How to Measure Internet Traffic in Networks Per User
In some situations, you need to measure Internet traffic in networks per user. For instance, where the Internet connection has a usage cap that cannot be exceeded. Sometimes, excessive bandwidth usage by one user is impeding the performance of other users on the same network, and the culprit needs to be identified. While bandwidth monitoring is not a built-in function of the Windows operating system, a variety of free programs have this feature.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Download a free bandwidth monitor from the Internet. There is a wide range of programs available ranging from full commercial to shareware versions. For a free program to measure the Internet traffic in networks per user, there is Rokario Bandwidth Monitor 2. It can be downloaded online. (See Resources)
-
2
Install the bandwidth monitor on the computer or computers that you want to monitor. Run the file that was downloaded and follow the wizard instructions in the dialogue box.
-
-
3
Launch the bandwidth monitor. Tick the "Launch Bandwidth Monitor" box at the conclusion of the installation, or double-click on the icon on your desktop.
-
4
Access the settings. Right-click the bandwidth monitor on your task bar (at the bottom-right side of the monitor, next to the date/time) and click the "Settings" option. You can also right-click the bandwidth monitor window itself and select "Settings" or simply press the "Control" and "S" button together while the bandwidth monitor window is the active window.
-
5
Change the settings to your liking. In the settings monitor, you choose which network adapter to monitor, whether the program should start when Windows starts as well as other options. If the computer has multiple network collections, select the adapter that connects the computer to the Internet. If you are unsure, click the "auto-detect" button in the settings.
-
6
Check the bandwidth logs. Right-click the bandwidth monitor icon on the task bar and select the "logs" setting. The logs show the Internet traffic of the computer user by date. Running this program on every computer in the network allows you to accurately measure the Internet traffic in the network per user.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit internet image by Attila Toro from Fotolia.com
