Internet Usage disapearing fast

[#1]

Hi
Last night my 2 kids had there laptops on for around 4 hours but were not using them (apart from a few emails), when I checked the Internet usage for last night over 2gb was used up, how did that happen?
I am on the 15gb usage package with plusnet so if my usage is being eaten up that fast the 15gb will be gone in no time!
Could it have been Peer to Peer (P2P) and if so how can I stop it?
Also does P2P slow your PC down?
Thanks
Woody

[#2]

Hi Woody,
You can check in the portal for a rough idea of what the usage has been on here
If you see a large chunk under P2P it could be that. Other possibilities could be using the iPlayer application which has a background task for uploading / download.
You could install a bandwidth monitor on each laptop to see what is going on.
HTH

[#3]

Thanks
I have checked the plusnet usage and there was a large chunk for P2P, but mostly Web Usage.
Would a bandwidth Monitor  tell me exactly what is being downloaded/uploaded and from what site?
Also can it restrict the internet usage to say 500mb per day?
Do you know of any free download sites for this tool?
Woody

[#4]

I think there is a delay of about 2 hours or something, before the graph/figures  for internet usage is updated on the page....
there is a small program called "Netmeter" that you can dowload for free, you can have it running "onscreen" in "opaque" mode, or on the lower task bar.
you can set the limit, and reset the start and finish times.... I think it will give you a warning when you are getting near the limit.... unfortunately, this will only work on the laptop it is used on, and does not cover "overall" broadband usage on your line....

[#5]

We have 4 computers in our house, is there one that would monitor all internet usage on 1 PC?
Is there a way of blocking P2P?

[#6]

if you have a reasonably sophisticated router you can set usage limits for indivdual pcs and for particular protocols.
DrayTeka can certainly do this, but i don't know about the other more common/popular ones

[#7]

Mine is a Belkin.
Someone suggested this http://www1.k9webprotection.com/
but as I said before I have 4 pcs in the house and I dont know if I could monitor all the usage from 1 PC with this software.

[#8]

@reeflodge

Quote

Is there a way of blocking P2P?

Go to the Members Centre > My Account > Connection settings > Surf
You may find what you are looking for there. My teenage daughter installed "Limewire" on her laptop, against my specific instructions, but I think this stopped her in her tracks.

[#9]

Any software installed on 1 PC will not be capable of monitoring traffic from other PC's. As paulh said, the only place you can monitor all your traffic is at the router ( well it is unless you route all the network traffic through 1 pc but we won't go there!! ).
So, no the k9webprotection won't monitor all your PC's, and it doesnt seem to monitor bandwidth anyway.
Johpal's suggestion is a good start as that will block P2P completely by doing it at Plusnet's end of your connection.

[#10]

Quote from: MisterW

the only place you can monitor all your traffic is at the router

We have a Belkin Router that all the computers use, and they do not go through one PC they all use the Router individually.
So would I have to tweak some settings on the router to monitor the daily usage, and would it be able to notify me when say 500mb limit has been reached?

[#11]

Quote from: johpal

@reeflodge Quote Is there a way of blocking P2P? Go to the Members Centre > My Account > Connection settings > Surf

That may not work. See Bob's post here

[#12]

Quote

So would I have to tweak some settings on the router to monitor the daily usage, and would it be able to notify me when say 500mb limit has been reached?

No , what I meant is that at the router is the only place its possible to do it since that is the only common point through which all traffic goes, but I'm afraid that very few routers provide facilities to monitor usage, I'm pretty sure that the Belkin doesn't.

[#13]

Quote from: reeflodge

We have 4 computers in our house, is there one that would monitor all internet usage on 1 PC? Is there a way of blocking P2P?

You would have to install the said "netmeter" program on all four computers, and set the limit for each user ..... then once a day, (or more often if you feel necessary) you just click on the icon and it pops up to tell you how much usage has been used.... if it is getting near to your "daily /personal limit" for that particular pc, then pull the plug, and take the lead away... ! 
Eventually, they will get the message!... (unless of course they find out how to reset the thing !  ! ) 

[#14]

googling belkin routers isn't giving much hope for what you are trying to do reeflodge -- but you haven't told us which model it is.
another possibility is that it is a wireless router and you've left it as open access -- which might mean other people are using your PN connection, hence the high usage
(I was sorting out a friend's wireless setup the other day and there were 13 access points available in the vicinity, many with default names (and thus probably passwords), and at least 4 completely unsecured. He didn't really need to pay for broadband ... )
installing netmeter or tbbmeter on each machine may be your simplest option. Remember that it only takes a little nous to zero off the usage recorded on these though and your kids may well have more than a little ...
If they are the "culprits" would discussion with them be better rather than starting with a technological solution?

[#15]

Quote from: paulh

If they are the "culprits" would discussion with them be better rather than starting with a technological solution?

I have found that a big stick works pretty well......      however, if that fails, the use the mark II version.... the one with big nails in it !