Keep Track of Your Bandwidth Usage with WHS

Most of us have heard about Comcast’s new bandwidth restrictions.  Comcast has set a hard limit, finally, to their bandwidth usage for customers at a static 250GB per month.  These are limits that were previously not in place and there is an easy way to keep an eye on your usage.

The best thing about the method I am about to describe to you is that you can monitor ALL your bandwidth for all computers in your house very easily using four simple utilities.

1. FreeProxy: Installation and configuration guide here – FreeProxy Install Guide
   
2. BitMeter II: download – BitMeter2 Download
3. AnyService Installer: Download from WeGotServed.co.uk
4. Windows 2003 Resource Kit:  Windows 2003 Resource Kit Download

I am going to assume that you have already installed FreeProxy and have all the devices on your network configured to use your WHS as your Proxy server for Internet traffic. This is the only accurate way to account for all bandwidth, by having all traffic filtered through one device.

BitMeter 2 is a bandwidth meter, it allows you to visually monitor your Internet connection by displaying a scrolling graph that shows your upload and download speed over time. BitMeter is freeware – ie. it is given away completely free of charge, there is no trial period, no time-limited features, no spyware, and no adware, guaranteed.

As usual, all work will need to be completed from your WHS. Initiate a Remote Desktop connection to your home server.  This will allow you to work on your Home Server as if there were a monitor, keyboard, and mouse attached to it.  This article will also assume that you have some computer knowledge and are able to use RDC or the Add-in Asoft AutoExit, but I will try to be as thorough as possible anyway.

Download and Install BitMeter with all the default Options.

When the installation is finished, the program will ask you launch BiteMeter II.  Select Yes.

To access the configuration of BitMeter II simply right click on the icon in your system tray and select “Settings”

There are only a few things we want to change here.

In the StartUp Menu Option:

1. Uncheck Start BitMeter when Windows Starts (we are going to install this as a service further down)
2. Check Automatically Check for New Versions

Since Comcast set the bandwidth limit at 250GB, we are going to have to let BitMeter II Know what the restrictions are; to do this, right click on the system tray icon and select the option for ISP Restrictions.