Statnet version 3.8

Statnet views the statistics of your Ethernet and PLIP/PPP/SLIP for TCP, IP,
IPX, Appletalk, and whatever else it notices.

It views:
	- kilobytes per second on Ethernet, PLIP, and other interfaces.
	- the Ethernet load
	- frames per second.
	- how many frames of each type (like IP, ARP and some Appletalk
	  or TCP frames) were seen.

The purpose is to give some idea of the quantity and type of network
activity (flashing lights on the hub are minimally informative).  Other
tools are needed for detailed analysis.  Tcpdump is a common starting point.

Only certain packets were shown in earlier versions.  Now the data for the
packets encountered on your net are shown.  Only certain TCP/UDP ports are
known (under port 1024 by default), and TCP/UDP traffic to unknown port numbers
is not shown, although the presence of the frames are shown in protocol counts.

Starting in version 3, most service names are read from /etc/services
or other files.  You can define local services or favorite abbreviations
outside /etc/services now.  Start with rfc1700 to identify unknown services.

This tool is used to help an administrator see how the network is being used.
Users often don't need this much detail, although many students are
administrators-in-training.  Administrator's network monitors might detect
this tool, so approval by an administrator before using this tool is courteous
and prudent.

Version 3 introduced a non-privileged viewer which can be safely used by
non-administrative users after an administrator starts the statnetd
privileged data collection program.  Technically, the statnetd daemon
is run with superuser privileges so it can access the network interface
in promiscuous mode and the resulting data is placed in shared memory.
The statnet and statnetd programs are DIPC-enabled, so one machine in
a DIPC cluster can gather the data and any user within the cluster can
use statnet to view the data.  Heterogeneous clients might work (not tested).

A network can be instrumented by placing statnetd machines on each
segment of the LAN.  Telnet or DIPC can presently deliver the data.
HTTP, Big Brother, or SPong clients have not been done yet.

The "make install" creates an executable which anyone on your system can use.
Statnetd puts the interface in promiscuous mode, but the statistics can be
transported to other systems, such as through DIPC or telnet, for safe viewing.

Some receive errors may happen, depending upon your interface card and
hardware/software configuration.  See "netstat -i" or "ifconfig" while statnet
is not running to find if errors occur while the NIC is not in promiscuous mode.
The 3C509 is known to have problems (http://www.3com.com/ Etherlink III FAQ).
(These error reports are not present in version 3)

And I see this short README has grown as much as the rest.  That's it...

Original credit:
Please mail bugs, your comments, suggestions, dirty pictures and pizza's
to jeroenb@igwe.vub.ac.be

Current maintainer:
Recent bug fixes, comments, suggestions, net hardware and chinese food
to scot@wilcoxon.org

[ This program is free software; you can redistribute it ]
[ and/or  modify it under  the terms of  the GNU General ]
[ Public  License as  published  by  the  Free  Software ]
[ Foundation;  either  version 2 of the License, or  (at ]
[ your option) any later version.                        ]

