Free Internet/Network Bandwidth Monitors and Meters

This page lists free tools that let you monitor how much data you're transferring through your computer/network. It is mainly for people who use Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that charge according to how much data you transfer per month. For example, at the time this was written, a US ISP, Comcast, allows its users 250 GB of data traffic per month. Those that exceed that amount of traffic will have to pay for the excess data transferred. The utilities on this page are primarily meant for those who want to monitor their Internet usage, for example, to make sure that they don't exceed the traffic limit or to make sure that their ISP is not overcharging them.

(There is also a tool on this page that measures time spent connected on a dial-up connection, for those who need that sort of monitor.)


There are 3 major categories of free Internet bandwidth monitor/meters listed this page: software that you install on a single computer, and those that you flash into your router's firmware.

For those who use a single computer to connect to the Internet, a standalone tool for a single computer is probably adequate.

Those who have many computers in the home connected to the Internet through a single router won't find those single computer software tools very useful, since it will only monitor network activity on the computer you install it on. In fact, even if you only have a computer, but also have other devices that connect to the Internet like an Xbox360, you will need to monitor bandwidth usage some other way.

For such people, the replacement router firmware listed on this page may be relevant. They are meant to replace your existing router's firmware (which you do at your own risk, of course) so that the router can track the total bandwidth usage in the network. This way, you will hopefully get a better picture of how much Internet bandwidth your entire household is using. (Note: it's also possible that your existing router already has some sort of monitoring facility, so don't dash out to replace its firmware without first checking its existing features.) But of course, you can also easily damage your router this way, "bricking" it (rendering it useless), so look before you leap.

If you have a spare PC lying around in the house, I also list software that can turn that PC into a dedicated firewall/router complete with monitoring facilities. You can then connect your other PCs in your network to this one and use it as a gateway to the Internet.