Patent ID: 8560657

Claim:
A system for monitoring packet usage comprising: a local network, wherein the local network is connected to an external network; one or more terminal devices connected to the local network; a local monitoring component connected to the one or more terminal devices and to the local network, wherein the local monitoring component comprises instructions for: detecting from within the local network the cumulative packet usage of each of the one or more terminal devices at sequential time intervals during a measurement period; and reporting the cumulative packet usage to a master monitoring component at the sequential time intervals, wherein, the master monitoring component comprises instructions for: aggregating from within the local network the cumulative packet count of each of the one or more terminal devices to derive a total cumulative packet count at each sequential time interval during the measurement period; establishing from within the local network a control curve, wherein the control curve represents a target total cumulative packet volume at each sequential time interval during the measurement period; establishing from within the local network an alarm threshold relative to the control curve; comparing from within the local network the total cumulative packet count to the control curve; determining from within the local network whether the total cumulative packet count equals or exceeds the alarm threshold; and issuing from within the local network an alarm when the total cumulative packet count equals or exceeds the alarm threshold.