Small Network Monitoring Question

[mobo57]

I have a small net at my office with 7 systems all running XP Pro. Right now we are all connected via a Linksys WRT54G wireless router and to a shared T1 line. My system has the external backup drive and all the rest are mapped thru to it. My question, is there some way I can track via the net the user's internet traffice, i.e. where and how long they have been? I can also set up the net using my system as an access point if this would facilitate this as they would "pass thru" my system to get on the internet.
Thanks

[Sterling_Aug]

The best/easiest/most expensive way (you can't have cheapest and easy to use) would be to upgrade to a Cisco managed router with a user log file function.

Who would take the time to sort through the logs, decide what is good time and what is bad time on the Internet, then decipher who the user is, and then reprimand them?

It doesn't make much sense to monitor a small office due to the high cost of manpower to review the data. Nothing is easy!

[slam]

run software through an extra pc such as little brother and block traffic to sites you don't want to them to go to. You can filter out news, finance, porn, sports, etc.


Winwhatwhere software also monitors usage of all applications on a pc. However do you really have time to read through all the logs.

[Sterling_Aug]

You could block Internet use on all but one PC and force everyone to use only that one PC but is it worth hassling your employees? Building a dual way trust may pay off more for your business than monitoring the Internet.

Give a little and get a lot back or take away a little and lose a lot.

Which do you prefer?

[mobo57]

Not an issue of trust. It's a billing issue, it's my law office. Some of the sites such as Lexis-Nexus will track time/client etc for us. The rest gets to be a real pain to track. Especially when we do work for the gov. They always nit-pick the billings, even though I give them an extreme discount and we are always careful about the time.

[Baddog]

You can log into your ISP Account Details, it will list web sites and times.