Bandwidth analysis

November 12, 2007 2:55 PM

Can anyone recommend a free tool to do a long term bandwidth analysis?

Basically I need a tool that I can run for a few days to see what overall/average upload and download speed I am getting.

posted by Raichle to computers & internet (6 comments total)

Please provide more information. Are you interested in monitoring one computer, several, a business? Do you have access to the router? Can you add/remove devices to/from the network?

What is your operating system? What type of router do you have?
posted by odinsdream at 3:12 PM on November 12, 2007

MRTG is where it's at, so far as I know.
posted by polyglot at 4:23 PM on November 12, 2007

I run 4 businesses using the same ISP. I have full access to the routers but they vary in firmware. Some run DD-WRT and the rest are running the basic linksys firmware. I can add/remove devices but would prefer to run something on an existing computer that is always directly connected to the router. We are running wireless at each place for about 15-30 people per day and about 10 wired computers. We are supposed to be receiving 4 Mb/s and I am not seeing that in quick tests (with no one else connected) via cnet, etc. I would like to run a more comprehensive test before getting really nasty with the ISP.
posted by Raichle at 6:39 PM on November 12, 2007

A computer connected to a router is only going to see the traffic that the router sends it.

You need to either get the stats from the router (Tomato can do this, I haven't used DD-WRT),, put a machine between the router and the internet connection running Smoothwall or m0n0wall, or use a switch as a traffic repeater to send the data to a third PC.

If you hate yourself, you can build a passive ethernet tap and run the data to a Snort box.
posted by Jairus at 7:54 PM on November 12, 2007

Well, I have a 4 port modem I can plug into and that should bypass the router problem right? We have 4 dedicated IP's, so I can just assign that way.

So, what tool should I use?
posted by Raichle at 5:18 PM on November 13, 2007

I'd just use a router running Tomato.
posted by Jairus at 12:48 AM on November 14, 2007