Excessive uploads gobbling your data allowance?

If your uploads are higher than your downloads, some things to check are

• You need to isolate what device is uploading all the data. Turn off all devices and only turn one on for 2 hours and monitor your data usage. Keep doing that until you find the culprit.
• Login into your account with your service provider and see if you can pinpoint when the uploads are happening. Your RSP will only have hourly data keep for the last 24 hours.
• Do you have a Network Attached Storage device? If so, turn it off and see what happens. The software on them can phone home for updates.
• Your router may have been ‘hacked’. Try bypassing the router and plugging your computer directly into the NTD and see what happens.
• Your computer maybe ‘talking to friends’ in the background. Here is how you can turn that option off.

Windows 10: Check here to see how to set you WiFI connection to WiFi, disable peer-to-peer updating, prevent automatic App updates and Live Tile updates, Save data on web browsing. http://www.howtogeek.com/249254/how-to-stop-windows-10-from-using-so-much-data/ This tells you how you can moniter your data usage in Windows 10
https://www.cnet.com/au/how-to/monitor-your-data-usage-in-windows-10/

Apple: Most often BitTorrent, iCloud, Dropbox, or some other cloud-data application is involved in cases of mysterious bandwidth use by a Mac. If you use iCloud, uncheck at least iCloud Drive in its preference pane and see whether there’s any change. If you use third-party network backup or file-sync software, disable that. If you use a torrent client, remove it. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7314385?start=0&tstart=0

• Windows 10 can act as a proxy server, you need to turn that off. See here for instructions
  https://www.cnet.com/au/how-to/windows-10-settings-menu-the-network-internet-tab/
• Check your computer for malware, your computer may have become part of a botnet. Download the free version of Malwarebytes (make sure you untick the free trial of their premium edition) and run it. It will work with you antivirus software, and usually finds things the antivirus software doesn’t. Down load from here – https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download/
• Your cloud software maybe be syncing too often. Turn it off for automatic syncing, or set up a selective syncing option. Selective Syncing in Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/en/help/175 You cannot, at this time, set up selective syncing with iCloud … it is either on or off! Photo Stream maybe syncing – here is how to control it (and some other Cloud applications) https://www.cnet.com/au/news/icloud-the-hidden-cost-for-the-magic-and-how-to-avoid-it/
• Your cloud accounting maybe syncing too often, You will need to consult your user manual for instructions on how to control the syncing.

If you have tried all the above suggestions, and still can’t control the uploading of data you will need to contact your service provider and ask for help. They will be able to monitor in real time what is happening over your connection (best done when the uploading is actually happening)