Simple Internet Meter [Lite 2.1.3] Kudos plus Graph Questions

[FuturePerfect]

I love Simple Internet Meter Lite (SIM).  Thanks for making a free program just for the basics (all I need).  I like it much better than BitMeter II:

BitMeter uses too much memory (SIM uses less than 1/3 the memory of BitMeter!)  And SIM has sensible consistent fonts--no ugly fixed-space fonts sometimes popping up beside proportional-spaced fonts like in BitMeter.

Also important are SIM's consistent measurements.  Some BitMeter measurements cam be set, others display as kB (or KB) and aren't easy to distinguish; often you can't tell if these are current or totals. 

Sometimes BitMeter lets you choose line graphs, sometimes it makes you take bar graphs.  Multiple clicks to see a simple table; some headings cut off.

Finally, I've had problems with BitMeter making reporting windows too big, and not remembering the resizing I've done so they fit--not so with SIM.

***HOWEVER, could you please explain some things about SIM's Network Traffic Speed Graph:

1) What is the unit of measurement on the horizontal axis i.e the distance between 2 vertical lines?  e.g. 30 seconds?

2)  What is the unit of measurement on the vertical axis i.e the distance between 2 horizontal lines?  e.g. 50 Kbytes/sec?

3) If the vertical axis has an upward spike in download speed, will it be hidden if the vertical axis is too short or is it automatically adjusted?  (I found that if I made the vertical height of the the window higher to try to see more data, it didn't add more vertical lines, just made the existing 4 lines you see higher, plus my current graph history disappeared)

4) How often is the data sampled for the graph?  e.g. every 1 second?  (I was happy to see that usually 0% CPU showed during a download--max of 2%--about half that of BitMeter on my old XP laptop)

5) Lastly, am I correct that the up/down arrows icon in the taskbar just changes from black to green when an upload or download is taking place i.e. no green for the down load arrow and red for the up load arrow like the graph and that the color is not proportional to any speed (not that any of this is reasonable, just askin)?

Thanks again for writing a great program.  And the Bob Taylor video is awesome--with his great script and voice, how can you not want the program.  Finally, thanks for using the proven PacketX and WinPcap--big confidence builders.

[Shane]

I am glad you like my program 

Let me answer your questions.

1) What is the unit of measurement on the horizontal axis i.e the distance between 2 vertical lines?  e.g. 30 seconds?

The graph updates every 1 sec.

2)  What is the unit of measurement on the vertical axis i.e the distance between 2 horizontal lines?  e.g. 50 Kbytes/sec?

The graph knows how tall to draw the lines based on the up and down speed you put in the settings. Just as it does for the progress bar

3) If the vertical axis has an upward spike in download speed, will it be hidden if the vertical axis is too short or is it automatically adjusted?  (I found that if I made the vertical height of the the window higher to try to see more data, it didn't add more vertical lines, just made the existing 4 lines you see higher, plus my current graph history disappeared)

as per #2 it draws based on speed, so adjusting the high just makes it redraw so it still shows right Top is 100% while bottom is 0%

4) How often is the data sampled for the graph?  e.g. every 1 second?  (I was happy to see that usually 0% CPU showed during a download--max of 2%--about half that of BitMeter on my old XP laptop)

1 sec.

5) Lastly, am I correct that the up/down arrows icon in the taskbar just changes from black to green when an upload or download is taking place i.e. no green for the down load arrow and red for the up load arrow like the graph and that the color is not proportional to any speed (not that any of this is reasonable, just askin)?

In vista and windows 7 Microsoft removed the activity of the network icon. I simply made my own, so they show when there is traffic. In the arrow case it lights the up arrow when sending data and lights the down when downloading data. 

Shane

[FuturePerfect]

Thanks for your fast and complete answers to my questions!

I've obsessed over the Network Traffic Speed Graph because it's what I use most in the program.  So understanding axes details is key for me.

Following up on the previous questions above and requesting one last set of short answers to check my understanding

1) I didn't do a good job of explaining what I wanted for the horizontal axis.  See if this is better:  wanting to know how many seconds/minutes are represented by movement of the almost-11 horizontal sections that the Graph displays, I decided to measure this with an experiment.  Since each movement of the graph to the left is 1 second, I just timed how long it took for one point to move from far right to far left of the graph.  Dividing this time by the 11 sections showed that each section is roughly 1 minute (66 seconds?) and thus almost-11 sections mean the graph shows about the last 12 minutes of activity.  ***Is this correct?

2) 3) Thanks for telling me to look in the Settings.  I set both the Settings for the Network Monitor and Port Monitor the same--in my case, in Bits and with both Rec Speed Max and Send Speed Max of 10000 KB.  10000 KB is the absolute maximum speed dslreports.com has ever shown me getting from anywhere any time.  And having the Rec. and Send Speed Max both at the same value, lets their real relative speeds be directly compared on the vertical axis of the Graph.  With grey horizontal lines delineating 5 different measurement levels (from graph bottom 0% to graph top 100%), I just eyeball the graph knowing if a line goes to the top of the first level the speed is 2000 kbits/sec; to the next level the speed is 4000 kbits/sec, etc., up to the top of the graph the speed is 10000 kbits/sec.  ***Does this makes sense?

Thanks again for a great program.

[Shane]

1) I didn't do a good job of explaining what I wanted for the horizontal axis.  See if this is better:  wanting to know how many seconds/minutes are represented by movement of the almost-11 horizontal sections that the Graph displays, I decided to measure this with an experiment.  Since each movement of the graph to the left is 1 second, I just timed how long it took for one point to move from far right to far left of the graph.  Dividing this time by the 11 sections showed that each section is roughly 1 minute (66 seconds?) and thus almost-11 sections mean the graph shows about the last 12 minutes of activity.  ***Is this correct?

I have no clue LOL. When I made it I didn't pay attention to it. I was to busy making the graph work! I need to take some time and do some measurements is what I need to do LOL.

2) 3) Thanks for telling me to look in the Settings.  I set both the Settings for the Network Monitor and Port Monitor the same--in my case, in Bits and with both Rec Speed Max and Send Speed Max of 10000 KB.  10000 KB is the absolute maximum speed dslreports.com has ever shown me getting from anywhere any time.  And having the Rec. and Send Speed Max both at the same value, lets their real relative speeds be directly compared on the vertical axis of the Graph.  With grey horizontal lines delineating 5 different measurement levels (from graph bottom 0% to graph top 100%), I just eyeball the graph knowing if a line goes to the top of the first level the speed is 2000 kbits/sec; to the next level the speed is 4000 kbits/sec, etc., up to the top of the graph the speed is 10000 kbits/sec.  ***Does this makes sense?

Each of the 5 lines is basically 20%. So bottom line is 0% and the top is 100%. so each line will go 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%. So lets say I sent my speed in the settings to 100 kb then the first line (20%) will be 20 kb. 20% of the speed I set in the settings.

Did that make sense? LOL

Shane

[FuturePerfect]

Got it!  I'm in business