Nowadays, as broadband connections are constantly upgraded, network speeds often remain unsatisfactory, causing significant frustration for many businesses and enterprises. When network speeds fail to meet work requirements, upgrading the broadband connection is necessary, which means investing more money. Yet the results are often negligible, and the speed continues to slow down. There are many reasons for this, the most important being that desktop bandwidth always exceeds the actual egress bandwidth. Furthermore, with the arrival of the Internet era, people are increasingly dependent on the network. In recent years, P2P download software and Internet TV have become part of daily life, making an already strained network bandwidth situation even worse. To create a healthy network environment, effectively controlling software such as P2P and online video applications is essential.
1. LAN Network Traffic Monitoring Methods
The main purpose of network traffic monitoring is to manage the network. The typical process involves: first, continuously collecting network data in real time; second, performing statistical analysis on the collected data; third, identifying the key performance indicators of the network; and fourth, analyzing and managing the network. There are two primary methods for network traffic monitoring: using dedicated network monitoring devices or using network traffic monitoring software. Current LAN network equipment is generally ineffective at managing P2P traffic patterns, which allows P2P software to run rampant and consume a vast amount of bandwidth resources. Currently, the following types of network traffic are most common:
(1) P2P Traffic: P2P file sharing is a major consumer of network bandwidth. During nighttime hours, up to 95% of network bandwidth can be occupied by P2P traffic.
(2) FTP Traffic: FTP is a relatively old service, and its importance is only slightly less than that of HTTP and SMTP. With the rise of P2P, FTP’s importance has further declined, but it remains significant and should not be overlooked.
(3) SMTP Traffic: Email is a crucial communication tool between enterprises and an indispensable part of network applications. According to incomplete statistics, over 75% of users cite sending and receiving emails as their primary reason for going online. Moreover, since sending emails incurs no additional cost, some people use it as an advertising tool, leading to an increasingly rampant proliferation of spam across the Internet.
(4) HTTP Traffic: The most widely used protocol on the Internet is the HTTP protocol. Coupled with the rise of video-sharing websites, HTTP traffic has now surpassed P2P in terms of bandwidth consumption.
Once we have clearly analyzed these traffic types, we can tailor specific solutions based on their characteristics to achieve twice the result with half the effort.
2. LAN Traffic Control and Management Strategies
Creating a queue at the egress port is a common practice in traffic control. The goal of control is achieved by managing routes, which essentially means managing IP addresses.
2.1 Traffic Control via Routing
Traffic control is a standard feature available on a considerable number of routers. Router models such as the TP-Link TL-R410 and TL-R460 have recently added a “Traffic Control” feature, which allocates bandwidth resources among computers within the LAN and manages P2P downloads. This prevents a few users from hogging excessive bandwidth, providing a better online environment for the majority of users.
2.2 Blocking P2P Downloads
P2P downloading is the main culprit behind bandwidth consumption. The primary method for blocking it involves using the Windows Registry to disable P2P software. Create a registry file named KillP2P.reg with the following content:
WindowsRegistryEditorVersion5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareM icrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer]"DisallowRun"=dword:00000001[HKEY_CURRENT_U SERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPolicies ExplorerDisallowRun]
"1"="BT.exe"
"2"="Thunder.exe"
"3"="bitcomet.exe"
"4"="……"
"5"="……"
To restrict a specific type of P2P software, add the executable file name of that P2P download software after the numbers 1, 2, and so on. After importing the KillP2P.reg file into the registry and restarting the machine, the P2P software restricted by KillP2P.reg will no longer be able to run properly.
2.3 Time-Based Management
Currently, some routers have a time restriction feature. This so-called time restriction monitors relevant parameters and functions, then uses a time-scheduling process to achieve an on/off switching mechanism.
2.4 Limiting LAN Host Speed
Limit the upload and download speeds of hosts within the LAN. P2P downloads can be permitted, but the speed must be restricted. The minimum standard for this restriction is that it must not affect other users’ normal use of bandwidth.
3. Discovering and Handling Abnormal LAN Traffic
The proper use of network monitoring software makes it easy to identify computers with abnormal traffic on the LAN, effectively ensuring the network operates smoothly, securely, and efficiently. The consequences of abnormal traffic can range from a minor reduction in LAN speed to, in severe cases, a complete LAN paralysis. Therefore, it is necessary to pinpoint the hosts with abnormal traffic.
3.1 Identifying Computers with Excessive Traffic
When abnormal traffic is detected, the first step is to identify the host generating it. Network monitoring software can help us achieve this. This software is relatively easy to use; installing it on any host within the LAN enables monitoring of the entire network. The monitored content includes traffic logs, web browsing records, QQ chat logs, etc. Based on these records, you can determine which computer or computers are consuming the most network bandwidth, thereby identifying the “culprit.”
3.2 Sending a Warning to the Abnormal Host
Using network monitoring software, identifying the host with abnormal traffic is straightforward. The next step is to issue a warning to the user of that host. This is not a face-to-face warning in person, but rather a warning message sent directly through the monitoring software. To ensure the effective delivery of the warning message, the Messenger Service on the recipient’s computer should be enabled. If the warning has no effect, further measures must be taken, such as “blocking Internet access” by disconnecting that host from the network.
Given the current situation, network monitoring software provides significant assistance in network management and is a vital tool for enterprise LAN administration.
4. Conclusion
Traffic monitoring software is the simplest and most effective means of monitoring network traffic.