Visitor
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8 Messages
Xfinity is sending me erroneous data usage notifications
I got an email claiming I've used 75% of my monthly data cap for December. Considering it's only a little over two weeks into the month and most of what I use my computer for is gaming, I immediately became suspicious. The website claims I've used 1100GB, but my own local usage is much, much lower.
What gives? This measurement is clearly [Edited: "Language"] considering I use between 200-700GB of data a month on average, and Windows reports that so far I've used less than 400 in the past 30 days.
e: I just got a notification that I used 90%. I've been asleep with my desktop off for the past 5 HOURS. There's nothing even using bandwidth on my computer right now besides the web browser.
danpohlig
Contributor
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20 Messages
2 years ago
Unplug your modem for 24 hours to see if the usage stops. When you plug it back in, make sure you've changed your wifi password then go one device at a time to add new devices back on and see if the usage is still what you expect. If after adding a device back the usage starts to go up significantly then you've found the reason.
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Nyarlathotep
Visitor
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8 Messages
2 years ago
(edited)
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flatlander3
Problem Solver
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1.5K Messages
2 years ago
Oh. They must have taken my data totals and given them to YOU!
They're 300GB short of what I can prove I used last month, and Zero for this month. Hooray!
I'm not sure what they count, but it isn't data used.
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saroji
Visitor
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2 Messages
2 years ago
Same issue for me: https://forums.xfinity.com/conversations/your-home-network/excessive-data-usage/639c0aec86efae732c83ce4f
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flatlander3
Problem Solver
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1.5K Messages
2 years ago
My post is still marked private due to partial screen shot of my data usage. There is no personal information on it, but I fully understand filtering images and marking private until a mod can take a look.
Data reported on my account is over 300GB short of what I can prove I actually used for Nov, and currently reads zero for December -- Hooray! For two years, I have been adjusting my own data usage, logging and throttling my data pigs. I know what they are and can plan accordingly. No, I am not scamming Xfinity -- and I don't even know how that would be possible since they own the upstream network, nor do I want to. I wouldn't want to scam a utility company either, but if they are metering my usage and billing for it, I would expect an accurate meter reading.
That being said, I do pick up a whole lot of unsolicited distributed portscan and other traffic, both from known hostile sources, and from virus encrusted/hijacked devices on comcast's network itself. It ticks me off there is no botnet mitigation, especially from known sources, but the traffic just bounces on the firewall so the data is minimal.
If you are port forwarding, using UPnP devices, IOT gear you can't control software on, allowing remote administration of your modem/gateway (looking at you funny Comcast with your phone app) -- pretty much any persistent connection or open port, the data use may not be minimal. Phones can be a big problem too, so if you are connecting one, reboot it, then shut the WiFi off and see if anything changes in the next 24 hours. Be extremely wary of auto-updates on all programs. Streaming devices/services you aren't throttling -- BIG problem. Everyone is broadcasting UHD streams now.
https://www.cisa.gov/uscert maintains an exploit database. Perhaps your modem or something you use is on it.
Xfinity claims there could be a 24 hour lag between data use and reporting, although I suspect that's untrue as well, and have no idea why a 3rd party data logger would require such a delay. I wouldn't contract one that did for that matter. A hosting company I use reports data accurately within seconds -- that's how they bill too.
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