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Windows Server - Overall Peak Bandwidth Being Used?

Hello Experts!

We are considering combining 2 old servers into 1 new server. The 2 servers are at 2 different sites, and there is currently a 10 Mbps fiber line between the 2 sites. I am upgrading the line, but I would like to know how much of an increase is needed.

I would like a tried and true method for finding out the peak bandwidth in/out of the network card on the soon-to-be-retired server, so I can best determine the true bandwidth needed between the 2 sites.

Any ideas?

Also, please do not just post a link to a software utility, this will not help me much. I would like to know how to easily get a graph/report as mentioned above. ;-)
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Aaron Street
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Hello, Maybe that will work - I'll have a look when I get some time next week. Thanks for the idea!

I'll keep the question open in case any other ideas come across, and post an update next week.
Thanks again!
there are a lot of tools out there that will do waht you need. however prefmon will collect all the information you need. and if you need something to anazlise the logs you cant go wrong with
http://www.codeplex.com/PAL

honestly for a free app, this gives you all the information about each log trace. has built in base lines and templates to help you get started.

forget purchasing a monitering tool. just learn how to use the ones built in for free :)
OK - I had a chance to check this out, and it looks very good for processor and memory utilization. However, I can not find a counter for Network Utilization? Any ideas?

I've also checked Windows Network Monitor, but can't really fingure out how to get a good average (and graph which would plot the highs/lows)

Thanks again!
BTW, not sure if this helps, but the system is an FPS, and has:
- Windows Server 2003, SP1 w/ Exchange 2003.

I read another site which says SNMP service must be running, but I do not think this applies, as SNMP is running on this server for other performance monitoring.

I see a large list of perfomance objects, just nothering related to network... Hmmm.
Thanks again for any ideas!
you may have to enable this!

when you run pref wiz, you can chose advance configuration and you will see there is a network counter that you can tick (catuly ticked by default)

and if i use the IIS template file it gives me a perfect network uterlisation?
This is strange...
I run PerfWiz v1.1.3 > Advanced Configuration > default settings for interval/where to log > Select only "Network Interface" > Click START to begin, I get an error: "Service was unable to add counters" and "Unable to add these counters: \Network Interface(*)\*"

If I run other counters, it's OK, just nothing for network interface... Hmm.
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Thanks DevilWAH!