usage numbers

[#1]

We have had a plus net account in our house for the past week and we have already exceeded our 10 gig usage limit by over 5 gigs.  I have upgraded the account for next month to the 60 gig package.  However when I looked at the usage break down it said that the usage was due to 33 % internet gaming and 49 % other with web usage only accounting for 10 % of total usage. 
I have have played any internet games and my flatmates say that they have not either.  Could there by a mistake with the usage figures?  Or could this have some to do wit how we set up the router?
Thanks
Mark

[#2]

Sorry there is a mistake in the above. 
I meant to I have not played any internet games and nor have my flatmates.  So we are slightly bemused at this?

[#3]

The total usage is almost certainly right. It's not uncommon for the traffic to be miss-identified.
If you are only using PCs I suggest you download NetworX and monitor the usage yourself.

[#4]

You HAVE secured your wireless connection haven't you??? Also streaming of BBC I player or videos chews up bandwidth VERY rapidly!

[#5]

Thanks . .  .  we still seem to be eating us usage.
We are using the password that came with the router so it is secure but perhaps we should change that just in case.  I use a mac and I've downloaded bitmeter which monitors my own usage but not my flat mates usage. They assure me they have not been streaming movies . . .  any other advice?

[#6]

Have any of you downloaded the stand-a-lone BBC iPlayer and installed it. This tends to run in the background sending out any BBC programs you have downloaded to other users - it uses P2P type activity and will be running all the time the PC is on.
You need to try and eliminate what may be causing the problem:
1) Try with router switched off for many hours. If you still use usage then that is a problem PN need to investigate.
2) Try with wireless switched off for many hours - If you still use data it is a wired connection using it, if not it's a wireless connection.
3) Try with wireless & all PCs switched off for several hours (check no connections are active).
Make sure none of the PCs are running P2P applications when they don't need to be running. If P2P is being used, try to schedule the downloads after midnight when usage is free.
Ensure you are using the WPA or WPA2 for wireless encryption. WEP security can be broken in seconds.

[#7]

Peter, iPlayer stopped being a P2P application in April 2009. here's an extract from a blog post:
[quote=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2009/04/bbc_iplayer_goes_hd_adds_highe.html]Finally, we're taking our cross-platform iPlayer Desktop download application out of Labs and ending our use of peer-to-peer technology.