How investigate impossibly high broadband usage?

dav3k3nn3dy

Hi,
in the last four weeks I have suddenly started to use an impossibly high amount of data according to BTs usage meter.

Up until Feb we have never exceeded 10GB in the month. In the last two weeks of Feb we apparently used 130GB download. Since the start of this Month we have apparently used 37GB (Its actually been used on two specific days)

I have broadband meter software installed on all equipment except the xbox. On last Thursday the Xbox was used for Xbox live playing Call of Duty for two hours, but I really dont see 14GB being a realistic amount of data for this type of use.

I have several specific questions (aimed at the helpful BT guys on here)

On the homehub manager there is a page with a record of data transmitted / received. Can you please advise me what this figure reflects and is it a measure of the broadband usage?

Next to that page is one with a record of devices that have connected to the homehub since the last power down. Is it possible for any device to have connected to the hub without showing up on that page. I can account for all devices that have registered on that page which in my mind confirms that no one (ie a neighbour) has accessed our hub.

On this and other forums there are a worryingly large number of people complaining about this problem. However when contacting the technical help call centre there is an attitude of if weve measured it you have used it / your neighbours have used it.

The use recorded on the PCs and Ipads in this house does not reach anywhere near the volume of data that is being measured by the BT online broadband meter.

Guys this really is a last resort shout for help, as the only way I can see to resolve this is by switching to another provider - there really does seem to be a total unwillingness to investigate the problem by the technical query call centre folk, (coupled to a website that seems to have been specifically designed to make it impossible to talk to someone about the issue.)

I am about to contact the billing people to see what their take is on how badly I am about to be financially hit. I'm assuming it wont be pleasant, and would be keen to know how to 'officially' dispute the likely billing.

cheers

iniltous

It could be that one of your devices is infected with malicious program that sends out spam, you seem to have access to your hub stats, so any usage from your hub, wired or wireless, in or outbound can be seen, as well as how many days connected, you need to add the up and download to get your total usage, and divide by the number of days connected, then x 30 to give a rough monthly figure, but TBH anyone who has multiple devices connected and plays on-line games probably should be on an unlimited tariff , 10GB isn't a lot with today's bandwidth hungry applications

Dodric

Afternoon Dav - I'm NOT computer-literate, and only have BT's basic broadband package. I've never downloaded anything, and was happy that there was no chance whatsoever that I'd exceed my limit - whatever it is/was, and don't have any download monitoring capablity.
Just last month I noticed that my BT DD had gone up by over 50%. I checked, and discovered that it started back in November (I'm in poor health, and trusted BT to keep things right).
After contacting BT's Customer Services who first suggested that someone in my house had been downloading without my knowledge, to which I replied that I'm disabled, virtually housebound, and live alone. The advisor then tried to sell me an 'unlimited download' package that I don't want and certainly don't need (I was obviously suspected of being a 'chancer'), before passing me on to someone in the Techie Department.
Over two hours later the advisor declared my system 'safe' from people 'piggybacking' on my broadband. He explained how it was done, and what had happened in my case. He then sent a memo to 'Billing' explaining that it was someone else, and not me, who was responsible for the excessive downloading.
A rebate ? No - the matter is still 'under investigation' (but I don't know who by), and in the meantime I've HAD to sign up for unlimited Broadband just in case it happens again.
I obviously don't know, but could something similar have happened to you ?
If so, then it's obvious BT are aware of the problem, but good luck with getting 'Billing' to agree with the 'Techies', and then getting a refund !
I'm not hopeful - and as they speak to me in languages I don't understand ('IT-Speak' and 'SalesTalk') - there's not much I can do.

macman

Is your wi-fi secure? What wireless encryption are you using? If not WPA or better, then it's easily hacked.
Your wireless security is your responsibility, not that of BT.

Wannylad

Hi

I moved to option 2 in November last year as I had strayed the10GBB limit, been charged AND I actually got a cheaper deal upgrading.

Checked my usage monitor early March and found that I had apparently used 46.8GB,had been sent advisory emails to both my sky and BT accounts, none which could be found on my accounts.

Fortunately BT put these advisory email details in the update section below the broadband usage monitor.
02/02/13 Advising me that I have used 32GB
24/02/13 Advising me that I have used 32 GB

Then spent in excess of two hours speaking to BT Billing,Broadband technical, back to Billing, then back to Broadband Technical and finally back to billing.n

Initially told I must have been hacked, given someone my access code but there were no problems with BT equipment and I must have used this amount of broadband.

They couldn't explain none delivery of their emails, I now find this is a common occurrence. Nor how no broadband usage was recorded between the 2nd of February and the 24th - as detailed in their emails.

Then the man from Broadband Technical looked at my usage history and informed me that my usage for the month of January 13 was - yes you've guessed it 32GB.

So how come it was still 32GB on the 2nd of February, bearing in mind that reading would probably be up to midnight on the 1st of February as the monitor is not updated until around noon each day.

I thought I had at last got an acknowledgement that this account for February was not correct and there would be no surcharges. Wrong 10 pounds added to my account today.

Have spoken again to BT and am awaiting confirmation that this will be removed. I now check my usage daily and this month at the half-way point I have used less than 12GB.

Don't take anything for granted with this broadband monitoring it is not accurate and BT won't admit technical problems they just take more money on the direct debit leaving the customer to fight a rear guard action.