Sudden huge increase in internet data usage

@user_edb101​ 

Discovered that Roku had started streaming all night even if we were not viewing it. We unplugged Roku and the problem disappeared. Xfinity was not helpful diagnosing that problem, but our data usage has dropped dramatically and well within our 1.2 TB limit.

@user_bb032c​ Thanks for the suggestions. I am running a data usage monitor on our router and we aren't seeing anything close to the data usage that Xfinity is reporting. Very odd.

So, a month ago I have switched plans with Xfinity. I have gotten rid of tv etc and that cut my bill in half and gave me faster internet. This month I have received a message about going over our limit (mind you we are mid way through the month) and my usage now is 2T when every month before that we rarely got to 700-800gb.

i checked services and everything else and cant find anything. The fact that this has happened after I switched plans makes me thing this is a shady strategy to have people upgrade their data limit. 
Anyone knows where can I report things like these for investigation? There must be something to be done when a company claims more than what you have used (being electricity, gas, internet etc). Any idea is appreciated. Thanks

@user_bb032c​ we have tried to find the data link please don’t just assume otherwise. Even the Xfinity tech stated there was no way we could be using so much data in 4 days.  We upgrade our router, changed passwords to everything,  looked at the data usage on all our products and nothing shows where the data leak is.  Xfinity says they don’t have a way to find the leak either and can’t break down the data usage. So how can they say someone is using above the amount used with out proof?

With all of the instances reported here, I am wondering if they are still sticking to their "one free overage" policy. I will say that once the company IT tech fixed the Outlook problem, I haven't gone over 100 gb/month for several months now.

Hello @user_bbb0af, thank you for taking the time to reach out to us! We will be happy to take a further look into your data concern. Can you please send us a direct message with your full name and full address? We will be more than happy to help! 

To send a "Peer to peer" ("Private") message:
Click "Sign In" if necessary
• Click the "Peer to peer chat" icon
• Click the "New message" (pencil and paper) icon
• Type "Xfinity Support" in the "To:" line and select "Xfinity Support" from the drop-down list which appears. The "Xfinity Support" graphic replaces the "To:" line

Hey @user_87fe53 I appreciate you reaching out to us regarding the account's data usage. I know it is concerning to use more than expected. I am here and would love a chance to investigate.  Could you please send our team a direct message with your full name and full address?

 Our team can most definitely take a further look at this issue.

 To send a "Direct Message" to Xfinity Support:

 Click "Sign In" if necessary

 Click the "Direct Messaging" icon or https://comca.st/3EqVMu7 

Click the "New message" (pencil and paper) icon

 The "To:" line prompts you to "Type the name of a person". Instead, type "Xfinity Support" there

 - As you are typing a drop-down list appears. Select "Xfinity Support" from that list

 - An "Xfinity Support" graphic replaces the "To:" line

 Type your message in the text area near the bottom of the window

 Press Enter to send it

 See https://comca.st/3KQF8q9r for an example.

I am very sorry that you are seeing this spike in your usage, we want to make sure your network is secure, and that you have the ability to get it checked out. Please contact our Security Assurance Team to look into this issue further, if you believe there is an issue with the reporting. You can get the contact information for them here https://internetsecurity.xfinity.com/help/report-abuse/ I hope this helps. 

@user_e4888b​ When I tried to figure this out with Xfinity assistance, everyone I talked to was from another country, and simply read off a card of things to do, non of which worked. They even gave me a new modem/router. As stated before, I figured out it was something to do with Outlook by shutting it down and observing data usage. You used to be able to pull up a bar chart of usage by the hour, but I can't find that anymore. Since it was my work laptop I got IT involved and the guy did something with my "outlok profile" that eliminated the problem, for good. Wish I could tell you what exactly he did.

@JumppinJoe​ Unfortunately, we've been monitoring using both Activity Monitor and another app and we get nothing close to the amount of data usage that xfinity says we're using. For example, I've used total of 17.65 GB on my device since early November and my husband's usage is slightly higher but not dramatically so. Hardly enough to put us over the 1.2 TB limit by the middle of November, which is what Xfinity posted.

@user_4e1257​ This thread is up to Page 25. Obviously Xfinity has a big problem that they are not fixing. Thankfully work IT fixed mine. I hate to say this, but if you get someone with a heavy accent on the line they on the other side of the globe and probably barely understand you, and just read off [Edited: "Language"] on a card they have. 

Hi there @user_4e1257 and everyone else. Please feel free to send us a Direct Message with your full name and complete service address. Here is how you can contact us:

(Full credit to @BruceW for this excellent explanation!) 

"Search for Xfinity Support" won't work. To send a "Direct Messaging" message to Xfinity Support:

• Click "Sign In" if necessary

• Click the "Direct Messaging" icon or https://forums.xfinity.com/direct-messaging

• Click the "New message" (pencil and paper) icon

• The "To:" line prompts you to "Type the name of a person". Instead, type "Xfinity Support" there

•  - As you are typing a drop-down list appears. Select "Xfinity Support" from that list

•  - An "Xfinity Support" graphic replaces the "To:" line

• Type your message in the text area near the bottom of the window

• Press Enter to send it

See https://forums.xfinity.com/conversations/email/cant-create-a-new-email-address/605e52b726aa974d63032d02?commentId=606107ea738c7f46a02b830e for an example.

@user_a9aa0b​ What did you work IT do? What was the issue? I haven’t been able to figure out what the issue is. I’m tracking it. We were seeing large usage overnight— or at least that’s how it seems based on what Xfinity app shares. Somehow ten to twenty gbs are being used at night… while we sleep.

I own my own router and modem, so I pause the internet now overnight to see if it still happens. It’s very bizarre.

@user_e60838​ They probably don't have access to the data.  They contract with a 3rd party to report your data usage.  A few years ago, they hit the wrong guy who was actually logging his own data use in enough detail to make them cave and refund a bunch of accounts in a market.  After that, I started passing every one and zero through another box and logging everything in detail.

In my area, they're consistently reporting data use 8-10% Short of what I can actually prove I used in court, except for last month where they were over 300G short, and this month where they report 12GB for the entire month.  That could be a web site API error (new rollout as of late), or their 3rd party dropped the ball.

I'm not stealing from them, would not want to and wouldn't think it's possible since they control everything upstream from me.  It's not a rounding error, or a time zone cutoff, it's just inaccurate.

Cell companies and hosting companies can manage to report data use in almost real time.  That's actually how their do their billing, and in the case of a hosting company, they're accurate right down to the web page load you used to check the account.

In any case, it's up to you to prove on a dispute, and you can't if you use their equipment.  If you are using their cable boxes, you are really blind and those will pull whatever they can shove down the pipe.  You are also watching 4K UHD or larger streams on streaming services so keep it in mind.

Predatory up sell?  Sure.  That's their business model.

@user_533409​ If this happens to me again then "Bye-Bye" Xfinity. I keep getting hounded by Ting.

@user_97f19e I'm sorry to hear that you've seen your data use creep up like that! Just to clarify, are you using an Xfinity modem? If so I definitely recommend downloading the Xfinity app and going through all devices connecting to your internet. I had this happen a few years back and I took the time to label each device connecting to my internet and discovered I had 5-6 devices that weren't mine. Using the Xfinity app I was able to pause those devices, so they couldn't access my internet. That made a huge difference in my data.  

@user_ba22aa​ I jumped ship after the 15 day trial with tmobile home internet. Since I have tmobile service it's $30 a month so I purchased 2 with $10 off YouTube TV and Philo tv. 

Hi there, @user_ba22aa, thank you for taking the time to comment on our Xfinity Forums and share your experience with us! This is certainly not the experience we want or expect you to have. I would like to look into this further with you. Please send us a direct message with your full name and service address to get started. 

Here's the detailed steps to direct message us: 

 • Click "Sign In" if necessary

 • Click the "Direct Messaging" icon (upper right corner of this page)

 • Click the "New message" (pencil and paper) icon

 • Type "Xfinity Support" in the to line and select "Xfinity Support" from the drop-down list

 • Type your message in the text area near the bottom of the window

 • Press Enter to send your message

@user_0cd611​ Same. The agent said we used 53gb on Dec 24. I have receipts for the morning and afternoon. We were not home most of the day. 

We are three people who somehow used 290 gbs in 9 days. One of us is at school for most of the day. We are gaming all day. It doesn’t make sense. 

What’s worse— the Xfinity members who dismiss this issue.

Correction— we are NOT gaming all day. We have work.

Hello @user_61cb1f thank you for reaching out to Xfinity on Forums! I am sorry to hear that you do not agree with your reported internet data usage. Based on what you have said, I would recommend contacting our Customer Security Assurance Team to report a dispute. 

The Customer Security Assurance Team can be reached by calling 1-800-Xfinity, and requesting the Customer Security Assurance Team.