How to Set Up Network Traffic Monitoring on Your Server

Choosing a Network Traffic Monitoring Program

Various programs can be used to set up network traffic monitoring on a server. The most popular of these are Wireshark, Tcpdump, and Ntop. Each of these programs has its own features and advantages, so the choice depends on specific requirements and goals.

Wireshark

Wireshark is a powerful tool for network traffic analysis. It allows you to capture and analyze data packets, view traffic content, and identify potential vulnerabilities and network problems. Wireshark has a user-friendly graphical interface, making it easy to use even for novice users.

sudo apt-get install wireshark

Tcpdump

Tcpdump is a command-line utility for capturing and analyzing data packets. It’s an excellent choice for experienced users who prefer working in the command line. Tcpdump allows you to filter traffic by various criteria, making it a very flexible tool for monitoring network traffic.

sudo apt-get install tcpdump

Ntop

Ntop is another tool for network traffic monitoring that provides additional features, such as bandwidth usage statistics and network activity analysis. Ntop also has a graphical interface and can be installed on a server or a separate workstation for centralized network monitoring.

sudo apt-get install ntop

Configuring Network Traffic Monitoring

After installing the selected network traffic monitoring program, you need to configure it correctly. To do this, you should define the goals and requirements of monitoring, configure filters and rules for traffic analysis, and set up notifications about possible problems or anomalies in the network.

Conclusion

Setting up network traffic monitoring on a server is an important step to ensure the security and efficiency of the network. By choosing the right program and configuring it correctly, you can get a complete picture of what is happening on your network and quickly respond to potential problems.