Inappropriate bandwidth usage can not only lead to an increase in costs, it can also reduce performance and productivity. This is precisely why you might want to consider using a bandwidth limiting tool or traffic shaper to ensure that no one person on a network, nor any single application or resource is able to use more than its fair share at any given time.

And this is precisely what SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager enables you to do. The rule-based tool makes it easy to eliminate bottlenecks on your network and ensure that everything is running smoothly and fairly.

It is possible to create rules based on numerous criteria including IP addresses, MAC addresses, protocols, ports (for TCP/IP) and network interfaces, giving you great flexibility to home in on various areas. Using rules, it is then possible to places limits on how much networks traffic different elements are able to use, or put speed limits in place to better balance resources. It can also be used to easily block access to certain types of network traffic such as using P2P services or streaming services. Importantly, rules can be used to monitor both incoming and outgoing traffic.

The app gives you the option of using scheduling to adapt rules depending on the time of day, giving you the flexibility to meet the needs of your business. Advanced usage reports are available so you can easily analyse what's happening on the next and tweak your rules according to the usage you see.

Despite the level of control SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager gives you, it is very simple to set up, and there are some nice touches such as email notifications that will keep you up to date about what is happening when you are away from your screen.

Please note that the free Lite edition is limited to a maximum number of 5 rules and limited usage reports. You can upgrade to Standard for $49.