Network Monitoring Software

[Fred Marshall]

Can anyone suggest freeware that will monitor a network?

I have one simple task right now:

Plug a sniffer computer into a switch or hub.
Repeatedly Ping all of the computers on the network - using a list or setup
of IP addresses.
Unplug one of the cables.
Have the missing computer(s) IP address identified (because the Ping fails)
Then I can figure out which cable is which.

Or, is there a better way?
It seems like this would be a common task.....

Thanks,

Fred

 

[guest]

From your description, all you want to do is find out which cable
belong to which port.

Why not get something like this:

http://www.tecratools.com/pages/datacom/43310.html

 

[Fred Marshall]

Thanks for the response.
I think the answer to your question "why not do this?" goes this way:

If I understand the device on the URL, it requires that one end of a cable
be energized with the tone in order to detect which cable end corresponds at
the other end. Right?

So, if I'm right about this, then the problems I perceive involve:

1) crawl under a desk to hook up the tone generator.

2) walk back to the switch to detect and mark the toned cable.

3) return to the desk to remove the tone generator

4) walk to the next desk.

5) GO TO step 1; repeat

The process I have in mind is more like this:

A) start with the network topology and a list of all the IP addresses on the
network (they happen to be static but that probably doesn't matter)

B) Connect a sniffer computer to the switch.

C) Ping all of the IP addresses to confirm their existence in the current
setup. Modify the list as necessary.

1) ping all of the IP addresses with the new list to confirm they all
respond.

2) remove one cable and ping again. Get a report of the IP address(es) that
are missing.

3) from the network topology you should know which cable was removed. Mark
the cable that was removed.

4) put back the removed cable.

5) GO TO step 2; repeat

No walking around, no crawling under desks .... etc.

Does that make sense or am I missing something?

Fred

 

[hin]

Okay, I guess I know what you are trying to do.

Why not try this:

1) have all your computers turn on.
2) view all the computers on the network neighborhood
3) disconnect 1 network cable from the switch/hub
4) view for any missing computer in the network neighborhood.
5) repeat step 3

 

[Fred Marshall]

Right, that's the idea. I was hoping to do it without having to assume
there was a workgroup and I was hoping to be told which one was missing
without having to inspect for the missing computer / cable. Finding "which
one is missing?" is harder than finding if a particular one is present.

There are at least 20 IP addresses involved.

I guess a simple script / .bat file might do it.....

Fred

 

[Fred Marshall]

Yep. A simple .bat file did it reasonably enough to do the job:

:start
ping -n 2 <IP1>
ping -n 2 <IP2>
..
.. (etc.)
..
pause
goto start

When an IP address is present, the response shows up at the bottom of the
screen rather quickly. These can come rather quickly.
When an IP address isn't present, the response stops responding long enough
to note that it's delayed by a particular address.

You just have to keep your eye on the screen as it runs.....

It would be a lot better to have a program that reports:
These IP addresses are missing now:
<IP7>
<IP12>
etc.

Fred