Monitor network performance

[NinaS]

I have a network with 36 devices on a VLAN on a Cisco Switch 3600XL, since I have run out of floor connections I have had to put some of the devices on hubs. I think there is a risk that these hubs (10MBit) create bottlenecks on the network. Is there any good (preferably free or workable demo version) that could measure total bandwith, how much is used and show me if these hub create bottlenecks?

/Nina

 

[ShackDaddy]

Use MRTG (Multi Router Traffic Grapher at

http://www.mrtg.org)

to track the bandwidth usage on each of your switch ports, or use the built-in Cisco web interface for the switch to look at traffic counters for each port. The former is cooler and gives you a better view of percentages over time.

As long as the switch is the nexus for all of your heavy traffic, and you haven't piled multiple high-bandwidth using systems on any individual hub, I'd think you would be fine. Just don't cascade any hubs, and try and keep the number of live ports on each hub at 8, not 24.

ShackDaddy