Ongoing Bell Internet ********..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

Mr.Azim

Mr.Azim

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So I decided to dig deeper into my continuous over usage of my internet bandwidth.... it was reset on Monday night so now tracking the hourly/live internet usage on the bell website. I took time captures using my desktop clock and found the following:

12:33 PM
Download: 2.48 GB
Upload: 3.90 GB

1:47 PM
Download: 2.50 GB
Upload: 3.98 GB

2:59 PM
Download: 2.53 GB
Upload: 4.15 GB

SO in the span of approx 2.5 hours 50 MBs were downloaded but 250MBs were uploaded.

I turned off the only desktop and two laptops at home and no one has been home (and still won't be home) until I get there at 5:00'ish. Is 250MB of upload over the coarse of 2.5 hours normal? With the download that's about 120MBs an hour. Over the course of 24 hours: 2.88 GBs.... of just IDLE. That could potentially be at least 80 GBs a month if that is a continuous rate.

Bell had no explanation and said "that's what happens when you leave your modem on, it continuously tries to update". This bandwidth usage is like downloading a TV show every hour.

It doesn't make sense why the upload is X4 higher than the download.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/442/cap1m.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/32/cap3i.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/41/cap2h.jpg/


Or am I missing something? Obviously with the upload rate no one is tapping into my connection.
 
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Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

Seriously?? Bell is saying that just leaving the modem powered on accounts for 80 GBs a month???

Might explain why I dont know anybody with Bell internet.
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

get Bell's answer in an e-mail send it to all the news agencies and CRTC and ask them how this is fair.
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

ROGERS isn't great either. I am paying $70 for ROGERS extreme speed 100GB limit.


hdsomeday said:
Seriously?? Bell is saying that just leaving the modem powered on accounts for 80 GBs a month???

Might explain why I dont know anybody with Bell internet.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

Upload should be orders of magnitude LOWER than download, for regular users. Typically speaking you send a simple request out, in order to receive a bunch of data back (email downloads, web page requests, etc.).

Are you running a Bittorrent client or something similar? Forgetting to end the downloads can result in a bunch of people downloading from you, which is an upload from your perspective.

Is your router wireless and have you secured it? Someone could be using your wireless access to serve up some rather....... interesting data. If so, then it's your door that police would come knocking at.

Checked your antivirus and spyware apps recently?
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

Fingolfin said:
sounds like there is something else hogging bandwidth

do you have a wireless router? could a neighbor being tapping into it?
Click to expand...

But if someone or something was tapping in, it would be downloading more than 50mbs in that time span..... not uploading X4 that amount.

Are they stealing info from me or what.
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

Rob MacLennan said:
Are you running a Bittorrent client or something similar? Forgetting to end the downloads can result in a bunch of people downloading from you, which is an upload from your perspective.
Click to expand...

All computers were completely shut down as of 6:30 this morning. Nothing has been running. I've planned to do this since last night.


Current online chat answer:

Fabian: It's unfortunate to hear and this has been informed to the concerned department.

Fabian: Okay, I have a suggestion for you.

Fabian: I understand your concern have exceeded bandwidth usage limit, not to worry please inform this to the bell business office department and they will help you with the credit.

His other suggestion is to unplug the modem when I'm not home/home/overnight/etc.....

Ugh.

My answer and his response:

Marmac: What about overnights? Are you suggesting I keep switching my modem on and off 2-3 times a day?

Fabian: Yes and there is no wrong in it.

Fabian: This will surely keep your internet connect safe.

Fabian: *connection


Nice.... very professional:

Fabian: I do understand your concern and trust me and follow these steps to save your internet connection from hackers.

Fabian: I have taken your issue as mine and provided these ideas.

Marmac: Hackers don't take 3 hours to take 300 mbs of usage.
 
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Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

I'd be changing the password on my wireless router first thing. Sounds like your neighbour is a bittorrent client. Definitely not "normal" by any definition of the word.
 
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Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

The solution is simple: End the internet service with bell and go to teksavvy with higher limits, same speeds and lower costs. Tell Bell retentions why you're leaving and if they fix/compensate you for the exact amount it cost you, you will return.

Also, request that Failbian realizes that turning the modem off 2-3 times a night to fix an issue on their side is which you are paying for is not an appropriate response as far as customer service is concerned.
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

skapan said:
I'd be changing the password on my wireless router first thing. Sounds like your neighbour is a bittorrent client. Definitely not "normal" by any definition of the word.
Click to expand...
This.
If there's more upload it sounds a lot like an "afterdownload seeding" kinda behaviour. If he was smart he'd wait till youre home to 'hide' usage better..

Get a more complicated password for your wi-fi. Or find the neighbour and eliminate him
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

1. Get a good router that you can load OpenWrt on to (E.g. D-Link DIR-825).
2. Put your DSL model into bridge mode and disable it's wireless.
3. Configure wireless from the OpenWRT router (with WPA2-AES security)
4. Monitor your usage from:
a) the Realtime Graphs->Traffic tab (shows individual IP connections, current load)
b) Network -> Interfaces tab (shows an accumulative total)

Now you have you're own "meter" you can compare to...
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

Which router are you using? Make and Model
WEP, WPA, WPA2? WPA2 recommended with complex password
Have you viewed your router's traffic logs? Turn off your devices and see if there is other traffic.
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

Agree with the others who have suggested bittorrent behaviour running in the background maybe. If it is not from within your home you can check to see what is connected. If you have the which 2wire modem, log into it using your browser and the default 192.168.2.1 address, go into settings tab, then Lan and see what devices are connected.
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

I'll never complain about my unlimited Shaw ever again...

As others have said, sounds like a cloud service (Steam, Origin, Bittorrent/Vuze/Utorrent etc.) is continuously uploading. If everything is turned off as you said, just unplug and plug in the modem until you can change providers.
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

Have you checked the DHCP log in your router to see what devices are using it?
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

Make sure you're not using WEP. It's very easy to crack. Check on your router to see wifi clients.

I doubt the modem is eating your bandwidth, but just in case, disconnect your router and leave the modem on without anything connected to it. See if your data usage changes.

BTW sometimes data counters take a while to update. Maybe it's just updating to what you used while you were at home.
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

daught said:
Make sure you're not using WEP. It's very easy to crack. Check on your router to see wifi clients.

I doubt the modem is eating your bandwidth, but just in case, disconnect your router and leave the modem on without anything connected to it. See if your data usage changes.

BTW sometimes data counters take a while to update. Maybe it's just updating to what you used while you were at home.
Click to expand...

You can pretty much use whatever encryption method you want as long as you don't advertise your Net ID, don't use the default subnets, and enable MAC based filtering. At that point it will either be a network professional or a 14 year old kid who hacks you, neither of which you can stop.
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

Rob MacLennan said:
You can pretty much use whatever encryption method you want as long as you don't advertise your Net ID, don't use the default subnets, and enable MAC based filtering. At that point it will either be a network professional or a 14 year old kid who hacks you, neither of which you can stop.
Click to expand...

Yes yes... and set up a radius server on top. Any other ideas to confuse him further without actually increasing security? WPA2+good password is as simple as it gets and its very secure. MAC filtering is useless for security and a nuisance for the user. Subnets and ssid can easily be sniffed.
 
Re: Ongoing Bell Internet B*llsh*t..... What is "Normal" for Idle time?

daught said:
Yes yes... and set up a radius server on top. Any other ideas to confuse him further without actually increasing security? WPA2+good password is as simple as it gets and its very secure. MAC filtering is useless for security and a nuisance for the user. Subnets and ssid can easily be sniffed.
Click to expand...

You're speaking from a professional standpoint. I'm talking about stopping the average neighbour who read a blog.
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