According to NetMeter, my laptop is constantly uploading to Internet - Help!

headcovers

I have NetMeter installed to monitor how much I upload and download, to make sure I don't go over my limit.

I have just noticed that my laptop is uploading constantly. It's not huge amounts, but the totals have increased from just over 100MB on average per month to over 500MB per month.

I have AVG Virus installed and run it regularly. I have Norton Firewall and I frequently run anti-spyware and CCleaner to clear all the rubbish out.

I am on BT Broadband on a wireless connection.

I do not have any P2P software and I have not installed any new programs recently, except for Norton firewall software itself.

I have followed all the guidelines given in the stickies at the top of this forum and I cannot think of anything else to do.

Does anyone have any ideas?

superscaper

Do you definitely mean uploading (sending information over the internet) as opposed to downloading to your laptop?
Does netmeter give any kiind of breakdown of which apps sending data?

joshm_2

Check your windows update settings - are updates automatically downloaded and installed? There is some uploading of information in this process too.

Have you run Spybot S&D to check for malware?

Finally, I would recommend you install free zonealarm client or if it is already installed you clear the list of programs permitted access. Then you can check exactly what processes want to access the network and catch anything dodgy going on.

headcovers

superscaper wrote:

Do you definitely mean uploading (sending information over the internet) as opposed to downloading to your laptop?
Does netmeter give any kiind of breakdown of which apps sending data?

NetMeter is set to display downloads in red and uploads in blue on the graph and they are clearly labelled in my totals statement. However it does not breakdown into which applications are doing the loading.

joshm wrote:

Check your windows update settings - are updates automatically downloaded and installed? There is some uploading of information in this process too.

Yes - they are and always have been set on automatic. However the problem has only just started, so I do not believe that this is the issue as I have always had it set to automatic

joshm wrote:

Have you run Spybot S&D to check for malware?

Not Spybot S&D, but I have run the antispy software that BT provides which has not spotted anything.

joshm wrote:

Finally, I would recommend you install free zonealarm client or if it is already installed you clear the list of programs permitted access. Then you can check exactly what processes want to access the network and catch anything dodgy going on.

Will Zonealarm conflict with my existing AVG Antivirus or firewall software?

espresso

I doubt if this is actually anything to worry about. Each time that you click on a link to display a webpage or send an e-mail you are 'uploading' data, which will all add up over a month.

alzeebub

Spybot is a great spyware prog it's well worth getting and using regularly.

Disable your existing firewall before installing zonealarm firewall; it doesn't intefere with your anti-virus so no changes needed there.

headcovers

espresso wrote:

I doubt if this is actually anything to worry about. Each time that you click on a link to display a webpage or send an e-mail you are 'uploading' data, which will all add up over a month.

Well currently NetMeter (which has always proved reliable) is forecasting that on current rates I will upload 2 GB by the end of this month, which is almost as much as I download:eek: I understand that I should expect to upload a certain amount, but at a projected 2GB I really do think that is something to worry about.

headcovers

alzeebub wrote:

Spybot is a great spyware prog it's well worth getting and using regularly.

Disable your existing firewall before installing zonealarm firewall; it doesn't intefere with your anti-virus so no changes needed there.

Thank you but the spyware software I have is very thorough and I think that I will try to configure my existing firewall in the same way as joshm suggested, rather than working with one I am not familiar with.

sco0ter

Do you connect to a network/other computer via your laptop... ?

Netmeter monitors the connection so will include any file transfers between the comps as traffic

albertross_2

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/TcpView.html
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/cports.html

rygon

maybe post a hijack this log for us to see then it may help shed light on what programs are running in the background.