nload

View all network traffic (use the to switch interfaces)

$ nload

$ nload devices [interface1 interface2 ...]

nload [ifname1 [ifname2 ...]] [-t secs] [-u B|K|M|G|hB|...] [-m] [-d secs] ...

-h, --help
    Display help message and exit

-V, --version
    Display version information and exit

-C scheme, --colors scheme
    Use specified color scheme (0-9)

-d secs, --interval secs
    Data averaging interval (min 0.5s)

-t secs, --time secs
    Screen update interval (min 0.1s, default 1.0)

-i bytes, --ibytes bytes
    Incoming traffic display unit (B,K,M,G)

-o bytes, --obytes bytes
    Outgoing traffic display unit (B,K,M,G)

-u unit, --units unit
    Display units (B|K|M|G|hB|hK|...)

-U unit, --tkunits unit
    Top traffic display units

-l lines, --top-lines lines
    Number of top traffic display lines

-a bytes, --average bytes
    Top traffic display unit

-w width, --window width
    Force window width

-m, --multiple
    Enable multiple device display

-M, --nobits
    Hide bit rate labels

-N, --nolookup
    Disable IP address hostname lookup

-X, --noproto
    Disable IP protocol detection

-F, --noconfig
    Do not save config file

-J, --json
    Output in JSON format

-s kbytes, --save kbytes
    Save config every kbytes received

-T dir, --config-dir dir
    Configuration directory

-v
    Increase verbosity

ifname1 [ifname2 ...]
    Network interfaces to monitor (default: all up)

nload is a lightweight, curses-based command-line tool for monitoring network bandwidth usage in real-time. It provides a visual representation of incoming and outgoing traffic on network interfaces using dynamic bar graphs, refreshed at configurable intervals. This allows users to quickly assess network load, identify bottlenecks, and track usage patterns without leaving the terminal.

The display shows current, average, minimum, and maximum speeds, with support for multiple interfaces side-by-side in multi-device mode. Traffic can be shown in bits or bytes, with units like B/s, KB/s, MB/s, or GB/s. Additional features include top talkers list, color schemes, IP address resolution, protocol detection, and JSON output for integration with scripts.

nload is ideal for system administrators, developers, and users on servers or remote sessions. It requires no special privileges for most interfaces and is highly responsive even on busy systems. Configuration is saved automatically to ~/.nloadrc for persistence across sessions.

Requires a terminal with sufficient width; resizing may require restart. High-resolution timers needed for sub-second accuracy. No support for wireless specifics like signal strength.

Left/Right arrows: Switch devices; Up/Down: Scroll top list; Enter: Toggle top/traffic view; q: Quit.

Settings saved in ~/.nloadrc. Edit manually or use options to override.

nload eth0: Monitor eth0.
nload -m: All interfaces.
nload -t 0.5 -u m: Update 0.5s, MB/s units.

Developed by Roland Riegel, first released in 2006. Latest stable version 0.7.4 (2013). Remains popular for its simplicity and low overhead despite limited updates.

iftop(8), bmon(1), vnstat(1), iptraf-ng(8), nethogs(8)