Internet load balancing software

Hi,

If this is not an appropriate place to post this question, please excuse me and dissmiss the post; thanks.

I'm looking for software to balance the load on an internet connection for an internet/gaming cafe. I've seen hardware based solutions, but they're somewhat above my budget, and I've seen software solutions that require using a computer as a gateway instead of using the router, but then I can't reset the gateway computer, since it'd kill everyone's internet connection.
So I'm looking for something like:
1) Server software for collecting bandwidth usage statistics
2) Client software to:
- Monitor usage and report to server
- Download statistics from server and limit bandwidth appropriately.
- When the server isn't available, the above point just wouldn't apply

I don't want to hardwire a limit either, because that'd waste bandwidth when available.

Is there anything like this available out there? Or am I asking for too much? Basically my problem is, a couple of people playing in Battle.Net or Wow, a few others browsing, and suddenly someone on P2P will kill everybody else's connection.

Any hints are welcome... thanks!

Pablo Aguilar
pablo dot aguilar at gmail dot com

Thanks for the reply.

I've already looked in google, and found only:
- hardware based
- computer gateway based

I'll try DU Meter, thanks for pointing me to it...

Pablo

Thanks!

I'd searched for bandwidth "limiting", but hadn't thought of "restricting", I'll see what that turns out... and, I guess you're right about just using and old computer with Linux, I guess I'll do that if I can't find what I'm looking for this last round of searching...

thanks again

Pablo

I'll check it out, thanks...

Pablo