2.1.1 Streaming Video
Streaming video services such as Netflix, YouTube and Hulu all require substantial amount of bandwidth for smooth, high-definition video delivery. While each service offers the ability to downgrade your stream to save on bandwidth, it's very easy to transfer data at enormous bitrates using these services. According to a study by broadband research company Sandvine, Netflix accounts for 32 percent of all bandwidth use in North America during primetime hours, with YouTube accounting for another 17 percent.
2.1.2 File Sharing
One of the biggest bandwidth hogs on a computer is BitTorrent, the peer-to-peer file sharing system. When you download a torrent file, your computer becomes part of a network of nodes that are all sharing the same data. Your client sends out requests to others that have pieces you need and once you have downloaded some of the file, your client shares it with others. By default, BitTorrent clients will try to upload and download at the fastest rate possible, dominating your upstream and downstream bandwidth simultaneously. Transferring movies, music or other copyrighted material over BitTorrent can also leave you open to legal action from the intellectual property owners.
2.1.3 Cloud Applications…show more content… Some cloud storage services allow you to back up folders on your computer to remote servers automatically, treating the online storage as if it were simply another folder on your hard drive. Unfortunately, virus scanners can misinterpret this folder structure, downloading these files repeatedly to scan them during your PC’s regular virus scan schedule and resulting in your client transferring large amounts of data by sending the same files back and forth multiple
