DU Meter screenshotSome time ago I was using and I was pretty excited about a small app, called DU Meter.

What it did, exactly?

Well, it just monitored my Internet bandwidth (current speeds of download/upload).

These were the times of good ol’ dial-up connections (33.6 kbps or, when you were lucky, 48-56 kbps).

Now these times are long gone, and speed is measured in Mbps, not in kbps… :-)

But DU Meter is still there, and Hagel Tech even released a brand-new version – 4.0:)

You can download it here: http://www.dumeter.com/download.php

It’s a trial, which will work for 30 days; after that, you can either stop using it, or buy a single license for USD 24.95.

Still, you should be aware, that a similar app exists now, and it is called Net Meter (current version is 1.1).

It does exactly the same things as DU Meter, but it’s freeware (you can make a small donation, though, if you like the program).

I tested both apps. Net Meter, to be frank, simply copied most of DU Meter’s interface look & feel (which is a good thing, if you are accustomed to DU Meter, but do not want to pay 25 dollars to buy it), and, apart from that, I do not see any major differences between them.

Which one to use, you may decide for yourself; still, it’s nice to know you have more than one option! :-)

4 thoughts on “DU Meter vs. Net Meter

  1. I use the free one. It does the same thing with the same quality for lesser price. Besides, I believe the basis of both those softwares should be a built-in feature. The logging and alerts are the only extras.

    Fortunately, Mac OS X lets users know about data sent/received as well as rate. Windows doesn’t do that (or I don’t know about it).

  2. @Long:

    Yep, the free one (Net Meter) isn’t bad at all. It’s almost the same as the paid version (DU Meter).

    As for differences between Windows/MacOS when measuring data sent/received, in WinXP you can see how many bytes are sent/received, if you open your connection properties (LAN or WiFi), but it is pretty basic, and doesn’t show you any serious stats, that’s why apps like DU Meter and Net Meter were created. :-)

  3. I have a wireless network but 3 seperate laptops use it, how can i
    track each ones data usage

    My 13 yr old niece is probably the culprit for the sudden high usage
    1g/day and we only have 20g for the month, I just want to track each
    pc/laptop for daily/monthly usage..
    Can I just load Net meter on each computer to track it usage.

    Many Thanks Dean

  4. Hi, Dean,

    I am not sure I can help you… I suppose, you can simply install Net Meter or DU Meter on all machines in your home, then periodically check how much traffic is used… :)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *