nTOP on Untangle 6.2

I’ve had several people email me regarding information on configuring nTop on Untangle version 6.x (0,1,2).

nTop is a network traffic probe that shows the network usage, similar to what the popular “top” Linux command does. ntop is based on libpcap and it has been written in a portable way in order to virtually run on every Unix platform and on Win32 as well.

nTop users can use a a web browser (e.g. Firefox) to browse through ntop (that acts as a web server) traffic information and get a dump of the network status. In the latter case, ntop can be seen as a simple RMON-like agent with an embedded web interface. The use of:

  • a web interface
  • limited configuration and administration via the web interface
  • reduced CPU and memory usage (they vary according to network size and traffic)

make ntop easy to use and suitable for monitoring various kind of networks.

In an effort to encourage use of the Untangle forums, I’ve posted a online how to at: http://forums.untangle.com. Please post comments and feedback on the Untangle thread.

MTR – The Network Diagnostic Swiss Army Knief

MTR, a Linux shell command, combines the functionality of the ‘traceroute’ and ‘ping’ programs in a single network diagnostic tool.

When MTR starts, it investigates the network connection between the host MTR runs on and HOSTNAME (e.g. www.google.com), by sending packets with purposly low TTLs. It continues to send packets with low TTL’s, noting the response time of the transit routers. This allows MTR to print the response percentage and response times of the internet route to the remote host. A sudden increase in packetloss or response time is often an indication of a problematic or saturated link.

Compared to mixing and matching ping and traceroute commands, MTR is a true network diagnostic swiss army knief. For those bound to Windows destkops, Microsofts command link “pathping” is similar to MTR but lacks the real time tracing and statistical data.

MTR Example:

[shell] Continue reading “MTR – The Network Diagnostic Swiss Army Knief”

z Shell!

For those new to the Linux world and taking their first steps into SHELLS, two helpful downloads are available:

1. The One Page Linux Manual is available here.

2. Linux Command Reference is available here.

Both of these documents are dated but provide a solid outline of common shell commands including such functions as creating directores, ziping files, configuring network interfaces, mounting devices and search functions. These are a must for any Linux enthusiast!

Do you know of any other online one pager Linux command PDF’s?