There is always a cap on the amount of internet you can use at home or as a student. But when you’re online, you often get carried away and use up a whole month’s worth of internet in a matter of weeks.
There may be a number of causes behind that. Consider how different webpages differ in their weight. In a similar vein, certain devices consume more bandwidth than others. Despite the case, you should keep an eye on your internet usage to prevent exceeding your data cap too soon.
Here are 5 free Windows applications that help you keep an eye on your Internet usage. This is excellent for readers who are students on a tight budget or who are taking classes overseas on a meagre mobile broadband plan. Check the list first.
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1. NetBalancer
NetBalancer, one of the potent tools, is a network traffic control and monitoring tool. With the same, you can keep an eye on all of the system’s components, including various network adapters, running processes, and system services. That means you canmonitor LAN as well as Wi-Fi connections simultaneouslyfor both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols.
Its ability to set process priority and speed constraints is what most interested me (a premium feature, sadly). Even with the unregistered version, you can still establish system-wide caps for traffic management. Also, all apps and services have access to thorough traffic analysis, connections, and network performance checks.
NetBalancer can load traffic rules, priority, and limitations from a network file because it was designed with simplicity and automation in mind. The ability to group local network machines and synchronise their network traffic setup is another incredible feature. Last but not least, NetBalancer displays a speed graph in both its mini-window and tray icon.
2. Net Guard
In contrast to NetBalancer, Net Guard by Cucusoft is freeware but still offers the majority of its amazing capabilities. The tool has robust bandwidth monitoring and tracking capabilities that make it easier for you to keep an eye on the system’s network capacity. Using the same, it is simple to create a global network limit and identify any programme that is utilising too much bandwidth.
Its interactive bandwidth use report, which employs graphs to explain how much bandwidth each programme and service needs, intrigues me. It also has additional capabilities like broadband use prediction, which predicts how much bandwidth you will need over the course of a month. Also, it contains a speed test that figures out the network speed.
The over-limit warning option, which alerts you when your bandwidth is used up and helps you avoid further fees for excess, is another fantastic tool. Finally, it has a floating window that displays real-time network data utilisation, just like NetBalancer.
3. Bandwidth Monitor
Note: Rokario’s Bandwidth Monitor is no longer available.
Another free application to track your broadband usage is Bandwidth Monitor by Rokario. Although it lacks the capability of NetBalancer or NetGuard, it nevertheless has some cool features for regular users. Like the other tools, it monitors the network speed and bandwidth utilisation of your system, but it does not track these metrics down to the individual process or service.
With support for numerous network adapters or connections, Bandwidth Monitor uses minimal resources while monitoring and logging bandwidth utilisation. My attention was drawn to its customizable themeable floating window, which offers a variety of customising choices. To view the network utilisation, for instance, you can incorporate text, shapes, or graphs based on your preferences.
Programmable alerts, which let you customise how you get notifications, are another intriguing feature. For instance, you can request to be notified when the bandwidth usage reaches 90% of the maximum level. Unfortunately, this functionality, along with improved log tools and web output capabilities, is only available with the professional edition.
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4. NetTraffic
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The most basic but nonetheless effective tool on our list is NetTraffic. Over numerous network adapters or connections, including LAN and Wi-Fi, it supports tracking bandwidth data. Nevertheless, the tool only monitors the overall, system-wide bandwidth usage, not the users, apps, or services.
Its statistics pane displays data utilisation for a day, a month, or an entire year and provides a graphical breakdown of bandwidth usage. The general tab in the same window provides summaries of usage and, in an intriguing feature, predicts how much of your allotted bandwidth you’ll consume each day, month, and year.
5. NetworkUsageView
Similar to Bandwidth Monitor, NetTraffic offers a real-time floating window that may be customised to display the required information according to your preferences. Colors, scale, chart type, and many other things are all changeable. Also, when hovered over, its notification area icon explains network activity and displays the current download and upload speeds.
In contrast to the previous products, NetworkUsageView is a network usage viewer rather than a complete network monitor. This programme only functions with Windows 8 and later releases because earlier versions of Windows do not collect data on bandwidth usage. However, it does not provide a floating window but does provide the essential bandwidth usage information.
I think NetworkUsageView is quicker and uses fewer resources than the aforementioned programmes (as it s basically just a usage log viewer). Its incredible viewer window displays all bandwidth usage information, including the apps and services. Having stated that, you can search for any harmful software and observe every network usage behaviour.