A3: Monitoring Total Network traffic using a switch with monitoring port
A3: Monitoring Total Network traffic using a switch with monitoring port
· Using a switch that has a "monitoring port" or "port mirroring" you can then monitor all the traffic in your network. Most unmanaged switches do not have this feature, many managed switches do.
· Port mirroring is used on a network switch to send a copy of all network packets seen on one switch port to a monitoring network connection on another switch port. This is commonly used for network appliances that require monitoring of network traffic, such as an intrusion-detection system. Port mirroring on a Cisco Systems switch is generally referred to as SPAN.
· BTW: You can also use an old fashioned hub. Hubs send all network packets to all ports, but they are of course a lot slower than switches
· Configure the switch(es) to send a copy of all network packets to the IP of the machine running PRTG
· Create a new Packet Sniffer Sensor without any filtering to monitor network's total traffic
· Note: If you have several switches/routers you may not see all traffic if you only monitor one device