Network Monitor Widget

A lightweight, always-on-top network speed monitor widget for Windows.

Features

• ✅ Real-time network monitoring - Download and upload speeds refreshing every second
• ✅ Always on top - Stays visible (can be disabled in settings)
• ✅ Borderless & draggable - Clean widget-style design, drag from anywhere
• ✅ Rounded corners - Modern Windows 11 style
• ✅ Blur effect - Acrylic background (with solid/transparent options)
• ✅ Multiple speed units - Kbps, Mbps, KB/s, MB/s, and more
• ✅ Vibrant colors - 8 preset color schemes + custom colors
• ✅ Resizable - Font scales automatically with window size
• ✅ System tray - Minimize to tray with live tooltip
• ✅ Remembers position - Window position saved between sessions
• ✅ Start with Windows - Optional auto-start

Sample Screenshots

Main widget

Context Menu

Notification Icon with tooltip

Settings

Demo Video

Click here to download demo video (or you can find it inside "Demo Video" direcotory)

Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• .NET 8.0 Runtime (or self-contained build)

Quick Start

cd C:\Projects\NetworkMonitor
dotnet run

Installation

Option 1: Build from Source

1. Install .NET 8.0 SDK
2. Clone or download this repository
3. Open terminal in the project folder
4. Run:

   dotnet build -c Release

5. Find the executable in bin/Release/net8.0-windows/

Option 2: Publish as Single File

dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true -p:PublishSingleFile=true

This creates a single .exe file that includes the .NET runtime.

Usage

Basic Controls

Action	Result
Left-click + drag	Move the widget
Double-click	Open settings
Right-click	Context menu
Resize grip	Resize the widget (font scales automatically)
Close button	Minimize to tray (if enabled)

Context Menu Options

• Settings - Open settings window
• Always on Top - Toggle topmost state
• Layout - Switch between vertical/horizontal
• Minimize to Tray - Hide to system tray
• Exit - Close the application

System Tray

• The tray icon shows live speeds in the tooltip
• Double-click tray icon to show the widget
• Right-click tray icon for quick menu

Settings

Display

• Speed Unit: bps, Kbps, Mbps, Gbps, B/s, KB/s, MB/s, GB/s
• Layout: Vertical or Horizontal
• Background: Blur (Acrylic), Solid, or Transparent
• Opacity: 30% to 100%

Colors

Preset Color Schemes:

Preset	Download	Upload
Ocean (default)	Cyan-Green	Coral-Red
Neon	Neon Green	Magenta
Sunset	Gold	Orange Red
Ice	Sky Blue	Hot Pink
Forest	Lime Green	Orange
Galaxy	Purple	Deep Pink
Classic	Green	Red
Cyan	Cyan	Dark Orange

Custom colors can be selected by clicking the color preview boxes.

Behavior

• Always on top - Widget stays above other windows
• Minimize to tray - Close button minimizes instead of exiting
• Start minimized - Launch hidden in system tray
• Start with Windows - Auto-start on login
• Refresh rate - 500ms to 5000ms

Technical Details

• Framework: .NET 8.0 WPF
• Memory usage: ~15-25 MB
• CPU usage: < 1%
• Dependencies:
  • Hardcodet.NotifyIcon.Wpf (system tray)
  • Newtonsoft.Json (settings persistence)

File Structure

NetworkMonitor/
├── NetworkMonitor.csproj
├── App.xaml / App.xaml.cs
├── MainWindow.xaml / MainWindow.xaml.cs
├── SettingsWindow.xaml / SettingsWindow.xaml.cs
├── Models/
│   └── AppSettings.cs
├── Services/
│   ├── NetworkService.cs
│   └── SettingsService.cs
├── Helpers/
│   ├── BlurHelper.cs
│   └── WindowHelper.cs
└── icon.ico

Settings Storage

Settings are saved to:

%APPDATA%\NetworkMonitor\settings.json

Troubleshooting

Blur effect not working

• Blur effect requires Windows 10 1803+ or Windows 11
• Try switching to "Solid" background in settings

Widget not visible

• Check system tray for the icon
• Reset settings by deleting %APPDATA%\NetworkMonitor\settings.json

High memory usage

• Increase refresh rate in settings (e.g., 2000ms)
• Close settings window when not needed

License

MIT License - Feel free to modify and distribute.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to submit issues and pull requests.