What is broadband width?

**DeBora4BobbyL** · #1 (**permalink**) 08-22-2007, 08:11 PM

I got satelitte Intenet service. I have been battling trying to get a wireless router to be secure, with no success. After using the unsecure, wireless router yesterday, I had NO Internet service today. I took the router back to the store for a different brand, which will hopefully allow me to put a password on it. I still had no Internet service. When I called the company, HughesNet, they said that yesterday, I had exceeded my brandwidth threshold, or something like that! I can NOT believe this since the day before the ONLY think I had done was check emails, post on FC or MM, check my NASCAR racing sites post on a Bobby forum, and listen to the race radio scanner via java. I was about to tell the lady where to go and how to get there and to come get her satelitte if I cannot spend several hours on the Internet. She said that being on the Internet, chatting, sending emails, and so on does not down load bandwidth. She said that I was limited to 200 mpb in 24 hours. She showed that I had downloaded a file of 165.55 yesterday at noon. I was watching the NASCAR race and she said that would not count as a download. She said downloads would be things like pictures, movies, and so on. Was is average for something like music, a document, and so on? The lady said that prior to the HUGE 165.55 file was a 28.18 file and a 30.74 file. All this is foreign information to me. The only time I download something, that I know of, is an occaisional joke or something in an email. How would I know how big a file is before I open it?

Okay. I am confused. What is bandwidth? How do I find out how large a file is before I download it? I do not know if my normal use of the Internet caused this excess download or if someone downloaded a bunch of music or something while I was on the unsecure wireless while I was watching my race. Can someone explain this to me?

Also, I had trouble setting up my secure router because my ISP has a firewall already set up in the system, which seemed to interfere with the router. Has anyone else had any problems or suggestions on how to resolve this problem? I changed routers to a different brand. But, I won't be able to try it out until this weekend when I go back to Midland and hopefully, the Internet will be back working again.

I hope this isn't too confusing. I am having so many problems getting moved and this is the only way I can get Internet service. School and work start on Monday so I am trying to get everything situated before then. We are hoping that a better place in town will open up in the next few months.

**cat lover** · #2 (**permalink**) 08-24-2007, 01:29 PM

A friend of mine was visiting her sister in Florida last year and always takes her lap top with her. She opened it and turned it on in their house and got online! She asked them when did they get wireless?..... They hadn't; seem she was picking up the neighbors and that theirs wasn't secured! So that enabled her to "use" their allotted space... Concerned she called the company the neighbor had their wireless with and explained what happened. The company told her if the neighbor did not secure it anybody could use theirs and it would use their allotment. Also said that happens a lot but there is nothing illegal about it. She was also told lots of times people will drive around till they find a spot they can tap into an unsecured site.

Maybe someone near you saw you where having it installed and took advantage of it not being secured. Can the company that installed yours possibly tell you how to get around the firewall? I know in other instances I had to close out my firewall at times to be able to use other applications. My ISP is the one with the firewall and I had to go into my setup and disable it.

Maybe this will help a bit?

Found this at PortForward.com
Why you Should Secure your Wireless Network
Securing your wireless network is something that every router owner should do. Keep in mind that as the owner of a wireless router YOU are responsible for the traffic that flows over that router. This is no matter to take lightly. If you neighbors break the law while connected to your wireless network, your ISP will hold you responsible. If you have not done so already, please secure your wireless network by taking the following steps at a minimum:

Set your SSID to anything other than the factory default. SSID is a techinical term for your wireless networks name.
Turn OFF SSID broadcast. Broadcasting your SSID is like telling the world "Here I am!"
Turn ON encryption. WPA is the preferred choice, but WEP Open Key is better than nothing.

Keep in mind that 99% of all routers ship with the factory defaults WIDE OPEN! If you do not secure your wireless network, you are inviting everyone in your neighborhood to use your network. This gives every who lives near you access to not only your bandwidth, but also to your computers including your personal data files. You absolutly must secure your wireless network or else you are asking for trouble

**DeBora4BobbyL** · #3 (**permalink**) 08-24-2007, 01:46 PM

Cat, thanks for the information. I have the other router, but I could not password protect it without Internet. Hopefully, I will be able to set that up when I get there tomorrow or Sunday. I did call the company and they said there is no way to disable to firewall. Bummer. I have everything unplugged while we are gone so that whoever took my bandwidth won't know when or IF it will be coming back up.

I am still confused about all of this. Am I limited on how much time I can surf the Internet or am I just limited on what I can download? The company said that I can surf all I want, but I am limited on the kpbs and that is 200, whatever that means.

lrivetz · #4 (**permalink**) 08-31-2007, 11:31 AM

Bandwith is a synonym term for data transfer rate. It is the amount of data being transfer from one point to another.

kpbs = kilobits per second - it is how bandwith is measured.

This is interesting because I have never known of router being limited. I know about ISP being limited.

It seems like somebody has been having fun downloading files on your behalf. I will second
what cat_lover just said about getting blame for something that one had not done.
Best call your ISP and find out what the company think is a safe and reliable router. My preference is Linksys Wireless Router. Lynksys has great customer service as far as for me.

lrivetz · #5 (**permalink**) 08-31-2007, 11:32 AM

Here is a great place to search for those weird internet synonym
http://searchnetworking.techtarget.c...2,sid7,00.html

**DeBora4BobbyL** · #6 (**permalink**) 08-31-2007, 04:15 PM

I moved and cancelled my serviced with HughesNet or Nughes Net. After 10 days, I had 6 days of service, excluding the 1 day I was out according to their recoords that was my fault.

I have about 3 papers per week that I have to download to my professors. I CANNOT go over my broadband width. So, I MOVED. I won't have any problems now.