Contributor
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2 Messages
Outrageaous Internet Usage Data All The Sudden
I've had AT&T Highspeed DSL for years. Since they put the 150 gig cap on a few years ago, I have never gone over my home internet amount. I actually never even realized I had a limit until I started receiving usage alerts last month.
My daughter moved out two months ago, so I would have expected my usage to go down even more. It is just me and my wife here and she is gone most of the time for work. We watch a little Netflix in the evenings, just TV shows, never any HD movies, I listen to Pandora sometimes. I send maybe 20 emails a month, we never ever download music. I don't go on Youtube anymore because it's just a mess. I don't do much Facebook and I have never played an online game. I also have never owned a cell phone. My wife has one, but she only uses it to check emails and shop. So how could we have used 30 gigs of data on Saturday and on Sunday we used 27 gigs. We were not even in the house that day, we were out chopping wood!
This is August 11th and we are already at 135 gigs. Like I said the kid moved out two months ago, there is less time on all the internet activities and the usage is going through the roof. I called Support yesterday and changed my WIFI password/log in, but I don't think anyone is near enough to us to hack into our account. I called again today to see if there could be another problem other than all this is "my fault".
AT&T has no answer other than just blaming me for the usage. I have gone on there data calculator and looked up what 30 gigs of usage actually equates to. There simply is not enough hours for me and my wife to reach 30 gigs in a day.
I've tried to look around the net for anything about this, but it's all about cell phone complaints.
Is anyone else out there having this sudden/recent problem? After my last call today and no explanation other than it being "my fault", I filed a complaint with the BBB. I'll do the same with the FCC and I have already found another service that I will be switching to. No more $$$ from me every month AT&T, you're losing a 15+ year customer.
Darknessrise
Professor
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2.4K Messages
9 years ago
@chanman11
Happen to have any devices on the network that are potentially infected? If they are infected, they could be constantly sending data across your network.
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chanman11
Contributor
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2 Messages
9 years ago
I have a laptop and watch netflix through a PS3...thats it.
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toxcrusadr
Visitor
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1 Message
9 years ago
Do you have antimalware software running all the time? If so what is it? If not you should get some (the free Avast or Malwarebytes are good, I use them). It was the first thing I thought of. Hackers or Spammers could be using your system to send out millions of emails, for example. Just a thought.
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jumonjii
Teacher
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22 Messages
9 years ago
Good to hear it's not that is suddenly getting high internet usage.
I've cut back on my usage and turn my modem off when I'm not on the computer.
My internet cycle is different from my billing cycle and no one at ATT can explain why.
This is a BIG issue as my billing ends a full week before the data cycle ends....the data usage after the billing cycle ends is added as overage charges...or some such nonsense.
I will be switching to a DSL provider that has no dat cap if it isn't resolved.
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Tigereyze209
Professor
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3.9K Messages
9 years ago
Okay, fair disclosue, I'm another customer with an opinion. My observation on my DSL internet service it this: I live in Florida, and the DSL is provided by BellSouth communications.. ATT owns them, but they are run seperatly. I notice that my usage is metered and billed on a calaender month, not my billing cycle.
I also find that the amount shown using their data usage tool tend to be differant than the monitoring program I use, so I have an idea how much I'm using, though the way ATT computes it is about 10 percent higher than the monitoring program shows.
They seem to be having issues with accurate reporting using the data tool, and are working on it, but still does not seem right.
For one thing, the data seems to be about 4 days to a week old, and I hear cases where folks get the over data limit e-mail without the 65 and 90 percent warnings they are suppsed to get.
That is a rather heavy data usage you are describing, that is a fact.
Netflix vidio streams do use up bandwidth, what what you are descriving is a bit excessive.
Hope this does get resolved in your favor. Good luck
One other thing occours to me: If you are using wi-fi, unless you have it "locked down" (set a password, activate all the security protocols), it is possible, you are hosting neighbors pirating your signal. If you do not have, or do not use, wi-fi, then, never mind. As I said, it was just a thought.
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boschic
Contributor
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2 Messages
9 years ago
I also have the same problem. Started in June. I have changed my password,reset my computer to factory settings. I live by myself. I work so like you I watch very little tv. I do watch netflix in the evenings. When I look back over my usage it was pretty much zero until the middle of May. Now all of a sudden I am use the 150 GB plus. What is going on ? I am not doing anything different then I did 6 months ago. Also like you I will be dumping ATT. This is just stupid.
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mturner_71
Teacher
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18 Messages
9 years ago
Being charged for data usage that I have no idea is being used, nor does AT&T. Their "billing in arrears" methodology makes it impossible for you to verify why or how you went over your data cap.
Being split into 2 sections, download usage and upload usage, I found that I have anywhere between .5 to 2 GB of "UPLOAD" data usage per day, and I work all day long. I cannot figure out what is "uploading" data to use 14GB per month..
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jojolynn
Tutor
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2 Messages
9 years ago
Yes I am having the same issues!!! Im so glad its not just me because I was very puzzled that I didn't have any issues until the last couple of bills i have gotten. The thing is I work 2 jobs and my kid is at school during the day so how come I have gone over so much now when we are using it less?! this is rediculous and I really don't want to switch to another company but the whole reason I got att is because of the cost. Now that this is happening the cost is no longer a deal and I feel ripped off. I will not keep going like this no way.
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godzillarex
Tutor
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4 Messages
6 years ago
I have had the same problem from these dumbasses , first I would get the emails about the usage and they would have a page where you could follow your usage and it was fairly accurate ,this way they have set up now it doesn't really show what websites you did the downloading from or exactly how much you did ,example 500mb ,1gb ,or 325mb now its just a sliding line that they could make anything they want ,my usage has been over EVERY single month going back 3 years ,last Christmas same crap ,30 extra dollars added to my bill ,this year the exact same crap exactly 30 dollars,I have every email ,sometime I would pay the bill and 3 days later ,the first 65% usage email would pop up ,I even called them and asked them to tell me what I was doing that was making me go over the limit " Oh we dont know that " and when they sold me the so called 150GB package that was more them anyone uses,well that sure wasnt right,when I first signed up on ATT it was 33 bucks a month unlimited,then came the usage fees,then buy the 150gb plan and you will be covered ,lets not forget the increase of internet payment ,that went up almost 75% What this is about is ATT wants your money and they ARE going to get it ,no matter what your story is ,you either just surf the net , but dont be thinking your watching any movies or download any new games from EA or anyone else since everything they do is digital now days ,same thing for xbox . Then the we increase the fees for better repairs , it breaks down here you will be waiting a week ,because apparently there are so many poople with out service and the repairmen are so busy ,I guess the extra fees are not fixing anything , ATT is in the business to get rich and thats . there is no other service that can be had unless you want dial up ,so they now they got you by the balls ,ATT ,UA cable make so much money off this internet its not even funny ,there could be 1 flat fee and still they would make billions . So yes I have noticed the constant usage fees and rate increases and I am sick of it .
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DenverGates
Contributor
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2 Messages
6 years ago
They are doing the same to me as we speak. Never heard a word until last month. My neighbor has AT&T DSL to and they got a notice too. Both of them are gone 12 hours a day. Visited an AT&T company store too. Rep tried for an hour and a half to get my usage data. Not available. He also said with the speed I have it would be almost impossible to use this much data in a month. This is not doubt an AT&T effort to get rid of customers. also know as "reducing exposure". DSL is an obsolete technology and I personally think they want to be rid of it for good.
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