Earn your bandwidth black belt

Comcast has thrown down the bandwidth gauntlet. Starting in October, Comcast broadband users will be restricted to 250GB worth of downloads per month. When asked whether the cable company was planning on offering a bandwidth meter to customers, a Comcast representative stated that it hopes to, eventually, but until then Google would be a nice place to find one.

So, I've come up with a list of free bandwidth monitoring software for Windows and Mac that should tide you over until Verizon brings some Fios action to your hood.

BitMeter offers a Web interface for tracking your traffic through a browser.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

First off, let's look at BitMeter. When running, it lives in your Windows Taskbar, so the features are accessible only through the context menu. Halfway down the lengthy list is the knockout punch: ISP Restrictions. This lets you set a limit that can be based on downloads only, or total traffic. It also offers notification based on the percentage of your quota that has been downloaded, and the start date of the quota.

It's more than a one-hit wonder, offering a live graph of upload and download usage, a usage calculator that can work based on transfer time or file size, and hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly statistics. This data can also be exported and saved. However, BitMeter lacks polish in the interface. The main screen is a live usage graph. All features are hidden in the context menu, so it's not going to win any design contests soon.

BitMeter's ISP Restrictions window.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Despite the promising name, I found Bandwidth Monitor Lite to be a disappointment as far as monthly quotas were concerned. Similar to BitMeter in layout, although the look of its graph is slicker, the actual tools that the Lite version offered were slim. You can track the amount of data downloaded and set a day of the month to start counting, but there was no way to set the quota or configure an alert.

The persistent emphasis on themes and skins was irritating, since the features that they were meant to put on display were less than stellar. The upgrade version does offer a lot more, but paying for a bandwidth tracker strikes me as a bit insulting, since we're already throwing cash at Comcast that we might not have had we known there would be a post-contract download cap.

Two other promising tools that I looked at were Axence NetTools and FreeMeter. Axence was the more advanced one by far, with a well-organized and professional-looking layout, but neither has bandwidth-monitoring capabilities that Comcast users will be looking for. Axence does have a "bandwidth monitor," but it can only check on user-specified connections, not overall up/down traffic.

For Macs users, iStat Menus and MenuMeters both sounded promising. Neither offer the robust bandwidth management tools that this Comcast problem is calling for, though.

I did that find a little-known app called SurplusMeter does precisely what we need it to do. Like BitMeter for Windows, it gives users the ability to set a bandwidth limit, a start day of the month, and the connection type--PPP Modem or Network Card, for example.

SurplusMeter offers Mac users a clean and simple traffic tracker.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

SurplusMeter also calculates a daily allowance, and reconfigures that depending on how much you've actually used for the month. It lacks the not-quite-fancy graphs that I encountered in its PC counterparts, but SurplusMeter also lacked something they had: an alarm or notification that would tell you when you were approaching your limit.

Fortunately, the interface is dead simple. All the options are presented in an uncluttered layout--you'll get exactly what you need from this app with a minimum of hassle. Handy progress bars give a slight visual flair to the days left in the month, the download megabyte count, and the total downloaded and uploaded.

Clearly, there's no killer app for either operating system, but there's at least one for each out there that most users should be able to get by on. It's an imperfect stop-gap to a problem that has the potential for wide-ranging consequences far beyond mere file sharing.

[skillingssucks]

If you have the ability, you're better off monitoring at the router.

[Lerianis]

Most routers, especially Linksys ones, do not have the ability to monitor just the stuff that is going to the internet. They have the ability to monitor network usage PERIOD.... but that is artifically inflated with traffic between my three computers, since one is used as a 'network storage' dump.

[trancekid404]

Bitmeter is nice but it uses a lot of ram... Tautology Bandwidth Meter best one i used so far.

[limefan913]

And for those of us with half a dozen or more computers that are heavily used?

[micky0]

There is a software called DU METER that one also doing same task and I'm using that one when I'm using limited connection, now i wont these software
:))))))))))) tricks for your pc

[bdlover1994]

This is crazy. Why are people putting up with Comcast?!

[jpfriend]

I just learned about it yesterday. I won't be putting up with it. I will be switching to a different provider next month. I might not use 250 gb in a month, but that's not the point. It's a matter of principle for me...

[Lerianis]

We aren't putting up with it, bdlover1994. I have already filed a complaint with the FCC, saying that I think this is a backdoor attempt at driving the competition to Comcast's cable services (you can get most episodes of most shows from almost all the networks online now) out of business. Same thing with Vonage, the reasoning goes.

[bkedersha]

Because we have no choice. It is either comcast or dialup.

[jedimasterlego]

why are people putting up with ANY Internet-Service-Provider in the States? Definitely you guys up there are lucky (I'm a U.S. citizen living abroad; don't ask me. My mom chose to live abroad with my dad! Yes, my dad's from abroad...). Guess what the highest 'broadband' speed in Panama is?: 1MB. guess how much it costs?!: A MINIMUM (if you're lucky) of $69.95-BEFORE-TAXES, PER MONTH!!!!

i remember that my uncle in Dallas had REALLY FREAKING FAST Internet. i asked him how fast was it? he said it was 5MB. i asked him "damn, how much are you paying for that? $30.00 a month? $40.00 a month? $45.00 a month?" (remembering the difference in Internet prices between Orlando, FL, where I lived in 2005 by myself before my parents dragged me back -- literally -- and in Dallas, FL, where my uncle lives). he was like "no, just $14.95 per month [after taxes]". i was SHOCKED!!!!!


WE REALLY GOT TO ELIMINATE THAT "BROADBAND-INTERNET"-CAP PROBLEM!!!!

THE ISPs ARE JUST GOING TO KEEP RIPPING PEOPLE OFF MORE AND MORE!!!!! :-(

[blueOrbit]

But how are we supposed to monitor Xbox Live, or Tivo Unboxed, or Vonage?

[Lerianis]

You can't. That is something that Microsoft would have to implement in XBox Live and Tivo Unboxed would have to implement in software updates.... which some of those devices cannot BE updated.

[Mr Statto]

I use NetMeter http://www.metal-machine.de/readerror/ which is very low on resources (currently running at 5672K of memory, and has the option to set daily, weekly or monthly bandwidth limits

[Lerianis]

Yes, but you only have one computer. With my family, we have a grand total of 4 (one mothballed), so things that run on only one computer are not going to work for us. And let's face facts: most people today do have more than one computer in their homes.

[m.prasanth_270]

212

[Liverpolitan]

For several months I have being using NetMeter which is freeware, has a good interface, and does the job of monitoring and projecting usage very well. Download from http://www.metal-machine.de/readerror/

[rpupkin]

i appreciate the thorough description and all but what would have been most useful is a grid comparing the features of each product, pick your fave (platform dependent) then tie a bow on it with a little narrative on each.

[rpitre]

verizon fios has a usage monitoring page when you call up the routers html page.

[dlmack123]

I am ok,you have my iogged name, thats good.

[jc32768]

I've been putting up with Direcway because it is the only "high-speed" connection where I live. Their fair access policy is so much worse. A 200 MB limit per day and if you use >20MB consecutive for a few hours they slow you way down (worse than the worst dial up) for 24 hours. And it costs twice as much as DSL or cable.

[johnboyzz]

I run 3 PC We download Movies Streaming Video Games P2P
At times all 3 are at full Throtal.I can Hit the Little 250 GB in 15
Days.This month alone i used around 500 GB Easy.
With The internet offering more and more options i need more
lots more GB Comcast a TV Cable company may be losing money
with online HD TV and Movie Downloads.Cutting there own throats
with a gateway to all this.

[ultimately_myself]

Have spent a few hours configuring and 'testing' BitMeter only to find that it has recognized issues when running on Vista. It identifies network adapters multiple times and therefore artificially inflates data transfer values. Here are some extracted quotes from Rob at Codebox (developer of BitMeter):

"The problem turned out to be caused by an unexpected change in the way Vista lists the network adapters that are present on the host machine."

"...that BitMeter was therefore adding wireless traffic to the totals 4 times over, explaining the strange readings that I had seen."

"...it appears there is a problem with the Windows Vista APIs that Bitmeter uses to monitor connection speed, and I dont think there is any fix that I can put into Bitmeter to correct the problem..."

Several others have recommended NetMeter. Although I've yet to install it, spending time in NetMeter's user forums finds that it also has had problems with Vista. Not clear yet whether that has been resolved.

Having to suck it up and deal with Comcast ... how horrific.

[seeker_all]

Usage at the point of connection is absolutely necessary. A tool to communicate to the cable box itself is needed. Comcast should give this tool or provide a web based graphic showing usage on their end at the very least. No other method will cover usage of vonage, games, backups, streaming, video to tv, etc.

I HAVE made live net contact to customer service. The have put in request for me to retain unlimited usage. I gave explanation that I signed on for unlimited access and this was a change of product. I itemized vonage, online backups, multiple computers, video to tv as showing that 250gbytes will not be enough. I was given a confirmation number and told this type of request usually takes 2 weeks. This was not a change to a commercial account. I hope this will assist those in similar circumstances.

[Lerianis]

Hey, I am not going to allow Comcast to change my service either. If they try to cancel me if I use more than 250GB's...... I'll just cancel my service with them period and done with. Let's see how they get along without the 125 dollars a month that my family gives them for cable internet and digital cable service.

[JonGP3]

These tools are pretty worthless for most people, I use a laptop that I take to and from work, at work I transfer larger files to various servers, I would have to remember to turn it off and on all the time. Also many people have more then 1 computer at home so you would need to keep track of all of them.
Many routers have built in meters that can monitor this, CNET should do a write up on which routers do this instead of all these worthless 3rd party apps that probably contain some bad things in them.

[clamenza]

We're such a backward country we have to limit broadband service to inadequate levels.

[DarkHawke]

It's not the country that's backward, just one company, and it's not even a technical issue, but one of at best confusion and at worst greed. Technically speaking, there's probably no issue to providing all the bandwidth that Comcast users want. Except that it's apparently costing them more than they'd like.

They're handling it in a very harsh way, though. There are providers in other countries with bandwidth caps, but instead of threatening you with being cut off, they just throttle you down to, say, double dial-up speeds. If they were smart and/or responsive to their customers, they'd effect that kind of system, or they'd offer pricing tiers, so those who wouldn't normally hit the cap would pay a lower rate, and there'd be a higher-priced tier for true unlimited usage. Even an increasing rate past given limits would be a step in the right direction.

Unfortunately for Comcast, they've chosen a path that will eventually lead to a net loss. Maybe there are few alternatives for broadband service in Comcast service areas now, but this kind of customer-hostile action in the face of internet use that's only going to increase in the coming years only opens up the market to competitors who will accept lower margins to make it up in volume. In my area, I get my internet access from a rival cable company (a rare but VERY cool thing!), and even the local stick-in-the-mud teleco is making enough headway into providing their own version of FIOS that Comcast is running ads insisting that their service is already better. We'll see exactly how long it takes them to see the light, either before they go out of business or after!

[Maclad09]

I live in ireland we have a bandwith cap of 30gb a month so 250gb isnt that bad!!!