Verizon--Again.........

Does any one else on this board have problems with Verizon for Internet service?

Over the last year, my usage, according to their web site, has steadily increased. In fact, it's gone berserk.

We're on an 8 gig per month plan, getting the service through a shared plan between a Hotspot and a Jet pack. With under 8 gigs of use, our bill should be $80.16. It was for a couple of months a year ago. The most recent is $195, due to overage charges.

With 8 gigs per month, we should average .27 of a gig per day, or a bit over a quarter of a gig. In the six hours from noon today and 6pm, I wasn't on the Internet at all, and my wife was on for about an hour. Verizon's web site showed .578 of a gig, or over half a gig.

The supplier I got Verizon through no longer handles Verizon, so I went to a different dealer. They couldn't shed any light on it.

I called Verizon's tech support, with no results. As long as they can charge you overage fees, they're not interested in solving your problem.

I've tried turning off different computers, and turning off the Jet pack over night. In fact, I turned off the Jet pack last night, and it still showed .22 of a gig overnight during the period the Jet pack was turned off.

I'm not sure what's going on. Has anyone else had similar experiences? My contract with Verizon runs to next March 1, so I'm stuck for right now.

Some router's firmware allows you to turn on throttling basically - where you set your month limit and when it resets and when it hits that limit you choose what you want it to do. So could set it to turn the internet really slow, but would suck after you hit your limit, but would stop you from going way over too.

if you figure out whats going on please let us know mine going through the roof also. we only have the little wifi box. we do no movies or games or u tube or any of that stuff still we used 16 g last month.

I, too, have Verizon. I, too, have the 8 gig plan. I, too, consistently go over 8 gig. I, too, don't do movies or youtube.

I've tried to track my usage using the analyzer on Verizon's website, but I can't find any correlation between usage reported on the website with the usage that my wife and I actually use on our two computers.

I don't get it.

Tom in TN

Why don"t you try disconnecting the whole deal from every wire you possibly can for one whole day. Have an uninterested third party witness it, and see what happens. If they still show you have usage when EVERYTHING is turned off then you either have someone stealing your cable, or Verizon is doing something illegal and charging for time/data not used.

While I"m not one for frivolous lawsuits, it sounds like a class action kind of deal to me. You know if they are cheating one person for over $100 a month, they are cheating a lot more for the same amount or more.

On a somewhat related note, I have a Straight Talk hotspot and buy 60 day/5 gig cards for it.

It is used at a remote location where I KNOW no one else but me is logging onto it.

The first two-months ended with me just about using the 5 gigs of data. I only turned it on when using the 'puter/internet at the shop, then turned it off.

The next two months, which end tomorrow, it seemed like I have used it (and the internet) at the shop MUCH more, and have almost a gig and a half left. It has been "on" most work days, all day.

The connection apparently goes dormant after a few minutes, 'cuz it takes maybe a half-minute to load a site after a period of non-use.

So it makes you wonder how accurate the "scale" the measure use with is?

Is there anyone looking over the shoulders of the companies, calibrating their usage "scales", as the scales at a meat market or gas pumps have to be calibrated/certified accurate???

There is a delay between your internet usage and when it is reported. So it's not surprising you saw usage when you had the Jetpack turned off.

Do you have 4G LTE devices? It takes no time at all to blow through an 8GB cap on 4G. It's possible it has been running in 3G mode until recently, then your usage shot through the roof when got 4G LTE service.

You need to use your mobile hotspots to monitor usage. Check the manuals to see how to log in to the devices and check usage. (If you don't have a manual, you should be able to find it on the Verizon web site. I found the manual for the Pantech MHS291L Jetpack, and it does tell how to do this.) If either of your devices doesn't monitor usage, then turn it off and leave it off.

It's possible someone is using your WiFi. Your devices should be set up for secure (WPS) connections by default, but it's possible to turn on open access for most WiFi routers. You may want to change your WiFi password if you think a neighbor is using your connection.

It's also possible you have malware on one or more computers. This will manifest itself as high outbound traffic. Normally your inbound traffic will be about ten times your outbound traffic. If outbound is the same or greater than inbound, someone has highjacked your computer and turned it into a 'bot.

The most likely explanation is you're using a lot of bandwidth after getting 4G service. If that's the case, you either need to change your surfing habits or get a higher cap.

Yep, same with ATT. Had a wifi with 6g plan. kept using 7 so went with 10 g plan and went to 15 usage. $250 bucks. Went to satalite internet at 50 dollars a month with 150g limit. used 5g last month. Out of contract with ATT and got bill to $85 with 2 phones and no internet. Satelite internet is twice as fast as 4g was. ATT can't or won't explain difference in usage.

I have Verizon too, and it is doing real good. I would not want any better internet service. We do not stay on the computer as much as most of you people do. I have jet pack and do not every turn it off.
I only sign up for 4 G, that is about all we use. I have there web site to check to see how much G I am using every few days.
I like it.

Hammer Man

If you leave your computer turned on...


It will check for windows updates by it self.

It will check for time of day updates by it self

Each application will check for updates by themselves.

Itunes and other apps will sync with the cloud periodically.

Routers will send out route updates every few minutes.

Modern web pages have tons of running ads that consume twice as much bandwidth to read the same pages. So all the banners and flashing ads are running up the counter.

All of which will count as traffic.

If you leave your router or gateway device on, it will check for software updates every night and it also counts as traffic.

So, its not difficult to do nothing and run up a ton of traffic.

What "G" you have is irrelevant. Your data usage will depend completely on what you (or whoever is hacking/piggybacking on your connection) is downloading.

"G" just determines how fast it downloads.

Example: If you download a 100MB file, it will show up as 100MB of data usage whether it is 3G or 4G. You won't be charged for, say, 200GB of data usage because the signal is 4G during the download.

Check your account for additional devices. Check your computer for viruses. Check the device's WiFi records to see if other computers besides yours are connecting.

First, check your computers for malware and viruses. Then setup the data alerts on your account. Verizon will send an email or text as you reach certain percentage levels of allowable data. The alerts won't make a difference on how much you use, but give a better idea on how fast it being used.

Don't bother trying to get help from the reseller stores. They only make money when selling you something and have no interest in helping with your problems. Either go to a corporate store or call Verizon direct. There is a world of difference when it comes to service between the two.

>What "G" you have is irrelevant.

Not true. That's like saying you'll download the same amount of data over broadband as over dialup. There's a human element, and it's the human element that is the likely culprit.

If you're watching kitten videos on YouTube, you'll quickly get tired of waiting for the videos to load at 3G speeds. But on 4G, you can watch those adorable LOLcats all day long with nary a wait. It's human nature to use more of something if you don't have to wait for it.

The solution, as you suggest, is to log on to those routers and see what they say. The router logs, unlike human beings, will always tell the truth.

Make sure all of your wireless connections are password protected and change your passwords. When I use my laptop at home, I can see one neighbor"s signal and connect to it. I told them they ought to put a password on it just in case. You never know what some weirdo might try to do on your connection like download child porn. If the system flags it, they"re coming to haul you to jail for it...
If you have everything powered off, and they still show usage, then I"d ask Verizon about it. If they aren"t interested in fixing it, talk to the public utility commission in your state. They have the authority to reduce or remove incorrect billing.

Same thing here too, I have the jetpack, and
the last overuse bill I paid was so darned high
I don't even want to say.

Been shutting things off the past couple
weeks, but it's still saying I'm using way more
than I think I am.

On Verizon's website the thing that shows
usage says alot of times that there was over
1GB used at weird times like 4 in the morning
when I know nobody was on the computer.

Yes, especially when it rains. However they are my only cheap choice. Have to satellite otherwise.

I think some of it may have to do with what JetPak you"re using. Verizon wanted me to upgrade when I was having connection problems. It appears some of the newer packs track usage for you, but in doing so they use up some of your data. If you"re not getting the results your looking for tell the support person you"re talking to that you want to be connected to someone inn management that can deal with the issue. Don"t take no for an answer. Some times you just need to be pushy. Remember you"re the customer paying for a service that they need to deliver on. If you still can"t get anywhere try going to Howardforums.com sign up for free and post the issue there, that might get some results or an avenue to pursue for results.

>It appears some of the newer packs track usage for you, but in doing so they use up some of your data.

Please explain how and why.

Before I switched to Viaero's recently upgraded service, I had Verizon through Millenicom. $70 for 20GB with no overages, which raised to $90 around May. They send the same Verizon branded Jetpack. I moved the SIM card to a Pantech UML290 usb modem, and plugged that into a Cradlepoint MBR95 router. Usb modem (and jetpack) were connected to roof antenna. The router controlled the modem, and had data usage rules that could be set for daily/weekly/monthly and either alert you or disable the connection at whatever cap you choose. The router could also connect wirelessly to the hotspot, but using the directly connected usb was more reliable being always on/controlled by router. If connected wirelessly to the jetpack, you just connect to the Cradlepoint with all devices, same usage rules in use.

The service was initially 3G before Verizon turned on 4G, with 3G service I was averaging about 3 meg down at 9 miles from the tower, videos loaded fine, webpages almost instantly except for heavy graphic stuff. Not a lot of difference when web browsing compared to the 20-30 meg 4G that I got. Now I'm on "4G" (so called), paying for 4 meg and I get about 3.5 meg, same thing, browsing is very fast, videos load fine, and it will stream some 720p, though I don't watch video online (yet anyway) except briefly.


If you could get a prepaid service that would be better on your wallet. If I had to have another not prepaid service besides what I have, it would be what Verizon used to call Homefusion. Hopefully more options will be available someday, the low orbit satellites look promising if they would deploy them here. My regional GSM carrier has an advertised 100GB cap and overages are like $1 per gig. Needed more than a plain roof antenna to get service due to their frequency not penetrating very well even though the tower is closer, but I haven't had issues. Much beyond 6 miles from the tower or behind any trees, service takes work to be reliable or usable, depending.

Be sure and run virus and spyware programs to be sure it is not sleeper spyware, etc using your bandwidth.

there has been a couple of news blurbs lately about Facebook running up data usage on smart phones even when they are not in use. It seems there is a setting for auto play of videos that needs to be turned off.