So you’ve heard about NetFlow. It’s exactly what you need. But then you find out that none of the network equipment you have supports it.

I hate having to tell customers that our product won’t work with their networks…

I think it’s partly because of the lost customer. However, I think it’s more because smaller networks mean smaller budgets, smaller budgets mean more affordable equipment and more affordable equipment means no Cisco devices. No Cisco devices means no NetFlow…

Knowing what NetFlow can do for a Network Admin makes me wish it was more easily attainable, but in the real world, amazing products warrant big price tags.

However, even though you may not have Cisco equipment, doesn’t mean all is lost.

If you are really interested in having full visibility on your network, then I invite you to keep reading since we at Plixer would like to offer you a couple alternatives.

Option 1:

If you are running with smaller Linksys routers, then maybe consider the firmware update from the company Brainslayer, called DD-WRT. This Linksys firmware update allows options that previously, only higher end routers supported. One of those new features being flow record export. For more information, please refer to this great blog that highlights DD-WRT.

Option 2:

If you are using any other devices other than the Cisco or Linksys brands, then this might be an acceptable alternative.

Now even though your devices may not be able to export flows in themselves, what if we were to introduce something that could take your traffic and mold it to export as NetFlow? This is exactly what the nProbe software offers.

With nProbe, just install this application on a local Linux server and direct your traffic through the server itself. With nProbe configured and running, it can then export NetFlow record summaries of your traffic to a local NetFlow collector, such as Scrutinizer. nProbe may be a great option for a small business that does not want to purchase new equipment in order to take advantage of NetFlow.

For more information about either option, feel free to take a look at the products on their websites. The extra effort required to get these products running can produce fantastic returns in network visibility.

-Nate

The first question you might ask as a small business admin is “What is NetFlow?” NetFlow was developed by Cisco to provide details about source and destination IP addresses, as well as the protocols and ports used in the conversation. NetFlow tells you who is on your network, what they are saying, when they said it, where they were going and how they did it.

Up until now, NetFlow solutions have been out of reach for most small businesses networks. The cost of hardware and management solutions were too prohibitive for a small business admin’s budget. (I might be using the title “Network Admin” loosely, more like Net-Admin, PC-tech, Accounting or “Head of fixing anything that is broken person”.)

As your bandwidth costs rise and network usage explodes, the use of your bandwidth becomes a priority. You can use NetFlow to help diagnose what IPs and/or ports are involved when there are network problems. You can also use it to generate usage data for your network. This data can help you make informed decisions as to where you need to allocate your budget and at the same time, eliminate inappropriate usage.

Hardware requirements have always been a stumbling block for smaller networks. DD-WRT, a free Linux firmware for wireless routers has changed the playing field. DD-WRT provides a free firmware upgrade that allows your lower end router to have some of the same features of the higher priced models on the market.

Configuration is simple. Log into your router and follow these steps:

Step 1:

NetFlow is referred to as ‘RFLOW’ in this firmware.

Go to the Administration / Services page.

Step 2:

Scroll down to RFLOW and click Enable. Enter in the IP address of your collector.

Now you are ready to use any NetFlow management tool to help you determine who is using your bandwidth. An example would be the free version of Scrutinizer Netflow Analyzer or upgrading to the Small Business Two Device license that allows you to store historical information and create custom reports that help you understand that history.

* If you’re on Twitter, you can follow your Plixer friends Michael Patterson, Scrutinizer Product Manager,  Tom Pore, Plixer Field Engineer, Marketing Executive, and Network Administrator, and me “Jimmy D”, Plixers Lead PreSales Support Engineer and preacher of all things NetFlow.

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Jim Dougherty aka "Jimmy D"
Lead PreSales Support Engineer and
Netflow Evangelist for Plixer International!

Follow me on Twitter
http://twitter.com/jimmydnet
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