My broadband usage - cannot believe it!

andygb

I have spoken about this on here before, and still cannot work out how I am using so much of my 10GB allowance.
I have the BT 10GB package, and have so far been using around 7GB per month. However, last month (May), I used 9.79GB. I have been monitoring my usage over the past few days, and already my June usage is 3.5GB!!!
Yesterday, we were out most of the day, and we used about 1.6GB!
I cannot for the life of me figure out what is happening, and the only thing I can say, is that the usage is mostly downloads.
So my questions:
Does BBC iplayer use much?
Youtube videos - music/documentaries?

mysterio_2

depends on what you watch with Iplayer

Typical file sizes for a 1hr programme are:

Streaming (PC, PS3)
Low bandwidth streaming (480Kbps) = 190-210MB
Standard quality streaming (800Kbps) = 320-340MB
High quality streaming (1500Kbps) = 600-640MB
High definition streaming (2800Kbps) = 1.10-1.20GB

Mobile
Mobile streaming (396Kbps) = 160-170MB
Mobile 3g streaming = 120-130MB

Downloads
iPlayer desktop (1500Kbps) = 600-640MB
Windows Media Player (WMV) = 550-600MB
Portable devices (WMV) = 210-230MB

Set-Top-Boxes, FreeSat, TVs etc
Standard quality streaming (800Kbps) = 320-340MB
High quality streaming (1500Kbps) = 600-640MB
High definition streaming (2800Kbps) = 1.1-1.2GB

mikey72

Someone else using your wifi? Have you tried turning off the router when you go out, and see if it improves.

Lifeforms

As you were out most of the day, what did you leave running? Were you downloading any programs? Do you have BBC iplayer desktop running in the background uploading anything? Do you have an un-secure wifi?

See what is running, change your wifi password to something that isn't guessable. scan all of your computers with anti virus, and anti malware (see the stickies in this formum) to make sure nothing is "phoning home"
Ask who ever is using the connection what they do with it, then come back.

To be honest, if you have 3gb use in a day you mostly wasn't there, then you've either got someone else using it which you don't know about, or you have a program phoning home/elsewhere for some reason. BBC iplayer for example uploaded as it downloaded (dunno if this is still the case however) so in theory could be sending data out all the time for others to download from (Peer to Peer). If Iplayer doesn't do that any more, then something else is doing it, and you need to find out what. Don't forget your allowance will most likely also includes uploads, not just downloads.

duchy

andygb wrote: »

Does BBC iplayer use much?
Youtube videos - music/documentaries?

Yes and Yes

Anything with moving pictures you watch will eat your bandwidth.
Incidently you don't need to be "saving" something -just watching a YouTube clip or watching I-player uses up allowance (and there's no difference if it's a music video or a documentry)

Kernel_Sanders

Do you upload a lot too? I'm thinking here mainly about webcams.

giraffe69

If you use iplayer/youtube then 10gb per month is quite a small allowance and you may want to consider a package with a larger allowance.

Naf

If its downloading, and the OP hasn't realised it, I would suggest it being one of:
iPlayer Desktop - even when youre not watching anything, it downloads the latest episodes of things you've subscribed to
Windows Automatic Updates - especially if this doesn't run very often (for any reason) can do quite a bit of damage to a limited Internet package
ANY kind of streaming media - YouTube, radio (granted unlikely to use much data on its own, but could contribute), podcasts, !!!!!! (*/ahem), TV - live or catch-up. Basically any audio/video online: if you leave the web page open, it'll usually continue to download the content, even when paused/stopped, until it's got the whole lot ready to watch.
iTunes - updates to apps, music, genius data

Fifer

Andy, you don't have a TV with a network connection and use any sort of catch-up TV (iPlayer) on it, or Sky Anytime+ do you?

andygb

Fifer wrote: »

Andy, you don't have a TV with a network connection and use any sort of catch-up TV (iPlayer) on it, or Sky Anytime+ do you?

No Fifer, we are quite backward in that respect at the moment, the PC is stand alone, does not have a wireless router, and we switch the whole lot off completely when we are not using it (unplug from mains as well).
The only thing I can think of then is iplayer and youtube music videos.
I may have to upgrade to the unlimited package very soon.

andygb

giraffe69 wrote: »

If you use iplayer/youtube then 10gb per month is quite a small allowance and you may want to consider a package with a larger allowance.

That is probably the cause then, because when Eurovision was on, I listened to a few hours of my favourite bands, and did the same thing on Saturday/Sunday when there was rubbish on the box.