Wireless print server & broadband

In recent months have installed a wireless print server on the wireless broadband network (Eircom) at home to cover the use of one printer by the desktop & the family's laptops. It's conected via the eircom wireless modem and therefore has it's own "IP" address. Have just wondered would items being sent for printing through this use any of the monthly download allowance ( presently set at 20GB). We seem to be using an awful lot of the download allowance each month and after eliminating music etc. can't see what's using it all up. The system is encrypted so do not think that anyone is "freeloading" on it. Does anyone know if documents printed this way would be considered "download". With a couple of college students and own work there would be a lot of printing.

Data transfer on your local network (i.e. not going via the internet) is not counted as a download. Unless there is something very badly broken with the allowance usage calculation or how the files are being transferred to the printer, then the printing will not be counted.

OK thanks for that, just need to try tie down the download a bit more see whats eating it up.

Someone's piggy backing your network me thinks. If you are using wpa(psk) encryption you should change the pass phrase and disable ssid broadcasting.

caff said:

Someone's piggy backing your network me thinks. If you are using wpa(psk) encryption you should change the pass phrase and disable ssid broadcasting.

Click to expand...

Thanks, will do that for safety. We have the standard Eircom Netopia Modem with 24 bit encryption. I know there was a possible problem recently advertised by Eircom but is someone going to go to the trouble of cracking a 24bit alphanumeric code in a small residential area for a bit of download. Other neighbours have unlocked systems which sometimes show up on our network lists, I'd be more worried about theirs being piggybacked. Once the network shows as secured with a padlock isn't it mostly safe from this ?

'mostly safe' . . . yes.

However, if someone has cracked it (relatively easy) then they will continue using your bandwidth until you change the key (at which point they crack it again) or the encryption mechanism (at which point they probably just move on to someone elses link).

Looked at objectively, you have pretty much answered your own question. You have unexplained bandwidth usage, you now know it's not print jobs, you believe it's not your own usage, so that pretty much only leaves other people using your bandwidth.

Of course, your estimation of your own usage may be incorrect but it you reckon it is correct then it only leaves external users.

It is quite possible that someone could be using multiple links in your neighbourhood including your own. If someone was a major movie downloader he could easily set up a few cheap machines (or multiple wireless cards in a single machine) and associate with all available networks in the area. There is no 'rule' which says if someone is going to exploit a wireless network that they will only exploit one or even exploit the easiest one.

You could try having a look at the management interface of your wireless router and see how many devices are associated with it. They should be listed either under associations or DHCP leases. You should see one entry for each of your devices *which are turned on* including the print server. If you see more than that total then someone s using your router.

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