NetWorx Review – Monitor Network Traffic and Test Connectivity

very good
key review info
application features
  • Monitor network traffic
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Keeping track of network-related information is the first step in trying to figure out connectivity issues, make sure the bandwidth limit was not exceeded, or even monitor suspicious activity similar to the behavior of hackers and other e-threats. Plus, the Internet speed can be tested to find out if it's necessary to switch to another ISP or upgrade the hardware.

NetWorx is a free application up for these tasks. It does not require heavy network experience to work with, since its help file explains every important feature. Aside from that, it has a user-friendly interface, a lot of practical tools and many configuration settings to play with.

Customizable installation pack

The setup procedure does not take a long time to finish. It is possible to integrate NetWorx into the taskbar and select the LAN traffic filtering driver between WFP and TDI implementation, as well as check out instructions on how to enable taskbar integration (if it was selected).

An initial configuration can be made at startup concerning the program language, Internet connection type, and automatic checkups for software updates. These can be later altered.

Accessibility via the taskbar and system tray

Once launched, NetWorx creates an icon in the system tray area for continuous network monitoring and easy access. It shows in-depth statistics when it comes to the usage report of all users combined, along with a small graph window with the current download and upload rate.

Access Networx from the system tray area
Access Networx from the system tray area

This window can be moved anywhere on the screen and adjusted in opacity to become less intrusive. What's more, if taskbar integration was enabled at installation, then the graph can be shown right next to the system notifications area to easily keep an eye on network traffic while carrying on with usual activities on the computer.

Investigate usage reports and export information to file

The sent, received and total packet size along with the dial-up duration are revealed for the current day and lifetime (since NetWorx's installation). This information can be filtered by day, week and month.

Another part of the program keeps track of all daily, weekly, monthly and yearly traffic for every PC user, in addition to on-peak, off-peak, number of dial-up sessions and total duration. Alternatively, the start and end date can be defined for viewing this information and corresponding graph, as well as for the date, duration, sent, received and total packet size for each dial-up session.

Hourly rates are also shown and they include the average download and upload rate, download and upload volume, and total size, while the last part of NetWorx's configuration panel displays the sent, received and total packet size for network applications.

It is possible to refresh data, view all the aforementioned details for a specific PC user instead of all of them combined, hide the chart, view on-peak or off-peak hours instead of all, as well as reset all statistics. It is also possible to back up data to XML format and restore it, as well as to export it to file with the XLS, RTF, HTM, CSV TXT format.

Measure the network speed and limit the bandwidth

From the right-click menu of the tray icon, it is possible to start a meter that evaluates the network connection's speed and shows results in real time when it comes to current, average and maximum transfer rate for both incoming and outgoing traffic, in addition to sent and received packet size, total data transfers, and meter start time. This data can be exported to TXT format.

Some network connections are limited in download size, so users may resort to NetWorx to configure quota settings in this regard by specifying the type (weekly, monthly, last 24 hours), hours (flat rate, on- and off-peak), traffic type (downloads only, uploads only, all traffic, dial-up duration), volume measurement unit (KB, MB, GB), and allowance.

The application keeps track of total, currently used and remaining traffic volume allowed, and it can be set to display a message when the quota is used up (set up the percent). Apart from revealing this message, it can send notifications via email (SMTP). If LAN traffic is ignored, then it can also block all network activity.

Use some common network tools

NetWorx supplies users with some basic networking utilities to tinker with. For example, they can find out the Internet path of a packet from the local host to a remote one by running Trace Route, as well as verify the communication strength between the two, or simply find out if the host is running or exists via Ping.

View network statistics for active applications
View network statistics for active applications

The software utility also integrates a process manager to keep track of all applications currently connected to the Internet, displaying their protocol, local and remote address, status, together with sent and received packet size. Addresses can be resolved to host names, only the established connections can be shown, data can be refreshed automatically, and information can be copied to the Clipboard or saved to file.

Lastly, a connection monitor oversees the availability of major Internet services and gives you the possibility to ping hosts once or regularly, in order to find out their response time. The list comes loaded with few popular online services by default and lets users add new hosts.

Customize program preferences

The tool's entry can be removed from the Windows autostart sequence. It is possible to set up two hotkeys for bringing up the panels with graphs and usage reports, change the volume measurement unit and multiplier, as well as set NetWorx to display the usage graph or network statistics when double-clicking the tray icon, instead of bringing up the usage report panel.

It can also show another kind of network traffic instead of actual transfer rate when single-clicking the tray icon or hovering over it, such as session or daily traffic, dial-up duration, or quota. Users may select another network interface to monitor and ignore local traffic within the LAN, synchronize usage data with other NetWorx instances on the network, customize the graph in many aspects (e.g. tray icon type, transparency, always on top, colors, background image), and schedule any applications to immediately launch when dialing specific connections at startup.

Another useful feature of this software program is represented by its ability to trigger visual and audio alerts on important events, for example if the bandwidth limit was exceeded. In addition to this, it can run external apps, drop all dial-up connections, bring up the graph, and power off the computer automatically. Lastly, the program can be password-protected to prevent other PC users from fiddling with it.


The Good

NetWorx ran smoothly during our evaluation on Windows 8.1 Pro and it is compatible with all popular Windows versions, including XP. It had a good refresh rate and remained light on system resources.

It supports multiple languages and keyboard shortcuts for quickly viewing graphs and usage reports. Information can be exported to file.

The help documentation available is written in a comprehensible manner for users less experienced with networking tools.

Notable features include the small graph with traffic data that can be used as a regular window and customized, or conveniently integrated into the taskbar. The usage reports can be collected for all PC users or just specific ones, and they include detailed information about network traffic.

The connection can be measured with a speed meter while quota settings can be configured to limit network traffic. NetWorx implements several standard network tools, namely Trace Route, Ping, network statistics, and connection manager.

Audio, video and email notifications along with PC power options can be scheduled for critical events.

Those who want to skip the installer and run the program directly from a pen drive can use NetWorx Portable instead.

It is free to use.

The Bad

Once installed, NetWorx automatically runs at every Windows startup from that point on. This is somewhat normal when taking into account the nature of the app. However, it does not inform users of its decision at setup or afterward, let alone give them the possibility to disable this option during installation.

The Truth

Our tests have shown that NetWorx is a reliable network tool that collects thorough information in order to help users get a better idea of their Internet traffic and resolve various related issues. It comes bundled with an unexpectedly resourceful set of options and customization preferences.

user interface 4
features 4
ease of use 4
pricing / value 5


final rating 4
Editor's review
very good
 
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NetWorx (18 Images)

Access Networx from the system tray areaView the graph in a small window and integrate it into the taskbarView general information in usage reportsView daily information in usage reportsView information at a glance in usage reports
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