For home users, monitoring bandwidth usage per device may seem like a pointless exercise but their business counterparts typically recognize the value of doing so. Bandwidth is not a limitless resource and total broadband bandwidth (as provided by your internet service provider or ISP) is shared between all the devices connected to the network. If one is taking more than its fair share, then the bandwidth available to the rest is reduced.
For example, your ISP may offer unlimited bandwidth but will apply additional conditions. You may have 20Mbs download speed for the first 20Gb of data and 3Mbs for the next 80Gb, after which the available bandwidth could be as low as 128kb. This practice is common on cell phone plans. Similar data caps or bandwidth throttling are also applied on business plans. One real-life example of this practice is the high-profile media story outlining how the Santa Clara fire department had their ‘unlimited’ data plan throttled to the extent that it interfered with the organization of emergency services during Californian wildfires.
An understanding of bandwidth is necessary to appreciate the relevance of isolating usage per device and you must appreciate that such knowledge is not just for techies or those involved in system administration. Traffic or bandwidth analysis can provide valuable information that could otherwise go unnoticed, whether it is identifying a user that is consistently streaming video or realizing that one of your devices is sending out more data than it should (due to a virus, security exploit or hardware failure).
Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a network connection in a given amount of time, usually measured in bits per second (bps). It reflects the capacity of the connection, determining how quickly data can be sent or received. Higher bandwidth enables faster data transfer, supporting better performance for activities like streaming, downloading, and real-time communication.
Every device on your network uses bandwidth. Even IoT devices using the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol (a protocol designed to work on networks with limited bandwidth) will contribute to the overall bandwidth usage.
Available bandwidth is also a consideration for your website and depends on your hosting plan. However, it is the hosting provider's responsibility to provide and monitor the bandwidth you have paid for and your responsibility to ensure that your subscription allows for times of peak traffic.
Therefore, you must determine which devices use your bandwidth, take this information and decided on a plan of action, whether this involves assigning a bandwidth quota, replacing hardware, cabling or leasing additional broadband connections.
A primary part of the system or network administrator's role is to maintain network uptime. This is achieved using available administrator tools that are designed to monitor bandwidth usage and network traffic. The tools selected will vary by organization, but can include network monitoring tools, bandwidth monitoring tools, and network sniffers, all of which aid the admin in providing maximum available bandwidth for all users.
In times of yore (the old days) such monitoring was easier but nowadays, in addition to wired devices, there are other considerations. Wi-Fi routers are commonplace, and connected printers, tablets, laptops, and even smartphones must be monitored. Add IoT devices and sensors that use a variety of protocols, from the MQTT protocol to Bluetooth and indeed Wi-Fi and you begin to appreciate the problem.
Back in the day, bandwidth monitoring was easier. But nowadays, in addition to wired devices, there are other considerations. Wi-Fi routers are commonplace, and devices such as connected printers, tablets, laptops and even smartphones must be monitored.
It is certainly not possible to install monitoring software on each device and the ideal solution will monitor the entire network at a central point, the router or main server. Some routers offer total bandwidth usage tools but lack the per device solution that is needed.
Obviously, what is needed is a solution that can monitor everything, with options that allow monitoring by device, user or IP address.
Tracking bandwidth usage isn't just for large enterprises. Small businesses, remote workers and even households with multiple connected devices can benefit. If you manage a network with shared resources, whether it's an office, a retail store or a smart home, you need visibility into how bandwidth is consumed. This helps prevent slowdowns, identifies misuse and maintains the connectivity of your most critical applications.
Once you start monitoring bandwidth usage, understanding the data is key. Normal patterns often include more bandwidth being consumed during work hours and occasional spikes for updates or backups. Red flags include persistent high upload traffic (which may indicate malware or unauthorized file sharing) or sudden spikes during off-hours. For example:
If a device is consuming too much bandwidth, follow this quick checklist:
These steps help maintain network performance and prevent unnecessary slowdowns.
As mentioned before, the selection of bandwidth monitoring software and related add-ons and integrations will depend on your network infrastructure and the devices connected to it. Your goal is to optimize network traffic by using the correct combination of network monitoring tools to achieve your objective. Reducing unnecessary bandwidth consumption is an additional goal. Your network administrator will also utilize performance monitoring tools to optimize network performance, identifying problem areas as they arise.
Your chosen solution should have the ability to monitor bandwidth usage of all the devices connecting to your network, regardless of type, platform or connection protocol used. It should verify that your total available bandwidth matches the speed agreed with your ISP. Other solutions monitor unauthorized Dark Web activity, track video streaming and gaming usage and identify backups that should occur outside of business hours.
In conclusion, per device bandwidth monitoring is necessary. Even in a home environment, if several devices are connected to video streaming services, all other devices lose bandwidth, often making basic online browsing very slow or even unusable.
Be aware that streaming to a cell phone will do as much damage, given that many will still stream movies or play games, taking up significant bandwidth, despite the small size of the screen. Even basic tools will identify these bandwidth hogs, and you can then act accordingly by throttling available bandwidth for offending users. As a final piece of advice, particularly in regions where ISPs exploit the absence of net neutrality protections to impose restrictive data limits. And lastly, confirm you get what you pay for, so that your bandwidth is not throttled by your ISP when you need it the most.
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