to wonder where all my internet usage is going...?

[betterwhenthesunshines]

We have BT, started at 10GB which never seemed to be quite enough so we upped it to 40GB.

Regular internet search usage and emails. Very occasional iTunes downloads (maybe 2 albums worth a month on average) occasional iPlayer usage on iPad (maybe 2 hours' worth a month). No online games via consoles.

Last 2 months we've been charged extra for going 3GB over. Is it just that regular websites are so heavy on flash and mini video clips (MNHQ I'm looking at your Beko ads here....)

Is your network secure? No neighbours piggy-backing? Do you use iPads etc too?

I think ulimited useage deals are so inexpensive these days, it might be worth looking at those.

Do your DCs watch lots of youtube videos? That racks up useage.

It is secure, although we do have lodger... no way of checking which is her usage and which is ours. Not that I know off anyway, which is why I never botherd to get a usage monitor (although I suppose if I watched while she was in the house and I wasn't using anything, then I'd know).

You tube, occasional, but not much. Tends to go in splurges so maybe a 25 min session of Jim Hendrix vids, maybe 3 times a month.

We were going over our limit and getting charged extra every month on BT, now we are on sky we never go over our downloads and actually use the Internet more IMO. We couldn't work it out

do you use iplayer etc?

Is there a separate limit for peak and offpeak usage? Ours gives us 90 gb a month but only 30 of that is for peak times (9am - midnight).

We've had to change onto unlimited too.Can't figure out why it's gone up so much.

We had to change to unlimited as we kept going over, but then I download A LOT as does DSD and watch programmes online.

Set up your router with two networks if you are using wifi and you can then easily monitor the data on the lodgers one. 40 gb is about the same as atching a film a pirated film a night or maybe a couple of episodes of a series so if your lodger is doing that you will be hitting your limits easily.

I've just checked our usage as we have the same package as you and it reckons we use, on average, 10.5GB a month. This month we are currently on 2.8GB. We use it for emails, uploading photos to Flickr, FB etc, occasional iTunes downloads and DD watches some stuff on YouTube, often we'll have two or three of us on line at the same time and I don't think we've ever gone over.

Can you track your usage on line for a few days to see what your daily usage is, that way you might be able to figure out if it's you or someone else like your lodger using up your allowance.

Could there be someone streaming porn on the sly or a neighbour piggybacking on your connection?

I presume it's WIFI ?

Porn

Novack - a film a night?! Wow, I'm definitely not doing that. She says she doesn't watch telly but yesterday I had to go up and ask her about something and I noticed she had ITV player running on her laptop. Not worth falling out over, but would be interesting - how would I set up my router with 2 networks?

Must set up a usage tracket with BT maybe, then I can see how much I use during the day, and how much it goes up in the evening when sh'es home maybe?

usage trackeR

Do you have to pay for internet usage? Good God, is anything in the UK not overpriced and exploitative?

Obviously I get paying for the subscription but didn't know people got charged for the actual amount they use.

You pay different rates. So you have to choose if you might need 10GB a month, or 40GB, or unlimited. Different rates for each one. If you choose 10GB 0r 40GB and then you go over that amount they charge you an extra fee. It is flippin' annoying as obviously they e-imburse you on the months you don't use your full allowance ... not.

I assume your lodger is watching tv online , have ou not asked him?

Porn.

I have up to 60GB allowance but have never gone over 15, usually around 11. Mostly just surfing but a few hours of Iplayer each week since we got a new TV box that lets us watch it on television. More than 40GB sounds like a lot, itv player would use it up too but it does sound like the lodger may be eating up your allowance.

We have suddenly started to near our 10Gb BT limit each month - previously just used around 4/5mb for emails, Mumsnet and surfing. Only thing I started to do was watch 1/2 episodes of Eastenders each month via iPlayer. Amazed at the increase!

It doesn't matter whether your lodger is watching Eastenders or porn.
If s/he is using it to watch streaming video every night that will certainly explain the high usage.