What: A terminal tool to check what is taking up your bandwidth (github.com)

Article summary

The article introduces a terminal tool called 'what' (also known as 'bandwhich') that displays current network utilization by process, connection, and remote IP/hostname. It works by sniffing a given network interface and recording IP packet size, cross-referencing it with the /proc filesystem on Linux, lsof on macOS, or using WinApi on Windows. The tool is in passive maintenance, but contributions are welcome. It can be installed on various platforms, including Linux, macOS, and Windows, and has various features such as raw output mode and DNS query display.

Main themes

• network utilization
• terminal tool
• bandwidth monitoring
• Rust programming
• cross-platform compatibility

What commenters say

• The tool is similar to existing bandwidth monitoring tools like nethogs and iftop, but presents data in a different way.
• Some users find the tool useful for identifying bandwidth hogs and understanding network activity, while others prefer alternative tools.
• The tool's requirement for elevated privileges and use of Rust programming language may be barriers to adoption for some users.
• The lack of pre-built binaries and packaging for various distributions may make installation cumbersome for some users.
• Some users appreciate the tool's raw output mode and DNS query display features, which are not available in other tools.
• The tool's compatibility with different platforms, including Windows and macOS, is a significant advantage for some users.
• The use of Rust programming language and Cargo build tool may be unfamiliar to some users, leading to difficulties with installation and compilation.