This article has been re-published here with prior permission of MakeUseOf.
By: Gavin Phillips
The kids are playing an online game. Your partner is streaming a movie and downloading something for work. You’re trying to compete with them for bandwidth… but it just isn’t happening.
A lot of things can drain your internet bandwidth capacity. Most of the time, it is the people on your network you know about. At other times, it is malware or a network intruder.
It can get so bad you cry out “What is using my bandwidth?!” It is a good question. Here’s how you can check and troubleshoot what (or who) is using your bandwidth across your home network.
1. Track Bandwidth Usage via Your Router
The best place to start figuring out what is consuming your bandwidth is your router. Your router processes all the incoming and outgoing internet traffic for your home.
In your router settings is a page containing each device currently attached to your network. You can check device IP addresses, MAC addresses, and their current connection status. Depending on your router, you may also have access to network information such as current download and upload speed, and the amount of data each device is using or has used.
For instance, the local network page on my router shows each device.
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