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Something eating my internet! Giant phone bills!

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  • 16-07-2012 1:10pm
    #1
    beveragelady
    Registered Users Posts: 854 ✭✭✭


    Big problem! I have 02 mobile broadband with a 15GB allowance, and even though the internet speed here is terrible, I've just lived with it. Got a new laptop in January, an Acer, and it has been grand too.
    But... for the last two months my phonebill has been €250 and then €360, all internet usage costs. Nothing has changed, and I can't figure out what's eating my internet. How do I check on the laptop what has been using the broadband?
    I don't stream music or films, or play online games. I live alone, so I can rule out other people's interference. I'm too far from the nearest house for anybody else to piggyback. I never use the wifi on my phone when I'm at home.
    I have to fix this, but I need help. Is there a way to check which applications are downloading updates, or something like that?
    I recently changed from Macafee to Bullguard security (because it came free with the laptop), could that be it?
    I can get by, but I'm not the most computer literate among us, so I'll never figure this one out myself.


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    #2
    Unregistered.
    Registered Users Posts: 3,532 ✭✭✭Unregistered.


    beveragelady wrote: »
    Big problem! I have 02 mobile broadband with a 15mb allowance, and even though the internet speed here is terrible, I've just lived with it. Got a new laptop in January, an Acer, and it has been grand too.
    But... for the last two months my phonebill has been €250 and then €360, all internet usage costs. Nothing has changed, and I can't figure out what's eating my internet. How do I check on the laptop what has been using the broadband?
    I don't stream music or films, or play online games. I live alone, so I can rule out other people's interference. I'm too far from the nearest house for anybody else to piggyback. I never use the wifi on my phone when I'm at home.
    I have to fix this, but I need help. Is there a way to check which applications are downloading updates, or something like that?
    I recently changed from Macafee to Bullguard security (because it came free with the laptop), could that be it?
    I can get by, but I'm not the most computer literate among us, so I'll never figure this one out myself.

    15MB is a a pityful allowance. Flicking through a few pictures on Facebook will see that used up in a matter of hours! You're probably getting raped by O2 for usage above the 15MB allowance.


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    #3
    Wise Old Elf
    Moderators Posts: 3,554 ✭✭✭Wise Old Elf


    If 15MB is your monthly allowance (which is tiny), it's probably windows update downloading patches, etc which has used up the 15MB+, especially if you're not downloading films or music, etc. It happened to my father in law with 3, but at least they cut him off for the rest of the month rather than sending a monster bill.


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    #4
    Kitty-kitty
    Registered Users Posts: 221 ✭✭Kitty-kitty


    Do you mean 15gb?


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    #5
    kippy
    Registered Users Posts: 18,429 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    Surely you mean 15 GB.
    If so, do you use any of this software?
    Limewire, Kazaa, Utorrent
    or any of these websites?
    Netflix, Youtube, Vimeo


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    #6
    beveragelady
    Registered Users Posts: 854 ✭✭✭beveragelady


    Sorry, meant GB, not MB! How embarrassing. Post edited accordingly.
    The big issue here is why the bills have suddenly skyrocketed, and whether there's a way to check what's eating it. I can do this easily enough on my phone, there must be a way on my laptop.


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    #7
    kippy
    Registered Users Posts: 18,429 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    beveragelady wrote: »
    Sorry, meant GB, not MB! How embarrassing. Post edited accordingly.
    The big issue here is why the bills have suddenly skyrocketed, and whether there's a way to check what's eating it. I can do this easily enough on my phone, there must be a way on my laptop.

    There are free applications that will monitor bandwidth. (Including the software that came with the dongle)

    You should have a fair idea yourself however.
    Do you use any of the sites/applications that I mentioned above?


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    #8
    beveragelady
    Registered Users Posts: 854 ✭✭✭beveragelady


    The internet is so slow here that it's not really worthwhile spending hours on youtube. I glance at a few things then get bored waiting for it to buffer. I don't use any of the other sites, or the software mentioned. The thing that has baffled me is that I have been using 02 for ages, and it has only been the last two bills that were astronomical.
    Can anybody suggest a downloadable app that can monitor the internet usage on the laptop?
    Thanks for all your efforts!


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    #9
    nice_guy80
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,723 ✭✭✭nice_guy80


    thats crazy.

    what sites do you mainly use?
    do you shut off the laptop/computer at all?


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    #10
    Dartz
    Registered Users Posts: 4,369 ✭✭✭Dartz


    Virus/Botnet/Spam?

    Check your PC, it may be infected.


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    #11
    tp25
    Registered Users Posts: 298 ✭✭tp25


    nice monitoring software here:

    http://www.thinkbroadband.com/tbbmeter.html

    notice how ''heavy'' is one youtube video...


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    #12
    tp25
    Registered Users Posts: 298 ✭✭tp25


    Dartz wrote: »
    Virus/Botnet/Spam?

    Check your PC, it may be infected.
    Maybe

    OP install Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware then run a scan


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    #13
    RUCKING FETARD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,455 ✭✭✭RUCKING FETARD


    Dartz wrote: »
    Virus/Botnet/Spam?

    Check your PC, it may be infected.
    I was thinking same, 12GB over in month 1, 17GB in month 2.....Botnet, but Laptop would have to be crawling (slow). OP should have cracked up?

    Run Malwarebytes (as mentioned) and superantispyware first anyway OP.

    If they find nothing then click start and type in Resource Monitor, click it and click on the Network Tab and you'll see a list of whats using your Allowance.

    What's listed under Processes with Network Activity and TCP connections?

    svchost.exe is no harm, what else is listed there when you're connected to the Internet?


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    #14
    longhalloween
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,207 ✭✭✭longhalloween


    Make sure iTunes isn't auto downloading podcasts. Burned through a few gb before I fisured out what was going on.


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    #15
    beveragelady
    Registered Users Posts: 854 ✭✭✭beveragelady


    Thanks everybody.
    Nothing found with a malware scan.

    Rucking, that was exactly the sort of help I was looking for. Apart from svchost.exe(bullguard proxy) there's a lot of Dropbox action. Could that be it?

    Close examination of the phone bill suggests that twice a day there's a chunk of heavy usage. The bill doesn't tell me what time this happens.


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    #16
    RUCKING FETARD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,455 ✭✭✭RUCKING FETARD


    beveragelady wrote: »
    Rucking, that was exactly the sort of help I was looking for. Apart from svchost.exe(bullguard proxy) there's a lot of Dropbox action. Could that be it?
    I've never used but it could, how much space have you on it?

    If you've dropped a load of stuff in the folder to be uploaded and with your slow connection...yea.


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    #17
    tp25
    Registered Users Posts: 298 ✭✭tp25


    DropBox - yes certainly.

    Every time you place a file in it, it will Sync your devices (smartphone ipad galaxytab) with your hardware(pc or laptop).

    I see that your problem is that you do not read what you install.

    Always ensure to read and Untick or Tick only the correct services / features you require.

    Did you manage to install broadband monitor (see my earlier posts) - once you install it, do not install any other components from this software (there are pop ups windows showing while you start using this s/w, just close these - no need to install these)


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    #18
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 81,843 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    I would log in to your hotspot's admin settings and be damn sure no other rogue device is connected to your network as well.


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