Network monitors

[ytrebil]

Setup is currently ADSL router, my pc connected via cat5 and brother's pc connected wirelessly and soon to be sister's laptop connected wirelessly.

What I want to know is, are there any good network monitoring programs which are simple and user friendly? All I want to know is network activity (what network IP address is using bandwidth wise), if there is anyone connected to my network who shouldn't be connected and if my connected speed to my ISP is what it should be. Also any other cool information I can utilise. Apparently I accuse my brother unfairly of stealing all the bandwidth which he swears he doesn't.

Cheers for any advice.

[UKMuFFiN]

Your router should tell most of that info, probably not which ip is using the most bandwidth though.

[nichomach]

What router are you using?

[peterb]

If your router supports SNMP you could try PRTG (for windows) or MRTG (for Linux). A Google search will find them...

[ytrebil]

Thanks guys.

Not sure if it supports SNMP. It's a Belkin wireless ADSL router - not sure what model it is. TBH not a fan of it! Not sure why, but my brother's wireless connection sometimes cuts out and can't find the router, even with rescanning several times can't find it, so need to restart the PC and it finds it again - usually network strength is 40-60% which is fine when surfing the net and online gaming etc, like I say just randomly disconnects and can't find the router, yes it's a wireless Belkin network card. Heh.

Will check later on if it supports SNMP and will download that prog!

[ytrebil]

After looking last night, I don't believe my router (Belkin 7632-4) supports SNMP. Therefore, are there any other monitors that don't need SNMP? Thanks.

[nichomach]

Well, for general network analysis you could see whether Ethereal would suit.

[johnny02004976]

Well, for general network analysis you could see whether Ethereal would suit.

another vote for etheral - analysis all packets on network

[Moby-Dick]

Ethereal would only work in a broadcast environment - if the ports on the router are switched then it wont pick them up.

Also Most people wouldn't be able to get meaningfull statistics from a packet capture file