tbbMeter & Internet Usage Shot Up

pvr

I use tbbMeter to monitor my internet usage. My usage used to be about 3Gb a month during 2009 and was 3Gb in Jan 2010. However in Feb & Mar it was about 5.5Gb and in Apr it was 8.5Gb. The way I use the internet has not changed (e.g. I have not started downloading a lot more) or the length of time I spend on the internet. What could be the cause of this? Is tbbMeter at fault?

LadyMorticia

Do you use un-encrypted wireless?

It could be that someone is "stealing your internet" so to speak.

pvr

I don't have a wireless set up.

Lil306

pvr wrote: »

...

Doubtful, unless it's a naughty program

Some suggestions, what COULD cause it... I'm not going to mention wireless since you've stated you don't use it... and some suggestions to fix

- Windows Updates (Yes, these can be BIG) sometimes....
- P2P programs (BitLord, Limewire, etc)
- Watching "streaming" movies online (Youtube, Dailymotion, etc, etc)
- Malware/Spyware/Rogue Downloaders

Now, as for fixing them
- Run a virus scanner (AVG/Avast are free) multiple free ones
- Run a malware remover (Spybot, Malware Bytes)
- Do a Windows Updates (start - windows update) - see what you need, critical are important
- Stop using any P2P programs (or better uninstall)
- Reduce usage of movie sites (See below)

Youtube is popular, if you have family who use PC this can affect it too. I myself use a lot of those sites to watch videos and catch up on lost tv episodes so my internet usage is around 45GB per month, which is quite low.

- Install a monitoring tool like Networx, it monitors your PC and gives a day-by-day report (PER USER) for each PC it's installed on. So if you have multiple users, you can also track down whos' chomping the most and when it's happening.

spud17

pvr wrote: »

I don't have a wireless set up.

By this do you mean, you do not have a wireless router?

Possibly you have a wireless router, don't use wireless, but wireless could still be enabled and therefore available to one and all.

pvr

spud17 wrote: »

By this do you mean, you do not have a wireless router?

Possibly you have a wireless router, don't use wireless, but wireless could still be enabled and therefore available to one and all.

I don't have any wireless router. My PC is wired into my modem. I am the only user of my PC.

TimothyEBaldwin

spud17 wrote: »

By this do you mean, you do not have a wireless router?

Possibly you have a wireless router, don't use wireless, but wireless could still be enabled and therefore available to one and all.

But it wouldn't be measured by tbbMeter, which measures only all traffic to, from and via the computer on which it is running. That includes local traffic as well as that transferred using your ISP.

fiddiwebb

Did you install any new software since Feb/March?

Who is your isp?

spud17

TimothyEBaldwin wrote: »

But it wouldn't be measured by tbbMeter, which measures only all traffic to, from and via the computer on which it is running. That includes local traffic as well as that transferred using your ISP.

Correct, I was thinking that tbb Meter was on the isp website.

Isn't there some sort of issue about spyware being bundled with that meter?

aliEnRIK

If you definitely dont use a wireless router, and if the readings are correct then SOMETHING on your computer is using that bandwidth

Download MALWAREBYTES (Make sure you click 'DOWNLOAD LATEST VERSION')
http://www.filehippo.com/download_malwarebytes_anti_malware/
Open malwarebytes and goto UPDATE and click 'check for updates'. After its updated goto SCANNER and click PERFORM FULL SCAN then click SCAN
Remove everything thats found (needs to be ticked)
Post the COMPLETE log here AFTER youve deleted everything it finds


reboot

Download HIJACK THIS (Make sure you click 'DOWNLOAD THIS VERSION')
http://www.filehippo.com/download_hijackthis/2894/
Click MAIN MENU then DO A SYSTEM SCAN AND SAVE A LOGFILE(Takes seconds) then post the log so we can see whats running
(do NOT do anything else with Hijack but scan and post the FULL log)

John_Gray

spud17 wrote: »

Correct, I was thinking that tbb Meter was on the isp website. Isn't there some sort of issue about spyware being bundled with that meter?

From http://www.thinkbroadband.com/tbbmeter.html:
"tbbMeter is available to download as two versions. One includes isposure which performs periodic, unobtrusive tests in the background to measure the performance of your Internet connection. If you do not wish to install isposure please select the version without isposure."

There used to be no option to avoid isposure, nor any way of selecting only ISP traffic, so I went over to NetWorx, and have never looked back (until now!)...