There is a nice article in the New York Times today. Internet Network Providers are adopting flat-rate pricing or pricing tiers that have consumers worried. The more you use, the more you have to pay. The conclusion of the article by author Peter Wayner is quite frank and simple:

“Complain all you want about the new plans, but there are only two ways around the problem: Use less or pay more”.

The New York Times columnist says our bandwidth meter software DU Meter is “well-regarded” and recommends it for measuring bandwidth consumption on your computer. He claims, however, that measuring bandwidth on one computer alone is less useful than measuring total bandwidth consumed by the whole household. I would say that both are equally important.

If you know the total bandwidth consumed, you know if you are in compliance with your provider’s monthly limits or whether you’re going to pay extra this month. However, if you have several computers in your house, and especially if some of them are used by kids, it is important to know which computer is consuming that extra bandwidth. Otherwise, knowing the totals is not really helpful.

We, at Hagel Technologies, fully recognize the need for a better solution for calculating the total bandwidth consumed by the household or your small business. We are in the final stages of development of an exciting new technology that will address that need and will help you download, browse and watch movies on all your computers with complete confidence that you are in charge of your Internet use charges. Our current bandwidth usage monitoring software will integrate tightly into that new technology, and current DU Meter users will be able to benefit from it as soon as it is available.