Could my ISP have messed up recording bandwidth usage?

MisterBigglesworth

Expert Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2006
Messages
3,334
Reaction score
13
Location
/\\/¯¯¯\//\
I got 2 emails early this morning, first one just after 01:00, notification my account is approaching 70% used. Thing is...I always hit sleep when done on my pc for the night, this was 22:30 last night. No other computers on the network...so nothing was connected since 22:30 last night...but somehow I used 7GB between 01:00 and 05:00 this AM.

I dont see how this is possible? My phone was off, so thats not it either. Added, my wifi signal doesnt extend past my house borders and front patio. It's a free standing house, so if someone hacked my router...they would have to be on my property and the dog would have sorted that scenario out.

The only thing I think that could have caused this is a stuff up on ISP side? I barely use 8GB in a month, so ja...this kind of badwidth usage is very abnormal.

Anyone had this issue before with bandwidth logged incorrectly? :confused: If thats not the problem, anyone have ideas on what could have caused this? :confused: I emailed the ISP and asked for detailed report on what was downloaded in those hours..but Im only expecting a reply on Monday...
 
So their reply...must have been a windows update. I told them in my original email, all my computers were off! Grrr...cmon! Added, they said they cant see what was downloaded? Wait, WHAT? What I browse is anonymous? REALLY?

*Sigh* Hope I get a better reply from them second time around...I'm used to great support from them...shoddy this time around :erm:
 
Your wifi was probably hacked.

Anyway you should be on uncapped.
 
Your wifi was probably hacked.

Anyway you should be on uncapped.

Not possible, range doesnt extend past the house. Free standing house, no neighbors in front, left, right of behind us. If it was hacked...means they would have had to come into my property with a laptop. A laptop with 6 hours+ battery life and sitting on my porch downloading stuff. Not likely :D So ja....like I say, it is not possible in this scenario.
 
Not possible, range doesnt extend past the house. Free standing house, no neighbors in front, left, right of behind us. If it was hacked...means they would have had to come into my property with a laptop. A laptop with 6 hours+ battery life and sitting on my porch downloading stuff. Not likely :D So ja....like I say, it is not possible in this scenario.

There are such things as wifi antennas, they can pick up wifi signals from a km away... Change your wireless password.

And if you're only using 8gb a month you don't need uncapped...
 
Ipad/Iphone updates?

iPad wasnt off, but I did click the sleep button. Added, I had just updated everything the day before...so it was up to date. Could be that...but I'm doubting it.

There are such things as wifi antennas, they can pick up wifi signals from a km away... Change your wireless password.

And if you're only using 8gb a month you don't need uncapped...

Did not know this...will change the password just to be safe. Thanks
 
Have a 3 year old :D, dangerous in other ways! I will do as ISP said, check the router and see what devices connected to it. Is a Telkom Mega router...hopefully I can see details on dates and times devices connected to it. That might help solve this mystery...
 
Your iPad tried to download ios 7.1, but failed and tried multiple times. That is my guess.
 
Well this turned into an interesting event. Reply from the ISP:

  1. They cant give me information other than that my session was never ended even after I switched of my PC (odd - and no idea what that really means?)
  2. They need a court order to release the details of what was downloaded that morning, they cant just give me that info. Again...odd, I need a court order to give to them so they can give me what I need. Wait..what? Makes no sense...

So at this point I'm giving up. No idea how I managed to use 15GB in 5 hours between 00:00 and 05:00 when all devices were off. Still doubt I was hacked, as they said it too...they dont think that was what caused it. Not going to get to the bottom of this...so ja, guess I will have to leave it... :/

Your iPad tried to download ios 7.1, but failed and tried multiple times. That is my guess.

Initially I thought that, but it is not set to auto update and with the new software, you have to accept the terms first etc. I checked though, couldnt see any history of it attempting to download anything.
 
Well this turned into an interesting event. Reply from the ISP:

  1. They cant give me information other than that my session was never ended even after I switched of my PC (odd - and no idea what that really means?)
  2. They need a court order to release the details of what was downloaded that morning, they cant just give me that info. Again...odd, I need a court order to give to them so they can give me what I need. Wait..what? Makes no sense...

So at this point I'm giving up. No idea how I managed to use 15GB in 5 hours between 00:00 and 05:00 when all devices were off. Still doubt I was hacked, as they said it too...they dont think that was what caused it. Not going to get to the bottom of this...so ja, guess I will have to leave it... :/



Initially I thought that, but it is not set to auto update and with the new software, you have to accept the terms first etc. I checked though, couldnt see any history of it attempting to download anything.

A session gets created when you connect with your ISP. So if your ISP details were on your router the session would still be open unless you switched off your router.

My advice is just get a decent uncapped account and avoid all this crap.
 
Anything in the router logs? The connected devices list/section should show what physical devices were connecting to your router?
 
What line speed do you have. Is it even possible for your line speed to do 15gigs in 5 hours?

I think it is a miscalculation by the ISP.
 
Max I can get is 3.3 on my 4MB line...really have no idea how to work out how much it can download in 5 hours :D

Just checked my iPad, I cant download the latest update via Wifi, it says I only have about 800Mb free space, so it cant download any updates and the update is 1.1GB. So it definitely wasn't the iPad, as I need to do the update via my PC - and PC was off during the incident...

Wish I had more technical knowledge on this stuff
 
[*]They need a court order to release the details of what was downloaded that morning, they cant just give me that info. Again...odd, I need a court order to give to them so they can give me what I need. Wait..what? Makes no sense...

LOL? They want a court order to give YOU usage details on YOUR OWN account? Tell them they'll need a court order to make you pay.
 
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X