How to track your bandwidth usage

Reader Jose writes: I was wondering if you knew a tool that can give you how much Internet bandwidth you are using from your Internet provider. I keep hearing that TWC may implement a cap system and I like paying video games online, so I will want to know if I'll be over quota or not.

Metered Internet service is likely to cause headaches for many web users, but if you can't find alternative service in your area that isn't metered, you may end up having no choice but to subscribe to broadband that's restricted by how much data you can use in a month.

There are a number of free tools that can help you track your Internet usage. I downloaded a pretty capable one called BitMeter II the other day and it would probably be perfect for you.

BitMeter sits on your desktop and offers a graphical look at both uploading and downloading activity, in real time. The chart is just a handy, quick look at your usage. The real utility comes when you drill down and look at your historical use. A quick click lets you see a graph of bandwidth use over the last few hours, days, or months. Another click gives you the information in spreadsheet form, so if you want to know exactly how much data you've downloaded, say, since the beginning of August, you can see at a glance. Upload and download speeds are also provided by the tool.

But wait, there's more! If you've got strict bandwidth caps, BitMeter lets you put all that information into the tool, including the level of the data limit, whether it's download only or both directions, and the date your billing period starts. BitMeter keeps a running tally of your usage over the period and can alert you when you reach a level close to that limit, a percentage which you can specify. Impressive!

The only caveat is that BitMeter can only track usage on one computer at a time, so if you have a network of multiple machines or other devices (iPhones, TiVos, Xboxes) that also use the data connection, they won't be monitored by BitMeter. Some routers, like the Belkin N1 Vision, can do the job, but the information isn't nearly as sophisticated as what you'll get from BitMeter.

The software is totally free. Get it here: BitMeter II.