Re: How can I monitor bandwidth and data usage of individual devices on my network

tirreus · ‎2017-11-21

Hi,

I would like to know how much data individual devices connected to router are downloading, at any given moment and in long term. I cannot find this statistics in my router D6200B.

In other words, how can I monitor bandwidth and data usage of individual devices on my network?

Thanks,

Rob

michaelkenward · ‎2017-11-22

Most routers aren't that clever.

People ask for that all the time, but per user monitoring, and control, aren't possible on most hardware.

tirreus · ‎2017-11-22

If people ask this question all the time, maybe this should be clear message to manufacturers. I hope NETGEAR is carefully listening.

Anyway, at least I found "QoS Setup" tab in my Genie SW so I will be able to give some priorities to devices. This does not answer my original question though. I would like to see immediate download rate per device plus long-term statistics.

Is it really so hard to add this monitoring ability to Genie, dear NETGEAR? I think this is really basic feature... I really do not understand what can be so difficult to implement it. I am sure many development engineers had this basic idea too, so where is it for us, customers?

Thanks for other posts / advices / opinions...

michaelkenward · ‎2017-11-22

@tirreus wrote:
Is it really so hard to add this monitoring ability to Genie, dear NETGEAR? I think this is really basic feature... I really do not understand what can be so difficult to implement it. I am sure many development engineers had this basic idea too, so where is it for us, customers?

I am not a software engineer, so I make no judgement on the ease or otherwise of maintaining a detailed record of traffic on a network. My guess is that if it were really easy to cram all that tracking of traffic and users in the limited space on a modem/router's chips they'd have done it already. Maybe they have, but they keep these high-end features for more expensive products. The D6200B is a pretty basic, low cost device.

People who want an all singing all dancing network usually buy separate modems and routers. Me, I have the D6400, just slightly fancier than the D6200B. Not sure what anyone gets for the extra £25, but the D6400 doesn't do what you want. I was amazed to discover that you can spend more than £400 for a modem!

One bit of evidence that might nudge Netgear in the right direction is evidence that other modem makers do provide this feature. If you can point to one, that would be very helpful.

You mention QoS as a way of giving priority to traffic, you could also look into parental controls, to see if that is a way of limiting what other people do on your network.

michaelkenward · ‎2017-11-23

I am testing the router version, the R7800. (Nice but hideously ugly box.) But it has a top secret operating system that is unlike the standard interface. I did look to see if that could provide the sort if information required, but it didn't seem to have quite the right details. But, as I said, my box is distinctly atypical, so it tells us nothing about the production model.

Your comment does, though, suggest that I am on to something when I suggest that you get what you pay for. Netgear isn't likely to put into cheap hardware the controls and information that it can sell at a higher price in flashier kit. Your answer also deals with some of the questions in an earlier message.

Is it really so hard to add this monitoring ability to Genie, dear NETGEAR? I think this is really basic feature... I really do not understand what can be so difficult to implement it. I am sure many development engineers had this basic idea too, so where is it for us, customers?

Hardly a "basic feature", but probably there if you are prepared to pay for it.