01-08-2012 08:46 AM
hi! is there any tool out there that can keep monitor traffic of different type? eg, http, ftp, and etc? Is there a tool that can differentiate different port or traffic type?
01-08-2012 02:54 PM
Sure there are lots.
Mostly they depend on your network device(s) being able to keep track of the information and the tools just query the devices and present for you in a useful way.
Common in Cisco networks is the use of NetFlow (technology) for this purpose. Once can use a tool like ntop (open source), Solarwinds Netflow Traffic Analyzer (free for real time few device view, licensed for archiving and more devices), ManageEngine's Netflow Analyzer (free 30-day demo, licensed for long term use), etc. You typically need a router or high end core switch that supports NetFlow - small layer 3 switches and layer 2 devices will not.
Some other devices (e.g., load balancers like F5 LTM and Citrix Netscaler) also instrument things like http req/sec etc. and can be queried using SNMP management tools (such as Cacti - open source or Solarwinds Orion NPM - licensed) to display utilization.
01-09-2012 11:59 PM
NetFlow is the best technology to get information on traffic based on application, port, protocol, IP Address, etc. There are a lot of free tools you can make use of or go for a licensed tool as per your requirements.
You may find the below link useful to select a free tool.
http://www.networkmanagementsoftware.com/5-free-netflow-analyzer-tools-for-windows
From the list, ManageEngine, Solarwinds and Plixer are market leaders with both free and licensed versions available. ManageEngine and Plixer, both support stand alone NetFlow installations whereas Solarwinds requires a base software for installing NetFlow monitoring module. Full fledged Linux version is available with ManageEngine.
Regards,
Don Thomas Jacob
NOTE: Please rate posts and close questions if your query has been answered
Discover and save your favorite ideas. Come back to expert answers, step-by-step guides, recent topics, and more.
New here? Get started with these tips. How to use Community New member guide