HELP activity monitor says i'm downloading

so here's the deal activity monitor and other programs like virusbarrier x6 network monitor say that i am downloading at a solid 277kbs non stop i know this is not actually the case as when i unplug the cable and connect wireless it stops and sits at the normal few bytes per sec.

i have further tested the problem by having the cable plugged in and disabling the ip and it says it is still downloading at 277kb/s

i have tried reinstalling a new os over top... i am running an imac 21" late 09 with 10.6.8 before i reinstalled and 10.6.1 now but the updates are running. here's the fun part, for as long as i have had this internet connection i have never ever seen a download faster than 650kb/s and now as i update is is at 900kb/s

any help would be very nice

There are no Mac OS X viruses so you are downloading Windows PC definitions. Suggest you uninstall virus barrier and if you fell you must have AV software no doubt coming from the Windows world, download ClamXAV which is freeware.


http://www.clamxav.com/

i used the network monitor from virusbarrier to confirm my theory i installed it after the problem started so it can't be the culprit. I'd also like to point out that there are viruses on mac's but i agree that there are not enough to worry about.

i do love how you post had nothing to do with my problem though... very helpful