`Network activity software

Anyone aware

of a windows based software that will allow me to monitor our network users and internet usage?

The siimpler the better. We have a 48 port patch cabinet connected to a netgear 48 port switch.

Thanks Joel

You could try this packet sniffer and see if it meets your needs (previously known as Ethereal):

http://www.wireshark.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireshark

cedcoffice:

You could try this packet sniffer and see if it meets your needs (previously known as Ethereal):

http://www.wireshark.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireshark

I couldn't stop laughing when I saw that suggestion.  I have to ask the poster, "Have you actually used this tool?"

I'm guessing that the original poster needs something along the lines of ntop.  Both ntop and Wireshark "monitor", but ntop will likely get the trending data you need to guesstimate how your network is being overall utilized. 

(Wireshark is good for finding needles in haystacks, and I'm guessing at this stage, it's less about finding individual needless and more about seeing how big the haystack is.)

HTH
 

"I couldn't stop laughing when I saw that suggestion.  I have to ask the poster, "Have you actually used this tool?""

Actually I have used it. It helped us out in a dispute with the host of a dedicated server who was billing us for excessive bandwidth -- turned out they had a faulty switch and somehow traffic from another box was coming through ours...this tool helped us prove that. I posted it because it had been useful to us in the past and could be useful to someone else in the future.

Ntop looks good, too. Thanks for the link.

You could try nmap, too at nmap.org