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  1. Home>
  2. IT Topics>
  3. Performance>
  4. Network Bandwidth Test
PRTG Logo

Network Bandwidth Test with PRTG

Crush network slowdowns with alerts that lead to the root cause of your bandwidth issues

  • Uncover hidden bottlenecks for smoother video streaming and stress-free video conferencing
  • Optimize Wi-Fi setups and ethernet networks to achieve your maximum speed goals
  • Make smarter decisions with informed network throughput and bandwidth test results
Free download
product overview

Our users give top ratings for monitoring with Paessler PRTG

Gartner peer insights
spiceworks
Capterra
G2
Trustpilot

PRTG network bandwidth test: What you will find on this page

Table of content
  • Master your network speed with PRTG's bandwidth test tool
  • What network bandwidth testing looks like in PRTG
  • 4 more reasons to choose PRTG as your network bandwidth tester
  • Explore our preconfigured PRTG sensors for network bandwidth tests
  • Network bandwidth tests: FAQ

PRTG makes network bandwidth testing as easy as it gets

Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent slow network speeds, congestion, and other network performance issues.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Master your network speed with PRTG's network bandwidth test tool

Stop letting network slowdowns call the shots. Paessler PRTG puts you back in control with clear, actionable insights that transform complex bandwidth testing into a straightforward process. Pinpoint bottlenecks, refine upload speed and download speed, and ensure top-tier network performance across any setup.

Turn network bandwidth tests into speed wins

Turn your megabits and gigabits into actionable data. Simplify the traditionally complex process of bandwidth checks into a friendly speed test routine with PRTG's network bandwidth tester.

Advanced sensors even integrate with third-party tools for precise throughput measurements, quickly generating clean, insightful test results you can act on.

Automate, integrate, and never miss a bottleneck

Lack of automation forces network admins to rely on manual tests or react to complaints after issues arise. PRTG solves this by automating bandwidth tests as easy as 1, 2, 3 (well, almost).

Track IP address changes, detect ISP fluctuations, maintain stable video streaming, and customize intervals to test your network stability – all without constant oversight.

Highlight your bandwidth story with smart dashboards

Raw bandwidth metrics can be hard to interpret, leaving sysadmins guessing about the root cause of performance issues. PRTG solves the problem with a bird's-eye view of your network throughput.

Quickly pinpoint issues affecting large file transfers, see trends in latency, illustrate packet loss, and reflect the impact of different internet providers. Secure the stable network performance your team deserves.

Predict bandwidth surges before they strike

Don't just react to network slowdowns—predict them. PRTG's historical data tracking and trend analysis help you forecast future bandwidth needs.

You can plan for upgrades before your network is overwhelmed by identifying usage patterns and growth trends. Say goodbye to surprise slowdowns and hello to uninterrupted performance.

Stop bandwidth hogs from draining your network

A few bandwidth hogs can drag your network down. PRTG's network bandwidth tester helps you see which devices, applications, or users consume the most bandwidth.

Balance usage, prioritize critical applications, and ensure every team member and location has access to the speed they need. No more "Why is Zoom so slow?" moments. From here, it's all "Wow, that's fast!"

What network bandwidth testing looks like in PRTG

Diagnose network issues by continuously tracking bandwidth usage and throughput in your entire network. Show response time, upload and other key metrics in real time. Visualize monitoring data in clear graphs and dashboards to identify problems more easily. Gain the overview you need to troubleshoot bandwidth bottlenecks and other network performance issues.

PRTG Screenshot device tree view

Device tree view of the complete monitoring setup

PRTG screenshot map entire it infrastructure

Custom PRTG dashboard for keeping an eye on the entire IT infrastructure

PRTG screenshot graph live data traffic

Live traffic data graph in PRTG

Start testing network bandwidth with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW

IT experts agree: Paessler PRTG is a great solution for IT infrastructure monitoring

PCMag

“All-around winning
 network monitor”

IT Brief

“The real beauty of PRTG is the endless possibilities it offers”

ITPro

“PRTG Network Monitor 
is very hard to beat”

4 reasons why PRTG is the bandwidth tester tool of your choice

PRTG's intelligent monitoring tools give you the confidence to maintain fast, reliable connections – no matter the challenge.

Gauge

We give you the crystal ball of speed testing

PRTG gives you more than just a basic speed test – it provides detailed throughput metrics that guide more informed broadband decisions. Get a crystal-clear view of download and upload speed, making sure you invest in the right plans and infrastructure upgrades.

Warning

See what your router and ISP are really up to

Stop guessing where the problem lies. PRTG reveals how your routers and internet providers perform under real conditions, exposing bottlenecks and inconsistencies. Make proactive adjustments to maintain maximum speed and keep your entire internet connection stable and efficient.

Newsletter

Get notified the second your network starts acting shady

PRTG's real-time monitoring and automated tests do the heavy lifting, notifying you the moment your network deviates from normal. By spotting issues instantly – be it a sudden drop in Mbps or a misconfigured IP address – you'll stay a step ahead in maintaining reliable connectivity.

Cloud

Scale your cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments

Most IT environments today are complex, with a mix of options. PRTG's network bandwidth tester works with all of them. Monitor bandwidth across Wi-Fi zones, ethernet connections, and hybrid setups spanning on-prem Windows and Linux, as well as cloud systems.

Explore our preconfigured PRTG sensors for Network Bandwidth Test

PRTG comes with more than 250 native sensor types for monitoring your entire on-premises, cloud, and hybrid cloud environment out of the box. Check out some examples below!

SNMP Traffic v2

The SNMP Traffic v2 sensor monitors bandwidth and traffic on a device. It can show the following:

  • Number of incoming and outgoing broadcast, multicast, unicast, and non-unicast packets
  • Number of incoming and outgoing discards and errors
  • Total, incoming, and outgoing traffic
  • Number of incoming, unknown protocols
SNMP Traffic v2
SNMP Traffic v2

Packet Sniffer

The Packet Sniffer sensor monitors the headers of data packets that pass a local network card using a built-in packet sniffer. You can choose from predefined channels. It can show the following and more:

  • Traffic from Citrix applications
  • Traffic from file transfer (FTP/P2P) and various other protocols (UDP, TCP)
  • Traffic from network services (DHCP, DNS, Ident, ICMP, SNMP)
  • Internet mail traffic (IMAP, POP3, SMTP)
  • Traffic from remote control applications (RDP, SSH, Telnet, Virtual Network Computing (VNC))
Packet Sniffer
Packet Sniffer

Windows Network Card

The Windows Network Card sensor monitors the bandwidth usage and traffic of a network interface via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) or Windows performance counters. It can show the following:

  • Number of incoming and outgoing discards, errors, and unicast and non-unicast packets
  • Total, incoming, and outgoing traffic
  • Number of packets total, sent, and received
  • Number of unknown protocols
Windows Network Card
Windows Network Card

HTTP Advanced

The HTTP Advanced sensor monitors the source code of a web page using HTTP. It supports authentication, content checks, and other advanced parameters. It can show the following:

  • Number of bytes received
  • Download speed
  • Loading time
  • Time to the first byte
HTTP Advanced
HTTP Advanced

See the PRTG Manual for a list of all available sensor types.

PRTG is compatible with all major vendors, products, and systems

compatible with all major vendors, products, and systems

PRTG makes network bandwidth testing as easy as it gets

Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent slow network speeds, congestion, and other network performance issues.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW

“PRTG helps us to keep control of our IT by making issues visible immediately – and everywhere. We always have an eye on the performance and availability of our IT and can react in time if any failures occur. On a long-term perspective, the monitoring data helps us with capacity planning so that we can deliver the required resources for our own systems as well as for our customers, without wasting money on unwarranted redundancies.”

Stein Erik Høybakk, Senior Network Engineer
TAFJORD

“All our production and business processes depend on SAP. But, of course, IT and production systems also play a crucial role in securing these processes. By incorporating SAP, production, and IT into one centralized monitoring system, we can quickly detect critical drops in performance and identify the causes of these issues. In fact, thanks to PRTG and itesys, this couldn’t be any easier.”

Andreas Schmidt, Senior Systems Engineer
Truma

“Any downtime could be detrimental to our customers. We also strive to provide the best possible service to our customers. PRTG allows us to see the health and performance of the network. Using these measurements we can make decisions on how to repair a piece of equipment before it fails and causes a service interruption.”

James Ott Jr., Communications System Technician and IT Administrator
Federal Radio

Your network bandwidth monitor at a glance – even on the go

PRTG is set up in a matter of minutes and can be used on a wide variety of mobile devices.

device overview
Gartner peer insights

“Excellent tool for detailed monitoring. Alarms and notifications work greatly. Equipment addition is straight forward and server initial setup is very easy. ...feel safe to purchase it if you intend to monitor a large networking landscape.”

Read the complete review at Gartner Peer Insights

Create innovative solutions with Paessler’s IT partners

Partnering with innovative IT vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.

Martello

Martello 

By integrating PRTG with Martello iQ, you can add a fast analytics layer to improve uptime, visualize your IT environment, and integrate all of your IT systems into a single pane of glass.

Read more
NetBrain

NetBrain

Integrating monitoring results from PRTG into NetBrain maps makes the foundation for network automation.

Read more
Siemon

Siemon

Siemon and Paessler bring together intelligent building technology and advanced monitoring and make your vision of intelligent buildings and data centers become reality.

Read more

Find the root cause of the problem with our PRTG network bandwidth test solution solution

Real-time notifications mean faster troubleshooting so that you can act before more serious issues occur.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Paessler PRTG

Paessler PRTG

Network Monitoring Software – Version 24.4.102.1351 (November 12th, 2024)

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Hosting

Download for Windows and cloud-based version PRTG Hosted Monitor available

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Languages

English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese

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Monitor everything

Network devices, bandwidth, servers, applications, virtual environments, remote systems, IoT, and more

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Pricing

Choose the PRTG Network Monitor subscription that's best for you

Discover more monitoring insights and stories

Resources Solution

Solutions for all your monitoring needs

  • Network bandwidth test
  • Bandwidth monitoring
  • Network Throughput Monitoring
Resources Content

Powerful stories from the monitoring world

  • Easy ways to quickly test your bandwidth
  • How Can I Monitor My Available Bandwidth 24/7?
  • “Internet slow?” 4 things that speed test users must do
Resources Solutions

Resources to master your monitoring challenges

  • Measure download speed
  • Volume vs Speed
  • Windows Network Card sensor shows volume/speed of zero?

Network Bandwidth Test: FAQ

 

What is a bandwidth speed test, and why do I need one?

A speed test measures your bandwidth, latency, and other parameters to ensure you get the megabits or gigabits you expect. It helps detect bottlenecks, confirm internet service quality, and maintain top-notch network performance.

How does PRTG test network bandwidth?

Create three HTTP Advanced sensors to access files on servers operating at different speeds, such as one that houses a static website.

Step 2: Perform your bandwidth test

Let the sensors run for a few hours at intervals of a few minutes each. The sensors will display the number of kilobits per second that were reached during the download.

Step 3: Evaluate your data rate (KB/s)

For example, if you have a data line with a specified bandwidth of 4 Mbit/s, it should take 1,000 ms (1 second) to download a 500 KB file. 4 Mbit/s = 0.5 MB/s = 500 KB/s.

Step 4: End your bandwidth test

If they run for too long, bandwidth tests can generate enormous amounts of data. You should therefore end the test quickly and disable the sensors.

Step 5: Expand your test to monitoring

This kind of test only checks your bandwidth at a specific moment in time. It does not, however, reveal the sources of the problems which may be affecting your bandwidth. In large networks, these may include a router or a switch. With PRTG, you can monitor your entire network.

Does PRTG support large-scale deployments and multiple internet providers?

Definitely. It doesn't matter whether you're managing multiple internet providers across global offices or scaling to handle huge broadband demands. PRTG adapts. Test your maximum speed in each location and keep video conferencing crystal clear.

Can PRTG help me troubleshoot internet connection issues?

Absolutely! PRTG's rich dashboards, easy-to-read graphs, and granular throughput details help you identify and fix bottlenecks. Test upload speed, confirm stable latency, and tame tricky router configurations.

Can I test both wired and wireless connections?

Of course. PRTG measures bandwidth in Wi-Fi and ethernet setups, ensuring balanced upload speed, stable latency, and minimal packet loss regardless of how you connect.

What is a sensor in PRTG?

In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive. On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.

We asked: would you recommend PRTG? Over 95% of our customers say yes!

Paessler conducted trials in over 600 IT departments worldwide to tune its network monitoring software closer to the needs of sysadmins. The result of the survey: over 95% of the participants would recommend PRTG – or already have.

recommendation

Still not convinced?

Love

More than 500,000 sysadmins love PRTG

Paessler PRTG is used by companies of all sizes. Sysadmins love PRTG because it makes their job a whole lot easier.

PRTG

Monitor your entire IT infrastructure

Bandwidth, servers, virtual environments, websites, VoIP services – PRTG keeps an eye on your entire network.

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Try Paessler PRTG for free

Everyone has different monitoring needs. That’s why we let you try PRTG for free.

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Start network bandwidth with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Products

  • Paessler PRTG
    Paessler PRTGMonitor your whole IT infrastructure
    • PRTG Network Monitor
    • PRTG Enterprise Monitor
    • PRTG Hosted Monitor
    • PRTG extensions
      Extensions for Paessler PRTGExtend your monitoring to a new level
  • Icon Features
    FeaturesExplore all monitoring features

Monitoring with PRTG

  • Network monitoring
  • Bandwidth monitoring
  • SNMP monitoring
  • Network mapping
  • Wi-Fi monitoring
  • Server monitoring
  • Network traffic analyzer
  • NetFlow monitoring
  • Syslog server

Useful Links

  • PRTG Manual
  • Knowledge Base
  • Customer Success Stories
  • About Paessler
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • PRTG Support
  • PRTG Consulting

Contact

Paessler GmbH
Thurn-und-Taxis-Str. 14, 
90411 Nuremberg 
Germany

info@paessler.com

+49 911 93775-0

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