asked on Unusually high bandwidth usage
We have a 3 network MIFI device that allows up to 5 wireless connections.
We have a 15GB per month allowance.
We used up this allowance a few days before the month end.
For our type of Internet usage (email with attachments that run into 10's of MBs per day only) 5GB would be more than enough.
Logging onto the config page of the device showed we had used:
Download 3GB
Upload 12GB
I phoned 3 who suggested that one of the users may be watching/listening to video/audio and that this would use more upload than download.
This came as a surprise, I thought that if you were watching TV/Video etc. online that you would be downloading more than uploading!
Can any of you experts explain the data movement process of this type of Internet use and if uploads would be more than downloads (to me that doesn't sound logical)
Thanks for your help and hopefully education.
Neil
We have a 15GB per month allowance.
We used up this allowance a few days before the month end.
For our type of Internet usage (email with attachments that run into 10's of MBs per day only) 5GB would be more than enough.
Logging onto the config page of the device showed we had used:
Download 3GB
Upload 12GB
I phoned 3 who suggested that one of the users may be watching/listening to video/audio and that this would use more upload than download.
This came as a surprise, I thought that if you were watching TV/Video etc. online that you would be downloading more than uploading!
Can any of you experts explain the data movement process of this type of Internet use and if uploads would be more than downloads (to me that doesn't sound logical)
Thanks for your help and hopefully education.
Neil
NetworkingWeb BrowsersWireless Networking
Last Comment
Neil Randall
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It sounds like either someone in your network is sending out large attachments by email or you hight have spyware somewhere in the network with it's own SMTP engine that is sending out spam.
When downloading, no matter what the content, you should see approximately 10%-15% upload traffic just in Ack messages. i.e. for 100MB of download, you should see 10MB to 15MB of upload traffic for Ack's.
12GB would be 3 to 6 movies, by the way, depending on resolution; or a couple hours of broadcast TV HD video, 20-35 music CDs with no compression, et cetera.
Either your report has the totals switched around... or, as TG-TIS noted, someone using it should know where that traffic originated or there's a 'bot or a backdoor on your network.
Are you unplugging the device at night?
12GB would be 3 to 6 movies, by the way, depending on resolution; or a couple hours of broadcast TV HD video, 20-35 music CDs with no compression, et cetera.
Either your report has the totals switched around... or, as TG-TIS noted, someone using it should know where that traffic originated or there's a 'bot or a backdoor on your network.
Are you unplugging the device at night?
ASKER
I don't know why I questioned myself on this - The 3 network techie was very sure that the streaming went upstream! Which just did not sound logical.
Thanks for putting me back on track
Neil
Thanks for putting me back on track
Neil
Upload is mostly likely to be either someone doing bit torrent or P2P downloads (as it shares the data back to others)
or someone storing files on your network (imagine you have an FTP server with no security and people find it by searching. They stick a copy of HarryPotter.avi on it and as people download it from there, your upload number goes up.
Your ISP may be able to check traffic - if not you need to install some sniffer software (see wireshark) and see what is going up and down.