Ridge 2.09r1 ($10 Shareware)
Juggy Software

Although not available in all areas, chances are that you have at least one broadband conductivity option available, either cable or DSL or satellite. With these high-speed connections, all but the largest downloads can take a matter of seconds or minutes. No matter what type of connection you have, you want to make sure that it is operating in top condition, and that you are getting the bandwidth that you're paying for. The good news is that Ridge can keep a close eye on your connection, and show you what's happening.

At the highest level, Ridge monitors your incoming and outgoing network traffic, and can display network throughput, both instantaneously and with a scrolling, historical view. It will also show the maximum speed for both connections, for the speed freaks that want bragging rights as to how fast their connection is. The historical view is good for figuring out overall network performance; if you see lots of spikes, your network may be in need of tuning, or there may be unpredictable or unknown traffic messing things up.

View Both Instant and Historical Network Throughput

For the curious, you can use the Packet Dump feature and view the actual packets going over your network. This is good for learning or snooping or whatever reason you'd want to see raw packet data. The Packet Dump screen will show each packet and list the protocol, source IP address and port, destination IP address and port, and the length of the packet. If you click on an entry, it will show the raw packet contents. Via this screen, you can also view the IP address(es) that your machine is using, if you don't know how to get this value elsewhere.

If you have to pay for access based on the amount of data that you use, Ridge has a useful feature that will show total bandwidth used for uploading and downloading. And if you tend to use tons of bandwidth and are surprised by a huge bill, you can set alerts if you exceed a predetermined upload or download limit, or both. This alert can be via the dock, or a traditional dialog box.

So make sure you're getting the most out of your high-speed (or low-speed) connection, and give Ridge a try.

Have any other Gadgets that keep an eye on your network? Send an e-mail to John, and he'll give it a shot.