Utility to monitor internet traffic

garvind25

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Sep 24, 2016
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Hi there,

My modem’s LED keeps blinking showing data transfer even when I am not accessing internet. Is there any software which I can use to monitor my internet traffic ie. Which utility is connecting to the internet etc. I keep my WiFi router switched off when not in use.

Thanks,
Arvind Gupta
 
Solution
Some sort of firewall software should do the job. Paid ones usually gives more detail.
I haven't used one on my PC for years, so I can't really confirm whether ZoneAlarm still makes a good firewall, but they used to. Anyhoo, Bing for similar alternatives and choose one that shows the detail you desire.

therealduckofdeath

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May 10, 2012
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Some sort of firewall software should do the job. Paid ones usually gives more detail.
I haven't used one on my PC for years, so I can't really confirm whether ZoneAlarm still makes a good firewall, but they used to. Anyhoo, Bing for similar alternatives and choose one that shows the detail you desire.
 
Solution

therealduckofdeath

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May 10, 2012
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One thing I didn't mention. The reason I haven't used a third party firewall on my PC for a few years is, even though they're really nice for showing "everything" that goes on, they're equally good at creating unnecessary paranoia. "What's this Host Process for yada yada? Why is that app connecting? Is that executable part of something I use?" :)
Another reason I stopped using one is that they do tend to add random UI and connection lag, which in my case was a bit annoying when gaming.
Anyhoo, you'll at least get a clear view of why your router is never really quiet, because a lot of background services are always polling for things just to make sure they're doing fine.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


Exactly.
I used to do the same. A whole PC ($50 craigslist junker), dedicated to firewall/monitoring duties. pfSense, IPCop, untangle.
It's good for a hobby, but can lead to paranoia if you don't really know what you're reading.
 

garvind25

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Sep 24, 2016
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OK...I installed zone alarm half an hour ago. It has till now blocked 180+ connecting!! Still the modem light has not stopped blinking. I used default settings of the firewall.

Pls. advise further in making my PC secure.

Thanks,
Arvind Gupta
 

therealduckofdeath

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May 10, 2012
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Your modem is technically a multi-purpose router, it has its own operating system and it is constantly keeping its connection alive by polling the server side. Checking signal strength and such. That's probably what's happening. You can maybe see traffic generated by the router itself on the routers admin web interface. (Usually on the browser address 192.168.0.1 from your connected PC)
Some ISP's block admin access to all advanced settings and monitoring on their routers, to reduce support work from paranoid users like us. So, you might never get to know. :)