Bandwidth Usage Monitoring Software?

[Ben]

Any fellow geeks have recommendations for bandwidth monitoring software? I'm looking for something simple that let's me monitor around 40 boxes on my side of the router on an AD system. I'm on static, so can monitor by IP, and don't necessarily need tools like usage caps or anything.

Something that would let me monitor from my normal AD account versus my .ou one would be cool, but otherwise can remote into the local server with the .ou and just keep that running.

[mtnbkr]

Do you have access to the network devices (router, switch, etc)?  If so, monitor on a port level, assuming each device has it's own switch port...

Don't have any recommendations for client based software to do that though.

Chris

[Ben]

They won't give us access to our routers at field sites. Pinheads.

[AZRedhawk44]

MRTG.

This is a SNMP-based tracking and notification tool for networks that use SNMP (which is just about everything running a TCP/IP stack).

Point MRTG at each of your switches and routers, then expand from there.  You'll need to supply your own MIBs, but if you're using halfway decent gear then it won't be difficult at all to obtain and might even come with the MRTG packages.

Alternatively, enable SNMP on the client PC's and use the windows MIB to determine bandwidth.

It's open source and primarily intended for the Linux crowd, but I think it's also been ported to windows as well.

I used it to monitor HP printers in a school district environment and plan out when to replace fuser assemblies and such.  Very flexible and extensible.