NetSpeedMonitor 2.5

Find out how fast you can download or upload a file from / to the Internet at any given time. Works as a toolbar for your web browsers.

NetSpeedMonitor is a network speed monitoring tool. This isn't a standalone application. It installs a toolbar that you can attach to the toolbar area of your start menu. There it will display the speed at which your system is sending and receiving data. By default, those speeds are in kilobits per second, but you can choose from an array of different measurements in the application configuration window. I chose Kilobytes per second, which is the easiest way of measuring speed in my opinion.

When you move your mouse pointer above the toolbar, you will see a pop-up window that shows more information. This window shows the total number of megabytes sent and received in the current session, the day, month, etc. It also displays some system information, like uptime and operating system installed.

NetSpeedMonitor also installs a system tray icon. From there, you can access the configuration window and a very nice statistics window. There, you will see the amount of data that your computer has moved since the application was installed. You can also export this information or import it.

All in all, NetSpeedMonitor is a nice free application that allows you to view your connection speed status at all times. The toolbar is non-intrusive and very plain, but you can always access more information by moving your mouse over the toolbar or by accessing the other features.