Is it possible to monitor internet usage

We'll summarize this quickly to show you exactly what the strengths and weaknesses of this software are: Using WMI and SNMP, you can get a good indication of the volume or amount of traffic at the IP level layer 3 level and give you a good indication of layer 2 and layer 3 counters and events, including errors and broadcasts you have. On the flip side, it also acts as a packet sniffer which will give you a good overview of Layer 4 services.

PRTG is a great tool if you looking to really scale up due to their vast list of sensors, alerts and alarms that are built into the program itself. Setup is a little more involved than our Top pick, be aware of that, but nonetheless, it's a great option.

You can download a day free trial. The download is free to use indefinitely for up to sensors! Download PRTG. You can monitor bandwidth information either through the Web-Interface or Command-Line tools that they offer. One of the only downsides to this program is that you'll need to have Python installed on your Machine before you install the desktop version of the tool.

The program was last updated in August , but many are still using it to monitor usage of bandwidth in their networks. NetWorx is a fairly straight forward tool that we've recently reviewed and are including in this list. This program is meant to monitor your Local Machine, but digging a little further into the documentation, you can see it has the ability to monitor traffic from a router or gateway that uses SNMP or uPnP protocols. NetWorx will Poll these devices every 1 second to plot all the data on a graph, and if your a home-user and are using a consumer-grade network device, chances are the device will not support polling at that frequent of an interval, but it's still worth a try.

Its not a Fully-featured tool, but has the bones to get some good data, especially if you are trying to diagnose a particular machine or application.

Finding the right network traffic monitor for examining whats coming in and going out of your network is a good way of having full control over it. We recommend you grab one of these Free downloads and test to see which one works the best for your needs.

Some have more options than others, but all-in-all, a good network traffic and bandwidth monitoring software is going to show you the data you need to know — Which Device, Application or User is using the most bandwidth. Installs on Windows Server. Available for Windows Server and Linux.

BitMeter OS A free, open-source network monitor that is a little out of date but shows some very useful traffic throughput graphs.

You're trying to compete with them for bandwidth A lot of things can drain your internet bandwidth capacity. Most of the time, it is the people on your network you know about. At other times, it is malware or a network intruder. It can get so bad you cry out, "What is using my bandwidth?! Here's how you can check and troubleshoot what or who is using your bandwidth across your home network.

The best place to start figuring out what is consuming your bandwidth is your router. Your router processes all the incoming and outgoing internet traffic for your home. In your router settings is a page containing each device currently attached to your network. Depending on your router, you may also have access to network information such as current download and upload speed and the amount of data each device is using or has used.

Notice an entry you are unfamiliar with? You can delete it and remove it from your network. Make sure not to delete one of your own devices in the process! It isn't a big deal if you do. You may need to re-enter your security credentials to log back into the network, a minor inconvenience for most devices.

Another thing you can check from your router is how much data each connected device is using. For example, just how much data is everyone connected to your Wi-Fi consuming?

As you can see in the above image, some devices are consuming a considerable amount of data. Although the Setting page will differ between router manufacturers, you should be able to find a page that details data use on your Wi-Fi router. So again, if you spot an unknown device consuming lots of Wi-Fi data, you may have found your bandwidth-consuming culprit.

Your second option to check what is using your bandwidth is via a third-party program. In this case, you can use Capsa, a free network analysis app that captures every data packet engaging with your system. So, how to monitor internet usage? Employee internet monitoring software — WorkTime — is a great example. Internet monitoring software provides employers with a wealth of useful functions. One big positive with this technology is you can see specific trends and the extent to which the internet is used at a glance especially when you feel that employees are withholding certain information.

For example, WorkTime internet monitoring software provides reports that show employers exactly how employees use the internet. These reports include:. You can see specific trends and the extent to which the internet is used at a glance.

Monitoring internet activities restrict employees from visiting non-work-related sites during working hours. Employee productivity will be at least percent better with WorkTime internet monitoring software.

WorkTime increases productivity by highlighting and decreasing the time employees spend on the internet being unproductive. With internet monitoring software, your company can save up on loads of employee wages. Facebook alone consumes 30 percent of working time. In some cases companies with employees , browsing time takes about 50 percent of the overall working time.

WorkTime helps save money by reducing unproductive time to zero. Internet monitoring software shows the real picture of internet usage. This information can be applied to your company in many ways. Asides from improving productivity, Generated reports can be useful for: — Creating policies and improving work discipline.

We have also developed a ready-to-use policy, announcement policy, and employee monitoring handbook for direct use or a sample to create future internet monitoring policies to make the process even more convenient for businesses. Request this free eBook to learn more about this topic and get a free employee internet monitoring policy, announcement policy, and employee monitoring handbook:.

WorkTime experts are available to answer all your questions — ask now!