Oap's Broadband Usage

[OnOff]

My dad is 83 and we recently got him a laptop. He's taken to it pretty well. It's on BT with a 10GB limit. What I find amazing is that "he" seems to regularly go over the 10GB limit and ends up having to pay an extra £5 or £10 a month for doing so.

He doesn't download films or music. The odd photo maybe from rellies in America and Ireland. And he occasionally Skypes me / them. Of a weekend my boy takes his laptop up and is gaming for 2/3 hrs both days. Dad watches the odd singer on YouTube and surfs medical sites as he and mum have various ailments.

Am I being naive to think this sort of use wouldn't add up to 10GB? Checking it on BT and it just shows a bar with the usage as a percentage of the bar. Is there anyway to see more detail of what/when? Could someone else be using it? AVG shows nothing onerous but he has managed to get something on it called "Babylon Toolbar" which I can't seem to get rid of.

Mine is unlimited so I've no experience of exceeding a limit.

Cheers

 

[Andy™]

does he have wifi? could a neighbour be using it?

how many computers use the net there? if just 1, you could install a program to record up/download useage?

 

[Steve3948]

Some routers have a usage setting, with my old netgear you could set it to warn you when you were near limit or even disconnect.

There should also be the log file in there, my boy with his gaming used to do 3-5Gb a night.

 

[OnOff]

does he have wifi? could a neighbour be using it?

how many computers use the net there? if just 1, you could install a program to record up/download useage?

Yep, WiFi, that's what I wondered though the security details are on a little removeable "tag" attached to the router so unless the "neighbour" had that info it's secure I'd have thought? BTW, no neighbours come in.

What programs are there to record usage?

Cheers

 

[septiclecky]

Yep, WiFi, that's what I wondered though the security details are on a little removeable "tag" attached to the router so unless the "neighbour" had that info it's secure I'd have thought? BTW, no neighbours come in.

What programs are there to record usage?

Cheers

They don't need to come in to pick up the wifi signal, you need to make sure it is secured ASAP as a car in the road outside can also pick up the signal and use it. 

 

[steptoe]

yep, try a google on  BACKTRACK  and look at a few youtubes, most wifi can be hacked in under 5mins,

I have over 30 locked wifi I can see and I can access any of them that I want, including seeing the data being sent and received, imagine what someone that knows what they are doing could do.! 

look at the wifi connections log on the router, try   192.168.1.1  or similar in your address bar (its best to use a hard wired connection to make changes), and it should bring up the router info, then you can 'lock down' the MAC addresses of the devices you 'allow' to use it,

BTW, thats still not solid as MAC adresses can also be 'spoofed' .

 

[Bruspark]

Remove Babylon toolbar :  https://community.mcafee.com/docs/DOC-4345

Check the wiFi router is set to using WPA2 encryption - a current laptop can also use this level but some v old gear cannot.,  The earlier WEP and WPA levels are however respectively 'appalingly simple' and 'still quite easy to crack'.  WPA2 has not been cracked in any serious way . . yet

Change the router's wifi password and don't put it on the back of the router - and/or don't stand the router on the lounge window ledge (yes I have seen this!!)  !

Ensure the lad is not also downloading loads of video's or watching non stop TV shows using 4OD etc.  My 3 little darlings reached 180GB one month in the summer hols resulting in stern letters and subsequent speed restriction from the ex-Broadband provider.  They were downloading movies and watching endless TV shows online (roughtly 700MB per episode watched in SD,  over 1GB in HD x 8 hours x 7 days x 3 ).

 

[OnOff]

yep, try a google on  BACKTRACK  and look at a few youtubes, most wifi can be hacked in under 5mins,

I have over 30 locked wifi I can see and I can access any of them that I want, including seeing the data being sent and received, imagine what someone that knows what they are doing could do.! 

look at the wifi connections log on the router, try   192.168.1.1  or similar in your address bar (its best to use a hard wired connection to make changes), and it should bring up the router info, then you can 'lock down' the MAC addresses of the devices you 'allow' to use it,

BTW, thats still not solid as MAC adresses can also be 'spoofed' .

I'm on Dad's pc now. Tried that IP address, just said "Google Chrome could not connect", saying that I am only connected via wireless as I don't have a lead with me.

That's interesting about BACKTRACK, I found an article that said:

"allows users to boot BackTrack directly from portable media without requiring installation, though permanent installation to hard disk is also an option."

Does that mean I DON'T need to actually install Linux?

Remove Babylon toolbar :  https://community.mcafee.com/docs/DOC-4345

Check the wiFi router is set to using WPA2 encryption - a current laptop can also use this level but some v old gear cannot.,  The earlier WEP and WPA levels are however respectively 'appalingly simple' and 'still quite easy to crack'.  WPA2 has not been cracked in any serious way . . yet

Change the router's wifi password and don't put it on the back of the router - and/or don't stand the router on the lounge window ledge (yes I have seen this!!)  !

Ensure the lad is not also downloading loads of video's or watching non stop TV shows using 4OD etc.  My 3 little darlings reached 180GB one month in the summer hols resulting in stern letters and subsequent speed restriction from the ex-Broadband provider.  They were downloading movies and watching endless TV shows online (roughtly 700MB per episode watched in SD,  over 1GB in HD x 8 hours x 7 days x 3 ).

Security says "WPA2-Personal" so seems ok.........

I'm assuming to change the router password I need to connect with a lead?

What's the issue with the router being on the lounge window sill? Dad's is on the phone table in the middle of the dining room but MINE at home is on a window sill near the front door...............

 

[steptoe]

mmmm, if you have your router visible then anyone can walk up to the window and read the log in info.

yes, most Linux distros can be run from either CD or USB stick, so you dont need to actually install them on your HDD, they will obviously run a bit slower via CD/USB though.

IP try changing the last 1 to 0 or might be 2  the IP address should be on the router somewhere, just type it into the address bar.

I'm assuming to change the router password I need to connect with a lead?

somerouters if you change the PW via wireless it will disconnect you before you can confirm the pw change, you will then be in limbo cos the pw is halfway changed.

 

[OnOff]

The router is a BT Home Hub 3.0

Only details on the router are the:

Wireless Network / SSID

Wireless Key

Admin Password

Wireless WPS PIN

Nope. neither changing the last digit to "0" or "2" works.....................just says "can't connect"..........

 

[steptoe]

I dont know what else to do on windows, in Ubuntu you can search for the IP of any device on the network,

 

[Bruspark]

home hub 3  192.168.1.254 as I recall.     Yes best to chnage PW using a cable but if not you'll just have to log in again

Yu can always reset the passwords on a BT router to the one onthe back  using a certain trick . .  but lets leave that for now

 

[OnOff]

home hub 3  192.168.1.254 as I recall.     Yes best to chnage PW using a cable but if not you'll just have to log in again

Yu can always reset the passwords on a BT router to the one onthe back  using a certain trick . .  but lets leave that for now

Yep, straight in with that IP address! Cheers, scoobed! I'll bring a cable up and have a go at changing the password.

 

[Bruspark]

On the HH3  When you are in, go to settings> advanced settings (enter the router ADMIN password and inisist you want to advanced settings ) and go to Home Network. 

That page shows in solid blue what is connected and other things that have EVER been connected are in lighter blue.  Print the page.   Go round your printers, laptops mobile phones TV's etc checking off the Mac address on the back or in the settings menus of the devices against your print out.  Dont forget the visiting laptop etc.   See if there is any you don't know. 

If there are you can find the device manufacturer quite often from the first two blocks of the Mac address but remember this list is not cleared so it could go back a long while

Now press refresh on the page and it will clear all but current ones.  re check later to see if any unknown devices re-appeared . . .

My money is still on Kids Viewing habits however

 

[Bruspark]

Actually I tell a lie, Having checked the 'refresh' button works to get you an up to date picture works but on next log-in the history is back. 

You can click on and delete from the history any mystery devices individually though to see if they re appear.

I assume there is some virus /internet security software on your Dads PC and it's not being used as online storage by the mafia

 

[OnOff]

Actually I tell a lie, Having checked the 'refresh' button works to get you an up to date picture works but on next log-in the history is back. 

You can click on and delete from the history any mystery devices individually though to see if they re appear.

I assume there is some virus /internet security software on your Dads PC and it's not being used as online storage by the mafia

Just quizzed my lad. He disappears into the spare room with his laptop when we go to see my Dad. He reckons he could be on YouTube for 2.5hrs every Sat & Sun...........would that be "enough" to get over the 10GB limit in a month? Sorry, I'm a real numpty when it comes to internet/routers/networking!

 

[OnOff]

Actually I tell a lie, Having checked the 'refresh' button works to get you an up to date picture works but on next log-in the history is back. 

You can click on and delete from the history any mystery devices individually though to see if they re appear.

I assume there is some virus /internet security software on your Dads PC and it's not being used as online storage by the mafia

Just quizzed my lad. He disappears into the spare room with his laptop when we go to see my Dad. He reckons he could be on YouTube for 2.5hrs every Sat & Sun...........would that be "enough" to get over the 10GB limit in a month? Sorry, I'm a real numpty when it comes to internet/routers/networking!

 

[Bruspark]

Well if we assume a 5 minute YouTube video is 40MB (good quality, low quality is less)

and assume 2.5 hours means 2.5 hours solid back to back viewing  and that there are 8 such days in a month then that will use just over 10GB allowing for other data /control traffic.

TBH 10GB allowance plans are there to achieve a price point not to provide a family internet service.  BT used to limit their biggest 'family' plan at 100GB but after BBC player and 4OD etc came along they had to increase the fair use level to 300GB

 

[steptoe]

Yep, straight in with that IP address! Cheers, scoobed! I'll bring a cable up and have a go at changing the password.

brilliant,

:C

I suggest the idea and someone else comes up with a random number gets the scoob.   :|    X(

  :coat

 

[OnOff]

brilliant,

:C

I suggest the idea and someone else comes up with a random number gets the scoob.   :|    X(

  :coat

Whoops! Sorry..............it was just that his IP address suggestion worked. I thought a scoob was just a thank you? Actually, on the old forum weren't there "likes"? What does scoob mean? I think I've asked this before.............

EDIT: I just Googled "what is a scoob on a forum" and oddly got a TEF post from 2008 - long before my time. Know I know! It adds to the Reputation number!