Question : Network Connection Status Icon always lit -- unauthorized packet traffic?

Hi.  This is my second question in Experts-Exchange.  I'll try to be prompt in commenting.  Good luck and I hope you can help me out.


My network consists of two clean install WinXP Pro machines connected to a Buffalo WBR-G54 wireless router, which -- in turn -- is connected to my cable modem.  (One of the client computers actually uses a wired ethernet connection to the router since it sits so close to it.)

The Wireless Network Connection Status Icon on both computers is always lit even when I'm not surfing or working over the network.  Watching the status screen shows that there is an incoming flow of about 30 packets per second.  The same is true of the Internet Connection Status icon on both computers.  Always lit, although just one side of the icon if that makes sense.  (only one of the two tiny computers)  Again, watching the status screen shows that about 30 packets per second are coming from the "Internet Gateway."

Tech support at my router vendor suggested it could be spyware or adware on my computer(s) but I downloaded spybot and found that was definitely not the problem although it did point out some vulnerabilities in IE even though I've applied all patches.  

I have very healthy bandwidth when surfing and have not noticed any major problems in speed.  Transferring files from one computer to another via the network also didn't suggest major degradation in network throughput.

I cannot help but remain concerned from a security standpoint.  It may be nothing and I suspect that's exactly what it is.  But can anyone explain what this apparent network traffic might suggest?


Thanks in advance for any suggestions!



LATE ADDITION:

When I unplug the ethernet cable that runs between the router and one of my client computers, it obviously closes down both the LAN and the Internet connection for that computer.

But doing so also closed my other computer's Internet connection  -- even though that computer has it's own wireless connection to the router.

Even more odd is that the aforementioned network traffic -- which I surmised was coming in from the internet -- is still streaming into that PC even though it lost it's internet connection!


Could this all be related to an unsuccessful file transfer between my two computers yesterday?    I started the transfer -- about 1 GB -- before I left home and when I came back about 3 hours later it still looked like it was trying but the folder and files never made it to destination computer.   I shut everything down, but I think now that this problem started then.  It was this morning when I booted up my computers that I first noticed the constant packet traffic.

Answer : Network Connection Status Icon always lit -- unauthorized packet traffic?

Try to see what packets are most commonly transferred on the network. Who it's coming from & who it's going out to. Note also what type of packets they are. If you're really not sure. Capture the packets for about 5 minutes, put it somewhere I can access & I'll help you look.