If you can’t get NetSpeedMonitor stable, try TrafficMonitor (open source, still updated for x86) or stick with the Performance Monitor widget—but neither integrates as cleanly into the taskbar.
Have you kept your 32-bit Windows 8 system alive? What tools do you use to monitor network usage? Let me know in the comments below. Enjoyed this retro-tech guide? Subscribe for more tips on squeezing life out of older Windows versions. If you can’t get NetSpeedMonitor stable
If you’re still running 32-bit Windows 8 (or 8.1) on an older laptop, home server, or legacy machine, you know the struggle: modern software is often bloated, and many "new" tools have dropped support for your architecture.