There’s always a limit on how much internet you can use, whether you are using it for personal or educational purposes. However, online users can get carried away and end up using all of their internet packages in a matter of weeks.
This could be due to many reasons. Some websites are heavier than others. Similar to this, some devices are more bandwidth-hungry than others. You should monitor your internet usage to prevent exceeding your internet limit.
These 5 programs are free for your Windows PC and can help you monitor your Internet use. This program is ideal for students who travel abroad and have a limited budget. Let’s look at the list.
NetBalancer
NetBalancer is a network control and monitoring tool. You can monitor all aspects of the system, including network adapters and processes. This allows you to monitor both Wi-Fi and LAN connections simultaneously – for both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols.
Its ability to set priority and speed limits were what attracted me the most (a premium feature, unfortunately). However, the registered version allows you to set traffic control limits across the entire system. You can also check the network speed and current connections, and perform detailed traffic analysis on all apps and services.
NetBalancer was designed to be easy and automated. It can load traffic rules, priorities, and limits from a network file. Another feature that is remarkable is the ability to group local network computers and synchronize network traffic configuration. NetBalancer displays speed graphs in both the tray icon and the mini-window. Click here to Go to NetBalancer
Net Guard
Net Guard by Cucusoft, which is a freeware but not NetBalancer, offers many of the same amazing features. It includes powerful bandwidth monitoring as well as tracking features to help you keep an eye on your network bandwidth. You can easily set a global network limit and catch any program that is using too much bandwidth.
Its interactive bandwidth utilization report is what I find most interesting. This uses graphs to show you how each program or service uses bandwidth. It also includes bandwidth usage prediction which predicts how much bandwidth you will need over the next month. The speed test calculates your network speed.
Another great feature is over limit notification feature. This notifies you when your bandwidth is exhausted and helps to avoid additional charges. It also features a floating display that displays real-time network data usage, similar to NetBalancer. Click here to go to Net Guard
Bandwidth Monitor
Bandwidth Monitor is another -free tool that monitors your bandwidth usage. Although it’s not as powerful or as robust as NetBalancer and NetGuard, it offers cool set features for everyday users. It monitors your network speed and bandwidth usage but is not up to the service or process.
Bandwidth Monitor is low-resource and tracks bandwidth usage using support for multiple network adapters or connections. The floating themeable window is what caught my attention. It offers many customization options so you can make it your own. To see the network usage, you can include texts, shapes, and graphs.
Another feature that is interesting is the programmable notifications feature which allows you to set how you want to receive notifications. You can request notification if your bandwidth usage exceeds 90% of the allowed usage. Unfortunately, this feature is only available in the professional version.
NetTraffic
NetTraffic, while the simplest of these tools, is not the most powerful. It can track bandwidth data across multiple network adapters and connections, such as Wi-Fi and LAN. However, doesn’t track users, apps, or services, but only the system-wide bandwidth usage.
The statistics window displays bandwidth usage graphically and gives data usage over a period of time, such as a month, a year or a single day. The general tab of the same window provides summary usage and, interestingly, forecasts the bandwidth limit you might use in a given day, month, or year.
NetTraffic can be customized to show the required details, just like Bandwidth Monitor. You can adjust the scale and chart type as well as colors. Its icon is located in the notification area and clarifies network activity. Click here to go to NetTraffic
NetworkUsageView
NetworkUsageView is not a full-fledged network monitor, but a network usage viewer. This tool is only compatible with Windows 8 and later releases, as Windows doesn’t collect bandwidth usage data from older versions. It does display the required bandwidth usage information but it does not provide floating windows.
NetworkUsageView is faster than other tools and uses less resources (since it’s a simple usage log viewer). The amazing viewer window displays all information regarding bandwidth usage, including the apps as well as the services. You can view all network activity and search for malicious tools.
NetworkUsageView shows you the user and the adapter for each record. This will help you identify users that are exceeding the bandwidth quota in multi-user environments. It also allows you to see the bandwidth usage from remote computers. The tool also allows you to export bandwidth usage data as a CSV file. Click here to go to NetworkUsageView