Configuring Graphs and Statistics
Statistics, time periods, display settings, tray icon, floating monitor, and more
Now that we have set up CommTraffic, it's time to look at what information we can obtain about the Internet traffic. Double-click on the CommTraffic icon in the system tray area (it looks like the green letter M):
The main window of the ToolBox application will appear on the screen. The View pane on the left side can be used for displaying connections details and statistics, as well as for changing the application settings.
The first page that you will see is the Monitor page. It is divided into two or several sections that display data as graphs:
Since CommTraffic has a highly customizable interface, there are many ways of changing the Monitor page layout so that the necessary information is presented by the application in the most convenient form.
Right-clicking on any section brings up a context menu. You can use it to add and delete sections, as well as to change the contents of the Total area, measurement units (Bits per second or Bytes per second), graph scale and type (lines, peaks, and polygons), grid type, and many other options. Browse through this menu and you'll surely find a way to customize the program to look the way you like!
At the top of each section, you can see the current, average, and maximum data transmission rates. At the bottom, you can see the totals. By clicking on the word showing the current display type (Volume, Time, Expenses, or Alarms, right under Total, enclosed in rounded brackets) you can make CommTraffic switch to a different data representation, i.e. data volume, connection time, Internet expenses, and preset alarms.
You can double-click on Total to change its contents:
This window allows you to customize the time periods for which the data will be shown as well as what the expenses are and the alarms that will be shown.
Yet another way to always have the traffic statistics in front if you is by utilizing the Floating Monitor that can be invoked by clicking File => Floating Monitor:
This window looks similar to the Monitor page and has the same settings, but it stays on top of other windows by default.
Tray Tool Tip is another window featuring similar functionality. It's the little window that pops when you move the mouse pointer over the CommTraffic tray icon. There are no graphs in this window, but various statistics on time, traffic volume, expenses, and alarms can be displayed at the same time. To customize this window, right-click on the CommTraffic tray icon and select Icon:
Finally, even the CommTraffic icon itself can display a graph:
Just select what you want to see: incoming, outgoing, or total traffic. This can be done using the same Icon menu command mentioned above.
Do you think that's all you can do as far as customization is concerned? Not by a long shot! In the next chapter, you will learn how to make the standard interface less boring.
