4 Tools to Monitor Network Activities in Windows
Consider a scenario where you are downloading your favorite movie and the bandwidth quota expires all of a sudden. You receive a notification on your mobile to recharge your account in case you want to continue using the internet.
Using limited bandwidth internet is really annoying. It drains you out of the freedom of browsing internet at will.
This is a major problem for students who are either engaged in learning new things from resources, or for adults who are improving their skill sets. Sadly, internet services providers, just to earn more money have provided limits on the amount of bandwidth you can get.
But, internet monitoring software can be a great help to cope from this devastating times. They allow one to monitor the speed he is using and make amendments as per the needs. The person can easily see which applications are getting the most bandwidth and which ones aren’t.
Best Tools to Monitor Network Activity and Internet Bandwidth
FreeMeter Bandwidth Monitor
FreeMeter Bandwidth Monitor is a simple, user-friendly software to monitor and analyze your network speed. It is portable and provides real-time visual representation of data being uploaded or downloaded to/from your computer. The graphical display is on the main panel making it easier to see the discrepancies in the network.
You can run FreeMeter from anywhere – hard drive or a USB drive – and execute it on your computer. Being portable, the software doesn’t leave any traces either on the hard drive on in the Window’s registry.
It comes with a small display screen that can be placed in any part of the display for consistent internet monitoring. For the features, the software provides ping, Traceroute, URL grabber, UPnP NAT, email alert service to name a few tools
It allows full customization of colors, setting, and default frame. You can easily update the application and log info as per your need. Once the installation is complete, the tray icon will sit at the bottom-left corner of the start bar, allowing easy access whenever needed.
Download: https://sourceforge.net/projects/freemeter/
Compatibility: Windows 98 to Windows 10
ShaPlus Bandwidth Meter
ShaPlus Bandwidth meter is a small statistics window that shows total amount of traffic for a month. It displays a summary of the traffic status for the current day and the whole month. You can go to the icon in the system tray to get more information. You can configure network interfaces for monitoring and to gather internet statistics.
The monitoring interface is especially useful for monitoring packages with limited bandwidth options. You can configure the start day and deactivate it when the limit occurs.
The software can be smoothly run and allows the system to perform flawlessly. It can easily be used by beginners.
Download: http://download.cnet.com/ShaPlus-Bandwidth-Meter/3000-2381_4-10672850.html
Compatibility: Windows XP to Windows 10
NetWorx
If you are searching for an all-inclusive tool that to monitor network’s bandwidth usage fairly, then NetWorx is probably the tool for you. It collects network data and computes the speed of your internet while providing timely notifications. The utility is highly effective for anyone on a limited bandwidth connection and searching for a tool to notify when he/she exceeds the set quota.
The broadband network works with NetWorx, allowing you easy customization of sound and visual notifications. It also alerts you whenever the internet is down or irregular traffic flow is noticed. The program includes a kill switch to automatically disable all connections simultaneously.
It provides a daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly network plan to monitor usage and traffic movement. The reports are exportable and can be easily converted to Word, Excel, and HTML.
It comes with an icon that sits in the system tray while the program is running. By clicking the icon, you can view the current status of the program. It also comes with ping, traceroute and netstat and other tools used for gaining excessive details of the network. The program is available in multiple languages.
Download: https://www.softperfect.com/products/networx/
Compatibility: Windows XP to Windows 10,
NetSpeedMonitor
NetSpeedMonitor helps keep track of your internet connectivity and provides timely reports on excessive usage. It’s a compact network monitoring tool that lets you monitor upload and download speed of the network connection and transfer of data. You can monitor the network usage either for a day or for a complete month.
It further has a straightforward interface that makes it easy for the users. Though it allows you to view only a list and doesn’t come with a graph but it is comprehensive enough to provide all details of the system. Because it doesn’t provide visual details, the software is easy to run and has almost negligible file size.
It provides information of the local and remote addresses of the TCP networks and their current status, making it easier to toggle connectivity on or off by a simple icon residing in the system tray.
Customizing NetSpeedMonitor interface is easier and fun. Add your own font name, size and position to change it as per your will. The program is handy and does not require a high learning curve.
Download: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Network-Tools/Bandwidth-Tools/NetSpeedMonitor.shtml
Compatibility: Windows XP to Windows 10
