Not a problem just wondering??

[ImnoGuru]

Hello, I have ADSL2+ at the house through a D-Link modem and as such, have the lights at the front of it, depicting the connection and transfers.
I have three computers hooked up to the network by cables.

Every now and then I look at the blinking lights and just wonder ....
"What the  @#$%^ are you sending"?   because I'm not even using the computer at the moment, I've just sat down.

So what is it doing? The lights flash and the bells go ding and I'm never the wiser.
Is there any way I can find out or track just exactly what information is being accessed and distributed to the world?
And how come the lights of all the computers flash when one of them is turned off?

[truenorth]

ImnoGuru, There could be many reasons for activity on your modem without you directly involved. Some examples could be virus scanner automatic updates,Microsoft or other software reaching out touchy feely to advise or check on updates,automatic e-mail clients (like mailwasher for instance).To the best of my knowledge only your DSL provider can tell you (if they will) all the activity on your connection during any specific time.On your last question re the lights flashing on all the other computers when you turn one off--that is above my pay grade--but perhaps it is because they are all on a network and by shutting one down the others are reacting to the change in the network.Others may have more ideas.truenorth

[squall_01]

Take a floppy for example, when it reads the data you see the light going on and off cause its showing that its seeing it and that there is one there.  Also, its sending stuff back and forth to make sure that if any changes are made that it sees it at the other one as well.  I can sit at one machine and some were else its seeing the new change so when I go to that machine it will have it.

[Mulreay]

The internet question... there will always be background traffic nothing dodgy as truenorth said even if its just your computer saying to the router I'm still here. Generally your computer will always have little flashes here and there because your computer is not asleep and is doing background work, all the stuff that you would not normally notice if you were using it.

[squall_01]

Exatly but i was tring to use an example with it.

[Mulreay]

Sorry squall not trying to step on your toes... 

[squall_01]

its okay I was only attempting to use it threw and easy understanding.

[patio]

A decent firewall App can monitor outgoing traffic if that's what you are after tracking...
Comodo has a free version...

[ImnoGuru]

truenorth, squall_01 and Mulreay, thank you for those responses. It gives me a clearer understanding of it now.
The modem was not in view before till I moved it recently so I guess I've never really been in a position to "see" it.

patio, I guess I dont really need to find out what its sending/receiving, just so long as I dont get any viruses or my details aren't being spread to the Nigerian scam artists, and when I wake up in the morning I'm still myself and my identity hasnt been stolen.

Evilfantasy helped me clean out my computer some time ago... so I think it might be fairly clean still.

Thanks for the reference to a program that can do it though, if I were to want to do that.
At the moment I dont want to learn another program, I have lots of websites to visit to organize my trip.

I'll have a look at Comodo soon to see what is involved though. Maybe there wont be so much that I have to actually learn.

[Karnac]

Here is a link to determine LED activity...

http://www.fixya.com/support/p350126-d_link_dcm_202_modem/manual-14106/page-30

[ImnoGuru]

Yep I follow it all a lot more now thanks everyone.

As you say squall_01 and truenorth, its the modem negotiating the connections between the group and the modem asking each area if it is still receiving the information.
Now that the last computer is off and disconnected, the light remains static.

Karnac, thanks I do have a D-Link modem. That guide is for my modem brand as it were.
Thanks.