How to Monitor Bandwidth Usage? [2024 New]
Internet speed and bandwidth matter for all, whether you are a promising startup or an established giant, internet connection plays a vital role for work and cost efficiency. Often bandwidth is used interchangeably with internet speed, but several other factors contribute towards the effectiveness of bandwidth. Here in this article, we will run you through everything about bandwidth usage, its monitoring, and the best tools on how to monitor bandwidth usage.
1Understanding Bandwidth Usage
The rate of data transfer over the internet on the network is termed as Bandwidth and thus, the higher the bandwidth, the higher the data transfer speed. Network devices along with configuration together result in deciding the internet bandwidth.
Importance of Bandwidth for businesses
Bandwidth is of great importance for all types of businesses be it the transfer of important files, multimedia presentations, video conferencing, multiple device usage, customer service, and overall performance of the business and its website.
When it comes to slow internet speed, low bandwidth is considered to be one of the major reasons and thus the need for monitoring the bandwidth usage arises to improve its performance. Monitoring can only be done when the usage and reasons for high bandwidth are analyzed.
How is bandwidth usage measured?
Traditionally, bandwidth is measured in bps, but owing to the higher capacity of network links the usage is now termed in Mbps and Gbps. Depending on the network type which can be optical fiber, copper Ethernet, or others, the usage is measured.
A lot of organizations face issues of high bandwidth usage and some of the common reasons include content streaming sites, social media sites, malware, and more. Identifying the root causes of high bandwidth usage will help in dealing with and rectifying the issues for better network performance.
2How to Monitor Bandwidth usage? [Free & Paid]
The first step towards improving the network efficiency is by first monitoring the bandwidth usage and knowing the reasons for slow performance. The best way to get this done is by taking the help of professional tools. In this part, we have shortlisted some of the popular and most widely used free as well as paid bandwidth usage monitoring tools and programs.
1Paessler PRTG
If you are looking for a tool that can monitor your entire IT infrastructure, Paessler PRTG is among the best ones. Using this tool, the entire traffic on your network can be measured by this tool through router data. Also, you can check for the devices and the apps using the bandwidth to shortlist the ones causing issues. The software allows monitoring LANs, WANs, and even servers and comes with integrated technologies including Flow protocols, Ping, SSH, and more. The tool features customizable reporting along with automatic network discovery and also identifying the hogs of bandwidth.
Pros
- Graphical output of the data for better analysis
- Support to Uptime tracking
- Alerts on the home screen mentioning the possible issue areas
- Offers a view of the data utilization over some time
Cons
- Basic and outdated-looking interface
- The process of adding devices to the app is not user-friendly
- Pricing plans are not pocket-friendly
- The sensor views look outdated
- Lack of tutorials for non-standard solutions
2BitMeter OS
BitMeter OS is a free and open-source tool that works best for small setups and networks. Compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac, BitMeter allows checking and monitoring internet usage via browser or through command line tools. The complete details of the bandwidth usage can be accessed through graphs and tables that can be exported as well. The tool also comes with a calculator that can be used for identifying the time for uploading and downloading files. The alerts can be set that notify you when you exceed the specified internet usage.
Pros
- Free and open-source tool
- Multi-platform compatibility
- Lightweight, simple, and user-friendly tool
- Allows exporting the internet connection data in CSV file
- Calculator feature that can calculate the time for sending a certain file
Cons
- Suitable for small setups
- No option for filtering local network usage
- Advanced features and functions are not supported
3macOS Activity Monitor
Activity Monitor is the macOS utility app that works like the task manager of Windows and it displays a wide range of processes that are in use on the Mac system including bandwidth and internet usage. With activity monitoring track of all the processes can be kept in real-time and also how the overall performance of the system is affected by these activities and processed. So if you are having any network-related issues or want to keep a check on the bandwidth, the macOS Activity Manager works as an easy-to-use app. Using Activity Monitor, upload and download speed can also be checked.
Pros
- Built-in Mac utility app and thus no third-party tool is needed
- Being a Mac feature, it is completely safe to use
- Allows checking several system processes like network, CPU, memory, energy, and more
Cons
- Not suitable for big setups and organisations where detailed reports specifically on bandwidth and related features are needed
- Lack of advanced functions
- Works only with Mac systems
4Windows Resource Monitor
As the name suggests, Windows Resource Monitor is the Windows built-in tool that helps in analyzing how the resources of the system are used. Working in real-time, the tool helps in identifying several system processes including bandwidth, network activity, CPU usage, memory usage, disk activity, and more. Also termed Resmon, its Network tab allows accessing and checking all network-related information including internet and bandwidth.
Pros
- Built-in Windows tool that does not require any additional tool installation
- Works seamlessly with Windows systems
- Allows to check all network-related information including bandwidth
- Being a Windows tool, there is no risk of virus or malware
Cons
- Works only on Windows system
- In terms of bandwidth analysis and usage, only basic study is supported
- Suitable for small networks and setup
5Wireshark
Another popular and widely used software that can be used for bandwidth analysis is Wireshark. The tool is trusted by a variety of organizations and individuals including network security professionals, enthusiasts, and others. Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer that allows you to check all the network details by inspecting hundreds of protocols. The tool can do offline analysis as well as live capture with support to a three-pane packer browser. Support to multi-platform Wireshark comes with rich and powerful VoIP analysis.
Pros
- Multi-platform tool compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, NetBSD, FreeBSD, and others
- Network monitoring for all types of network standards is supported including Bluetooth, Ethernet, WLAN, and more
- Integration with GNS3
- Open-source and free-to-use tool
- Allows categorizing into several different categories
Cons
- It is a resource incentive tool that takes up a lot of power and CPU
- The software has a steep learning curve and thus initially difficult to use
- The user interface looks old-fashioned
- Large packet parsing is difficult
6SolarWinds Network Bandwidth Analyzer Pack
SolarWinds is a popular name when it comes to bandwidth usage checking software. There are several products under the SolarWinds umbrella with Network Bandwidth Analyzer Pack being a widely used one as it combines its powerful Network Performance Monitor and NetFlow Traffic Analyzer products in one.
The tool facilitates checking the complete network details including analysis of bandwidth. The Hybrid Cloud Observatory of SolarWinds is suitable for all sizes and types of organizations to get a detailed study of their network including detection, diagnosis, and treating performance issues. The tool allows for monitoring and checking the performance and traffic patterns for the bandwidth. The software offers monitoring of the device along with tracking of SNMP with flow protocols and packet sampling.
Pros
- Network Performance Monitor and NetFlow Traffic Analyzer work together to offer a complete gamut of tools
- Feature-rich tool supporting a variety of protocols including NetFlow
- Support to VMware and Hyper-V
- User-friendly interface that shows bandwidth details
- Apt for large organizations and enterprise
- Offers a granular analysis of the traffic for detailed study
Cons
- Custom field management needs improvement
- Processing of presented information is difficult
- There is no incentive to buy Network Performance Monitor and NetFlow Traffic Analyzer separately
- The free trial version is limited in use
Conclusion
So, all your queries related to slow networks, performance issues, packet loss, and similar others can be resolved by analyzing bandwidth usage. For enterprises and organizations professional software is required to provide a detailed study of the network and bandwidth. In the above parts of the topic, we have discussed some of the popular and used tools. Check out the features, pros, and limitations of these tools to pick the one most suitable and you will be sorted with how to monitor bandwidth usage on network.
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