LAN traffic monitoring software

[polski]

I know there are some system admins on this forum so I thought I'd cast my line. Are there any good freeware tools out there that I can use to monitor local network traffic? For example, I'd like to be able to see what websites are being visited over my wireless router by devices (ipad/itouch/ms7 laptop) used in my home. If no freeware is available how about a low-cost COTS app.

[Batteriesnare]

I'm pretty sure you can do this by logging in to your router and look at the traffic log.

[polski]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Bach.

[cstone]

Does anyone still use SNORT?

[mb504]

You router probably has a logging option and then have it mail you the logs, when they fill up. For full logging, you might need to put a logging box between the router and your modem. Either option would be able to see the IP address it was destined to. If they are connecting using SSL to a website, you wouldn't be able to see the full URL.

[asmo]

Any IDS (SNORT, etc.) or packet capture (Wireshark, etc.) but you will need to be inline with the traffic.

Would recommend you just setup a nice proxy and be done with it (Squid, Nginx, etc.)

[mb504]

Old junk PC, with two NICs and some open source software and you are good to go.

[Delfuego]

I think this is easier said than done. Unless you have the skills and knowledge to setup something like Wireshark and know how to read the output, it may just be an exercise in futility. A proxy would be the easier solution of the two, in my opinion.

If its for children, look into OpenDNS home and family solutions, or something similar.

[james_bond_007]

To monitor my own machine I use Wireshark. To monitor others I grab the logs from my router.

Try googling "Network Monitor Free", "Wireless Network Sniffer free", "Wireless Network sniffer shareware".
Several things came up when I used those, but I'm have not tried them, such as this one http://download.cnet.com/CommView-for-WiFi/3000-2085_4-10218782.html

As the other posters have said, if you can set up a "dummy" machine to act as a data traffic funnel (dummy gateway), and have all traffic routed through IT and then have IT route to the real router/gateway, you can run something like Wireshark on it. You will probably see a decrease in throughput (a "slowing down" of network speed) on all your high-bandwidth applications on your devices, though.

Best of luck.

[Drucker]

I installed DD-WRT on my router and can view most of that information and much more. And it is free

[Gman]

That may work, IF your router is compatible with their firmware.

But that is also another process that may be a bit of another adventure all on its own for the uninitiated.

Sent from my tactical assault shmart phone

[gnihcraes]

^^OpenDNS, I use it on a few networks at work and here at home for the kiddos monitoring/protection. Decent logging too.

Unless you're really trying to sniff out the packets of data, then something like wireshark or others that have been mentioned. Snort? etc.

[polski]

Thanks for all the recommendations guys.

[buckshotbarlow]

late to the game, but i run 2 different apps...first is untangle...i use it to block adds and porn, then run a host file to block anyother crap that might sneak through. Spyware blocker, intrusion detection blah blah blah... Kids are playing more on the comptuer now, so I don't want them to get dicked. The router sw i use is pfsense. Like another poster said, get an old pc and doctor em up with these 2 images and you're good to go. VM's don't work to well because of the addition of the hypervisor.

http://pfsense.com/
http://www.untangle.com

[cfortune]

Does anyone still use SNORT?

Not me personally but we do use it at work.

[mahkcod]

endian firewall will do that and a lot more http://www.endian.com/us/community/overview/