Monitoring Windows XP/Vista/7 Network Activity With NetWorx

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For: Windows XP | Windows Vista | Windows 7

Last Updated: 18Jan12 | Published: 13Jan12 | Status: To Be Continued

  1. 1.  Introduction
  2. 2.  The NetWorx Display Types For Monitoring Windows XP/Vista/7 Network Activity
    1. 2.1.  The NetWorx Desk Band
    2. 2.2.  The NetWorx Graph
    3. 2.3.  The NetWorx Tray Icon
    4. 2.4.  The NetWorx Desk Band, Graph, And Tray Icon Shown Simultaneously
  3. 3.  Additional Reading

1.  Introduction

Unexpected network activity is a warning sign that a computer on the network (i.e., an Intranet and/or the Internet) might be infected with malware. Therefore, monitoring computer network activity is useful for detecting malware infection.

The Windows XP notification area Network icon animates (i.e., the icon's monitors light up) when the computer is sending/receiving data over a network. This behavior constitutes a lightweight and unobtrusive tool for monitoring the presence/absence of computer network activity. The Windows Vista notification area Network icon also animates when the computer is sending/receiving data over a network. This behavior, however, is disabled by default. To enable the Windows Vista notification area Network icon animation, right click the notification area Network icon and select Turn on activity animation. The Windows 7 notification area Network icon does not animate when the computer is sending/receiving data over a network. Therefore, unlike Windows XP/Vista, Windows 7 does not provide a lightweight and unobtrusive tool for monitoring the presence/absence of computer network activity.

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For additional information on the Windows XP/Vista/7 notification area Network icon, see Interpreting The Windows XP/Vista/7 Notification Area Network Icon (stevestechresource.com).

To monitor Windows 7 network activity, I use NetWorx, a lightweight, unobtrusive, and free application by SoftPerfect. Since NetWorx monitors more than just the simple presence/absence of computer network activity, I also use NetWorx to monitor Windows XP/Vista network activity.

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For additional information on, and to download, NetWorx, see Additional Reading (below).

2.  The NetWorx Display Types For Monitoring Windows XP/Vista/7 Network Activity

NetWorx provides three display types for monitoring Windows XP/Vista/7 network activity; 1.) desk band, 2.) graph, and 3.) tray icon. Each display type can be used separately, or any combination of the three can be used simultaneously. Each display type reports: 1.) the presence/absence of computer network activity; 2.) the direction of computer network activity (i.e., download (a.k.a., inbound) and/or upload (a.k.a., outbound)); and 3.) the transfer rate in each direction.

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For the NetWorx User Manual, see Additional Reading (below).

2.1.  The NetWorx Desk Band

The NetWorx desk band reports download/upload transfer rates over time. The desk band display options are histogram, polyline (shown), and numeric. The desk band width corresponds to time and can be changed (requires unlocking the taskbar) by using the mouse.

NetWorx: Desk Band

2.2.  The NetWorx Graph

The NetWorx graph reports download/upload transfer rates over time. The graph display options are histogram, polyline (shown), and numeric. The graph width corresponds to time and can be changed by using the mouse. The graph height and position can also be changed by using the mouse.

NetWorx: Graph

2.3.  The NetWorx Tray Icon

The NetWorx tray icon reports either download/upload transfer rates over a very short period of time (display option histogram) or relative real-time download/upload transfer rates (display options thick bars (shown) or thin bars).

NetWorx: Tray Icon

2.4.  The NetWorx Desk Band, Graph, And Tray Icon Shown Simultaneously

NetWorx: Desk Band, Graph, And Tray Icon

3.  Additional Reading