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Buzz Out Loud Lounge: bandwidth metering software
bandwidth metering software
by musicfan2k5 - 9/2/08 12:19 AMI just started using vnstat on my linux firewall/router/etc to track my usage. It's a small console-only tool to track how much you've up/downloaded. It's also avail for BSD & OS X. There is also a front-end avail. that displays everything nice and pretty in a web page.
vnstat: http://humdi.net/vnstat/
Freeware Windows Bandwidth app
by Slikkster - 9/2/08 2:47 AM In reply to: bandwidth metering software by musicfan2k5http://www.shaplus.com/bandwidth-meter/
A quick google search shows this freeware app above (ShaPlus) on top of the list of available. Looks pretty straightforward; sits in the tray, and displays Session/Day/Month bandwidth used. Plus, it can be set to "Always Display" stats, vs. as a tool tip when hovering with mouse.
What if You Have Multiple Devices?
by PressAnyKey - 9/2/08 4:51 AM In reply to: Freeware Windows Bandwidth app by SlikksterMeasuring at the router level makes more sense. What are the options?
Lan sniffing
by Slikkster - 9/2/08 5:42 AM In reply to: What if You Have Multiple Devices? by PressAnyKeyI'm not the expert on this, but is it really necessary to meter at the router if all devices are on the same collision domain? In other words, can't an app running on one machine still "see" the network traffic and determine what goes in and out of the WAN gateway?
Most routers contain switches...
by cwatnik - 9/2/08 3:09 PM In reply to: Lan sniffing by Slikksterwhich are smart and do not broadcast traffic to all connected devices, but only to the device the traffic needs to go to. So I don't think that any one device can see all traffic. Although I too am no expert! 
(this is as opposed to hubs which do broadcast)
We've had metered bandwidth for years in Australia...
by Nicholas Buenk - 9/3/08 11:51 PM In reply to: bandwidth metering software by musicfan2k5At first they would just boot you off the service.
Now days they cap your speed to around 128kbit if you exceed your quota. On their web sites they have a bandwidth metre, you can get 3rd party software to read the bandwidth metre off the ISP's site.
Wonder how long it will take American ISP's to be pressured into doing similar. 
If only 128 kbps was the lowest speed!
by pcubed - 9/4/08 8:35 PM In reply to: We've had metered bandwidth for years in Australia... by Nicholas BuenkI hear ya man about it sucking when they knock your speed down to 128 kbps, BUT I was actually curious about bandwidth scenarios in other parts of the United States, so I started to ask some friends of mine around the nation. My friend in Alaska pays almost $30/month and gets a *maximum* of 128 kbps (that's bits, mind you, not Bytes) down and up and has a 10 GB cap PER MONTH. I could barely get through a 10 GB cap for a WEEK. For my friend to get 768 kbps down and unlimited bandwidth per month, she'd have to pay nearly ** $150/month **. That is crazy, especially in the united states where bandwidth should not be an issue. And just in case you were thinking that she's out in the middle of nowhere, my friend lives near Anchorage, one of the biggest (if not the biggest) cities in the state.
What I really want is better control.
by Renegade Knight - 9/4/08 11:52 AM In reply to: bandwidth metering software by musicfan2k5A look at my firewall shows me the dozens of program that want acess to the net. What I want is to know what program is talking to what server, what information it's giving, why, and what happens if I block that particular access.
A gross bandwidth meter is handy for the big picture, but I also want to use my bandwidth for purposes that do me some good. Not everone else. Especially if I'm going to start being capped at a level beyond my pipelines ability to transmit.
Windows Software
by topher2041 - 9/4/08 12:08 PM In reply to: bandwidth metering software by musicfan2k5I would like to monitor my home usage to see what my download is per month. I have put on some software on my PC to monitor but it is monitoring the usage of the net card in my computer not the router. So it is not correct, since I have a NAS and copy a lot to that device. How can I monitor what we are using out to the internet from my PC and or laptop that uses the wireless network that is setup.
Meter Software
by ernestlehmann - 9/5/08 6:09 AM In reply to: bandwidth metering software by musicfan2k5For the MAC:
SurplusMeter
http://lifehacker.com/software/bandwidth/download-of-the-day-freemeter-bandwidth-monitor--windows-244649.php
For Windows:
FreeMeter
http://lifehacker.com/software/bandwidth/download-of-the-day-freemeter-bandwidth-monitor--windows-244649.php
For Routers:
Tomato (Tom's Fave)
http://www.polarcloud.com/img/ssbwm100.png
http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato
http://www.polarcloud.com/v/scbwm.htm
Mostly for Linksys, some here may have these features too:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linksys_WRT54G_series#Third-party_firmware_projects
Meter Software
by topher2041 - 9/5/08 6:37 AM In reply to: Meter Software by ernestlehmannThanks for the links. Unfortunately I do not think they will work for me. I have a Netgear router which will not work with the Tomato firmware. Unless I am mistaken the software you listed only monitors one computer and it monitors the network traffic on that machine. Can you you track just the internet traffic and not other network traffic? Also it will not track my streaming radio through my Sonos system or my Xbox or my Directv (On Demand). Which I use all three a lot.
Any other help would be great.
Isn't this worth a better router?
by R. Proffitt
- 9/5/08 6:46 AM
In reply to: Meter Software by topher2041
A router with such would be a fix. But my thought is that "the meter" will show up soon. How long would you go to a gas station without a meter?
"Better" router?
by Slikkster - 9/5/08 7:50 AM In reply to: Isn't this worth a better router? by R. Proffitt
Bandwidth metering makes for a better router? I have a router without an open-source firmware option. However, it DOES have intelligent "StreamEngine" QOS technology built into it, which performs very well with VOIP and/or Gaming prioritizing. So, throwing out the baby with the bathwater wouldn't be wise. Plus, you're assuming people have money to burn.
I DO agree with you, however, that "the meter", as such, had better come out soon from the ISP's requiring caps. Otherwise, they are only going to set themselves up for lawsuits and some very nasty publicity. You simply can't say people are capped without giving them the wherewithall to guage their own usage. Telling them to go out and fine a program ain't gonna cut it.
Ah, my reply was to topher2041
by R. Proffitt - 9/5/08 9:06 AM
In reply to: "Better" router? by Slikkster
But for you I'm very happy to announce that my Buffalo whr-hp-g54 is running the white russian with webif. Maybe I'll change that someday but it's been stone cold reliable. Never needs a reboot so like some old mechanic's advice... "Stop fixing what's working."
I wouldn't give up the great interface on my Airport Extreme
by minimalist - 9/5/08 5:56 PM In reply to: Isn't this worth a better router? by R. Proffitt
for any metering software. After using Netgear and Microsoft Routers with Macs and being thoroughly frustrated with how difficult they were to set up and manage I don't mind paying the extra money for the Apple networking gear.
Of course should I ever call Comcast customer service they will of course try to dismiss me with some "we don't support Apple systems" boilerplate BS. Of course none of this answers the fundamental question, how do you justify penalizing people for using too much of something which impossible for most home users to actually MEASURE?
This reminds me of the crappy systems many cell phone companies used to have in the early days. I remember when you had to actually pay EXTRA to get an itemized bill. In other words if they said you exceeded your minutes you just had to trust them or shell out another 5 bucks a month to even argue your point.
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