Internet usage

[fish]

Just looking into software that can log all the users on my networks internet sessions and sites visited etc.

links to suitable software would be appreceiated

[Plotloss]

Microsoft ISA Server...

[puggit]

I'm assuming Mrs Fish doesn't work for you? I doubt the software could cope

[fish]

no she doesn't...

no I just want a cheap program that I can aim at the gateway and it gives me all the data of usage. Or will I have to use a PC as a proxy server and make taht the gateway.

[_DJ_]

You'll need a proxy server (probably) or firewall. I don't know of any commercial products which watch traffic through a gateway.It'll also give you the added benefit of being able to limit access to particular sites, log based on username etc. ISA Server is relatively cheap.

DJ

[Stig]

More to the point, what software blocks the ability to see your internet usage!!

[agent006]

You'll need a proxy server, you can't log web traffic just out of the ehter(net).
Most proxy servers will offer logging. What size of office is it? The only easy to use proxy i've found is Terrapin MiltiNet. Installed it, it worked, it's a mini adventure.

[_DJ_]

Are you sure? You can log traffic from the (ether)net by having a host that has a NIC running in promiscuous mode that runs software capable of analysing the information from the wire (i.e understands HTTP etc). Such as Etherscout (http://globalpatrol.net/etherscout/). However, I would recommend a Proxy Server or Firewall Appliance that is capable of logging such information.

DJ

[Bodo]

Fish, you may want to look at www.squid-cache.org/ - an open-source proxy, which allows you more than just logging your users http-requests.

more precisely here:
www.squid-cache.org/Scripts/

[agent006]

_DJ_ said:

Are you sure? You can log traffic from the (ether)net by having a host that has a NIC running in promiscuous mode that runs software capable of analysing the information from the wire (i.e understands HTTP etc). Such as Etherscout (http://globalpatrol.net/etherscout/). However, I would recommend a Proxy Server or Firewall Appliance that is capable of logging such information. DJ

True, but it's a lot of faff, and can't really tell you an easy list of webistes visited.

[Bodo]

I've found a demo from one of the scripts available that analyses the logfiles from Squid.
It is used via your webbrowser (both demo and real-life):

http://ababa.org/cgi/squidalyser.pl

[_DJ_]

agent006 said:

_DJ_ said: Are you sure? You can log traffic from the (ether)net by having a host that has a NIC running in promiscuous mode that runs software capable of analysing the information from the wire (i.e understands HTTP etc). Such as Etherscout (<a href="http://globalpatrol.net/etherscout/">http://globalpatrol.net/etherscout/</a>. However, I would recommend a Proxy Server or Firewall Appliance that is capable of logging such information. DJ True, but it's a lot of faff, and can't really tell you an easy list of webistes visited.

No 'faff' whatsoever. If you check the webpage and screenshot you'll notice reports Top 20 Users of the Week etc

The logs also list the protocol, site, length of time visited.

You can just query the database it creates for all HTTP traffic without any effort whatsoever..

DJ

[chim_girl]

Adam....Chief of The Internet Fun Police! said:

www.clearswift.com www.surfcontrol.com I use Clearswift Websweeper and Mailsweeper at the moment but have used Surfcontrol at a previous company. Both of them are very good. The downsides are expense and they are server intensive. Squid is a good cheap solution, but as they say "you get what you pay for" I'm sure that 3Com do one! Adam!

[GreenV8S]

[disclaimer=they fund my TVR] Chevin have a range of products for network monitoring, far from cheap but extremely powerful if you want to know what is happening on your network (or more important, why it isn't). [/disclaimer]

[agent006]

_DJ_ said:

No 'faff' whatsoever. If you check the webpage and screenshot you'll notice reports Top 20 Users of the Week etc

Ok so maybe you can. Now go and put out that fire that used to be the NIC that i set to promiscuous mode on a switch!!