track internet activity in the home keep an eye on online habits watch household internet consumption
track internet activity in the home keep an eye on online habits watch household internet consumption
I have a small home internet plan (250GB) each month. My older brother handles the billing because he relies on the internet for work, but I’m a high-consumer user—typically using 90 to 100GB monthly across several devices. We discussed adding extra data once the main plan runs out, usually around 20 or 40GB. Recently, everyone’s staying mostly at home, and I ended up paying for an additional 110GB this month even though I used 120GB total across all devices. This isn’t sustainable, so I need a way to track how much data each device consumes. I’ve tried adjusting router settings, but only bandwidth limits, time caps, and URL/IP filters are available. There’s no option to set a data cap per device or see detailed usage stats. I know Windows and modern Android devices have built-in monitoring tools, but most of my family uses older iPhones (5s, 6+) and iPads (4, first-gen Air). These devices don’t have built-in Wi-Fi usage indicators. If you know of any method to view each device’s data consumption, please let me know.
Some routers keep track of internet and enhanced WiFi usage if you're interested. From my favorite Canadian video at https://youtu.be/gf8mCl1ycBQ
Use LINUS to find a 25% discount on GlassWire at https://lmg.gg/glasswire. This link could be the solution you're seeking, though other options might exist.
I considered it but maintaining a low cost is the main goal... I’ll definitely explore free options. Thanks for the response.
I’m just thinking out loud... If Pi-Hole on a Raspberry Pi could handle DHCP duties instead of the main router, shouldn’t it also track more than just DNS queries? I haven’t tried it for that purpose and don’t own a RPi, but perhaps someone here has useful tips. Of course, you can look up online tutorials on using an RPi as a network monitor if you have a budget. Pi-Hole isn’t necessary in this case.