All-in-one
Bandwidth monitoring:
PRTG network monitor

What is bandwidth monitoring?

Bandwidth monitoring is a method for measuring the actual bandwidth available on a local system (LAN or WiFi).

Bandwidth monitoring tools display real-time data such as download and upload speeds and help prevent network strain.

Private individuals and professionals alike use bandwidth monitoring to check for available bandwidth.

Find out who is hogging your bandwidth

"Who is hogging my bandwidth?" - maybe you hear that frustrating question over and over again from your users. They are complaining about a slow network and you need to identify the root of the problem.

PRTG Network Monitor helps you determine how much bandwidth your devices and applications are using. Depending on your network and hardware, you can use different protocols like SNMP, flow or packet sniffing.

How to check bandwidth usage

Most bandwidth analysis solutions are only able to check internet traffic on a single device. For measuring all the traffic in your network, you need to monitor the data directly on your routers. Protocols like SNMP, NetFlow or WMI allow you to monitor bandwidth usage of your entire network. By using the Network Bandwidth Analyzer PRTG you get informed about all ingoing and outgoing traffic and see what application or what servers are using up the most bandwidth.

PRTG makes bandwidth monitoring easy

With PRTG Network Monitor, it is easy to track and check bandwidth usage in your network. The bandwidth tool reads the traffic data from your router and displays the results in three graphs. This way, you will quickly and easily be able to check bandwidth usage and the amount of data transferred.

Bandwidth monitoring for professionals and consumers alike

Private users: Many private users are interested in determining the amount of bandwidth they have at their disposal. Or more precisely: if the bandwidth guaranteed by their internet service provider is indeed the amount that is available. In this context, many consumers investigate speed tests, DSL bandwidth, or whether their cell phones or tablets are able to access the respective bandwidth.

• In addition to PRTG, which of course can help in this area, you may opt for a simple cable speed test which can be found online on a variety of different sites and often times also measures the ping. Start using our bandwidth manager for your network.

Professional settings: In professional settings (businesses or large organizations), reduced bandwidth has significantly graver consequences. Disruptions lead to idleness on the part of employees and customers and a corresponding loss of sales. Administrators must promptly expose and eliminate bandwidth hogs.

• In this instance, our PRTG bandwidth monitoring tool will help you to monitor bandwidth, detect and measure heavy bandwidth overloads, quickly recognize potential disruptions - and get down to the root of the problem.

Measuring bandwidth:
3 situations where PRTG comes in handy

With PRTG, you'll be able to promptly identify potential bandwidth overloads and quickly pinpoint the causes of crashes. One single network component overloading can swiftly result in a significant loss of bandwidth.  

Obtain a comprehensive overview of your bandwidth usage

PRTG Network Monitor reads the complete traffic data from your router and provides detailed statistics about which services and programs use your bandwidth, and where potential bottlenecks could be.

PRTG displays your bandwidth usage in graphs and toplists and shows net bandwidth consumption based on various parameters such as port numbers, IP addresses, protocols, etc., using either Packet Sniffing or xFlow sensors (NetFlow, sFlow, jFlow, and IPFIX).

Custom alerts notify you about bandwidth shortages via SMS, email, or push notifications. This ensures you can react proactively to all bandwidth issues and troubleshoot problems before they become severe.

Monitoring bandwidth usage is key to better network management.

 
“We can all work with greater peace of mind knowing that our systems are constantly being monitored.”

Markus Puke, Network Administrator, Schüchtermann Klinik, Germany

PRTG saves time

With PRTG, you get one central monitoring tool for your bandwidth data, measuring bandwidth and testing your network. You’ll enjoy a quick overview of your entire infrastructure via our dashboard and app.

PRTG saves worry

Installing PRTG is quick and easy. Getting started or switching from another network and bandwidth monitoring tool is straightforward thanks to the PRTG auto-discovery and pre-configured device templates.

PRTG saves money

PRTG is worth it. 80% of our customers report substantial savings in the area of bandwidth management. And license costs pay for themselves in an average of only a few weeks.

Customer example: Austria’s rail traffic relies on PRTG

"Due to business-critical applications, it is of the utmost importance that the ÖBB Infrastruktur AG data network constantly run flawlessly. To make this a reality, the management installed PRTG Network Monitor. PRTG is used for the bandwidth monitoring of the central routers and switches in the data network so administrators can determine the most important key parameters for utilization and availability. In total, the monitoring consists of several thousand sensors which query the relevant values in regular intervals."

To the case study (in German)

PRTG bandwidth monitoring methods

by Kimberley; Product Evangelist

In this video, you’ll get a quick overview of the methods PRTG offers for bandwidth monitoring. Discover which method is best suited for your IT infrastructure.

View video (3:04 Min., english)

Test bandwidth: use PRTG to test with success!

You’d like to know if your ISP actually provides the bandwidth they’ve promised? Then just like many administrators, you probably perform frequent SLA checks. But how do you test bandwidth? Two challenges arise:

Challenge 1: In order to test the maximum throughput of your bandwidth, you must use your line to maximum capacity. This means there will be no more resources for other data during the network test. In other words, you'll paralyze your network.

Challenge 2: For a 100% measurement, you’ll essentially need two computers which are directly located on the ends of the line whose bandwidth you would like to test. Otherwise you will also simultaneously test all network devices found on the “test track.”

For these reasons, you cannot measure the bandwidth directly over the course of the entire test, but must test the speed of the line by generating short load peaks, e.g. by downloading a small file (a few kB) every few minutes and measuring the time it takes for the download.

The solution: This is how to test your bandwidth with PRTG:

1. Create three HTTP Advanced sensors, which access several files of circa 500 kB from a variety of "fast servers" (e.g. your ISP's static websites).
2. Let the sensors run for a few hours with a 5-minute interval. The sensors have a channel which specify the bandwidths achieved during the file download in Kbps.
3. If, for example, you have a data line with a specified bandwidth of 4 Mbps, the network test of a 500 kB file should last 1,000 ms (1 second): 4 Megabits per second = .5 MB per second = 500 kB per second.

If your line is used by others during the network test, you will see jitter (unwanted fluctuations) on the curve, for your test did not always run with the full amount of available bandwidth. If there was no other traffic on the line, your curve should closely resemble a straight line. Bandwidth checks with PRTG will allow you to monitor your network and potential bottlenecks.

Attention! If you download a 500 kB file every 60 seconds, you'll generate a data volume of 720 MB per day!

TIP: You are still new to monitoring and need a little support?

Paessler offers a free, multi-part email course covering the 4 basic methods of bandwidth monitoring: SNMP, Packet Sniffing, Flow, and WMI. Learn more about individual processes and the possibilities of using them to improve bandwidth usage in your network.

Sign up here for our free email coaching and learn how you can put your resources to better use with Paesslers bandwidth meter.

Practical tip: “Hey Mathias, what would you tell administrators who wish to monitor their bandwidth?”

“Instead of trying to measure bandwidth by way of an extra, simulated load, you should have a look around for actions which do that anyway – and then monitor them. For example, when you perform backups, you often put great strain on the bandwidth and can thus easily recognize shortages or bottlenecks.”

Mathias Hengl, PRTG Developer at PAESSLER AG

Bandwidth monitor: What makes PRTG better than the rest?

PAESSLER AG –
German quality
engineering

Administrators must compare monitoring tools or search for a free one. There are several suppliers on the market.

PRTG comes with a full range of advantages:

1. Free trial version: PRTG is available in a free trial version. Use this version to get a feel for our network monitoring tool with no risk whatsoever.

2. Over 200,000 administrators: whether in large or small businesses, authorities, colleges or administrations - all around the world, more than 200,000 administrators put their trust in our network monitoring tool, and can therefore also monitor their bandwidth. Read our case studies here.

3. Support: do you have a question? We respond in a jiffy! You can already access a great deal of information online by consulting our FAQs, manuals, videos, webcasts, or knowledge base. You can of course also send us a message. We'll do our best to get back to you within 24 hours on business days.

PRTG – your network monitoring tool

PRTG is the PAESLLER AG's all-in-one network monitoring tool. Our software is used by more than 200,000 administrators worldwide, whether it be to monitor their hardware- and server performance , their virtual environments, or the accessibility of their websites. Use PRTG for database monitoring or sql monitoring.  PRTG is a one fits all network analyzer tool.

Save time, worry, and money. PRTG is configured in a matter of minutes. The trial version is offered free of charge. And you can upgrade whenever you like.

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