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Ed Lawford
Founder and developer, PeakHour
Ed Lawford is the founder and developer of PeakHour, the network monitor for Mac. He writes these guides from what building it has taught him: how a Mac measures bandwidth, latency and Wi-Fi, and what routers and ISPs will report about themselves.
Articles
- The 5 Best Bandwidth Monitoring Tools for Mac in 2026We compared the best Mac bandwidth monitors for 2026 (PeakHour, iStat Menus, Little Snitch, TripMode and Stats) on features, pricing and App Store availability.
- How PeakHour Finds Your Router AutomaticallyPeakHour finds your router on every network you join, without saving it. How it picks the right one, keeps its history and protects your data cap.
- Remote Network Monitoring on a MacCheck your home network from your phone or another computer. How to set up remote network monitoring on a Mac, keep it secure, and reach it when you're away.
- How to Track ISP Performance on a MacTest your ISP's speed with the networkQuality command built into macOS, find out whether your router or your ISP is at fault, and log outages as evidence.
- Mac Network Monitoring Setup: A 9-Step ChecklistSet up network monitoring on your Mac step by step: free macOS tools first, then your router, alerts and history, so you can see what's slowing your connection.
- SNMP vs UPnP for Network Monitoring on a MacSNMP or UPnP? How each lets a Mac read your router's traffic, what macOS includes, the security trade-offs, and which one to turn on at home or in an office.
- Real-Time Bandwidth Monitoring on a MacSee live upload and download speed on your Mac with Activity Monitor or nettop, then monitor your whole network in real time from the menu bar with PeakHour.
- A Word on Pricing: Why PeakHour Moved to a SubscriptionWhy PeakHour moved to a subscription with PeakHour 5, and how pricing works today: $19.99 a year or a one-time $59.99 lifetime license.
- How to Check Data Usage on a Mac (Daily and Monthly)Check data usage on your Mac with Activity Monitor or Terminal, and see why macOS has no monthly total. Then track usage against your ISP's data cap.
- How to Test Internet Speed on Your Mac (7 Ways)Test your Mac's internet speed with the built-in networkQuality command, a browser test, or a live menu bar monitor. Step by step for current macOS.
- Slow Internet on Your Mac? How to Find the Cause and Fix ItInternet slow on your Mac but fine on your phone? Find out whether it's your Mac, Wi-Fi, router or ISP, then fix it in minutes. Updated for current macOS.
- How to Fix Packet Loss: A Step-by-Step GuideFix packet loss by finding where it starts. Test on a cable, fix your Wi-Fi, quiet your network, restart the router, and gather evidence for your ISP.
- What Is Packet Loss, and How Much Is Too Much?Packet loss is the share of data packets that never arrive. Learn what causes it, how much is acceptable for calls and games, and how to test for it.
- Introducing PeakHour 5PeakHour 5 was our biggest update yet: a major step forward for monitoring your internet connection's stability and performance from your Mac.