netwatchpy 1.2.4

A TUI network usage monitor.

Netwatch TUI (netwatchpy)

A TUI (Text-based User Interface) for monitoring network usage in real-time, with support for data limits and desktop notifications.

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Features

• Real-time Dashboard: A clean, terminal-based dashboard showing total download, upload, and current speeds.
• Historical Analytics: View your usage trends for the last 24 hours with hourly breakdown, peak hour identification, and traffic statistics including download/upload percentages and average usage.
• Crash-Proof Database: Powered by SQLite with Write-Ahead Logging (WAL) to ensure your data is safe even if your PC loses power.
• Data Cap Monitoring: Set a data limit (e.g., 10GB) and see your usage on a real-time progress bar.
• Standalone Binaries: Available as a single .exe or binary file, that way no Python installation is required but no.

Note: Double-clicking the file launches the Basic Monitor (all interfaces, no limit). To set Data Caps or Filters, run the file via Command Prompt/Terminal.

• Smart Units: Toggle between Bits (Mbps) and Bytes (MB/s) instantly with Ctrl+B to match ISP speeds or file sizes.
• Desktop Notifications: Get native desktop notifications when you hit 80% and 100% of your data limit.
• Live Activity Log: An interactive, scrolling log of all network activity, updated every second.
• Command Palette & Dark Mode: A modern TUI experience with a built-in command palette (Ctrl+P) and dark mode support (Ctrl+D).
• Auto-Migration: Automatically detects and imports data from older versions (quota.json) so you never lose history.
• Cross-Platform: Runs perfectly on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

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Installation

Option 1: Standalone Binary (Easiest)

No Python required.

1. Download netwatch-windows.exe from the Releases Page.
2. Basic Usage: Double-click the file to start monitoring immediately.
3. Advanced Usage: To set limits (e.g., -l 10GB), open your terminal (PowerShell/CMD) in the download folder and run:

   .\netwatch-windows.exe -l 10GB
   

Option 2: Install via PyPI (Recommended for CLI)

Designed for Python 3.8+ and distributed on PyPI for simple installation with pip.

pip install netwatchpy

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Usage

Once installed, the netwatch command will be available in your terminal.

To start the monitor (monitors all interfaces):

netwatch

To see all available options and help:

netwatch --help

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Command-Line Arguments

You can control the monitor with these arguments:

• -h, --help

  • Shows the help message and all options.

• -i INTERFACE, --interface INTERFACE

  • Monitors a single, specific network interface (e.g., -i "Wi-Fi"). Defaults to "all".

• -l LIMIT, --limit LIMIT

  • Sets a data cap and shows a progress bar (e.g., -l "10GB" or -l "500MB").

• --log LOG

  • Saves all network activity to a specified CSV file (e.g., --log "usage.csv").

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Examples

Set a 10GB data limit:

netwatch -l "10GB"

Monitor a specific interface ("Wi-Fi") and log to a file:

netwatch -i "Wi-Fi" --log "my_usage.csv"

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In-App Keybindings

• Ctrl+p: Open the Command Palette

• Ctrl+d: Toggle Dark / Light Mode

• Ctrl+b: Toggle Bits/Bytes (Mbps ↔ MB/s)

• r: Refresh the history chart

• Ctrl+r: Reset all counters and history to zero

• Ctrl+s: Show save status (Data is auto-saved)

• Ctrl+q: Quit the application

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Understanding the Interface

1. Live Monitor Tab

This is the default view. It shows:

• Summary Cards: Total Upload, Download, and Combined Usage for the current session + history.

• Quota Bar: If a limit was set, this bar fills up. It turns Yellow at 80% and Red at 100%.

• Live Table: A scrolling list of network speeds recorded every second.

2. History Tab (24h)

This tab visualizes your traffic over the last 24 hours.

• Rows: Each row represents a 1-hour block of time (e.g., 14:00 covers 2:00 PM to 2:59 PM).

• The Bar:

  • Solid Block (█): Represents Download traffic.

  • Shaded Block (░): Represents Upload traffic.

• Total: The text on the right shows the exact data transferred during that hour.

Tip: If the graph looks outdated, press r to pull the latest stats from the database.

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Bug Reports & Feature Requests

Found a bug or have a great idea? Please open an issue on the GitHub repository.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.