# Anybody know of a network reliability meter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2017, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-a-network-reliability-meter/794989 "2017-08-29T01:46:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-a-network-reliability-meter/794989/1 "2017-08-29T01:46:21Z")
I’ve been having problems on a few sites with connectivity. Not all of them but a couple of the heavy bandwidth sites I use like games and downloads. Quick check bandwidth meters show as expected and basic browsing seems good, and but it might just be because I’m not retrieving much data, and may be a bottleneck issue rather than a complete outage. Does anybody know of a monitoring site, or freeware that could gauge the bandwidth available for an extended time like an hour or so? I don’t want to complain to the ISP if it isn’t my service, and may be an issue elsewhere, but I want to know if it is. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-a-network-reliability-meter/794989/2 "2017-08-29T01:58:14Z")
If you still use Desktop Gadgets, there’s [this.](https://www.myfavoritegadgets.info/monitors/NetworkMonitorII/networkmonitorII.html) I’ve been using it for 7 years, no spy/malware, no nagging or unwanted mails. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-a-network-reliability-meter/794989/3 "2017-08-29T02:04:47Z")
Check on their forums to see if a ton of other people are already complaining about lag. If so, it’s probably not you. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-a-network-reliability-meter/794989/4 "2017-08-29T02:05:54Z")
That’s exactly the kind of tool I’m looking for,but I’m on windows 10 unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-a-network-reliability-meter/794989/5 "2017-08-29T02:15:39Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > That’s exactly the kind of tool I’m looking for,but I’m on windows 10 unfortunately. [How To Install Desktop Gadgets In Windows 10](http://win7gadgets.com/blog/how-install-desktop-gadgets-windows-10/) There’s also [Rainmeter](https://www.rainmeter.net/) with a ton of [usermade skins](https://rainmeter.deviantart.com/). That’s just one source, there’s plenty more. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-of-a-network-reliability-meter/794989/6 "2017-08-29T03:12:23Z")
If you’re talking about a local in-house wired intranet, you might also consider a [Time-Domain Reflectometer (TDR)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-domain_reflectometer), which is basically just a somewhat specialized oscilloscope. You connect it to your physical wire; it injects signals into the wire, and watches for their reflections. Any physically damaged points in the wire will produce anomalous reflections, which it can pin-point. This can also be done with a regular off-the-shelf oscilloscope somehow; I’ve seen it demonstrated.