Monitoring network statistics is crucial for diagnosing and troubleshooting network issues, optimizing performance, and ensuring security. On macOS, there are several built-in tools and commands that allow you to gather and analyze network statistics effectively. This article will guide you through some of the most useful methods and commands to monitor network statistics on your Apple device.

Examples:

1. Using Activity Monitor:

   • Open Activity Monitor from the Applications > Utilities folder.
   • Click on the "Network" tab to view real-time network statistics, including data sent and received, packets, and more.

2. Using Terminal Commands:

   • netstat: This command displays network connections, routing tables, interface statistics, masquerade connections, and multicast memberships.

     netstat -i

     This command will show you a list of network interfaces along with statistics for each.

   • ifconfig: This command configures network interfaces and displays their current status.

     ifconfig

     This command provides detailed information about each network interface, including IP address, MAC address, and data statistics.

   • ping: This command checks the network connectivity to a specific IP address or hostname.

     ping google.com

     This command will continuously send packets to the specified address and display the time it takes for each packet to return.

   • traceroute: This command traces the path packets take to reach a destination.

     traceroute google.com

     This command will display each hop along the route to the destination and the time it takes to reach each hop.

   • tcpdump: This command captures and analyzes network packets.

     sudo tcpdump -i en0

     Replace en0 with the appropriate network interface. This command will start capturing packets on the specified interface.

3. Using System Preferences:

   • Go to System Preferences > Network.
   • Select the active network connection to view detailed status information, including IP address, connection status, and data usage.