Network Usage Monitoring

Question

We want to know how much internet is used by our employees. We tried Lan Detective software. But we have to install and run that software in all PCs. So any alternate solution? How can we get internet usage in separate pcs? Is it possible to find by IP or MAC address of each pc? Please anyone help

Answer 1

You might want to look into a network appliance that sits between your switches and your router(s). Our company uses an option from Meraki that combines filtering with usage limiting and reporting. It tracks by IP/MAC address, and when coupled with some integration to our AD, it knows who is logged in on any domain computer at any given time to provide reports by user.

Answer 2

You need to determine how much money you want to throw at this type of problem. That dollar amount can and will translate to the number of hours spent building and reconfiguring your network structure, the hardware necessary, etc.

Why?

Well, the previous answer didn't address the impossible logistics involved with just plopping some mysterious computer between EVERY connection running out of your router or switch. If he meant that you should install a single monitoring computer for EVERY user, that could get quite expensive. If he meant that you only need install one monitoring computer... then it could need 30 or more network cards installed in it, depending on how many employee machines you have. You didn't make mention of that. However, the previous answer did mention a company name. Untangle.com

One solution that Untangle does offer, is an Untangle Appliance. As you can see, they are not cheap, but they combine a router/switch with a computer. This appliance takes the incoming internet connection at one end, and at the other it connects to all your employee machines (Via network switches, etc). It allows you to monitor, control, filter... actually the controls they offer are quite robust. So is their pricing. But, if you want a premade device and software package you can just drop in... that's an answer.

Otherwise, you would need to examine how your network is currently set up. If you just have a commercial internet connection and modem... and that is connected to a commercial (or residential grade) router/switch... and that is connected to 5 or 6 (or 10, or 16) employee machines... well, you might want to actually set up a domain. I don't mean that you need to go purchase a domain name, but I do mean that maybe you need to set up an actual server to replace the router in this setup. In this case, you would end up with...

Internet --> Server --> Switch --> Users

... as opposed to

Internet --> Router --> Switch --> Users

The server would handle all routing. It would be an actual computer that you could log into, and among other things, allow you to monitor the network traffic, where people are going, set up QoS rules, etc. No different really than one of the security appliances that were already mentioned... EXCEPT... you most likely won't be looking at a monthly or yearly fee, and the price should be much cheaper. You might even be able to recycle some old hardware and set up a Linux machine to do the job.

If you are feeling the need to start monitoring reports on how your employees are using your internet... and you need to do it after the fact... and you can't be watching over their shoulders... it might even be time for hiring a server administrator.

Just a thought.

Answer 3

We got one solution "Lan Detective Pro". It worked fine. It can be downloaded here: Lan Detective Pro V2.65 Thank you everybody