Bandwidth Monitor

Definition - What does Bandwidth Monitor mean?

A bandwidth monitor is a tool for measuring the actual available bandwidth on a local system. End users can use bandwidth monitors to get a true picture of what bandwidth may actually be available due to various factors involved in the provision of high-speed Internet.

Techopedia explains Bandwidth Monitor

In general, bandwidth monitoring is a kind of subcategory of the greater technique of bandwidth management, where some IT handlers may be able to increase available bandwidth using different strategies. However, in many cases, bandwidth monitoring is just a popular way to get a better perspective of the actual capacity for network traffic. Experts point out that many different factors may be involved in what an end user can effectively enjoy from a high-speed Internet connection. This includes the level of traffic on a network and the bandwidth from any given access point that may split or otherwise reduce bandwidth.

End users can download simple bandwidth monitor applications or make their own visual models with available hardware. Visual bandwidth monitor tools can convert available bandwidth measurements into a series of signals in order to show a kind of bar graph or other visual display of bandwidth available in real-time. Merging some moderately complex software and mechanical devices, users can create bandwidth monitor appliances for use in homes, internet cafes, or anywhere else they want to see a real-time visualization of their bandwidth access.