Monitoring network bandwidth is an essential task for both broadband users and network administrators to detect bottlenecks in their networks, differentiate legitimate usage from fraudulent or suspicious activities, and ascertain if additional equipment or bandwidth are necessary. Below are top tools available at no or low cost that allow users to monitor network bandwidth – they provide basic tools to show information transmitted and received through your network and help identify sources of internet usage within it.
Net Speed Monitor
Net Speed Monitor, located within Windows Taskbar, provides real-time monitoring of network activity. It monitors transfer speeds, download volumes, inventory storage needs, reporting needs and inventory reporting needs of network interfaces in real time.
BitMeter OS
BitMeter OS operates silently in the background, monitoring data transfer and download volumes. Once collected, its results are shown through an attractive web interface in two sections: History provides a thorough breakdown while Alerts allows for setting alerts.
FreeMeter Bandwidth Monitor
FreeMeter Bandwidth Monitor is a portable tool that provides real-time information of uploads and downloads to any system, connecting with every network interface available and featuring network utilities such as Ping and Traceroute. Furthermore, this application has the capacity to send email notifications using IMAP/POP3.
SolarWinds Real-Time Bandwidth Monitor
SolarWinds Real-Time Bandwidth Monitor is an SNMP-enabled device monitor which displays results in real time through graphs. To begin monitoring, enter details about your device before setting interface and threshold thresholds before initiating graphs.
PRTG Bandwidth Monitor
PRTG Bandwidth Monitor can be considered part of PRTG Network Monitor, which offers a free version with up to 30 sensors. Once configured on an interface on the network, sensors start collecting data which is later displayed in an Overview section to provide information about traffic on networks.
ManageEngine Bandwidth Monitor
ManageEngine Bandwidth Monitor is one of the OpUtils tools for networks that provides an effective, cost-free method to monitor two interfaces of any SNMP-enabled device. Simply add an SNMP device with its associated interfaces for monitoring, and click any interface to gain access to live or real-time, daily, monthly or yearly data.
NetWorx
NetWorx is a multifunctional program available as both portable and installed applications, compatible with multiple networks and equipped with an alert notifier system to notify users when activity on a network exceeds an established threshold. Furthermore, this tool also enables exporting reports on usage in various formats and once users select their connection through wizard configuration, an icon will be located conveniently within their system tray for easy and convenient monitoring.
BandwidthD
BandwidthD is an application that runs in the background to monitor TCP/IP network usage and present results visually through graphs and tables with colors. To access bandwidth statistics, users need only follow four steps: install Winpcap version 3.0 or later; extract BandwidthD files; make edits to their../etc/bandwidthd.conf file as necessary; execute the “Install Service” batch file; and finally launch their service through services.msc console.
Rokario Bandwidth Monitor
Rokario Bandwidth Monitor offers a free version with both live bandwidth monitoring capabilities as well as logging capabilities. Once launched, users are asked to select an interface connection to connect to the graph, and once connected it will immediately appear. To access settings relating to data, interface design or design users simply right-click onto any icon of tray icon and right click.
tbbMeter
TbbMeter is an Internet bandwidth monitoring application that enables users to keep an eye on their Internet use. The program offers real-time information on speeds of downloads and uploads as well as setting alarms at specific thresholds and background tests which measure download speeds over time, along with providing historical views of bandwidth data. Users have many customization options to customize its appearance while running download tests, collecting statistics, setting alarms or creating alarms based on this information.
