Network tool?

I am looking for some good software to monitor our home network.  ie: who is logged on,  how much of the bandwidth they are using. any ideas?? 

Depends on what you are running. I’m guessing you have a router of some variety? DLink? LinkSys(Cisco)?  Generally things like bandwidth are monitored via SNMP and by polling SNMP counters and you can build a nice graph from those numbers.

I am not sure if those types of devices can be polled via SNMP. Find a router like a Linksys WRT54G and run some custom firmware on it that can be polled via SNMP.

MRTG is probably the best known open source tool for building network usage graphs. I have used it extensively for graphing things. As long as you can supply it with two numbers you can display it on a graph.

Really though it does depend on what network hardware you are using. You could run SNMP on each workstation and poll the workstations to build a network usage graph for each one. But that could be a bit of a headache.

What is your home network setup? How many computers do you have?

Dlink wireless router…

4 PC’s/Laptops with wirelesscards All running Vista.

Nintendo Wii

Xbox 360

and a couple other small wireless devices…

JEEEZUZ…Expat…no wonder me and kantstandya cant down load shit…YOUR sucking up the whole neighbour hood???
Are you doing some sort a web streaming up there …haha…
Dont worry moderators we are freinds and I’m just giving him a ride.

Starting my own internet, Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net. 
I think I miscounted its 5 PC’s Laptops.

You’re using the wrong router.
No matter what they claim those consumer grade routers crap out handling more than 3 or 4 simultaneous wireless connections.
There is a Dlink office grade gigabit out there for about $200, or add a 2nd home one.
But that still won’t fix your bandwidth problem. Wanna buy a 2nd hand bandwidth manager for $1400?

Use an old computer with two NICs and install m0n0wall or smoothwall.

I know of nothing, besides being able to poll devices with SNMP, to do what you want.  That is not to say that there is not some software out there that will do what you want, but I know of none off hand.

Edit: or do as the others suggested, time to look at other types of hardware. A computer with two NIC’s would work well.

There was a post further up about monowall or smoothwall. Good advice,

There are others as well.

IPCop is pretty much idiot proof.
PFSense requires some minimal clue, but is a fork of monowall about 5 years back and kicks butt

Both require very minimal hardware, chances are you have enough junk lying around to set it up, or hit up a friend to raid their bone yard.