What do you use to monitor network traffic on a home network?
Tags: Question
Sometimes our home network has huge loads, which I don't quite understand where originate. The server can of course be replicating, the Windows Update can be in play, and my eldest son can be playing a game using the net. The possibilities are endless, and I wish I had some kind of tool to visualize the network usage, the top talkers, the topmost used protocols etc..
Since we're talking about home networks here, I don't have the expensive managed switches, with the SPAN ports to tap all network traffic, neither do I have network cards supporting "promiscuous-mode" (as least as I know ...).
I was rather hoping for a small, black box, a Network Tap, to plug between the broadband router and the wall. I imagine that this would be the best physical place to gather/sniff all packets from all workstations and servers. Does anyone know about such an appliance?
What other tools do you use to monitor network traffic with?
Sometimes our home network has huge loads, which I don't quite understand where originate. The server can of course be replicating, the Windows Update can be in play, and my eldest son can be playing a game using the net. The possibilities are endless, and I wish I had some kind of tool to visualize the network usage, the top talkers, the topmost used protocols etc..
Since we're talking about home networks here, I don't have the expensive managed switches, with the SPAN ports to tap all network traffic, neither do I have network cards supporting "promiscuous-mode" (as least as I know ...).
I was rather hoping for a small, black box, a Network Tap, to plug between the broadband router and the wall. I imagine that this would be the best physical place to gather/sniff all packets from all workstations and servers. Does anyone know about such an appliance?
What other tools do you use to monitor network traffic with?
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Comments
Not sure what you are planning to use to analyze the packets captured by the black box you're looking for, but Wireshark (Ethereal) and tcpdump will allow you place the NIC on the host laptop/PC in promiscuous-mode.
Hubs are increasingly hard to find but you can usually pick one up cheaper than a network tap and for what you're describing - a cheap hub and Wireshark/tcpdump should do the trick.
Cheers -
John
Posted by John Noltensmeyer At 18:50:26 On 02.04.2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Robert Ibsen Voith At 21:12:38 On 02.04.2009 | - Website - |
I don't think it will help you get any king of summary tho. Its raw data dump of whats on the wire. Allso it only picks up what it can - so you need a HUB (not a switch or something) between the router, the "others" and the compouter running Wireshark.
You'll find me on your companys OCS if you have questions ;)
Posted by Frode At 20:42:03 On 05.04.2009 | - Website - |