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What is using my network connection?

britincan
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: ‎07-12-2009

What is using my network connection?

Hi
I have recently rebuilt my PC after my registry files became corrupted so I've done a fresh install.  All seems to be working fine but what I have noticed which is really winding me up is a process or program running which is constantly accessing my internet connection.  I have a thomson router with the pc attached via a cat5 cable.  I have other pcs attached wirelessly but they don't have this problem.  Every two seconds the local area connection icon flashes, about 2kb of data downloaded every two seconds and this happens all the time the pc is on unless I disconnect the network.  Once I do that I lose the network.  It's annoying because all the time the pc os switched on and the network enabled I'm getting closer to my 10Gb limit.  I've run Spybot but it can't detect anything.  My virus checker can;t find anything.  I have Windows update turned off and am not runnning any apps that check for updates.  I've checked the processes running via the task manager but there is nothing there which seems innocuous.  So what I'm looking for is something that can tell me which program or process is using the network constantly.  Has anyone any suggestions?  Thanks.
Steve
11 REPLIES 11
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: What is using my network connection?

It might be UPnP
Which version of windows are you using.
Does your firewall give the option of monitoring all outgoing activity
britincan
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: ‎07-12-2009

Re: What is using my network connection?

Hi
I'm using XP sp3.  I've got a tg585 v7.  There doesn't seem to be an option here to monitor traffic.  Excuse my ignorance but what is UPnP?  THanks.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: What is using my network connection?

Which internet security package are you using.
Re UPnP - Google is your friend
britincan
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: ‎07-12-2009

Re: What is using my network connection?

I'm using the personal version of avast antivirus and the firewall is turned on.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: What is using my network connection?

The XP firewall doesn't monitor outgoing connections.
Njal
Grafter
Posts: 290
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: What is using my network connection?

"Active Ports - easy to use tool for Windows NT/2000/XP that enables you to monitor all open TCP and UDP ports on the local computer. Active Ports maps ports to the owning application so you can watch which process has opened which port. It also displays a local and remote IP address for each connection and allows you to terminate the owning process. Active Ports can help you to detect trojans and other malicious programs."
http://www.devicelock.com/freeware.html
No personal experience, usual caveats apply!
Regards,
Neil
zubel
Community Veteran
Posts: 3,793
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎08-06-2007

Re: What is using my network connection?

netstat -anb from a command prompt..
or perhaps it's netstat -anp 
Smiley
B.
Champnet
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 2,587
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 11
Registered: ‎25-07-2007

Re: What is using my network connection?

TCP View will enable you to watch Internet connections.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sysinternals/bb897437.aspx
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: What is using my network connection?

Or use Wireshark.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

britincan
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: ‎07-12-2009

Re: What is using my network connection?

Thanks all.  I turned off UPnp and reset to factory settings and it's all okay now.
WildRose52
Grafter
Posts: 507
Registered: ‎23-02-2010

Re: What is using my network connection?


A couple of suggestions here :
If you get SuperAntispyware prog. (its free - and its good)  then after installing it, and updating....
GO to its icon in your system tray....  RIGHT CLICK on the icon  - then LEFT CLICK where it
says `Find out whats running on your computer`
That will then take you to `The File Research Centre`  and the rest is self-explanatory - it will
scan your system and bring up a full list of everything that is running, and each one will be
COLOUR CODED....  red for dangerous ect.
Link to SuperAntispyware :
http://download.cnet.com/SuperAntiSpyware-Free-Edition/3000-8022_4-10523889.html
or, from its official website here :
http://www.superantispyware.com/download.html

Next......    someone has already mentioned  Unplug n play  -  Go to Steve Gibson`s site -
GRC - (Gibson Research Centre)  and you`ll find Steve`s app for disabling that.
link
http://www.grc.com/default.htm
He`s got some very good security stuff on his site.    He`s very good.
You can even test your firewall programme using another of his apps.
You can also STOP malicious scripts running in WMPlayer as well.
Hope this helps.