1 edit | Banned Users Need Network Monitoring Software? I have seen several people complaining of being banned by Comcast for excessive downloading, etc, but in all of the threads I have read so far, none of these people were using network usage monitoring software to verify their claims that "they weren't using it that much."
If you want Comcast to publish their data supporting their position, you yourself should at least have data supporting your own contentions that is objectively verifiable - "I think I downloaded..." just doesn't cut it.
Is this lack of evidence by users because people need routers that are SNMP enabled to do the monitoring and don't have them, or are there other alternatives to usage monitoring that people just aren't using? |
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| Yes I am for one , used Du Meter since Aug , just monitor the nic on the Cable modem... |
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| said by teddystacker:
Yes I am for one , used Du Meter since Aug , just monitor the nic on the Cable modem...
So Du Meter gets data for one computer, but not data coming across the router, I guess. Any router-level data monitoring (or is it just via SNMP-enabled software)? |
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 titaniumTitanium
join:2000-05-25
West Richland, WA | reply to ToasterMan78
said by ToasterMan78:
Is this lack of evidence by users because people need routers that are SNMP enabled to do the monitoring and don't have them, or are there other alternatives to usage monitoring that people just aren't using?
i myself haven't been sent a letter or anything, and from the ammount of data i transfer/receive i doubt i will because from what it looked like was that the people the receieved the letters used around 100gigs or so a month; anywho, since hearing about all this about accounts suspended and such, and being a comcast user i went and got bandwidth monitor pro and have it constantly running along with my computer; now it doesn't account for all the computers in my house (unless i installed it on all of them ofcourse) but it does tell me how much i use and breaks it down on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis... not a bad investment really considering im the 'power user' of the internet in my household. |
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1 edit | said by titanium:
...i went and got bandwidth monitor pro...it doesn't account for all the computers in my house (unless i installed it on all of them ofcourse)...
Thanx - the reason I'm asking is that I just installed network monitoring software that works at the router level - Paessler makes it (see »www.paessler.com/prtg/?link=home1 ) and it uses SNMP protocol. I was wondering what other people use and how many people use any at all.
I would like to hear from especially from any person who was banned/received a letter and was using network-monitoring software - objective statistics, you know. |
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j19
join:2000-04-23
Wheaton, IL | reply to ToasterMan78
im using that software at the modem level right now, that way it doesn't catch any network traffic to throw numbers off. nice utility. |
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2 edits | said by j19:
...at the modem [level] ... it doesn't catch any network traffic to throw numbers off....
Cool. Im new to whole issue - just loaded the Paessler software today. What do you mean by... "that way it doesn't catch any network traffic to throw numbers off."...?? |
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 LordlodWaiting For The Mainstream To Catch OnPremium
join:2000-11-02
Boston, MA | reply to ToasterMan78
Where can I find this DU Meter? |
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| reply to ToasterMan78
He means that traffic between computers on your network is not reported as internet activity. |
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| reply to Lordlod
said by Lordlod:
Where can I find this DU Meter?
»www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=U···du+meter |
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1 edit | reply to Dude NJX
said by Dude NJX:
He means that traffic between computers on your network is not reported as internet activity.
OOOOh (the light bulb goes on)! That's a good point - if you were to do a lot of computer-to-computer transfers on your local network (which would travel across the NIC also), you would get artificially inflated numbers on what you thought was just traffic from the internet.
So watching network traffic at the router level is definitely the most accurate method to gauge internet traffic only. |
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| reply to ToasterMan78
If you use a *NIX box as a router, there are a variety of scripts that can be used to query "netstat", which comes standard with just about every *NIX box out there - there are many scripts, just Google for "bandwidth monitor Linux" or "bandwidth monitor OpenBSD", or something like that.
I've not needed to do this (yet), but it looks like this should not be difficult to do. I bet OS X has "netstat" as well - you can type "man netstat" at a terminal and see what you get. Essentially, if I understand this properly, all you need is a script that queries netstat in real time and adds up all the packets, and from which interfaces they come, so you could get individual readouts for each RJ-45 port on the back of your machine, depending on how many you have...
Like I said, I haven't had to do it yet, but it's definitely something I am thinking about. Plus, there are additional security benefits from a properly set up *NIX router. It's just a little complicated, and you can't make any mistakes, or you can end up getting compromised pretty easily.
Another idea is just to put a Linux machine that is acting as a router behind your existing router, just in case, if you are still learning how to set up a Linux router. |
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 Morac
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ
kudos:1
 ·Comcast
| reply to ToasterMan78
My router keeps track of WAN traffic which it reports to my computer via UPNP so as long as the router doesn't reset I can tell how much traffic has been sent. Unfortunately the router doesn't support logging or SNMP and neither does my modem.
DU Meter works well except it can't tell the difference between local traffic and internet traffic. It's wouldn't be that hard to program a program that filters out local LAN traffic, but DU Meter doesn't do that. |
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3 edits | reply to sago5
said by sago5:
If you use a *NIX box as a router, there are a variety of scripts that can be used to query "netstat...Plus, there are additional security benefits from a properly set up *NIX router
Thanks for the info – I am not familiar with *NIX, but as you say, querying netstat sounds like a way to get NIC-based bandwidth info representing the entire LAN (in effect - router-type bandwidth info).
I have only been using a usage monitoring software (Paessler, SNMP-based) for a few days, but you would be amazed by how much usage will occur on a process that constantly downloads data such as streaming music, etc over time. Much more occurs than you actually think, once you have an objective way to monitor it. I would definitely look into it.
quote:
…Another idea is ... to [use a] Linux machine ...as a router ...
Yes if people don’t start thinking the way you are, they will be at the mercy of Comcast, etc… |
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AKSkinz
join:2003-12-12
Tewksbury, MA | said by ToasterMan78:
if people don't start thinking the way you are, they will be at the mercy of Comcast, etc...
How true... I got the letter and had to change my whole setup just so I can track my usage without tracking any lan packets. Just throw a lowend box w/2 nics in front of your router and let it pass the packets. I used XP w/ICS and some firewall software and DU meter. Then you just need to monitor what's passing thru that box and it keeps your lan traffic out of it. At least, this way, if they terminate me, I have some sort of usage tracked on my end.
And for downloading huge amounts of data. It is "very" easy to go as high a 100Gb in a month. Between all the different ways posted in this thread, it barely scratches the surface as to what is out there. Myself. I collect Pearl Jam concerts (which they allow) and most collectors like to use SHNs instead of MP3s. The same song that is 3-7 Mb as a MP3 is upwards of 50-75 Mb as a SHN. So if I were to grab 2 shows at 15 songs a show with a average of 50 Mb a file:
2 shows x 16 songs per = 32 songs x 60 Mb = 1.92 Gb
That's a average of 1 Gb per and some are even larger as PJs setlists tend to be long. So if I decide I want to try and get every show for a tour? They had over 73 on the last tour. That alone would put me over the invisible cap. Now add in Gaming w/all the patches and mods and add-ons. OS updates, AntiVirus and Security updates. Watching trailers and downloading pr0n. Do you know how big pr0n files are getting?? LOL! Look at the newgroups!! Just trying to pull the headers for some groups will eat up a couple hundred meg! I know, I tried to use the Giganews 1 gig account they supply and used over 300 meg just pulling headers! |
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 JTRockvilleData HoPremium,MVM
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD
 ·Verizon FiOS
| reply to ToasterMan78
I'm in awe of those who are brave enough to install the Paessler monitor (I'm not!!)....
Could someone provide an explanation of these parameters? It will take me 3 weeks (24/7) to figure out what those terms mean!!!
Also, are there security risks associated with enabling this monitor?
Management Access Control
Allow management from the Internet: Check to allow system administrators to login from the Internet. The default is not allowed.
Disable PING from the Internet: Check to reject all PING packets from the Internet. The default is allowed.
Access List
You may specify that the system administrator can only login from a specific host or network defined in the list. A maximum of three IPs/subnet masks may be entered.
IP: Specifies an IP address allowed to login to the router.
Subnet Mask: Specifies a subnet mask allowed to login to the router.
Port Setup
Default Ports: Check to use standard port numbers for the Telnet and HTTP servers.
User Defined Ports: Check to specify user-defined port numbers for the Telnet and HTTP servers.
SNMP Setup
Enable SNMP Agent: Check to enable built-in SNMP agent.
Get Community: Specify a string to identify the management communities for the SNMP GET command.
Manager Host IP: Specify the IP address of the SNMP manager station.
Trap Community: Specify a string to identify the management communities for the SNMP TRAP notifications.
Notification Host IP: Specify the IP address which the station wants to receive the TRAP notifications.
Trap Timeout: Specify a time out for traps message queue. |
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| reply to ToasterMan78
It would be easy to fill up an entire node's upstream with an ftp server serving out some wonderful shn files. A sustained 5Mbit/sec out of a box with live shows on it? No problem... no problem at all, I can do that... |
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AKSkinz
join:2003-12-12
Tewksbury, MA | said by sago5:
It would be easy to fill up an entire node's upstream with an ftp server serving out some wonderful shn files.
I don't run a server, or upload to anyone. I grab them (down) for myself only. I did catch someone trying to use a Windows server I had setup for training when I was going for my MCSE about a year ago as an warez server (I left the FTP service open by mistake), but I put a stop to it immediately. I was never contacted by Comcast about "THAT"! |
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3 edits | reply to JTRockville
said by JTRockville:
I'm in awe of those who are brave enough to install the Paessler monitor (I'm not!!)....
I am not an expert myself, but I know how to do it for my router, a Cisco 831-k9 router (a high-end SOHO router). I will attempt to answer your questions. BTW, my text source for much of what I say is "Cisco in a Nutshell."
BTW, Configuring the router was the hard part, but running the paessler software was very easy. Also I don't know what kind of router you have - maybe there is a forum for it where there are some guru's for that particular make/model.
Also, are there security risks associated with enabling this monitor?
(It depends on your router - see CERT article »www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2002-03.html . In my router's case, I simply had to tell the router not to accept any SNMP commands from outside my local network and I was safe.)
Management Access Control
Allow management from the Internet: Check to allow system administrators to login from the Internet. The default is not allowed.
( Keep the default, do not allow. See my answer above)
Disable PING from the Internet: Check to reject all PING packets from the Internet. The default is allowed.
(The ICMP protocol has to be enabled to some degree for aspects of your router to function properly according to "Cisco in a Nutshell." I allow pinging from the Internet, and it is also the default router config, and I trust Cisco.)
Access List
You may specify that the system administrator can only login from a specific host or network defined in the list. A maximum of three IPs/subnet masks may be entered.
(Not sure, but this I know - you want to limit logging into your router to only computers on your local network. You would specify in your access list that the IP address range for logging in is limited to only your local network - ex if your local network is IP ranges from 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.35, you would set up your access list so only IP addresses in that range could access the router. You would not want to include IP addresses from the internet, because you wouldn't want to allow someone from the internet to configure your router.
Subnet Mask: Specifies a subnet mask allowed to login to the router. (probably 255.255.255.0)
Port Setup
Default Ports: Check to use standard port numbers for the Telnet and HTTP servers.
(Not to sure here)
User Defined Ports: Check to specify user-defined port numbers for the Telnet and HTTP servers.
(Not to sure here.)
SNMP Setup
Enable SNMP Agent: Check to enable built-in SNMP agent.
(Yes you want to enable)
Get Community: Specify a string to identify the management communities for the SNMP GET command. (You give any name to your SNMP service - example you could name the community string "SNMP-access," without the quote marks)
Manager Host IP: Specify the IP address of the SNMP manager station. (not sure)
Trap Community: Specify a string to identify the management communities for the SNMP TRAP notifications. (fuzzy on trap, it's a notification protocol for sending reports from your router on it's bandwidth usage. Not necessary to configure IMO, I didn't)
Notification Host IP: Specify the IP address which the station wants to receive the TRAP notifications. (See my above answer)
Trap Timeout: Specify a time out for traps message queue.(See my above answer) |
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| reply to AKSkinz
said by AKSkinz:
How true... I got the letter and had to change my whole setup just so I can track my usage without tracking any lan packets...
Good for you! You are definitely way ahead of the curve on that one. As someone who also doesn't have the money/time for fighting Comcast to the Supreme Court (going for $1 million nowadays, heh!), this is the logical short-term solution until the dust settles. Cover yourself the way Comcast covers themselves, know what your network is doing. |
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