How to track internet traffic on a local network. Monitoring traffic in the local network

How to track internet traffic on a local network. Monitoring traffic in the local network

Data counter is not only an interesting program to be used by internet users. It works fine on a PC with a network cable installed. Thanks to this, we will be able to analyze all network traffic, even the one that is located. With the help of a program for monitoring Internet traffic on a computer, we can easily find out if our computer is infected and is not sending unnecessary packets.

Choosing the best program to control Internet traffic.

Network Meter is a handy desktop gadget and traffic metering program that allows you to easily control your Internet connection and distribute it over your local network and Wi-Fi. Most users ignore the features offered by the desktop gadgets that were introduced in Windows Vista and carried over to Windows 7. Some of these applications can be very useful.

Network Meter is an application that monitors an active Internet connection. It allows you to specify an IP address both on the local network and on the Internet. Shows the current data transfer, download, upload speed and the amount of data that we have downloaded and sent during the last session (since restarting Windows). In addition, in the wireless network monitoring mode, the application shows the SSID of the Wi-Fi network, that is, its name and the percentage value of the signal quality (0 - 100%). An additional element of the gadget is an IP address locator (IP search) and an Internet tester (speed test).

Anyone can use the program:

  1. Unpack the gadget installer from the ZIP archive, choosing a location on your hard drive for this. Double click the unpacked file to install Network Meter.
  2. You will be prompted to check the manufacturer, click "Install". The gadget should appear on our desktop (usually on the right), but it can be placed anywhere by dragging and dropping with the left mouse button.
  3. The app is already active, but to make sure it's monitoring the connection you're interested in, go to the "Network Meter" option. To do this, right-click on the gadget and select "Settings".
  4. On the main tab "Settings" you can manage the functions of the gadget. First of all, you need to choose which network to monitor (network type). You can choose to connect to a LAN via cable (wired network) or Wi-Fi (wireless network). In the latter case, the gadget will be equipped with additional functions - SSID and a signal quality meter. The function indicated by the marker shows the network card controlled by our local IP address (local network), as well as the network controlled for data transfer. If used on a personal PC, there will be no problems, but on a laptop, it is worth making sure that All Network Meter is currently monitoring the active card - usually you need to choose between an Ethernet LAN and a Wi-Fi card.
  5. The Display tab determines how the gadget will display information. For example, it is recommended to change the default unit settings from bits per second to read the speed in kilobytes or megabits. The settings are saved by pressing the "OK" button.
  6. Changes in the "Network Meter" window appear immediately. It is worth noting that the counter represents the current data transfer - at the moment and thus monitors network activity. However, another metric counts how much data is downloaded and uploaded during that session. It can be useful for users using limited networks - for example, 3G mobile Internet. This makes it easy to know if a packet is being oversubscribed.

License: Free

IMPORTANT. The program requires the .NET Framework 1.1 package to be installed on the system to run correctly.

A brilliant program in terms of GUI that can surprise you with very interesting features. GlassWire is a program for managing the data flow of an Internet connection, whose characteristic feature is, first of all, a modern animated interface, the appearance of which can be further modified using graphic templates, which increases the readability of the information presented on the graphs. The program allows you to display the names of processes and applications that initiate new sessions and use a network connection. The user is informed about everything through pop-up windows and directly from the program window.

Using GlassWire is intuitive and boils down to switching between successive tabs that correspond to the main functions implemented in the program: graphical data analysis, firewall settings, consumption data transfer divided into applications and a list of notifications. In them, we usually have the following three views, which allow us to customize the screen content for our needs - at the same time, more information about individual processes can be displayed, as well as the account representing the data in the charts.

Directly from the program menu it is possible to access the technical support section available online on the manufacturer's website. It is very clear and contains not only a quick and complete guide to using the program, but also access to a database of frequently asked questions or user forums. Although the program is currently only available in the development version, the manufacturer's desire for fine-tuning of all details is quickly making it popular. Advantages:

  • firewall function;
  • very convenient and beautiful interface;
  • ease of operation.

Disadvantages:

  • lack of many features in the free version;
  • there is no data transfer tracking schedule.

License: free.

An advanced monitoring utility that allows you to monitor network traffic generated by applications. Creates reports in many formats. This program reports downloading and sending data for the Internet, local network and for certain programs. It also tells you what applications the internet is using. Controls the quality of the Wi-Fi signal. The latest version is fully compatible with Windows 10. DU clearly tracks data usage. It provides hourly, daily, weekly and monthly reports. It can also warn when fixed limits are exceeded. Data from reports can be exported to Excel, Word and PDF. The stopwatch mode allows you to determine the consumption of data with a high degree of accuracy at a certain time. Not only can you specify the hours in which the transfer should not be counted (which would be useful for people who use tariff plans with free hours).

DU Meter appears as a semi-transparent notification window in the lower right corner of the desktop and shows real-time network traffic information. The DU Meter window can be enlarged by dragging its edges with the mouse. Each vertical line represents one second. The red line is incoming traffic and the green line is outgoing. At the bottom of the window are the tabs "Internet", "LAN", "Programs" - switching between them, you can see the corresponding data. Right-clicking on the program window brings up a pop-up menu that provides access to various reports, stopwatch mode, or user and administrator options.

To see the basic Internet traffic report as quickly as possible, hover your mouse over the DU Meter icon on the taskbar. To view detailed information about the online activity of programs, right-click on the semi-transparent window of the DU meter and select View Network Connections. In the new window, under the "Programs" tab, there are all applications that use data transfer. The Open TCP Connections tab displays information that will help you identify unauthorized traffic from your computer. Advantages:

  • maximum number of report formats;
  • simultaneous calculation of data for specific applications and network traffic;
  • usage timer.

Disadvantage: trial version.

License: Trial.

These are the most popular apps. You can try several others that stand out for their functionality.

A very useful program. Many advanced features make it the most versatile PC data monitoring application. Advantages:

  • ease of operation;
  • tracking certain applications;
  • the ability to create reports;
  • traffic snooping mode on the router (requires SNMP supported by the router).

Drawback: Inaccurate tracking of applications launched by the system.

License: free.

Takes up very little space, does not overload the processor during operation. There aren't many advanced features, but the app wins with its simplicity. Advantages:

  • simple control;
  • stopwatch function.

Disadvantages:

  • uninteresting appearance;
  • lack of data tracking for specific applications.

License: free.

Works without problems in almost all versions of Windows, has features available only in paid versions of this type of program. Advantages:

  • firewall function;
  • schedule with the ability to turn off tracking at a certain time;
  • remote management of statistics via the network.

Disadvantage: Quite difficult to use.

License: free.

Of course, the list of programs for accounting traffic on a computer can be continued for quite a long time. We have collected the best and most popular apps. If you already have experience using other software, share it in the comments.

05/23/16 45.3K

Many network administrators often face problems that network traffic analysis can help solve. And here we are faced with such a concept as a traffic analyzer. So what is it?


NetFlow analyzers and collectors are tools that help you monitor and analyze network traffic data. Network process analyzers allow you to pinpoint devices that are reducing bandwidth. They know how to find problem areas in your system, and improve the overall efficiency of the network.

The term " NetFlow" refers to a Cisco protocol designed to collect information about traffic over IP and monitor network traffic. NetFlow has been adopted as the standard protocol for streaming technologies.

NetFlow software collects and analyzes flow data generated by routers and presents it in a user-friendly format.

Several other network equipment vendors have their own monitoring and data collection protocols. For example, Juniper, another highly respected network device vendor, calls its protocol " j-flow". HP and Fortinet use the term " s-Flow". Although the protocols are named differently, they all work in a similar way. In this article, we'll take a look at 10 free network traffic analyzers and NetFlow collectors for Windows.

SolarWinds Real-Time NetFlow Traffic Analyzer


Free NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is one of the more popular tools available for free download. It gives you the ability to sort, label, and display data in a variety of ways. This allows you to conveniently visualize and analyze network traffic. The tool is great for monitoring network traffic by type and time period. As well as running tests to determine how much traffic different applications are consuming.

This free tool is limited to one NetFlow monitoring interface and only saves 60 minutes of data. This Netflow Analyzer is a powerful tool that is well worth using.

Colasoft Capsa Free


This free LAN traffic analyzer allows you to identify and monitor over 300 network protocols and allows you to create customizable reports. It includes email monitoring and sequence diagrams TCP sync, all collected in one customizable panel.

Other features include network security analysis. For example, tracking DoS / DDoS attacks, worm activity and detection of ARP attacks. As well as packet decoding and information display, statistics about each host on the network, packet exchange control and stream reconstruction. Capsa Free supports all 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows XP.

Minimum system requirements for installation: 2 GB of RAM and a 2.8 GHz processor. You must also have an ethernet connection to the internet ( compatible with NDIS 3 or higher), Fast Ethernet, or Gigabit with a mixed mode driver. It allows you to passively capture all packets transmitted over an Ethernet cable.

Angry IP Scanner


It is an open source Windows traffic analyzer that is fast and easy to use. It does not require installation and can be used on Linux , Windows and Mac OSX . This tool works through a simple ping of each IP address and can determine MAC addresses, scan ports, provide NetBIOS information, determine the authorized user on Windows systems, discover web servers and much more. Its capabilities are extended with Java plugins. Scan data can be saved in CSV, TXT, XML format files.

ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer Professional


A fully functional version of NetFlow software from ManageEngines. It is a powerful software with a full set of functions for analysis and data collection: real-time channel bandwidth monitoring and alerts when thresholds are reached, which allows you to quickly administer processes. In addition, it provides the output of summary data on the use of resources, monitoring applications and protocols, and much more.

The free version of the Linux traffic analyzer allows you to use the product indefinitely for 30 days, after which you can only monitor two interfaces. System requirements for NetFlow Analyzer ManageEngine vary by flow rate. Recommended requirements for a minimum flow rate of 0 to 3000 threads per second: 2.4 GHz dual-core processor, 2 GB of RAM and 250 GB of free hard disk space. As the flow rate to be monitored increases, the requirements also increase.

The Dude


This application is a popular network monitor developed by MikroTik. It automatically scans all devices and recreates the network map. The Dude monitors servers running on various devices and alerts you if problems occur. Other features include automatic discovery and display of new devices, the ability to create custom maps, access to remote device management tools, and more. It runs on Windows, Linux Wine and MacOS Darwine.

JDSU Network Analyzer Fast Ethernet


This traffic analyzer program allows you to quickly collect and view data over the network. The tool provides the ability to view registered users, determine the level of network bandwidth usage by individual devices, and quickly find and fix errors. As well as capture real-time data and analyze it.

The application supports the creation of highly detailed graphs and tables that allow administrators to monitor traffic anomalies, filter data to sift through large amounts of data, and more. This tool for entry-level professionals, as well as for experienced administrators, allows you to completely take control of the network.

Plixer Scrutinizer


This network traffic analyzer allows you to collect and comprehensively analyze network traffic, and quickly find and fix errors. With Scrutinizer, you can sort data in a variety of ways, including timeslots, hosts, applications, protocols, and more. The free version allows you to control an unlimited number of interfaces and store data for 24 hours of activity.

Wireshark


Wireshark is a powerful network analyzer that can run on Linux, Windows, MacOS X, Solaris and other platforms. Wireshark allows you to view the captured data using a graphical interface, or use the TTY-mode TShark utilities. Its features include VoIP traffic collection and analysis, real-time display of Ethernet data, IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, USB, Frame Relay, data output to XML, PostScript, CSV, decryption support, and more.

System requirements: Windows XP and higher, any modern 64/32-bit processor, 400 Mb of RAM and 300 Mb of free disk space. Wireshark NetFlow Analyzer is a powerful tool that can greatly simplify the work of any network administrator.

Paessler PRTG


This traffic analyzer provides users with many useful features: support for monitoring LAN, WAN, VPN, applications, virtual server, QoS and environment. Multi-site monitoring is also supported. PRTG uses SNMP , WMI , NetFlow , SFlow , JFlow and packet sniffing as well as uptime/downtime monitoring and IPv6 support.

The free version allows you to use an unlimited number of sensors for 30 days, after which you can only use up to 100 for free.

nProbe


It is a full featured open source NetFlow tracking and analysis application.

nProbe supports IPv4 and IPv6, Cisco NetFlow v9 / IPFIX, NetFlow-Lite, VoIP traffic analysis, stream and packet sampling, logging, MySQL/Oracle and DNS activity, and much more. The application is free if you download and compile the traffic analyzer on Linux or Windows. The setup executable limits the amount of capture to 2000 packages. nProbe is completely free for educational institutions, as well as non-profit and scientific organizations. This tool will work on 64-bit versions of Linux and Windows operating systems.

This list of 10 free NetFlow traffic analyzers and collectors will help you get started monitoring and troubleshooting a small office network or a large multi-site corporate WAN.

Each application presented in this article makes it possible to monitor and analyze network traffic, detect minor failures, identify bandwidth anomalies that may indicate security threats. As well as visualize information about the network, traffic, and more. Network administrators should definitely have such tools in their arsenal.

This publication is a translation of the article " Top 10 Best Free Netflow Analyzers and Collectors for Windows» prepared by a friendly project team

Good bad

Hi friends! Write about how to monitor traffic I was going right after I wrote the article ““, but somehow forgot. Now I remembered and will tell you about how to track how much traffic you spend, and we will do this with the help of a free program NetWorx.

You know, when unlimited Internet is connected, then you don’t really need to monitor the traffic, except for the sake of interest. Yes, now all urban networks are usually unlimited, which cannot be said about 3G Internet, the tariffs of which usually go off scale.

All this summer I have been using CDMA Internet from Intertelecom, and I know all these nuances with traffic and tariffs firsthand. I already wrote about how to set up and improve the Internet from Intertelecom, read and. So, their “unlimited” tariff costs 150 hryvnia per month. As you can see, I put the word unlimited in quotation marks, why? Yes, because there is a speed limit, though only during the day, but there is nothing to rejoice at, the speed there is simply terrible, it is better to use GPRS already.

The most normal tariff is 5 hryvnia per day upon connection, that is, if you do not connect today, you do not pay. But it's not unlimited, it's 1000 megabytes a day, until 12 midnight. I have this tariff now, but at least it has a decent speed, the real average speed is 200 Kbps. But 1000 Mb per day is not very much at such a speed, so in this case it is simply necessary to control the traffic. Moreover, after using this 1000 MB, the cost of one megabyte is 10 kopecks, which is not a little.

Even as soon as I connected this Internet, I began to look for a pretty program that would control my Internet traffic and I could set a warning when the limit was used up. And I found it, of course, not immediately, after trying a couple of things, I came across the NetWorx program. Which we will continue to talk about.

NetWorx will monitor the traffic

Now I will tell you where to get the programs and how to set it up.

1. Whatever you are looking for a program, I uploaded it to my hosting, so .

2. Run the downloaded file and install the program, I will not describe the installation process, I wrote about this in .

3. If after installation the program did not start itself, then we launch it with a shortcut on the desktop or in the start menu.

4. That's it, the program already counts your Internet traffic, it hides in the tray and quietly works for itself there. The working window of the program looks like this:

As you can see, the program displays Internet traffic for the current day and for the entire time, starting from the time you installed the program, you can see how much I burned :). In fact, the program does not need any settings. I'll just tell you how to set a quota in NetWorx, that is, traffic limits and how to make it so that the activity of incoming and outgoing Internet traffic is displayed in the tray icon.

5. Now let's make it so that the activity of Internet traffic is displayed in the tray.

Right-click on the program icon in the tray and select "Settings"

On the “Graph” tab, set it as in my screenshot, click “OK” and “Apply”. The NetWorx tray icon will now display internet connection activity.

6. And the last item in setting up this program will be setting a quota. For example, Intertelecom gives me only 1000 MB per day, so in order not to spend more than this rate, I set up the program so that when I use traffic by 80% it warns me.

Right-click on the program's tray icon and select "Quota".

You see, today I used up my limit by 53%, below there is a field where you can specify at what percentage to report that the traffic is ending. Let's click on the "Settings" button and set up the quota.

Everything is very simple here, first we set what quota you have, for example, I have a daily quota, then we set the traffic, I selected all traffic, that is, incoming and outgoing. Set "Clock" and "Units", I have megabytes. And of course, do not forget to specify the size of the quota, I have 1000 megabytes. Click "OK" and that's it, our quota is set.

That's it, the program is fully configured and ready to read your traffic. It will be launched along with the computer, and you just have to occasionally look in and see for interest how much traffic you have already burned. Good luck!

More on the site:

NetWorx: How to Monitor Internet Traffic updated: August 17, 2012 by: admin

This article will look at software solutions that will help control your traffic. Thanks to them, you can see a summary of the Internet connection consumption of a particular process and limit its priority. It is not necessary to view the recorded reports on a PC with special software installed in the OS - this can be done remotely. It will not be a problem to find out the cost of consumed resources and much more.

Software from SoftPerfect Research, which allows you to control the traffic consumed. The program provides additional settings that make it possible to see information about the consumed megabytes for a specific day or week, peak and off-peak hours. Provided an opportunity to see indicators of incoming and outgoing speed, received and sent data.

The tool will be especially useful in cases where limited 3G or LTE is used, and, accordingly, restrictions are required. If you have more than one account, statistics about each individual user will be displayed.

DU Meter

Application for tracking the consumption of resources from the World Wide Web. In the work area, you will see both the incoming and outgoing signal. By connecting the dumeter.net service account offered by the developer, you will be able to collect statistics on the use of the information stream from the Internet from all PCs. Flexible settings will help you filter the flow and send reports to your email.

Parameters allow you to specify restrictions when using a connection to the world wide web. In addition, you can specify the cost of the service package provided by your provider. There is a user manual in which you will find instructions for working with the existing functionality of the program.

Network Traffic Monitor

A utility that displays reports on network usage with a simple set of tools without the need for pre-installation. The main window displays statistics and a summary of the connection that has Internet access. The application is able to block the flow and restrict it, allowing the user to specify their own values. In the settings, you can reset the recorded history. Available statistics can be written to a log file. An arsenal of necessary functionality will help fix the download and upload speed.

TrafficMonitor

The application is an excellent solution for countering information flow from the network. There are many indicators that show the amount of data consumed, return, speed, maximum and average values. Software settings allow you to determine the cost of the volume of information used at the present time.

In the generated reports there will be a list of actions related to the connection. The graph is displayed in a separate window, and the scale is displayed in real time, you will see it on top of all the programs in which you work. The solution is free and has a Russian-language interface.

NetLimiter

The program has a modern design and powerful functionality. Its peculiarity is that it provides reports in which there is a summary of the traffic consumption of each process running on a PC. The statistics are perfectly sorted by different periods, and therefore it will be very easy to find the right period of time.

If NetLimiter is installed on another computer, then you can connect to it and control its firewall and other features. To automate processes within the application, rules are used that are compiled by the user himself. In the scheduler, you can create your own limits when using the services of a provider, as well as block access to the global and local networks.

DUTraffic

The features of this software is that it displays extended statistics. There is information about the connection from which the user entered the global space, sessions and their duration, as well as the duration of use, and much more. All reports are accompanied by information in the form of a diagram highlighting the duration of traffic consumption over time. In the settings you can customize almost any design element.

The graph that is displayed in a specific area is updated per second. Unfortunately, the utility is not supported by the developer, but it has a Russian interface and is distributed free of charge.

BWMeter

The program monitors the download / upload and speed of the existing connection. Using filters displays an alert if processes in the OS are consuming network resources. Different filters are used to solve a wide variety of tasks. The user will be able to fully customize the displayed graphs to their liking.

Among other things, the interface shows the duration of traffic consumption, the speed of receiving and uploading, as well as the minimum and maximum values. The utility can be configured to alert you when events such as downloaded megabytes and connection time occur. By entering the site address in the appropriate line, you can check its ping, and the result is recorded in the log file.

BitMeter II

A solution for providing a summary of the use of the provider's services. There is data in both tabular and graphical representations. In the settings, alerts are configured for events related to the connection speed and the consumed stream. For convenience, BitMeter II allows you to calculate the amount of time it takes to download the amount of data entered by it in megabytes.

The functionality allows you to determine how much available volume is left provided by the provider, and when the limit is reached, a message about this is displayed in the taskbar. Moreover, the download can be limited in the settings tab, as well as monitor statistics remotely in browser mode.

The presented software products will be indispensable in controlling the consumption of Internet resources. The functionality of the applications will help to compile detailed reports, and the reports sent by e-mail are available for viewing at any convenient time.

A program for accounting for incoming and outgoing traffic on your computer. It will help not to exceed the traffic limit and not be without the Internet at all.

ATTENTION: starting from the 6th version, the program has become paid, so in order to avoid misunderstandings, do not update it. Here is the latest free version 5.5.5.

Who used the Internet five years ago, he probably remembers the main problem of the user - to constantly control the amount of traffic. After all, at that time there were no unlimited packages, and Dial-Up connection required money for each downloaded megabyte of information.

As a result, if you do not control the consumption of traffic, then you could "fly a pretty penny" :). But the people are resourceful and they came up with many programs to measure and limit the flow. Today, the need for such utilities has diminished a little, but they are still in use, because during their existence they have acquired many additional useful functions.

Thanks to such programs, today it is possible to measure the speed of an Internet connection, check all processes that have access to the Internet, measure the use of traffic in corporate networks, and much more.

All of the above functions have a small program - NetWorx. In addition, it has a number of additional features that will be useful to both a system administrator and a simple user. The same simple but powerful tool can be called a paid program - DU Meter.

Comparison of a free program for accounting NetWorx traffic with a paid analogue DU Meter

In addition, NetWorx can impose a quota on the amount of traffic, as well as run various applications on a schedule. The program itself comes in two versions: portable and installation. I think it's easiest to use the "portable" version, although if you're into installers you can easily install NetWorx using the standard setup wizard.

Installing NetWorx

I will assume that you have downloaded the portable version. To get started, you need to unpack the archive with the program and run the executable exe file. Before starting NetWorx directly, let's make a couple of settings. The first is to specify the language of the program, and the second is to enable or disable checking for new versions. That's all:).

After that, the program icon will appear in the tray (the place next to the system clock), with the help of which we will manage it.

NetWorx will be controlled through the right-click context menu.

Here in this menu all the functions of the program are listed, but before use, you can make some settings. To do this, click on the menu section of the same name.

NetWorx Settings

"Settings" consists of several tabs. In the "General" we can configure the speed units, the information displayed in the tray, and (most importantly!) Which of the connections to monitor (by default, all traffic is counted).

The "Graph" and "Graph colors" sections allow us to customize the appearance of the graph of incoming / outgoing information packets. In "Notifications" you can enable and configure service messages from the program, and in "Additional" we have the opportunity to configure the collection of statistics.

The very last tab, Dial-up, allows you to set a default connection and add applications that will run with NetWorx.

After the settings are made, first click the "Apply" button for them to take effect, and then "Ok" to exit the settings.

Traffic Monitor

Now let's go directly to the NetWorx tools. The first and main one is the traffic monitor. It is presented in the form of a graph, which is called by the "Show graph" button.

The graph can be presented as a histogram (in my opinion, the most convenient), curved lines or just numbers. In this case, there will always be two numbers at the bottom. The number with the index "D" (default blue) shows the amount of incoming traffic (from the English download), and "U" (green) respectively outgoing (from the English upload).

Corresponding colors on the graph show curves of speed change, the numerical value of which can be correlated with the scale on the left.

Speed ​​measurement

The next button - "Speed ​​measurement" - measures, unfortunately, not the overall speed of your Internet connection, but only the current background packet transfer rate. This may be needed to compare (saving is available) the results at full load on the channel (for example, downloading a file) and in the “rest” state.

To start the test, just press the "Start" button and detect a certain period of time. Then the result can be saved to a text file, and then compared with the new data obtained during the “loading” of the channel.

Statistics

Most of all, system administrators will like this feature, since it is possible to conduct both a general traffic count and display detailed statistics for each network user. The results can be exported to xls format (Excel spreadsheets) and saved on a computer.

There are also tools for backing up statistics and its further restoration (for example, if you need to save all data after reinstalling the system).

Traffic quota

Moving on, let's move on to the "Quota" section. This feature is most suitable for users with a Dial-up connection or limited traffic (for example, mobile Internet). It allows you to set the maximum amount of received or sent information and will always warn the user about overspending the specified limit.

By default, the quota is set to 0.00 KB, so if you want to use this function, you will need to "Configure" it first :).

In the settings, we specify the type of quota (daily, weekly, monthly, last 24 hours) and the type of traffic (incoming outgoing or all). You can leave the clock as it is, and then specify the units of measurement and the quota itself.

To save the settings, click "Ok", and in the quota monitoring window, do not forget to check the box "Notify me when the quota is used up, by %" in order to receive information about overspending in time.

Trace route

We have already considered the "Settings" item, so let's move on to the next one - "Trace route". If you suddenly lost access to some Internet resource or you need to find out which path you are going through before you get to a particular site, try tracing this path. This can be done with regular Windows features, but with NetWorx it is much easier and more visual.

To start tracing, enter the name of the site (remote computer) or its IP address. Now you can set the response timeout (although often the default value is more than enough) and you can press "Start". In this case, we traced the site yandex.ru and saw that to access it, you need to go through 11 intermediate servers, and the total time to complete this path is 31 ms.

ping

The next option is "Ping". The window interface of this function is very similar to the interface of the previous one, but its purpose is somewhat different. Ping, simply put, is the speed at which a remote computer responds to a request you send. The ping built into NetWorx is inferior in capabilities to the “regular” one (there is no way to set your own keys to change parameters), but it copes with the main task.

The minus of the function is that you cannot directly enter the Internet address of the site - you need to know its exact IP (you can find out from the previous utility). Now specifically about the use: enter the address of the remote PC, select the waiting time and the number of echo requests and click "Start".

In our example, the site was pinged vkontakte.ru. The average response time is not calculated automatically, but it can also be calculated mentally by adding all the values ​​​​obtained and dividing by three :).

It turned out about 45 ms, which, in principle, is good (ping up to 50 ms ± 10 ms is considered good). The TTL value is the “time to live” of the echo packet. The number 64 means that the sent packet of information can go through 64 intermediate servers.

Connections

The last tool is Connections. It allows you to monitor all applications that require an Internet connection.

Immediately I advise you to enable the option "Convert addresses to names". So you can see where this or that application “climbs” and stop its attempt to connect to a suspicious resource. Pay special attention to "established" connections (ESTABLISHED) and listening ports (LISTENING), as they can carry a hidden threat.

If a suspicious connection is detected, you can immediately terminate the application that installs it by right-clicking on it and selecting "End Application".

findings

Thus, we can sum up some of the above. NetWorx is not just a program for monitoring your Internet connection, but also a complex for security and comprehensive network diagnostics.

Therefore, if you have a suspicion that some application uses traffic irrationally or even transmits confidential information, try to monitor your network with NetWorx and you can easily identify the "spy" :).

P.S. It is allowed to freely copy and quote this article, provided that an open active link to the source is indicated and the authorship of Ruslan Tertyshny is preserved.