Data discrepancy...now it's starting to bug me.

[GabeU]

I know I already have another thread regarding a data discrepancy, but it was never off this far, this fast.  I just don't get it.  I've ONLY used my LAN connected desktop today.  No WiFi devices.  Nothing has connected to WiFi, either (I checked the router).  If something had, it would reflect in the router total, anyway, since all things go through my router.  Also, this is not in Tech Support because I'm still researching it, at this point.  If it continues like this I will create a tech support post.     

And the Usage page of the myAccount site, which I didn't think of taking a picture of at the time of the others, concurs.  The only thing I've done since taking the above three pics is staring this post.  

[GabeU]

Well, it's about four hours later, and the rate of discrepancy has calmed down and gone back to "normal."    

Earlier, the difference between the Usage Meter and my Netgear router was about 40MB, with HughesNet saying 120MB and Netgear saying 80MB (rounded).  Now, HughesNet is at 283MB and Netgear is at 236MB, which is 47MB of difference.  So, I've used 163MB more according to HughesNet, and 156MB more according to Netgear, which is only 7MB of difference, and much more acceptable.  It's been, on average, about 50MB to 60MB of difference per HughesNet tallied GB (when HughesNet says 1000MB, Netgear says 940MB to 950MB).  This difference, though a little annoying, isn't that bad, but what happened earlier was just crazy.

Hopefully, what occurred earlier won't do so again.  Why it did occur is a complete mystery.  

[maratsade]

I'm totally ignorant about this stuff. I'm just happy when I can connect to the Internet. Herp derp.  🙂

[BirdDog]

Only thing that I can think of that might explain it is HughesNet and the router/Glasswire counting things differently when it comes to certain ports. As in counting something that isn't being counted by the others.

I dunno but is all that comes to mind why there could be such a big difference especially in the first case you posted. Would be nice if they published more in depth technical data on the HT2000W but doubt that will happen.

Who knows how compression is affecting things also. Would think the result being HughesNet reporting less use than router/Glasswire but could be the reverse in certain situations.

The whole data counting thing on the user end seems to be less than 100% accurate when throwing in all the different configuration possible. Good old smoke and mirrors at work. Only reason we even look at it so closely is because we're on capped data. Most folks not on satellite internet have no clue how much data they use.

[MarkJFine]

I've noticed that I've been literally burning through data lately again, similar to what I noticed about a year ago, where data usage seems to be twice as much as what you think you're using, or more.

Either it's a change in the compression scheme, something causing packet resends between here and the gateway, or a couple of other paranoid theories I've had for a while that might explain some external phantom usage:

Basically it has to do with bittorrent like protocols, where someone from the network might be excessively pinging your public IP, forcing data usage. If someone else using the IP 'shared' files it's very possible that other(s) have that IP stored from a recent session and are trying to reconnect. Might be your bad luck that you were assigned that IP. Forcing a new dynamic IP assignment from a reboot should alleviate something like that, but hasn't really for the most part.

Similarly, it could also be people probing known HN IP ranges with unblocked ports. Noticed this happens when spam levels tend to rise - basically unscrupulous people looking for ways to hack into unprotected servers to implant spam bots. Spam levels have been up and down erratic for a while now.

I prefer to blame one of the sketchy iOS games my wife plays on her phone (Cascade?), although I think that's not really it.

[GabeU]

@MarkJFine

Whatever caused it, I hope it doesn't happen again, but I'm going to keep my eye on it, that's for sure.  

[Amanda]

What does Glasswire indicate the traffic locally is for? Have you tried Wireshark? I think maybe comparing hour-by-hour might lead to some clues also. 

~Amanda

[GabeU]

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@Amandawrote:

What does Glasswire indicate the traffic locally is for? Have you tried Wireshark? I think maybe comparing hour-by-hour might lead to some clues also. 

~Amanda

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On that particular day (and set to the same time I took the original pic), Glasswire only shows 2.1MB of local data, with the majority of it (1.6MB) being used when signing in to the router via Chrome.  Since 12:00AM on the 5th, my local traffic has totalled 14.1MB.  If I misinterpreted your question, I apologize.  

Right now, my totals are as follows:

HughesNet (Usage page on MyAccount site):  2775MB (1581MB Anytime and 1194MB Bonus)

Netgear Router:  2549MB

Glasswire:  2.1GB.  Glasswire can't be relied on at this point due to it not including my cell phone used through WiFi.  

So, the difference between HughesNet and the Netgear Router is 226MB, which is close to the norm, at this point, when subtracting most of that 40MB+ difference at the beginning.  The discrepancy has been generally been around 7%, so I'm okay with that, as that much difference could just be chalked up to differences in the way the data is tabulated, or even within the margin of error on both accounts.  What happened at the beginning, though, didn't make sense, but it's hasn't happened since those first hours.  I wonder if what Mark suggested could have been the cause.  

[Amanda]

Ah, sort of what I meant. I figure if you have a 4 hour window of where this occurs, you can compare side-by-side the hourly usage displayed on the HughesNet side vs the Glasswire side. 

Mark's suggestion would make sense only if the "handed over" traffic was UDP. Maybe. In any case your IP address changes very often so if it was the case it wouldn't be much. I have a tinfoil theory of my own, however. I searched but didn't find a solid answer - Netgear and Glasswire are reading/displaying the MB out using binary (base2) or decimal (base10)? Not a huge difference in totals but worth a look..

My even bigger tinfoil theory is that it's possible that Netgear/Glasswire are misreporting external as internal or something even crazier like not including IPv6 traffic. 

~Amanda

[GabeU]

Well, the idea of base2 vs base10 actually doesn't sound that crazy.  Way back when, shortly after getting Gen5, I noticed the difference with Glasswire, and I asked on their forum as to whether Glasswire measured the data in base2 or base10.  Well, I actually asked them using binary and decimal as the question.  I kind of got the idea that the person who answered me thought I might be a little nuts, as he/she didn't really understand what I was talking about, which REALLY surprised me, and didn't give me a very good answer.  I can't remember what he/she said.  I'll take a look later, but it's wasn't anything definitive.  

But, the difference would be minimal, and maybe right where I'm seeing.  

And, of course, it could be the IPv6 traffic idea, too.  

Like I said, it's not really all that concerning to me, as the difference is usually no more than 7%.  It just shocked me at the beginning with whatever happened with that 80MB vs 120MB.  That's just a bit more. 😛  Hopefully it won't do that again.  

What I can do, if I remember, is to go online and check the data readings on the myAccount site using my phone (and phone data, not WiFi), and before I ever even power up the modem.  That way I can continue to see what was used on that particular day (by comparing the then current data to what it started at when I checked it with the phone) and I'll be able to use Glasswire again, at least in a day by day fashion, along with the router.  After all, three sources is better than two.  🙂     

[Amanda]

Sounds good. And yeah I agree the base10 v base2 is a small difference, but could lead us higher or lower. I enjoy chasing these cases because we don't have a bug bounty program so finding the really obscure reason for seeing a certain behavior, problem or what have you is part of what makes my job fun.

~Amanda

[GabeU]

A bug bounty.  LMAO!!!! 

[Amanda]

Eww!!!! >_<

[GabeU]

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@BirdDogwrote: 

Who knows how compression is affecting things also. Would think the result being HughesNet reporting less use than router/Glasswire but could be the reverse in certain situations.

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This was definitely the case with Gen4.  HughesNet with Gen4 always reported less, every month, without exception, and sometimes by a very sizable amount.  Gen5, OTOH, or at least for me, seems to either have absolutely no data compression in use, or it's supposed to and it's just not working.  My folks still have Gen4, and when I check Glasswire on their laptop, which is the only device that uses their HughesNet, it's always higher than what HughesNet's tally is, and again, sometimes by a very sizable amount.  Not the small difference than can be chalked up to the way Glasswire tallies data, but a sizable one, just like it was for me when I had Gen4.  

Since I started watching the data a few months ago, it's pretty close for me with Gen5, but with HughesNet's tally always being slightly higher.  The difference I always see with Gen5 I chalk up to the possibility of it just being the way the different things tally data, as the difference isn't drastic.  But, whatever it was that happened for those first few hours yesterday is a complete mystery to me.  Thankfully, it didin't continue.  If it was continuing to break the 10% difference threshold, which is the point when it's too much for me, this post wouldn't be in the General Discussion section.  😛  

As I write this, HughesNet is showing 1048MB used, whereas the router is showing 929MB, which is 119MB of difference.  Discounting that wild discrepancy yesterday, this difference is within the threshold I'll accept, though it's still a bit higher than I would like to see.  I'm definitely keeping my eye on it, though.  At this rate it's going to be the highest discrepancy yet.  😞  Glasswire on my desktop is now no longer able to be used in the calculations due to a decent chunk of the data used being my phone using the WiFi last night to update apps.  They actually do make a version of Glasswire for Android devices now, though I have yet to try it.      

[Shickler]

Sooooo i kinda have the same issue but way way worse it may even be talked about on here, may have missed it, but we have the 30g plan, billing cycle starts on the 17th, and on the 19th,80% of the data has been used, ive even changed the password so no one could connect to it, and still does the same thing, its getting ridiculous!! Im pretty much paying 80 a month for 2mps which is unacceptable!!!

[Thegulley]

I read things you may not know about can use data, like program updates. For MASSIVE usage drains, some people suspect malware 

[GabeU]

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@Shicklerwrote:
Sooooo i kinda have the same issue but way way worse it may even be talked about on here, may have missed it, but we have the 30g plan, billing cycle starts on the 17th, and on the 19th,80% of the data has been used, ive even changed the password so no one could connect to it, and still does the same thing, its getting ridiculous!! Im pretty much paying 80 a month for 2mps which is unacceptable!!!

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This thread is concerning a different issue.  If you'd like help with figuring out what is using so much of your data, please start a new topic in the Tech Support section, which you can do here... https://community.hughesnet.com/t5/forums/postpage/board-id/TechSupport