Monitor Network Usage on Linux with nload

To diagnose bandwidth-related problems and preserve server health, real-time network traffic monitoring is essential. “nload” is a small, command-line utility that uses real-time graphs to display incoming and outgoing network traffic independently. Statistics such as current/max throughput and total data transported are also shown.

This guide explains how to install and use “nload” on various Linux distributions to monitor bandwidth usage effectively.

Applies to: CentOS, RHEL, Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian

Follow the steps to install “nload” on a Linux System:

CentOS / RHEL
1. Enable the EPEL repository:
```
yum install epel-release
```
2. Install nload:
```
yum install nload
```
Fedora (22 and above)
```
dnf install nload
```
Ubuntu / Debian
```
sudo apt install nload
```

How to use “nload” to monitor network usage?
After installation, you can launch nload with or without specifying a network device.

Basic Usage
```
nload
```
or to monitor a specific device (e.g., eth0):
```
nload eth0
```
Use the left/right arrow keys or Tab/Enter to switch between network interfaces.

Useful Command Options

Show Multiple Interfaces Without Graphs
```
nload -m
```
Set Average Calculation Window (in seconds)
```
nload -a 400
```
Set Display Refresh Interval (in ms)
```
nload -ma 400 -t 600
```
Avoid setting refresh intervals below 100ms to ensure accurate traffic data.
Monitor Specific Devices
```
nload devices wlp1s0
```

Keyboard Shortcuts:

? / ? – Switch between network interfaces
Enter / Tab – Cycle through available interfaces/pages
F2 – Open options menu
F5 – Save current settings to config file
F6 – Reload settings from config file
q or Ctrl+C – Quit nload

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This way, we can conclude “nload” is a lightweight yet powerful tool for real-time network bandwidth monitoring on Linux. Whether you are troubleshooting traffic issues or monitoring server performance, it offers a quick and visual way to track network activity.

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Tagged: Linux