Network traffic monitoring. Principles of organizing IP traffic accounting

Computers are connected to each other using external or internal networks. Thanks to this, users can share information with each other, even while on different continents.

Office traffic control software

Using ICS, you can easily control traffic accounting and its distribution between users, influence the ability to connect to Internet resources at your discretion, and ensure the security of your internal network.

School traffic control software

ICS is a universal Internet gateway with tools for protecting educational network, traffic accounting, access control and deployment of mail, proxy and file server.

Home traffic control software

X Lite is free Internet a gateway that provides all your Internet needs at home. ICS Lite is a full-featured version of Internet Control Server, which includes a license for 8 users.

Types of networks

• Home - combine computers in one apartment or house.
• Corporate - connect the working machines of the enterprise.
• Local networks often have a closed infrastructure.
• Global - connect entire regions and can include local networks.

The benefits of such a connection are enormous: specialists’ time is saved, bills for phone calls. And all these benefits can be reduced to zero if safety is not taken care of in time.

Firms that are not familiar with the concept of “traffic control” suffer enormous losses or completely limit access to information. There is an easier way to save safely - a traffic control program in local network.

We turn quantity into quality!

It is important for a manager to know how the company's funds are spent. Therefore, the system administrator is involved, among other things, in monitoring network traffic in the office. Statistics are collected not only on the volume, but also on the content of the information transmitted.

Why do you need local network control? Although the answer to this question is obvious, many system administrators cannot substantiate the need to control Internet traffic consumption.

Benefits for the manager

Traffic control software:

1. optimizes network operation - by saving specialists’ working time, labor productivity increases;
2. shows the distribution of traffic by users - makes it possible to find out who needs Internet resources;
3. shows for what purposes the traffic was spent - excluding inappropriate access.

Benefits for the system administrator

Monitoring traffic on a local network allows you to:

1. limit user access to unwanted information;
2. quickly receive data on the volume of traffic - avoiding network congestion;
3. prevent viruses from entering the network and identify security violators.

Control implementation options

Monitoring Internet traffic on a corporate network can be organized in several ways:

1. Buy a firewall with the ability to differentiate traffic.
2. Configure proxy servers with NAT drivers with traffic accounting functions.
3. Use different kinds add-ons.

Maximum protection can only be provided by comprehensive solution. Internet Control Server provides full access control and offers all the necessary functionality. ICS is a router with a built-in proxy server running on FreeBSD.

Advantages of ICS

1. Statistical studies have revealed that employees spend 1/3 of their working time accessing the Internet for personal purposes. A special ICS Internet gateway will help prevent unauthorized access.
2. The traffic flow control system keeps records on any operating systems users.
3. ICS offers flexible settings.
4. Prepares detailed reports in a convenient form.

Download for free!

Start right now - download the demo version of the program for monitoring Internet traffic from our website. You will be able to use all the features of our solution without restrictions for 35 days! After the trial period ends, you just need to purchase full version by placing an order or contacting our managers.

There are a lot of programs for tracking traffic on a local network: both paid and free, differing greatly in functionality. One of the most popular Open Source programs – SAMS. It runs on the Linux platform in conjunction with Squid.

SAMS requires PHP5, we will use Ubuntu Server 14.04. We will need Squid, Apache2, PHP5 packages with modules.

Accounting Internet traffic on a local network Linux

Let's try to figure out how it works.

Squid distributes the Internet, accepting requests on port 3128. At the same time, it writes a detailed log access.log. All control is carried out through the squid.conf file. Squid has extensive capabilities for managing Internet access: limiting access by address, controlling bandwidth for specific addresses, groups of addresses and networks.

SAMS works based on analysis of Squid proxy server logs. The local network traffic accounting system monitors the proxy server statistics and, in accordance with the specified policies, makes a decision to block, unblock or limit the speed for the Squid client.

Installing SAMS

Installing packages.

apt-get install apache2 php5 php5-mysql mysql-server php5-gd squid3

Download and install SAMS

wget https://github.com/inhab-magnus/sams2-deb/archive/master.zip

unzip master.zip

cd sams2-deb-master/

dpkg -i sams2_2.0.0-1.1_amd64.deb

Installing the web interface

dpkg -i apache2/sams2-web_2.0.0-1.1_all.deb

We make changes to the /etc/sams2.conf file.

DB_PASSWORD=/MySql password/

Launching SAMS

service sams2 start

Setting up Squid

We make changes to the /etc/squid3/squid.conf file

http_port 192.168.0.110:3128
cache_dir ufs /var/spool/squid3 2048 16 256

We enable logging and log rotation with storage for 31 days.

access_log daemon:/var/log/squid3/access.log squid

logfile_rotate 31

Stop Squid, create a cache.

service squid3 stop

service squid3 start

For the purity of the experiment, we configure one of the browsers to work with proxy 192.168.0.110 via port 3128. Having tried to connect, we receive a connection refusal - Squid does not have proxy access rights configured.

Initial SAMS setup

In another browser, open the address (192.168.0.110 – server address).

http://192.168.0.110/sams2

He will tell us that he cannot connect to the database and will offer to perform the installation.

We specify the database server (127.0.0.1), login and password for MySql.

The initial setup of the traffic accounting system has been completed. All that remains is to configure the program.

Local network traffic monitoring

Login to the system as administrator (admin/qwerty).

It’s worth mentioning right away about user authorization.

In the Squid branch, open the proxy server and click the “Configure proxy server” button at the bottom.

The most important thing here is to indicate your IP address in the addresses of folders and files where necessary, otherwise the proxy server will not start.

The essence of all changes to SAMS settings is that they are written to squid.conf. Sams2deamon runs in the background, which monitors changes in settings that require changes to configuration file(you can also set the tracking interval there).

Fill in the “User” and “IP address” fields. Let's take the same IP as the username (the IP of the computer, not the server!). In the “Allowed traffic” field we enter “0”, that is, without restrictions. We omit all other fields.

A new acl will be added for this IP address and permission to work through Squid. If the config has not been changed automatically, go to the proxy branch and click the “Reconfigure Squid” button. Changes to the config will be made manually.

We try to open any URL in the browser. We check access.log and see requests processed by the proxy. To check the operation of SAMS, open the “Users” page and click the “Recalculate user traffic” button at the bottom.

Using the buttons below to manage statistics, you can get detailed information according to statistics of user visits to pages.

Program for accounting incoming and outgoing traffic on your computer. It will help you not to exceed the traffic limit and not end up without the Internet at all.

ATTENTION: Starting from version 6, the program has become paid, so in order to avoid misunderstandings, do not update it. Here is the last one free version 5.5.5.

Anyone who used the Internet five years ago probably remembers the most main problem user - constantly monitor the amount of traffic. After all, there were no unlimited packages back then, and Dial-Up connections required money for every megabyte of information downloaded.

As a result, if you don’t control traffic consumption, you could end up costing a pretty penny :). But the people are inventive and they came up with many programs for measuring and limiting the flow. Today, the need for such utilities has decreased a little, but they are still in use, because during their existence they have acquired many additional useful functions.

Thanks to such programs, today you can measure the speed of your Internet connection, check all processes that have access to the Internet, measure traffic usage in corporate networks and much more.

A small program has all the above functions - NetWorx. In addition, it has a number of additional features, which will be useful both to the system administrator and to a simple user. Just as simple, but powerful tool can be called paid program- DU Meter.

Comparison of the free traffic metering program NetWorx with the paid analogue DU Meter

In addition, in NetWorx you can impose a quota on the amount of traffic, and also run various applications Scheduled. The program itself comes in two versions: portable and installation. I think it's easiest to use the "portable" version, although if you're a fan of installers, you can easily install NetWorx using the standard installation wizard.

Installing NetWorx

I will assume that you downloaded the portable version. To get started, you need to unpack the archive with the program and run the executable exe file. Before directly launching NetWorx, we’ll make a couple of settings. First, you will need to specify the program language, and second, you will need to enable or disable checking for new versions. That's all:).

After this, a program icon will appear in the tray (a place next to the system clock), with which we will manage it.

NetWorx will be managed through context menu, caused by right mouse click.

Here in this menu all the functions of the program are listed, but before use you can make some settings. To do this, click on the menu section of the same name.

NetWorx Settings

“Settings” consists of several tabs. In “General” we can configure the speed units, information displayed in the tray, and also (most importantly!) which connection to monitor (by default, all traffic is counted).

The “Graph” and “Graph Colors” sections allow us to customize appearance graphics of incoming/outgoing information packets. In “Notifications” you can enable and configure service messages from the program, and in “Additional” we have the opportunity to configure the collection of statistics.

The most last tab- “Dial-up” - allows you to set the default connection and add applications that will run with NetWorx.

After the settings are made, first click the “Apply” button for them to take effect, and then “Ok” to exit the settings.

Traffic Monitor

Now let's go directly through the NetWorx tools. The first and main one is a traffic monitor. It is presented in the form of a graph, which is called by the “Show graph” button.

The graph can be presented in the form of a histogram (in my opinion, this is the most convenient), curved lines, or simply numbers. In this case, there will always be two numbers at the bottom. The number with the index “D” (blue by default) shows the amount of incoming traffic (from the English download), and “U” (green) respectively, outgoing traffic (from the English upload).

Velocity change curves are drawn in the corresponding colors on the graph, numeric value which can be correlated with the scale on the left.

Speed ​​measurement

The next button - “Speed ​​measurement” - unfortunately, does not measure the overall speed of your Internet connection, but only the current speed of background packet transmission. This may be needed to compare (saving is available) the results under full load on the channel (for example, downloading a file) and at rest.

To start the test, just click the “Start” button and mark a certain period of time. The result can then be saved in text file, and then compare with new data obtained when “loading” the channel.

Statistics

What you will like most about this feature is system administrators, since it is possible to keep both a general count of traffic and display detailed statistics for each of the network users. The results can be exported to xls format ( spreadsheets Excel) and save on your computer.

There are also tools for backup statistics and their further restoration (for example, if you need to save all the data after reinstalling the system).

Traffic quota

Moving on, we move on to the “Quota” section. This function is most suitable for users with a Dial-up connection or limited traffic (for example, mobile Internet). It allows you to set maximum amount received or sent information and will always warn the user about exceeding the specified limit.

By default, the quota is set to 0.00 KB, so if you want to use this function, you will need to “Configure” it first :).

In the settings, we specify the type of quota (daily, weekly, monthly, last 24 hours) and the type of traffic (incoming, outgoing or all). You can leave the clock as is, and then specify the units of measurement and the quota itself.

To save the settings, click “Ok”, and in the quota monitoring window, do not forget to check the box “Notify when the quota is used by %” in order to receive timely information about overexpenditure.

Route tracing

We have already looked at the “Settings” item, so let’s move on to the next one – “Route tracing”. If you suddenly lost access to any Internet resource or you need to find out what path you take before you get to this or that site, try tracing this path. This can also be done by regular Windows capabilities, however, with NetWorx it turns out much easier and more visually.

To start tracing, enter the site name ( remote computer) or its IP address. Now you can set the response time (although often the standard value is more than enough) and you can click “Start”. IN in this case we traced the site yandex.ru and saw that to access it you need to go through 11 intermediate servers, and the total time to travel this path is 31 ms.

Ping

The next option is “Ping”. The window interface of this function is very similar to the previous one, but its purpose is somewhat different. Ping, simply put, is the speed at which a remote computer responds to a request you send. The built-in NetWorx ping is inferior in capabilities to the standard one (it is not possible to set your own keys to change parameters), but it copes with the main task.

Another disadvantage of the function is that you cannot enter the website’s Internet address directly - you need to know its exact IP (you can find out from the previous utility). Now specifically about use: enter the address of the remote PC, select the waiting time and the number of echo requests and click “Start”.

In our example, the site was pinged vkontakte.ru. The average response time is not calculated automatically, but it can be calculated in your head by adding all the obtained values ​​and dividing by three :).

It turned out to be about 45 ms, which in principle is good (ping up to 50 ms ± 10 ms is considered good). The TTL value is the “lifetime” of the echo packet. The number 64 means that the sent packet of information can pass through 64 intermediate servers.

Connections

The last tool is Connections. It allows you to monitor all applications that require an Internet connection.

I immediately advise you to enable the “Convert addresses to names” option. This way you can see where this or that application is going and stop its attempt to connect to a suspicious resource. Pay special attention to “established” connections (ESTABLISHED) and listening ports (LISTENING), as they can pose a hidden threat.

If a suspicious connection is detected, you can immediately terminate the application that installs it by clicking on it right click mouse and selecting “End Application”.

conclusions

Thus, we can summarize all of the above. NetWorx is not just a program for monitoring your Internet connection, but also a complex for ensuring security and comprehensive network diagnostics.

Therefore, if you suspect that some application is using traffic irrationally or even transmitting confidential information, try monitoring your network with the NetWorx program and you can easily identify the “spy” :).

P.S. Permission granted to freely copy and quote. this article provided that an open active link to the source is indicated and the authorship of Ruslan Tertyshny is preserved.

Data counter is not only interesting program, which will be used by Internet users. It works fine on a PC with network cable. Thanks to this, we will be able to analyze all network traffic, even that which is located. Using a program to monitor Internet traffic on a computer, we can easily find out whether our computer is infected and whether it is sending unnecessary packets.

Choosing the best program for monitoring Internet traffic.

Network Meter handy gadget for your desktop and a traffic tracking program that allows you to easily control your Internet connection and distribute it over a local network and Wi-Fi. Most users ignore the features offered by desktop gadgets that have already appeared in Windows Vista and ported to Windows 7. Some of these applications can be very useful.

Network Meter is an application that monitors your active Internet connection. It allows you to specify an IP address both on the local network and on the Internet. Shows the current data transfer, download, upload speed and the amount of data that we downloaded and sent during the last session (since reboot Windows). In addition, in wireless network monitoring mode, the application shows Network SSID Wi-Fi, that is, its name and percentage of signal quality (0 - 100%). Additional element The gadget is an IP address locator (IP lookup) and an Internet tester (speed test).

Anyone can use the program:

1. Unpack the gadget installer from the ZIP archive, selecting a location on your hard drive. Double click the extracted file to install Network Meter.
2. You will be prompted to check the manufacturer, click Install. The gadget should appear on our desktop (usually on the right), but it can be placed anywhere by clicking and dragging with the left mouse button.
3. The app is already active, but to make sure it's monitoring the connection you're interested in, go to the "Network Meter" option. To do this, right-click on the gadget and select “Options”.
4. On the main “Settings” tab, you can manage the gadget’s functions. First of all, you need to choose which network to monitor (network type). You can choose to connect to the local network via cable ( wired network) or Wi-Fi ( wireless network). In the latter case, the gadget will be equipped with additional functions - SSID and a signal quality meter. The function indicated by the marker shows network card controlled by our local IP address(local area network), as well as a network controlled for data transmission. If you use it on a personal PC, there will be no problems, but on a laptop you should make sure that the All Network Meter is in currently controls active card– usually you need to choose between an Ethernet LAN and a Wi-Fi card.
5. The “Screen” tab determines how the gadget will display information. For example, it is recommended to change the default unit setting from bits per second to get the speed in kilobytes or megabits. The settings are saved by pressing the “OK” button.
6. Changes to the Network Meter window appear immediately. It is worth noting that the counter represents the current data transfer - on this moment and thus monitors network activity. However, another metric counts how much data is downloaded and sent during that session. It may be useful for users using limited networks - for example, 3G mobile Internet. This makes it easy to know if the packet is overdrawn.

License: Free

IMPORTANT. proper operation The program requires the .NET Framework 1.1 package installed on the system.

Brilliant program in terms of GUI which may surprise you very much interesting features. GlassWire is a program for controlling the data flow of an Internet connection, characteristic feature which is, first of all, a modern animated interface, the appearance of which can be further modified using graphic templates, which increase the readability of the information presented on the graphs. The program allows you to display the names of processes and applications that initiate new sessions and use the network connection. The user is informed about everything through pop-up windows and directly from the program window.

Using GlassWire is intuitive and comes down to switching between successive tabs that correspond to the main functions implemented in the program: graphical data analysis, firewall settings, transfer of consumption data divided into applications and a list of notifications. In them we usually have the following three views, which allow us to customize the contents of the screen for our needs - at the same time being able to display more information about individual processes, as well as account, representing data in charts.

Directly from the program menu you can access the section technical support, available online at the manufacturer's website. It is very clear and contains not only quick and complete guide on using the program, but also access to a database of frequently asked questions or user forums. Although the program is currently only available in a development version, the manufacturer's commitment to fine tuning all the details quickly makes it popular. Advantages:

• firewall function;
• very convenient and beautiful interface;
• ease of operation.

Flaws:

• lack of many functions in the free version;
• there is no data transfer tracking schedule.

License: free.

An advanced monitoring utility that allows you to monitor network traffic, application-generated. Creates reports in many formats. This program reports downloading and sending data for the Internet, local network and for certain programs. It also tells you which applications are using the internet. Controls quality Wi-Fi signal. Latest version Fully compatible with Windows 10. DU metric clearly tracks data usage. It provides hourly, daily, weekly and monthly reports. Can also warn when fixed limits are exceeded. Data from reports can be exported to Excel, Word and PDF. Stopwatch mode allows you to measure your data consumption from high degree exactly certain time. Not only can you specify the hours during which transfers should not be counted (which would be useful for people who use plans with free hours).

DU Meter appears as a translucent notification window in the lower right corner of the desktop and shows real-time network traffic information. The DU Meter window can be enlarged by dragging its edges with the mouse. Each vertical line is one second. The red line is incoming traffic, and the green line is outgoing. At the bottom of the window there are tabs “Internet”, “LAN”, “Programs” - by switching between them, you can see the corresponding data. By right-clicking on the program window, you can bring up a pop-up menu that gives access to various reports, a stopwatch mode, or user and administrator options.

To see the main Internet traffic report as quickly as possible, hover your mouse over the DU Meter icon on the taskbar. To view detailed information about online program activity, right-click on the semi-transparent DU meter window and select View network connections" In the new window, on the “Programs” tab, there are all applications that use data transfer. On the " Open connections TCP » displays information that will help you identify unauthorized traffic from your computer. Advantages:

• maximum number of report formats;
• simultaneous data calculation for specific applications and network traffic;
• usage timer.

Disadvantage: trial version.

License: trial.

These are the most popular apps. You can try several others that stand out for their functionality.

Very useful program. Many additional functions make it the most universal application to monitor data transfer to PC. Advantages:

• ease of operation;
• tracking specific applications;
• ability to create reports;
• traffic monitoring mode on the router (requires SNMP supported by the router).

Disadvantage: Inaccurate tracking of applications running on the system.

License: free.

Takes up very little space and does not overload the processor during operation. There are not many advanced features, but the application excels in its simplicity. Advantages:

• simple controls;
• stopwatch function.

Flaws:

• uninteresting appearance;
• Lack of application-specific data tracking.

License: free.

Works without problems in almost all Windows versions, has features only available in paid versions this type of program. Advantages:

• firewall function;
• schedule with the ability to disable tracking at a certain time;
• remote management of statistics via the network.

Disadvantage: Quite difficult to use.

License: free.

Of course, the list of programs for tracking traffic on a computer can be continued for quite a long time. We have collected the best and most popular applications. If you already have experience using other software, share it in the comments.

These are programs that allow you to monitor active connections on all network interfaces.

Modern tools for detailed and detailed traffic monitoring, as a rule:

• are quite affordable;
• allow you to limit the speed of each connection separately;
• give a clear picture of which files and programs load the network and what speed they need to have;
• allow you to determine the sources of the greatest traffic consumption.

The program will help you decide on your priorities when using the network.

Today there are many similar utilities for monitoring and planning traffic flow.

CommTraffic

This is a program for monitoring Internet traffic both on a local network (monitors the Internet activity of several clients at once) and on personal computer using a modem connection. Accounting and statistics of work on the Internet will be displayed in the form of graphs bandwidth. They show the amount of outgoing, incoming and total traffic.

The program can be configured for almost any tariff plan, which is based on the established volume, takes into account the time of day and connection time. The CommTraffic utility is equipped with:

• convenient indication;
• accurate cost calculation;
• possibility of notification in case of overspending.

Moreover, it is simple and easy to use. Once you have set a traffic and time limit that suits your tariff plan, you will receive notifications sound signal or message to specified address when approaching the established limits.

Program for monitoring Internet traffic Network Meter

Collection app network information, allowing you to monitor all network adapters installed on the system. Also provides detailed statistics about outgoing and incoming traffic. First, configure the downloaded program when you first launch it. To do this, specify what data you want to see in the main window, and the adapters that Network Meter will “monitor”.

Minimize the utility window to the notification panel so that it does not take up space on your desktop. Even in this state, the application continues to background my job.

The program will plot consumption intensity graphs in real time network connection. She's not overloaded unnecessary elements interface and settings. Graphic shell The utilities are clear and simple. You can also use it to see:

• Internet session duration, MAC address and IP;
• connection type;
• Maximum cable throughput.

By downloading Network Meter, you will get a fairly compact, simple and free tool. Great for monitoring traffic and viewing information about network equipment.

Internet traffic counter Simbad Traffic Counter

The utility keeps track of incoming and outgoing traffic, and also calculates its cost, according to the tariff of your Internet provider. The consumed traffic is displayed in various quantities (gigabytes, megabytes, kilobytes). In addition, the application keeps statistics. It will automatically detect the modem connection and display the time spent on the Internet. This program for monitoring Internet traffic consumes virtually no system resources and has small size. Supports work with a large number of protocols.

Net Activity Diagram Application

The program for monitoring traffic and Internet speed Net Activity Diagram monitors the Internet and network activity of the computer.

Produces:

• tracking of all established connections;
• displaying various warnings in the form of a message;
• traffic analysis for specified periods of time.

Current network activity is also displayed in separate window, and on the taskbar. Besides, Net service Activity Diagram tracks statistics independently for each port and provides the ability to monitor each type of traffic separately.

The program is quite flexible. It informs the user in cases of exceeding or approaching the established limits.

Traffic accounting using Internet Connection Counter

This program for monitoring Internet traffic will allow you to take into account the cost and time spent on the Internet, the total amount of traffic consumed. Supports Various types connections: Dial-Up, ADSL, LAN, GPRS, etc.

With this utility the user can:

• use several Internet provider tariffs at the same time;
• get acquainted with statistics on the traffic used;
• customize the appearance of the application.

In addition, the application will show all active connections, synchronize the system clock and export to Excel format report.

Traffic saving program

HandyCache will allow significantly (3-4 times) caching. The next time you visit the site, the application will help you avoid downloading it from the Internet. In addition, you can view these sites without an Internet connection, in offline mode.

To get started, you need to install HandyCache and point it to the browser as a proxy server. After this, all browsers installed on you will use the HandyCache cache. The default settings of this application suit users in most cases.

The utility is equipped flexible settings to control a variety of parameters. Can load files from cache depending on the HandyCache file type or URL. And if necessary, it will download files from the Internet in case constant update versions. Before this, the program will check their version and only then decide whether to contact the download source.

The utility is convenient in that to search for any previously used data you do not need to find it again. Just look in the cache for a folder with the same name as the site name. In addition, this Internet traffic monitoring program for Android is ideal.

Clear and accurate accounting of money

And also time and traffic can be done using the StatistXP application. A program for monitoring Internet traffic will allow you to use the network comfortably and economically. For the trial period, 10 launches are given. And for further use The utility is equipped with the option of prepayment and Internet cards.

The program carries out:

• notification when connecting and disconnecting by voice;
• accounting of time, money and traffic with connection statistics by month and year;
• There is detailed information.

BitMeter II - a program for monitoring Internet traffic

This utility is a traffic counter. In addition, it is equipped with a wide range of tools for collecting and monitoring network connections.

In the main window of the application, you can see a graph of outgoing and incoming traffic in real time. To quickly calculate the time spent downloading, there is a special calculator.

The application supports setting warnings about exceeding limits maximum limit traffic and Internet connection time.

Some features of the program:

• Customizable settings and alerts when speed drops to established level or when loading a certain amount of data.
• Uploads and downloads are monitored and recorded. This will allow you to see how much traffic was used during a specific period of time.
• On-screen stopwatch.
• Nice help file.
• Convenient, customizable appearance.
• Possibility of selective monitoring of network cards.