Best Programs to Limit Data and Internet Usage in Windows

Today the Internet has become an indispensable complement to our computer. Every time we connect there are many programs installed that, in one way or another, occupy bandwidth at the speed that we have contracted, which can lead to reducing the connection speed if we are not able to control it. For this, there are programs developed so that we can monitor the use of data that we make on our connection.

Although it is probable that the connection that we have in our house consists of unlimited data, it may be equally interesting for us to have the possibility of monitoring the use that applications make of the Internet, knowing which ones require more bandwidth and limiting those that may be slowing down the connection speed

Programs to Limit Data and Internet Usage in Windows

Why is it useful to monitor Internet use?

As we have mentioned, having the possibility to monitor the use that our applications make of our Internet connection can be very interesting since it will allow us to control consumption . With these programs we can see which applications consume the most and even put a bandwidth limit on them. It will also be very useful to know how many devices are connected to our network. This will help us detect possible intruders who may be taking advantage of our Internet connection, without even us knowing it, seriously compromising both our privacy and the security of our data.

In addition, it is also interesting to know at what times of the day we use the connection with the greatest frequency and intensity. With this we can obtain total control over all our connected devices. And, although there may be various external causes that can affect network performance, such as viruses or malware, we will not always know precisely how it affects their performance . For this we can use different applications that we are going to review below.

Free apps to control bandwidth

When it comes to monitoring our Internet connection and discovering how our applications use it, we can opt for free programs that can carry out this task efficiently and without the need to pay a single euro. They are ideal to test them without risk and check if they really are useful for our use.

NetworkUsageView, with detailed breakdown of all the programs that use the Network

This application is going to be in charge of showing all the data of use of the Internet network every hour , providing us with all kinds of information. Among the data that you provide us are the name and description of the service or application, the name and SID of the user, the network adapter, as well as the total number of byte that each application has sent and received.

NetworkUsageView panel principal

If this software stands out for something, it is because it has a simple interface to interpret, although having so many options it can become complicated for users who are not familiar with this type of program. It has a detailed breakdown almost to the maximum of all those programs that use our Internet connection. In addition, it will show us the route where they are stored, the registration time and the amount of data sent and received by each of the applications.

NetworkUsageView is a portable application, so it does not require installation. We can download it for free from this link.


BitMeter OS, visualize data in real time as by history

We are going to talk about a program that will be in charge of displaying all the data about the applications that use the Internet connection of our computer. Among its characteristics, we can say that we will be able to visualize this data, both in real time and in history, using different functions that it incorporates and that we can adapt to our needs.

Interfaz bitmeter os

From its interface we will have available all the history of applications that make use of our Internet connection. We can also see the data consumed in a day, a month or a year. This will allow us to get an idea of which are the periods in which we have a higher consumption of our line.

BitMeter OS is a free and open source application that works directly through our browser, although it is also possible to download its desktop application. To do this, simply access your page from here.


NetTraffic, create different graphs and control the connection situation

It is an interesting software that will be in charge of creating graphs in real time showing the statistics about our Internet connection. This data will be updated every second in real time, so we can easily monitor our network. Once executed, it is responsible for creating three graphs simultaneously, showing the download speed, the upload speed and the total, so it will be very useful to get an idea of the situation in which our connection is.

NetTraffic

Along with the creation of a graph to perform statistics tasks, this application can be used to create Graphs and Tables. These are going to be in charge of showing the bandwidth data of our network. It will also be possible to both export and import data that have been generated by the program, as well as resetting the counters to start over when we deem it necessary. From its configuration section we can choose different network interfaces that we want to be monitored or analyze all available network interfaces.

NetTraffic is a free and portable application so we can use it without having to do any kind of installation and run it from an external storage device. We can download it directly from the developer’s website.


Internet monitoring payment programs

In the event that we are looking for professional tools with which to be able to obtain total control over our Internet network, we can use different paid applications with a greater number of additional features and functions than their free counterparts. All have a trial version, so that we can see how it works first hand before choosing to buy your license.

NetBalancer, distributes bandwidth by setting priorities

We are talking about an application with which we will be able to monitor incoming and outgoing traffic. Therefore, we will be able to monitor the use made by the programs that we have installed on our Internet network. Another possibility is to distribute the use of the bandwidth of our connection, by the programs that do not use it, establishing priorities so that some can consume more bandwidth than others.

NetBalancer

This useful tool offers us the possibility to check the ID, the download and upload speed, the priority, the download and upload limit, the number of connections, the size of the upload and download, along with the file path, the command line and creation date of each process. The application is very light and consumes little CPU and RAM resources.

NetBalancer is priced at $ 49.95 and allows us to download a three-day trial version from its website.


NetLimiter, with tools to measure traffic in real time or long term

It is a software that will be of great help to us to control and monitor Internet traffic on our PC. Through its use, we can set speed limits for upload and download transfer. We can use it to control the use that our applications make of the network and to optimize the traffic of our Internet connection. For this, it has several statistical tools that will help us measure traffic in real time or in the long term.

NetLimiter Interfaz

With this application we will also be able to block the connection , establishing which programs can connect and have access to the Internet, also indicating under what conditions they can do so. In addition, we can establish data transfer quotas for filters that we have previously established, as well as enable a limit and blocking rules.

We can download and use NetLimiter for free for 28 days with its trial version that we can obtain from this link. To use it permanently, we must buy its license, which has a starting price of $ 19.95.


GlassWire, prevents any application from making excessive use of data

This application is in charge of monitoring the network, focusing its activity mainly on application control. With it we can determine which programs can or cannot connect to the Internet, the traffic it generates and the different servers to which each one of them can connect. We can consult all the activity of our network through simple graphs. These are easy to read and interpret, preventing any application from consuming excessive resources without our consent.

GlassWire interfaz

Our security is important for this program, so it will alert us to spikes, known threats, unexpected changes in system files or changes in DNS so that we can take immediate action. It will even be possible for us to remotely monitor and block any suspicious activity that may be occurring on our computer, even if we are not in front of the screen. It has a firewall that will allow us to anticipate your network threats and stop them before they can damage our system.

GlassWire allows us to download a trial version from their website . If we want to take advantage of all its advantages, it will be necessary to buy its license, which has a starting price of $ 39.


Net-Peeker, has its own firewall to navigate safely

This application is aimed at all those users who are concerned about the saturation of the bandwidth that their Internet connection may suffer when using certain applications. That is why it will allow us to keep track of all the applications that we have active on the network. We can also limit the transfer of data from each of them based on our interests. In this way we are going to ensure that no program is capable of devouring our entire data connection.

Net Peeker

It should also be noted that this software has its own firewall. This will allow us to navigate in a more secure way, as well as obtain statistical reports on network traffic and the period of Internet use of each of the applications. Also, it supports the export of captured packets in TCPDUMP format. Thanks to this, we can analyze more thoroughly with other tools, and it allows you to save captured files and save them in ZIP format.

Net-Peeker has a trial version that we can use for 30 days with all functions active for free. Once finished, all functions will be deactivated except for the monitoring of network applications, so it will be necessary to acquire a license to reactivate all its functions. We can download it from this link.


SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager, especially suitable for advanced users

We are talking about a software that will be in charge of monitoring the traffic of our Internet network, allowing us to limit the bandwidth to our liking, to achieve an immediate increase in the efficiency of our network. At the same time, it allows important applications to use the Internet at maximum speed. This traffic management tool offers total control over the bandwidth based on rules that we can create.

SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager

With the help of this program we can apply speed acceleration rules to specific IP and MAC addresses, ports and even different network interfaces without having to make changes to our network. All its functions are managed from an intuitive graphical interface, although its use is especially suitable for advanced users.

We can test SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager by downloading a free 30-day trial from its website . Once finished we can continue using its Lite version for free, which will allow us to use a maximum of five rules. If we want to enjoy all its features, it will be necessary to acquire its license, which has a cost of 49 euros.


What program to monitor Internet data should we choose?

As we can see, we have a good number of applications that will help us control everything about our Internet connection. Depending on the use that we need to give it, we can choose between free or paid tools, each type directed to meet the needs of each type of user. When choosing a program, both free and paid, it is advisable to try the different options. In this way we can see first-hand which one best suits our uses and needs. Even the paid ones have trial versions, so that we can test them carefully before making your purchase.

Among the different free options, we would possibly stick with BitMeter OS , a fairly popular tool. It has the advantage that we can use it directly from the browser. It also has a desktop version as well. It is ideal to control the data based on graphs and to have at hand the history of Internet use of our team, as well as to export them in a CSV file. Among the paid applications, NetLimiter would be our option, especially since it has a lower starting price than the rest of the options that we find. It will help us measure the use that applications make of the Internet and set limits if necessary. It will also allow us to block the connection to certain applications, as well as create certain rules to control the use they make of our connection.