Monitoring your bandwidth in your network is crucial to understanding what is going on in your perimeter.
Many times you can catch malicious behavior and programs that have made their way into your network unbeknownst to you or your network monitoring systems.
Here is our list of the seven best bandwidth monitoring tools:
- SolarWinds Network Bandwidth Analyzer Pack – FREE TRIAL This bundle of on-premises monitoring software includes network device status checks, automated network discovery and mapping, plus traffic analysis. Runs on Windows Server.
- ManageEngine Netflow Analyzer – FREE TRIAL This software package provides network traffic monitoring that includes live reports and capacity planning features. Installs on Windows Server and Linux.
- Auvik Performance – FREE TRIAL This cloud-based network bandwidth analysis system offers network performance tracking as well as traffic statistics sampling.
- Paessler PRTG Network Monitor – FREE TRIAL This bundle of monitoring tools includes sensors that can capture packets, query network devices, and identify traffic flows. Runs on Windows Server.
- Networx A lightweight monitoring tool that examines the network connections of its host. Runs on Windows, Windows Server, and macOS.
- Bitmeter II A free, lightweight tool that scans network connections and shows a live display of traffic throughput. Runs on Windows
- Bandwidth Monitor This network monitor for PCs will examine the performance of the networks to which the device is connected and can also query the local router. Runs on Windows.
The Top Bandwidth Monitoring Tools
Below you will find a quick overview and review of each product, along with the official product website and download links to accompany them as well.
We did not include any software packages or programs from SourceForge, as many of those are out-of-date and no longer maintained.
If you have any suggestions or additions to this list, please feel free to contact us via our contact page and we’ll be sure to add them as we see fit.
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1. SolarWinds Network Bandwidth Analyzer Pack – FREE TRIAL
SolarWinds Network Bandwidth Analyzer Pack solves the problem that most network monitors face when looking for a network monitor – do you want a network performance monitor or a network traffic monitor? This package offers both. The pack provides the SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor and the NetFlow Traffic Analyzer.
The Network Performance Monitor searches the network and documents all devices. It then draws up a network map. The NetFlow Traffic Analyzer puts flesh on that frame by providing ongoing traffic volume tracking.
These two packages combine to provide systems to monitor every aspect of your network. The systems integrate into a common interface and the software runs on Windows Server. SolarWinds offers the Network Bandwidth Analyzer Pack for a 30-day free trial.
Official Site and Download Links: https://www.solarwinds.com/network-bandwidth-analyzer-pack
2. ManageEngine Netflow Analyzer – FREE TRIAL
ManageEngine Netflow Analyzer is great for Network/Internet Bandwidth and Traffic monitoring that provides a real-time view into any Netflow, Sflow, jFlow, IPFIX and SNMP devices on your network on a device or interface level.
Bandwidth utilization is tracked and recorded to view upload/download speeds and overall utilization.
The main features of this software include its Agentless design, historical usage trends and graphs, threshold alerting based on predetermined values (that are customizable), the ability to monitor Speed/Packets/Volume and Bandwidth. This tool has the ability to export bandwidth reports to XLS as well.
Official Site and Download links: https://www.manageengine.com/products/netflow/index-new.html
3. Auvik Performance – FREE TRIAL
Auvik is a cloud-based platform that offers network monitoring services. The package performs network discovery, creating a network inventory and a network map. The lower plan of the system, called Essentials, checks on network devices’ statuses and alerts if a problem arises with one. The higher plan, called Performance, includes those functions and it also provides network traffic analysis. The system is offered with a 14-day free trial.
Official Site and Download links: https://www.auvik.com/lp/network-traffic-analysis/
Direct Download: https://www.auvik.com/get-trial/
4. Paessler PRTG – FREE TRIAL
Paessler PRTG is a well-known network monitoring solution as well and also provides a nice little utility for monitoring traffic within your network. The tool allows you to monitor up to 100 sensors for FREE with no extra charge, with the ability to buy more sensors as needed from there.
Official Site and Download links: Paessler.com/bandwidth_monitoring
Direct Download: https://www.paessler.com/download/prtg-download
5. Networx
Networx utility is geared towards individual desktop monitoring rather than remote tracking of bandwidth like the others mentioned in this post. If you want to monitor the bandwidth on your own PC or Desktop, then grab this tool and install it locally. It provides nice graphs of Speed, Usage and Quotas on a daily basis, as well as download speeds.
Official Site and Download links: Softperfect.com/products/networx/
6. Bitmeter II
Similar to the Networx software from above, BitMeter 2 gives you the ability to visually graph and track your internet connection on your own computer. Different colors represent wither Upload or Download speeds which update every second. You also have the ability to view Statistical information based on Hours, Days or Weeks.
Official Site and Download links: Codebox.net/pages/bitmeter2
7. Bandwidth Monitor
As many of the other utilities/tools mentioned here, BWMonitor tracks bandwidth only on the computer you install it on – instead of multiple computers as Solarwinds, Paessler PRTG and ManageEngine. BWMonitor features include a “speed stopwatch”, transfer speed/rate recorder and usage notifications. It works with all the major releases of Windows including Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.
Official Site and Download links: bwmonitor.com
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