Hello blog site readers! Many users are thinking about having their own Internet traffic counter on their computer, or you can call it differently - Internet traffic control, which could show how much traffic you spend. The Internet has long been available in all parts of the planet, but not everyone has unlimited access yet.
Users who are satisfied with the Internet with limited traffic are always surprised at how quickly the available limit is gone. In principle, nothing surprising: many users have a large number of programs installed on the computer that are updated in.
Users do not even notice how they watch the next video on youtube.com and exchange files with their colleagues or comrades.
Do not be afraid: this problem is easily solved. To account for and control traffic, there is a specialized program - Networx. It is she who will “tell” you that it’s enough to sit on the Internet and it’s time to remember your limit, which is not infinite.
On the site you can download the installation file of the program and the Portable version. In this article, we will analyze the installation version of the program.
To download the program, go down the page and click on the "Download NetWorx installer" button. We are waiting for the download.
Installation Networkx
Run the file we just downloaded. Click "Next".
We agree with the license of the program, check the box "I accept the agreement" and click "Next".
In the next window, leave the default installation path. Click "Next".
Click "Next" again.
In the next window, you can leave or remove the "Desk Band" - an add-on that visually shows traffic in real time. For those who are bothered by extra icons on the control panel, it is better to turn it off.
In my case, I uncheck "Install an optional NetWorx Desk Band extensional (as show below)". Click "Next".
Click "Install".
The installation of the program is completed. We press "Finish".
Immediately after installing the program, a window with settings will open. Select the Russian language (Russian) and click "Next".
Choosing an Internet connection: you need to select through which network adapter you connect to the Internet. We press "Forward".
We click "Finish".
Now you will have a program icon in the tray that looks like a diagram.
Double-click the left mouse button to click on the chart. This will open the main window.
As we can see, the program has a nice and intuitive Russian interface. And, importantly, the program calculates traffic quite accurately. With it, you can get Internet traffic reports: both daily and weekly, as well as monthly.
The program allows you to open / save the results in Excel, as well as in the form of visual graphs.
NetWorx is not only a great program for seeing Internet traffic accounting, but it also has an interesting point in the form of setting a quota.
This means that the program can be configured in such a way that when the traffic is exhausted, the program will automatically notify you about it.
How to set up a quota
For clarity, it is worth disassembling the process of setting a quota. To do this, right-click on the icon and select "Quota ...".
In my case, the quota is already set: I set a limit of 50 megabytes, and when using traffic within 85% of 50 megabytes, a message will appear on the screen that the quota is coming to an end.
With this message, we will be notified when we should limit ourselves to the use of the Internet in order to avoid losing money!
You thought I wouldn't show the settings? Of course I'll show you: click the "Settings ..." button.
The program has a speed measurement function with which you can measure incoming / outgoing traffic. To start the measurement, click on the green triangle.
I recommend this program to all users who have access to limited Internet. With it, you can control your traffic in any direction: both incoming and outgoing.
For a number of reasons, I installed the program on Windows XP. But whoever has Windows 7 installed should not worry, since this program works stably and without failures in any system.
See you soon, dear friends!
Traffic accounting programs monitor connections on all interfaces. They count the amount of received and sent data.
Some of them allow you to limit the speed of each individual connection.
Thus, it is possible to distribute Internet traffic depending on the priority of the task.
Another useful feature of such utilities is the ability to maintain statistics.
Advice!
Such software is necessary for corporate structures, in whose activities every financial aspect is important. Using a traffic monitor is also beneficial in home networks.
Among all such programs, five of the most common, functional and convenient can be distinguished.
NetWorx
A free traffic accounting program that combines a simple interface and good functionality.
The program features allow you to monitor multiple connections, which is very useful for monitoring traffic in corporate networks.
Detailed connection monitoring allows you to identify and reflect unauthorized access attempts.
A flexible notification system will allow you not to miss an important event, whether it's connection problems, suspicious activity, or a decrease in connection speed.
The collected data is not only displayed graphically in the program window, but also stored in a special statistics file.
Statistical data is then easily exported to spreadsheet format, HTML or MS Word document.
Advantages:
Monitoring of multiple connections;
Flexible notification system;
Keeping detailed statistics;
Free distribution model.
Flaws:
True, in this mode, you can only observe the dynamics, you will not be able to influence it.
Advantages:
Free distribution;
Possibility of remote monitoring;
Good for home use.
Flaws:
Significant consumption of RAM resources;
Mandatory presence of the .NET Framework (conditional disadvantage).
Internet Count
The program is designed to account for the cost of an Internet connection. Accounting is possible both for billing by time and for tariff plans with traffic limits.
The universal features of the program allow you to calculate the cost of an Internet connection for users in any region.
All collected data is stored in detailed statistics by day and month.
The collected data can be exported to various document formats for further detailed analysis.
Advantages:
Free distribution;
Ability to take into account the cost regardless of the region;
Detailed statistics.
Flaws:
Only cost accounting is carried out;
Only Beta version is available.
TMeter
Great tool for tracking traffic. The utility collects maximum information on data exchange processes.
TMeter provides traffic counting as well as the ability to manage multiple connections.
Statistics is collected on a variety of parameters with display in accordance with the current state of affairs and saving in graphical and textual forms.
The powerful functionality of the program allows you to manage connections using your own authentication system, based on IP addresses or other parameters.
Data flow control tools allow you to limit the connection speed for each user individually.
Advantages:
A huge toolkit for managing corporate networks;
NAT mechanism, which provides local network users with access to the Internet through a single IP;
Built-in authentication service;
Flexible filter system.
Flaws:
Orientation to Windows, work in other operating systems is impossible;
Not suitable for home use;
Difficult to learn interface is not suitable for ordinary users;
The free version has a limit on the filters used (up to 3x).
TrafficMonitor
A universal tool that allows you to track the volume of traffic both on a personal connection and in corporate networks.
Requires the .NET Framework 2.0 runtime, an OSD window, and a traffic dynamics floating window to ensure you always have access to the information you need.
Advantages:
Convenient interface with quick access elements;
More than 125 parameter counters;
Keeping a detailed log of events.
Flaws:
Single conflicts with proxy servers;
Incorrect work with Dialup connections.
Traffic tracking programs are very useful for a wide audience.
Both ordinary users of a personal connection and system administrators of complex commercial networks will benefit from them.
Moreover, among the many available utilities, you can find universal ones.
Internet Speed and Internet Traffic Accounting Program
A free utility for those who are involved in system administration or home network monitoring.
Traffic counter useful thing. Especially if you have limited access to the network in terms of time or the amount of megabytes used. Not everyone has unlimited, right? Many people have unlimited at home, and for a laptop they use 3G connection or mobile Internet outside the home, like me, for example. And this kind of communication is usually limited. It is necessary to monitor the consumption of traffic, so as not to get money when overspending.
I propose to use NetWorx - a free program for accounting for Internet traffic and monitoring the speed of an Internet connection. This small, necessary program will help you monitor the speed (traffic cops don't sleep!) of moving around the network, and will also show how many kilograms of Internet have been downloaded in a certain time.
Via NetWorx You can set a time or megabyte limit. And when this threshold is reached, a notification will appear on the screen that your song has been sung and it's time to turn off. And you can set automatic disconnection from the network or the launch of certain programs. Convenient, helpful, easy.
Download and install NetWorx: 1.7Mb
When you press the Right mouse button on the tray icon, the following menu will appear ...
These are programs that allow you to track active connections across all network interfaces.
Modern tools for detailed and detailed traffic monitoring, as a rule:
- are fairly affordable;
- allow you to limit the speed of each connection separately;
- give a clear picture of what files and programs load the network and what speed they need to have;
- allow you to determine the sources of the highest traffic consumption.
The program will help you determine your priorities when using the network.
Today, there are many similar utilities for monitoring and planning traffic consumption.
CommTraffic
This is a program for controlling Internet traffic both in the local network (it monitors the Internet activity of several clients at once) and on a personal computer using a modem connection. Accounting and statistics of work on the Internet will be displayed in the form of bandwidth graphs. They show the amount of outgoing, incoming and total traffic.
The program can be configured for almost any tariff plan, which is based on the set volume, takes into account the time of day and connection time. The CommTraffic utility is equipped with:
- convenient indication;
- accurate calculation of costs;
- the possibility of notification in case of overspending.
Besides, it is simple and convenient to use. Once you set a traffic and time limit that corresponds to your tariff plan, you will receive notifications with a sound signal or a message to the specified address when you approach the set limits.
Program for monitoring Internet traffic Network Meter
A network information collection application that allows you to monitor all network adapters installed in the system. It also provides detailed statistics about outgoing and incoming traffic. To get started, set up the downloaded program the first time you run it. To do this, specify what data you want to see in the main window, and the adapters that Network Meter will "monitor".
Minimize the utility window to the notification panel so that it does not take up space on the desktop. Even in this state, the application continues to work in the background.
The program will build graphs of the consumption intensity of the network connection in real time. It is not overloaded with unnecessary interface elements and settings. The graphical shell of the utility is clear and simple. You can also see with it:
- Internet session duration, MAC address and IP;
- connection type;
- cable throughput to the maximum.
By downloading Network Meter, you will get a fairly compact, simple and free tool. Great for monitoring traffic and viewing information about network equipment.
Internet traffic counter Simbad Traffic Counter
The utility keeps records of incoming and outgoing traffic, and also calculates, according to the tariff of your Internet provider, its cost. The display of consumed traffic is carried out in various values (gigabytes, megabytes, kilobytes). In addition, the application keeps statistics. It will automatically detect the modem connection, display the time spent on the Internet. This program for monitoring Internet traffic practically does not consume system resources and has a small size. Supports work with a large number of protocols.
Net Activity Diagram Application
Net Activity Diagram, a program for monitoring traffic and Internet speed, monitors the Internet and network activity of a computer.
Produces:
- tracking all established connections;
- output of various warnings in the form of a message;
- traffic analysis for specified periods of time.
The current network activity is displayed both in a separate window and on the taskbar. In addition, the Net Activity Diagram service tracks statistics independently for each port and provides the ability to monitor each type of traffic separately.
The programs are quite flexible. It informs the user in cases of exceeding or approaching the established limits.
Traffic accounting using Internet Connection Counter
This program for monitoring Internet traffic will allow you to take into account the cost and time spent on the Internet, the total amount of traffic consumed. Supports various types of connections: Dial-Up, ADSL, LAN, GPRS, etc.
With this utility, the user can:
- use several Internet provider tariffs at the same time;
- get acquainted with the statistics on the traffic used;
- customize the appearance of the application.
In addition, the application will show all active connections, synchronize the system clock and export a report to Excel format.
Traffic saving program
HandyCache will allow you to significantly (3-4 times) through caching. The next time you visit the site, the application will help you not to download it from the Internet. In addition, you can view these sites and without an Internet connection, offline.
To get started, you need to install HandyCache and specify it in your browser as a proxy server. After that, all browsers you have installed will use the HandyCache cache. The default settings of this application are suitable for users in most cases.
The utility is equipped with flexible settings to control a variety of parameters. Can load files from cache depending on HandyCache file type or URL. And if necessary, it will download files from the Internet in case of a constant version update. Before that, the program will check their version and only then make a decision about accessing the download source.
The utility is convenient in that to search for any previously used data, you do not need to find them again. Just look in the cache for a folder with the same name as the site name. In addition, this Internet traffic control program for Android is ideal.
Clear and accurate accounting of money
As well as time and traffic can be exercised using the application StatistXP. The program for monitoring Internet traffic will allow you to comfortably and economically use the network. 10 launches are given for the trial period. And for further use, the utility is equipped with the option of prepayment and Internet cards.
The program implements:
- notification when connected and disconnected by voice;
- accounting of time, money and traffic with connection statistics by months and years;
- there is detailed information.
BitMeter II - software for monitoring Internet traffic
This utility is a traffic counter. In addition, it is equipped with a wide range of tools for collecting and monitoring network connections.
In the main window of the application in real time, you can see a graph of outgoing and incoming traffic. To quickly calculate the time spent on downloading, there is a special calculator.
The application supports the installation of warnings about exceeding the limits of the maximum traffic limit and Internet connection time.
Some features of the program:
- Customizable settings and alerts when the speed drops to a set level or when a certain amount of data is downloaded.
- Monitoring and recording of uploads and downloads. This will allow you to see how much traffic was used during a specific time period.
- Screen stopwatch.
- Good help file.
- Convenient customizable appearance.
- Ability to selectively monitor network cards.
There are a lot of programs for accounting traffic in the local network: both paid and free, which differ greatly in functionality. One of the most popular Open Source programs is SAMS. It runs on the Linux platform in conjunction with Squid.
SAMS requires PHP5, we will use Ubuntu Server 14.04. We will need Squid, Apache2, PHP5 packages with modules.
Internet traffic accounting in linux local network
Let's try to figure out how it works.
Squid distributes the Internet, accepting requests on port 3128. At the same time, it writes a detailed access.log. All management is done through the squid.conf file. Squid has a wide range of Internet access control capabilities: access control by addresses, bandwidth control for specific addresses, groups of addresses and networks.
SAMS works by analyzing the logs of the Squid proxy server. The traffic accounting system in the local network monitors the statistics of the proxy server and, in accordance with the specified policies, makes a decision to block, unblock or limit the speed for the Squid client.
SAMS Installation
Installing packages.
apt-get install apache2 php5 php5-mysql mysql-server php5-gd squid3
Download and install SAMS
wget https://github.com/inhab-magnus/sams2-deb/archive/master.zip
unzip master.zip
cd sams2-deb-master/
dpkg -i sams2_2.0.0-1.1_amd64.deb
Installing the web interface
dpkg -i apache2/sams2-web_2.0.0-1.1_all.deb
We make changes to the /etc/sams2.conf file.
DB_PASSWORD=/MySql password/
Launch SAMS
service sams2 start
Setting up Squid
Making changes to the /etc/squid3/squid.conf file
http_port 192.168.0.110:3128
cache_dir ufs /var/spool/squid3 2048 16 256
We enable logging and rotation of logs with storage for 31 days.
access_log daemon:/var/log/squid3/access.log squid
logfile_rotate 31
Stop Squid, create cache.
service squid3 stop
service squid3 start
For the purity of the experiment, we configure one of the browsers to work with the proxy 192.168.0.110 through port 3128. Having tried to connect, we get a connection failure - Squid does not have access rights to the proxy configured.
SAMS initial setup
In another browser, open the address (192.168.0.110 - server address).
http://192.168.0.110/sams2
He will tell us that he cannot connect to the database and will offer to install.
Specify the database server (127.0.0.1), login and password from MySql.
The initial configuration of the traffic accounting system is completed. It remains only to configure the program.
Monitoring traffic in the local network
Log in to the system as an administrator (admin/qwerty).
It is worth saying right away about user authorization. 
In the Squid branch, open the proxy server and click the "Proxy server settings" button below.
The most important thing here is to specify your IP address in the addresses of folders and files, where necessary, otherwise the proxy server will not start.
The essence of all changes in the SAMS settings is that they are written to squid.conf. sams2deamon runs in the background, which monitors changes in the settings that need to be made to the configuration file (you can also set the tracking interval there).
Fill in the "User" and "IP address" fields. As a username, take the same IP (IP of the computer, not the server!). In the "Allowed traffic" field, enter "0", that is, without restrictions. All other fields are omitted.
A new acl will be added for this IP address and permission to work through Squid. If the config was not changed automatically, go to the proxy branch and click the "Reconfigure Squid" button. Changes to the config will be made manually.
We try to open any URL in the browser. We check the access.log and see the requests processed by the proxy. To check the operation of SAMS, open the "Users" page, click the "Recalculate user traffic" button below.
Using the buttons below to manage statistics, you can get detailed information on the statistics of user visits to pages.
