In Network Connection Status the activity is displayed in packets sent/recieved. How can I change that to bytes? On some systems I have seen bytes, and on other packets, but I haven't encountered option to change that setting. Thx

There is no conversion because the size of packets can vary. Depending on what type of packet, it can vary between 16 bytes and anything up to the MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) which is usually 1500 bytes for the Internet. See define:MTU on Google. Stuart

You can't change it - it depends on the drivers in use for that connection.

You can change the MTU. Most Internet connections will benefit from tweaking the MTU. The 1500 figure is a compramise that will work in most situations. The optimal will vary depnding on your method of connection and your ISP. There are various utilities to do this: http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/30/ http://www.cyberoptimizer.com Stuart

Thanx guys. I kinnda hoped it could be possible... :( How come Netstat gives output in bytes, and one can not set this in Win? I guess it's just one of "those" things. So, what MTu value do you suggest for me? I am on a 11 Mb Wireless lan with 256kB access to Internet. Ty

I wasn't talking about MTU, but the packets/bytes stats. As far as MTU is concerned, you need the biggest that will work. 1500 isn't a compromise, it's the maximum, and is the most efficient therefore. Setting a smaller size for "tweaking" is a waste of time, as more packets will be transmitted. It's the RWIN (receive window, the input buffer) for TCP that improves throughput.

Well, if you say the drivers have to be changed, does it mean that sometimes network cards come with diff types of drivers, so I can just download a diff driver and it would show the usage in bytes? Is there any way to know which driver? How to identify if it's going to show in bytes or packets, just from the driver? Also, does anyone know of a way to view usage on your pc without using the ISP resources (as they can be updated every 1 hour sometimes, and that's too far to investigate). Dmitri