Internet

[xplornetsucks]

As this a community forum to help rogers customers, and many posts get deleted for not "meeting" the forums rules...

from the guidelines.. This forum is meant for technical support; 

So the technical issue, is that people have been Charged/Billed for usage of Data ( which is technical) for which they think they haven't used. 

So the "technical" question is what software or hardware is rogers using to measure our data? I personally have set up a router IN BETWEEN my computers and the rogers rocket hub, which uses software in the router to show EXACTLY how many bits/bytes of data is being transmitted between these computers and ROGERS network.. I can empirically prove with this information, that the amount of "DATA" I am being billed for, is 75 to 100% more than what I am actually using..

Can someone please explain the discrepancies between this technical issue of the data usage not matching what rogers says we are using.. THIS IS NOT A BILLING QUESTION>>> this is a data usage question, which I expect the forum moderator to respect and provide an answer to my technical question..

thanks

[cookindaddy]

I am interested in this since I am getting ready to do the same sort of thing.

You call it a router but do you mean a "hub" or more probably a "switch". Which one are you using? Did you have to use a "managed switch"? What software are you using? Are you sure that your measurement does not include traffic BETWEEN the machines on your network? This might explain some of the "inaccuracy".

[skinorth]

@cookindaddy:

xplornetsucks and I have exchanged postings in another topic in this Forum on this subject.

xplornetsucks does indeed mean a fully functional router.  There are a number of options, but the requirement is that the router hardware must support a specific, freely available firmware download which will perform the functions we require.

The plan would be to use the RocketHub (either Netcomm or W35) as the interface to the Rogers wireless network.  A router would be connected to the RocketHub and would run free Linux-based firmware known as "Tomato" which is described as follows at http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato:

Tomato is a small, lean and simple replacement firmware for Linksys' WRT54G/GL/GS, Buffalo WHR-G54S/WHR-HP-G54 and other Broadcom-based routers. It features a new easy to use GUI, a new bandwidth usage monitor, more advanced QOS and access restrictions, enables new wireless features such as WDS and wireless client modes, raises the limits on maximum connections for P2P, allows you to run your custom scripts or telnet/ssh in and do all sorts of things like re-program the SES/AOSS button, adds wireless site survey to see your wifi neighbors, and more.

Note that Tomato includes a bandwidth usage monitor, which is the subject of interest here.  This would allow centralized monitoring of bandwidth usage so users like you who have multiple devices which connect to the Internet could  monitor cumulative data volumes for their entire network at one centralized point.

The WiFi capabilities of the RocketHub would be turned off, and the router would handle totally the home network requirements , including both WiFi and hard wired ethernet.  The RocketHub would handle only the interface to the Internet, and possibly the home voice telephone capabilities, if that is part of your package.

I just picked up a Linksys WRT54G V2 at my local Value Village for $5.99, with which I am going to experiment.  I am planning to change out the stock Linksys firmware for the Tomato firmware, and then I will hook it up.

There are other firmware options for the router I have, such as DD-WRT.  Do a Google on the relevant terms here, and see what you find.

skinorth

[cookindaddy]

Thank you skinorth,

I have read the other discussions and am somewhat familiar with tomato. I am most interested in your quest.

I have a secondary requirement to know where the bandwidth is used within our network, in other words, the total is x and it was used y% by user a and z% by user b, etc.

I will look at the tomato firmware again but my impression was that it would not do this?

[xplornetsucks]

You may actually have to set up a separate computer to monitor individual connections.. acting as a server to get the details from individual users.. with the second router connecting to this server..

google is your friend... most routers don't have the memory to do what you are asking.. but look into the server option..

you don't need anything fast and fancy to be a server.. a $50-100 P4 will do the trick..

I did a quick search and found this..

Unfortunately, all the 3rd-party firmwares for the WRT54GS model such as DD-WRT and Tomato will only monitor bandwidth for all ports combined. You can possibly monitor each individual IPs with the Tomato or DD-WRT firmware via command-line by modifying the IP Tables with a counter and use a computer to collect the information via SNMP from your router. You can use Gargoyle Router firmware which will monitor each port separately; however, the firmware is only for WRT54GL model.

So setting a computer as a server with the new router between it and the netcomm or W35 is probably your best bet.. good luck!