How to monitor network traffic???

[IT2000]

Dear People,
I'm looking for a way to monitor network traffic in my office.
I need to be able to check the traffic from my machine to all points in the
office.
I tried using NetIQ's Chariot, but its only a 3 day trial version and the
full version costs 4,000 buckeroos! Any suggestions will help! Thank you all
in advance!

Mike

 

[Accessdabbler]

I use Ethereal (

http://www.ethereal.com).

However, I'm a network analyst newb so I don't know if it has the features you want.

 

[manarth]

Hi Mike

Perhaps you could suggest what sort of traffic you want to monitor -
e.g.
internet access?
people logging into your machine?
general bandwidth usage?
also
-how many pcs are hooked into your office network?
-are there any routers hooked up?
-do any/all of the PCs access anything outside the LAN (e.g. the internet, another office) <marc>[ul]help us help![sup][li]please provide feedback on what works / doesn't[/li]
[li]not sure where to start? click here: faq581-3339[/li][/sup][/ul][/sup]

 

[johnny99]

You could also look into Sniffer from NAI (but it also comes at a price)

MS also have a &quot;sniffer&quot; that is included in Win2K if I remember right. This version can only monitor what go in and out of your own computer.
MS also have the same program and it comes with SMS (version 2.0 SP1 CD's) and this version can monitor all trafic (at least if it's on a HUB)

What solution to go for depends a lot on your needs (and if you have the money)

 

[Rock2447]

Any suggestions for my environment? I have a Cisco Enviroment and we have apparent Bandwith and connectivity problems but no way to know.

Cisco 3524 Switches
Cisco 2600 Routers from location to location.
Intel Switches at outlying locations
Intel 100 PRO NICs
3Com assorted NICs
Built-in IBM xseries NICs

I need to see where my problems are coming from. I have series lag between our Network Storage Devices and Clients. But also have series lag in our Citrix Environment.

 

[johnny99]

I would start a telnet session into the 3524 and see if it will tell me anything about port errors and port load.

And then work you way out.

There are a lot of great tools to do this kind of monitoring but the cost a lot (especialy if you need Gbps interfaces)

 

[Rock2447]

I have already started cleaning up the Port error and duplex issues that we have but I have a pretty clean path between the servers and the Clients at the local branch and we are still seeing series lag.

 

[johnny99]

How are your local branch connected?

 

[Rock2447]

Sorry when I said local I meant in our office connected to the local Backbone. 3524 switches connected through fiber

 

[IT2000]

First of all, thanx to all of you who answered my question. Now on to the point. Manarth, what I need to monitor is the network bandwidth from one computer to another.
Most PC's are located inside the LAN, but a few are connected by FAU lines.
I have about 170 - 200 computers in the domain. Lately I've been having problems in certain section of the domain with traffic really becoming slow, and I need to monitor what exactly is going on in the network from certain points to another.
The &quot;sniffer&quot; included with W2K is called Network Monitor and it only monitors traffic to and from one computer, which is not what I need, and SMS Server is not something I have time to work with right now. The same with etherreal, it will take me some time to understand the program and get it started. The documentation is 500 pages!
All I need is a simple program such as NetIQ Chariot to monitor the network.
Again, thanx to all of you who are trying to help!
Mike

 

[johnny99]

I you know a little about the Win2K Network Monitor you also know the network monitor from SMS.
It is the same product, except the limitation that only allows the Win2K version to monitor traffic isn't in the SMS version.
You have to use the Network Monitor from the SMS 2.0 SP1 CD's
The Network Monitor is on the SMS 2.0 SP1 CD's, but you don't have to install SMS to use it.