Member Avatar for jLamp

I am looking for a centralized monitoring system for monitor the internet usage of the users in our network. My requirements are, 1. Get the Uploaded & Downloaded MB/GB of each user. 2. Allocate x number of GB for each user for month.

Please give your suggest a software for my requirements.

Thanks in advance.

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Two separate problems are in play: accurate per-user accounting, and hard quota enforcement. Passive collectors (NetFlow/IPFIX/sFlow or pcap-based DPI) give reliable byte counts but don’t stop traffic. Enforcing a per-user monthly GB quota requires an auth-aware inline component (firewall/proxy/captive-portal) or an authentication+RADIUS workflow that supports change-of-authority (CoA) to throttle/disconnect users after a limit is reached.

Recommended architecture and tool types (open-source-friendly):

  • Flow collection + storage for accounting: use a NetFlow/IPFIX collector (pmacct, ntopng, nfdump families) or a pcap/DPI appliance if per-connection detail is required. Store aggregates in a time-series DB and build dashboards/alerts.
  • Identity mapping: tie flows to users by combining DHCP lease logs, RADIUS accounting, 802.1X, or explicit proxy authentication so IP→user mapping stays correct despite churn.
  • Enforcement: for HTTP/HTTPS quotas use an authenticated proxy (Squid with quota scripts or delay pools), for full-protocol enforcement use a firewall/router that accepts RADIUS CoA (pfSense/OPNsense, MikroTik, commercial gear) or place an inline appliance.
  • Operational items: account for NAT and IPv6, decide between sampling vs full capture, plan retention (storage), and bake in NTP and log integrity for billing/audit.

Quick checklist for rollout:

  • Inventory routers/switches: confirm NetFlow/IPFIX or SPAN capability.
  • Pick collector and identity source (DHCP logs, FreeRADIUS, AD).
  • Implement pilot on a single VLAN/user group and validate IP→user mapping.
  • Choose soft (alerts/throttles) vs hard enforcement and implement CoA or proxy rules.
  • Test edge cases: mobile devices, DHCP churn, VPNs, IPv6, and encrypted traffic.
  • Estimate storage/retention and set alert thresholds before hard caps.

Echoing , enforcement usually needs an inline or auth-aware device; as noted, commercial DPI products are convenient but can be costly—open-source combos require more integration work but are effective and auditable.

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Member Avatar for Darragh_1

One option you have is NetFort LANGuardian. It uses deep packet inspection to monitor what users are doing on a network. You can see how much users are downloading and uploading to/from the Internet. More info at this link

https://www.netfort.com/solutions/web-activity/

The question on allocating bandwidth is a more tricky one. LANGuardian can send the user an alert if they go over a certain limit. If you want something to take action when a user goes over a certain limit they you probably need to look at an inline device like a firewall with AD integration.

Hope this helps,
Darragh

commented: Useful link. +13
Member Avatar for rubberman

I have sent them (NetFort) a request for information as to what platforms they support for hosting servers - Windows-only, or Linux as well since that information is not obviously available on their web site. It is quite pricey - $30USD / year / user. So if you have 500 users, you are looking at a $15,000 / year bill for licensing fees. I will look into open source tools that will effectively do the same and report back here.

This site has some interesting links for bandwidth monitoring tools: http://dynacont.net/documentation/linux/network_monitoring/

Edited by rubberman
Member Avatar for rubberman

I heard back (by phone none the less) from LanGuardian (netfort.com) and their system runs on RedHat based Linux systems such as CentOS, currently at 6.4, though I imagine it will work just fine with 6.6 (the latest 6.x release). I asked about 7.1 support and they will get back to me with that information. If you want to run it under Windows, you will need to install CentOS in a virtual machine such as VMware or VirtualBox.

My guess is that LanGuardian uses pcap to capture packets in promiscuous mode, and then proprietary software to analyze them (source, destination, content, etc).

Edited by rubberman
Member Avatar for Darragh_1

The price per user decreases as you ramp up, so for 1500 users the cost is $5400 per year.

The LANGuardian is a software based network appliance, fully self-contained, including the operating system, you do not need to provide any software or purchase any other licenses, just a server or virtual machine to install it on. The software updates also include the operating system.

If you download the ISO for example, use the install wizard and install on a spare server or PC with 2 network adapters (one is required for management via the web GUI, second to connect to a SPAN port or port mirror which is configured to monitor the required traffic, VLANs or ports) you can instantly monitor all the machines on your network without installing any agents or client software.

More information here:

https://www.netfort.com/languardian-from-netfort/how-it-works/

https://www.netfort.com/languardian-from-netfort/architecture/

Hope this helps.

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