would provide a way of setting aggressive blocking on your connection without trouble from your siblings.

Once you have seen for 24 hours what Open DNS has been blocking.

If Open DNS doesn't show thousands of blocked addresses and tame the internet usage I would also uninstall any file sharing programms and see if that helps.
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markhawkin
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Re: Insanely high data usage problem?

One other thought. Have you investigated your Internet facing router's settings. I would disable any DMZ or port forwarding and turn off anything that allows external access.
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