Internet Usage Monitor Programme

T

Tex

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Hi there

We have a small office setup, running a telkom LTE router with 100gig monthly data. Small problem someone in the office is sucking the bandwidth dry before month end. Is there nothing I could add on to the router to not allow torrents or FB or whatever else they are downloading? It is a Huawei LTE B593s

The reason we are using LTE from telkom is ADSL service here is terrible and never get the speeds or connectivity we need.

Any advice or help would be much appreciated.
 
Not on the router itself no. It's quite difficult. For a few hundred bucks you can get yourself a Mikrotik and hook up the LTE router on there, very powerful and you can shape traffic etc. Else use an old pc (or a server you have going there) and install a gateway/proxy to monitor usage, with no one directly connecting to the internet.

Not sure if the LTE router can show stats based on IP connected, if it can, then assign static IP addresses to everyone in the office and check which ip is using the most.

Might also be a virus
 
envo said:
Not on the router itself no. It's quite difficult. For a few hundred bucks you can get yourself a Mikrotik and hook up the LTE router on there, very powerful and you can shape traffic etc. Else use an old pc (or a server you have going there) and install a gateway/proxy to monitor usage, with no one directly connecting to the internet.

Not sure if the LTE router can show stats based on IP connected, if it can, then assign static IP addresses to everyone in the office and check which ip is using the most.

Might also be a virus
Click to expand...

This.

Cheapest is get any old computer, put two LAN ports into it and then use it as a firewall.


Smoothwall is awesome freeware for small setups like you have described.

Once you have done the original setup you can plug it in without monitor or keyboard (just go into bios and make sure it does not halt on no keyboard detected and that it's power settings are set to last state or always on after a power failure).


You can use it to monitor per user/per computer and to block things like P2P, porn or whatever else.

If you want even better use the above but get a licence for Kerio control.
That has many advanced features including content filters, anti virus, Bandwidth management and so on.

So basically:
Cheapskate, more configuration to get working = Smoothwall.
Not free but simple as anything to set up and muuch more powerful = Kerio Control

Here is a screenshot of Kerio Control Dashboard to give you an idea. I removed identifying information.

KC.jpg
 
Last edited:
AstroTurf said:
This.

Cheapest is get any old computer, put two LAN ports into it and then use it as a firewall.


Smoothwall is awesome freeware for small setups like you have described.

Once you have done the original setup you can plug it in without monitor or keyboard (just go into bios and make sure it does not halt on no keyboard detected and that it's power settings are set to last state or always on after a power failure).


You can use it to monitor per user/per computer and to block things like P2P, porn or whatever else.

If you want even better use the above but get a licence for Kerio control.
That has many advanced features including content filters, anti virus, Bandwidth management and so on.

So basically:
Cheapskate, more configuration to get working = Smoothwall.
Not free but simple as anything to set up and muuch more powerful = Kerio Control

Here is a screenshot of Kerio Control Dashboard to give you an idea. I removed identifying information.

View attachment 315663
Click to expand...

If it's company owned computers you could load traffic monitoring tools and setup mac filtering on your router so only authorized mobiles and laptops can access the wifi.

I've used networx in the past. It can measure by application instead of interface so it's easy to identify internet traffic and network traffic. It can be password protected so users can't tamper.
 
ODTech said:
If it's company owned computers you could load traffic monitoring tools and setup mac filtering on your router so only authorized mobiles and laptops can access the wifi.

I've used networx in the past. It can measure by application instead of interface so it's easy to identify internet traffic and network traffic. It can be password protected so users can't tamper.
Click to expand...

Yea or just feed everything through a firewall and there is no chance (even if they have wifi keys or an open LAN port) that they can abuse the internet :)
btw, Kerio can be set to decrypt ssl (or deny ssl if it can not be decrypted) as well so really no chance people can mess around.
 
Ok so it seems like the Mikrotik router would be an option. but as @colinr says steep learning curve there.
the LTE router does not show stats per IP address pity it would have solved the problem very easily and quickly!
 
Thank you AstroTurf looks like I will have to get an old pc and install Smoothwall
 
ODTech said:
If it's company owned computers you could load traffic monitoring tools and setup mac filtering on your router so only authorized mobiles and laptops can access the wifi.

I've used networx in the past. It can measure by application instead of interface so it's easy to identify internet traffic and network traffic. It can be password protected so users can't tamper.
Click to expand...

Yes this does sound like a plan, however I would like to have a report system from one place and show it to the boss so he can then tackle the culprit or culprits dead on with facts. Because we all know once we start installing stuff on a person's pc they all slack off or find another way to bypass it.
 
another option is untangle - i've used this in corp environment and is simple to use and a great tool as well for reporting. It will need to use a pc with 2 network cards to work well

BTW - you can have reporting emailed daily, weekly, or monthly of internet usage per user etc
 
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