What's the least expensive way to track a customers internet performance after leaving the site? We've all heard the complaints about a network not working or being slow after we leave and of course they never realize it might just be the website they're trying to visit that is the root cause. '

But if the network or ISP is to blame, I'd like to see that on a graph or notification.

I'm thinking it would be some kind of micro PC with a suitable software. I want something real simple that plugs into the network and can also document Wi-Fi, not an entirely new internet distribution system.

Do you mean track network throughput, or track ping/speedtest to a certain server? I think a router with DD WRT (or many quality routers) can dump logs of bandwidth use to a file.

I think the answer is a quality router with logging and remote access, myself. Log in when they call with the issue and see if it's actually network issues or if it's that beiberbeliever.com is being hammered because of a new shirtless selfie pic.

I don't really know what I mean because there are so many variables at hand here; I'm just trying to simulate and document the potential user experience. But I do know that I don't want to replace a router or anything in their existing network, I just want let an inexpensive piece of hardware run for days or weeks to perform monitoring so that I can check for events that correlate to customer complains. I also would like to prove that the network is fine if that's actually the case.

Maybe something that plots a speed test every x minutes and also keeps a graph of Wi-Fi strength and provides notifications if it drops below different thresholds.

Ihiji does speed tests

Quick question. Did you install the network? By saying you do not want to replace anything leads me to believe you did not and you do not want to own the network. If that is the case, are you really being held accountable?

Who is the ISP? Time Warner can track the performance in 15 minute increments and some routers, like Ibiquiti, have a logger, too. The computer needs to be powered up for a long time, though- turning it off shuts off the transmission of data.

What is the customer's complaint? Are they finding problems with streaming, internet browsing, does the connection seem to slow or stop? Have you found this to be true when the computers and other devices are hard-wired as well as wireless? I recently posted about someone who needed to power cycle her router/modem every night and it turned out to be the WiFi card in her laptop. It was fine when I hard-wired it, so I tried my USB WiFi adapter and it worked fine that way, too.

Ideally you want something in front of or as part of a router.
Putting a PC or similar device in a network pool will not help you.
If kids are streaming Netlix to their 7 devices, or hubby is surfing porn, your device if installed in the network pool will show slower performance, even if the ISP is performing at 100% of subscribed capacity.

Remote into the router or setup VPN and connect into their system when they call you about issues so you can see in real time what's going on.

Re: the Ubiquiti (and some others)- it has a way to see the throughput in real time, but I'm not sure I would want the end user to access this because they might become curious and wonder "What happens if I change this?". It can be set up to allow access from outside, though.

+1 for Ihiji. Their device will monitor internet connectivity and connection quality at the site even without a subscription, if I recall correctly.