If you have ever wanted to monitor your network traffic you will know the hassle that comes with the decision. However, DU Meter amends that by offering a shareware utility that lets you monitor your network in real time easily.
Installation & Requirements
The setup process is fast and simple with no implications whatsoever. The supported operating systems are Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 in both 32 and 64 bit.
Interface
When you first start the application you will need to choose some settings through the configuration wizard. You will also be informed about various aspects of the application like the desktop gadgets for Windows 7 and 8. Moreover, you will be able to register to the DUMeter.net online service that compiles various network reports and lets you share them in social media. The process is completely optional and you can choose to skip it if you want. When you complete the wizard you will notice the application’s graph in the bottom right corner of your computer screen.
When you right click on it you will have various options on changing the interface, including a minimal mode that only displays the actual amount of data that you receive and upload while hiding the graph and a “click-through” mode that makes the window invisible to your clicks so that you can keep it on top of other windows without it interfering with your work. Moreover, you will have the ability to visit the Options screen which has a ton of settings regarding the trafficking of your network, your dumeter.net service, your network adapters and some general settings of the application like the language and more.
The other window you will want to take note of is the Reports one. There you will find an exhaustive list of reports that are categorized in hours, days, weeks and months as well as total traffic reports from the day you first started the application. Lastly, you can set up automatic reports that will be exported to a folder of your choice in a set amount of time, a feature that is quite amazing as you can set the reports up and then never deal with them ever again. Keep in mind that the automatic reports overwrite the previous ones when the time comes so if you want to keep your reports you need to move them or create backup files.
The last feature of the application is a stopwatch of sorts. Enabling it will start a watch that will give you information about the total data transferred and the average numbers from the moment you start the watch to the moment you end it. You can even set the watch to stay on top of other applications so that you can work on your other projects while also keeping an eye on it at all times.
Pros
-Fast installation
-Minimal user input required
-Various settings and options for network trafficking
-Extra utilities like reports and the stopwatch
Cons
-None that are worth mentioning
Conclusion
DU Meter is a truly amazing application that uses a non-intrusive interface while offering an abundance of options to monitor your network. It has so many options but is so simple to use that all users will find something to like about it and it will surely help them save a lot of time.
