How to monitor your broadband usage

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In this guide

Usage alerts

If you're trying to monitor usage with a mind to staying below a usage cap,  it's very likely that your internet service provider will offer an online tool for measuring your usage. This usually includes a reminder when you're approaching your usage limit.

These can often come too late for you to be able to significantly reduce your consumption and stay within the cap however. For this reason it's advisable to be proactive in checking your usage throughout the payment period.

In usage capped deals, it's not recommended to use independent data measuring tools as they are less accurate than your service providers own measurements, and it's unlikely you could use them as a form of proof in case of any dispute.

If your package is limited, and it feels like a struggle to stay within your usage limit then it might be worth looking into an unlimited package. You can use our tool to compare various broadband deals.

Data monitoring apps

If you're attempting to measure your usage in order to optimise your connection for certain devices, or to increase your network performance for streaming or gaming, you should consider using a data monitoring app.

Bitmeter OS and Networx are both free apps that allow you to monitor usage on the device they're installed on. Some WiFi routers will also have inbuilt monitoring software, which should be labelled  under traffic use, internet usage or a similar title. Using these over a short period of time should allow you to work out how much data your devices, and network overall, are using.

Quality of service settings

Once you've determined your usage, you can use the quality of service settings, available on most routers, to try to optimise it on certain devices. Different brands vary but many will already prioritise commonly used devices. You may be able to make some changes to prioritise devices you need to increase performance on; such as a smart TV or gaming laptop.