Netgear routers to tell owners how much Internet data they’re using

Netgear routers to measure Internet consumption

NEW YORK — How many gigabytes do you consume per month?

Not many households can answer that question. That complicates the efforts of Internet service providers to get their subscribers to stay below a certain amount of data.

In August, Netgear Inc. plans to introduce a $190 router that will provide the first easy way for users to get a grip on their Internet traffic.

Netgear said it include the feature on future models, eventually making it a standard, and provide software upgrades for older devices.

Most Internet service providers set a limit for how much their subscribers are allowed to download each month, but only a few of them provide Web pages where subscribers can see how much they’re consuming.