Member Avatar for yagyeshsharma

Hi Everyone,
I want to know on how to limit the web download size for every 'user' or 'group of users', where the download size is the sum of all internet activities like web browsing, E-mail using Outlook, Messenger, FTP downloads and uploads, etc., etc. I appreciate if you could let me know the options available for a "Peer-to-Peer Network", and a "Domain" on the Windows Platform.
Best Regards,
Yagyesh

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Short answer: there are two practical ways to limit per-user "download size" (total bytes) or per-user bandwidth (rate): install agents on each workstation, or enforce limits at a central gateway/proxy that is aware of user identity. is correct that desktop tools are quick for small setups; is right that enterprise filtering/UTM appliances are the usual path for domain environments. Which to pick depends on scale, how strict you need the limit to be, and whether users can tamper with their machines.

For a small peer-to-peer/workgroup:

  • Host agents (NetLimiter-style) give per-machine controls and are easiest to roll out one-by-one. They can be bypassed by tech-savvy users and require per-host management.
  • A single gateway/router (OpenWrt, pfSense, MikroTik, a Linux box) lets you enforce per-IP or per-MAC quotas or cutoffs in one place. This is harder to evade but needs static/DHCP reservations and a bit more networking work.

For a Windows domain:

  • Use an AD-aware gateway/proxy or UTM that maps traffic to user accounts and applies quotas or policies. Commercial appliances (or an authenticated proxy like Squid with LDAP plus an external accounting helper) scale far better than installing agents on every workstation.
  • Note that Group Policy "Policy-based QoS" controls rate (bandwidth shaping) rather than total bytes over time; it can help with throttling but not with enforcing monthly download caps ().

Practical next steps: baseline usage (firewall logs / NetFlow), pick enforcement point (host vs gateway), pilot with a small group, then roll out and monitor. Keep in mind HTTPS still uses bandwidth even if you cannot see contents, host agents can be disabled by local admins, and true per-user quotas are easiest when the enforcement point authenticates users (AD or RADIUS). For how proxies shape bandwidth (not necessarily quota), see Squid delay pools as an example (Squid DelayPools).

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Member Avatar for desiguru

Yes this can be done using a software called NetLimiter

http://www.netlimiter.com/

Take a look at this screen shot

Member Avatar for designbooks

websense is a popular filter and can limit bandwidth per user and protocols

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