# General Business Category > Technology Forum >  Control bandwidth usage of staff

## Martinco

I have 6 staff members with some of them abusing my internet facility.
 ( Facebook, Surfing, emails to zillions of friends etc. ) And all this during work time !  :Mad: 
Does anybody know of a software program I can install that can monitor the situation and preferably something where I can give each person a quota.
I have both a wireless ISP ( WiFi connection ) and an ADSL line so by just putting limits on the router ( If that can be done ! ) would not solve the problem.
I would prefer a program I can install on my PC that can do the monitoring for the whole network and so I can set the limits. I do not want to install software on the staff PCs as they will find ways around that.  ( All PCs connect directly to the net )

I have googled but not sure if I see anything that would work for me.  :Frown: 

It would obviously have to be something that looks at the IP address of the PCs concerned and then monitor the usage and apply a quota.

Come on.........put your thinking caps on !!!!!!!!!!!!

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## daveob

This private usage of your facilities is, in essence, THEFT !!

They are stealing your bandwidth which you paid for, they are stealing your time that you pay them to do your company's work, and they are stealing the service levels that your clients are now not receiving.

First thing I would do is to produce and distribute a Company Internet Usage Policy Document ( CIUPD ) which clearly states what can / can't be done on company time on the internet / PCs. It is difficult / unfair for you, currently, to punish someone for something if they don't fully know what the rules are.

Next, ask your ISP to give you a summary of the e-mails for each e-mail address - find out who is abusing the system. Look at the incoming and outgoing mails, subject lines, etc. You'll quickly spot the personal mails.

Are you allowed to do this ?  I don't see why not. It's your mail server, your bandwidth, etc. And it is also specifically stated in the CIUPD.

Next, make an example. Make sure that it is severe enough ( as defined by the CIUPD ) that it sends a strong enough message to everyone else in the company. Is the time on the net is worth more to them than the monthly pay cheque ?

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Martinco (06-Jan-10)

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## tec0

The question is how much money you are willing to spend on a solution. I can think of 3 products âhardware base that completely eliminate and control your problemâ within hours but they are a bit costly I will find out prices from my good friend this week and come back to you on that but you are looking at a heavy amount. 

Your second option is Mozilla Firefox. YES again a little trick that I do to keep people from eating internet. Look you have to admin your computers with some basic policies but this is really simple. 

You get and add-on called Leach-block and on it you can permanently block face-thingy and everything else. Or!! Well setup a proxy... look at these products, I do NOT recommend them but they will give you some idea what a good proxy server can do...   :Big Grin:  


http://www.youngzsoft.net/ccproxy/index.html
http://www.papercut.com/products/ng/...nternet-usage/

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Martinco (06-Jan-10)

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## Martinco

> First thing I would do is to produce and distribute a Company Internet Usage Policy Document ( CIUPD ) which clearly states what can / can't be done on company time on the internet / PCs. It is difficult / unfair for you, currently, to punish someone for something if they don't fully know what the rules are.


Good idea Dave.  I shall certainly do this so everybody knows where they are standing.  Thanks !

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## Martinco

> The question is how much money you are willing to spend on a solution. I can think of 3 products âhardware base that completely eliminate and control your problemâ within hours but they are a bit costly I will find out prices from my good friend this week and come back to you on that but you are looking at a heavy amount.


Well.....I think this is the problem....................am I throwing good money after bad ?

The "Papercut" program looks promising but I just fall into the situation where the license fee is going to be USD 400+ ( 5 users = free )
How do you think the program determines the number of users ?..........By simply looking at the IPs or PCs connected to the net ?, because I have 3 additional PCs on the LAN but not connected. ( Data server, and counter sales PCs. )

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## tec0

Right I used those two products as examples. I was NOT recommending them but I was hoping that you would Google a bit on the subject but ok here is one more thing for you to look at  :Big Grin: 

http://internet-security.suite101.co...ol_using_squid

There are a few other free products on the net so I am not recommending this one it is just an example

also google "WinProxy 5.0a"

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## daveob

> Good idea Dave.  I shall certainly do this so everybody knows where they are standing.  Thanks !


Recommended.  How many times have you found yourself in the situation where you are getting uptight and stressed about something, and the person that is causing the problem / stress isn't even aware that there is a problem or doesn't think that their actions could cause problems ?

Document and set the rules / guidelines so everyone knows what's allowed / expected, etc.

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## tec0

look at 

http://www.bestfreewaredownload.com/...-auyrzavz.html 

also at 

http://www.handycafe.com/en/ 

See I hope you see what I am on about there are loads of software âfreewareâ that can do the trick I recommend you Google read and workout what will work for you  :Big Grin:  FOR FREEEE!

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## SilverNodashi

The only sure way to limit, and monitor who does what is to put a firewall inbetween the network and the PC's. Any software installed on the PC's themselves can be bypassed and won't help you much. 

There are some decent, affordable hardware based firewalls which you basically install-and-forget and then just monitor who does what. You can limit who goes to which website(s) thet visit, what they can / can't download, when ( i.e. only in lunch time / after hours, etc) they can access it, and even much bandwidth any user can use. You can also track / monitor / block stuff like Skype, Email, FTP, SSH, HTTPS ( which you otherwise can't block), torrents, etc, etc.

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## Martinco

> http://www.handycafe.com/en/


Just a word of warning on the above software!!!

I installed the server and client software on two PCs    :Oops: 

When one opens the client software, the monitor goes blank first and then brings up a screen with "HANDY CAFE" graphics which just keeps on repeating on and on and no way of getting out of this.   :Chair: 
Just a forced shutdown could stop this.

After a restart all the desktop icons went missing !  :EEK!: 

I had to restart and quickly open "Regcleaner" to uninstall  client because the normal win control panel "remove programs" does not even see the client program.
Lucky I have Zone Alarm installed which bought me some time to get to my Regcleaner program.

Well..........all's well that ends well. PC running again.    :Smile:

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## daveob

PC lesson #1 learned with experience : always backup / ghost your PC before downloading and installing unknown software.

Bet you'll remember that one next time !!

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## sterne.law@gmail.com

> Just a word of warning on the above software!!!
> 
> I installed the server and client software on two PCs   
> 
> When one opens the client software, the monitor goes blank first and then brings up a screen with "HANDY CAFE" graphics which just keeps on repeating on and on and no way of getting out of this.  
> Just a forced shutdown could stop this.
> 
> After a restart all the desktop icons went missing ! 
> 
> ...


Heres a very basic Computer policy. Add and adapt according to your requirements.

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## tec0

Sorry about that last link I just Googled copied and paste. But I did say âdoes a searchâ... any way got my name hit with a sleeper and sorry about that 

 :Sorry: 

The stuff you are looking for is below I used to work with it and it is extremely powerful hardware you will be a demigod in your office that I can promise you. There is no getting around it or anything like that but again I warn you it IS expensive if you want I can pm me and I can give you a number of a dude that deals with a bit cheaper version of this product but is still the same thing. 

http://www.juniper.net/as/en/products-services/ipc/

now you can  :Ban:  or  :Chair:  me  :Slap:

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## Martinco

> PC lesson #1 learned with experience : always backup / ghost your PC before downloading and installing unknown software.
> 
> Bet you'll remember that one next time !!


Ok Dave...............

I am ahead of you this time,   :Stick Out Tongue:   I have a ghost version ready but it was (fortunately ) easier just to try the fix first, but yes point well taken.

What has helped me out on previous occasions was to make a restore point before attempting suspicious software but in this case I would not have been able to open the restore before the graphics took over.
Come to think about it...this is actually a good idea as a virus to send to somebody you don't like !  ( Just kidding )

On the same subject: there is a software program available called "Go Back" which loads even before windows starts which works the same as win Restore and gives you the opportunity to go back in time and do a system restore but as opposed to Restore, this program make restore points several times a day and puts meaningful names to these points so one can easily identify where things went wrong and restore to before that. I.E.  you lose nothing.

So..actually a lesson for all PC users !  :Big Grin:

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## ABCAB

I have popped this onto my work PC's (3 of them) http://www.netlimiter.com/. You can set it up so that it does not even show it's presence on the task bar. You can firewall or throttle speed per application.

Facebook is a found in a browser, so not able to throttle I'm afraid. but Yahoo, Skype and MSN chat has died in my office :Batman: 

I already have enough hassle trying to make things fit into a monthly cap of 15gig. Kills me when I see a bill for 30gig for a total of a 5 machine network.

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## tec0

Right, restore point not available? What about the safe mode function? You can roll back on that menu?? Before the OS even stats AND more importantly what kind of a tech does life testing! My word man! You get a computer and set it up for testing THEN only do you start playing with stuff! That is like 101 for computers NEVER play with a live network, servers or policies if you donât know the tech or software....

well Google Sun Vitrual-Box it is free and it acts like a real computer. 

You can do testing with it and more importantly it allows you to just âmake a new imageâ if something goes wrong. I am using it to talk to you right now!! JIP this is a virtual computer I use to run on the net because of viruses and all kinds of bad stuff. And it works extremely well.  :Big Grin:

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## tonyflanigan

@Abcab    Wow! In our office we have 2 pc's, we use the 'net LOTS, and still have bandwidth left out of 5gig.

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## ABCAB

Tony, I am member on 7 4x4 forums and contribute quiet a lot. I post a bunch of pics and I am a youtube junky. My wife chats on Yahoo a lot, and my daughter never gets off facebook and skype. Then I have a 17 year old son who loves his online games, oh and then a office of 4 people all on the same line. Neotel was slow enough to keep it all in check, but the service became slow and unreliable and I had to revert back to to telkom. On a 4meg line the bandwidth goes nowhere. Since Sunday I have averaged around 400 to700Mb per day.

LOL, I at the moment have an online game on the one monitor and this forum with another 4 open on the other monitor. I am contemplating dropping down to a 512 line and going uncapped for around R800. That is probably going to be the cheapest option for me.

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## Martinco

> Sorry about that last link I just Googled copied and paste. But I did say âdoes a searchâ... any way got my name hit with a sleeper and sorry about that.


No need to feel bad. :Wink: 
This is not your fault and S*/t happens. But as I say..........it only took a while to fix.......No hard feelings !!!!!!    :Applaud:

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tec0 (13-Jan-10)

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## Dave A

> Neotel was slow enough to keep it all in check, but the service became slow and unreliable and I had to revert back to to telkom.


 :Oops:  Now that's something I didn't want to see (although quietly I've been expecting it would come one day). Neotel would seem to be going the way of all the other wireless options then - slower and slower as they gain popularity until you're ready to scream, slash your wrists or (worst of all) go back to Telkom  :Frown:

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## tec0

Well in my book you if you consider Telkom as your provider you do so because there is no real competition or alternative. Not even the devil got that one right... So it is true Telkom is and will forever be the ONLY telecommunication entity powerful enough to actually give you some sort of service not a good service but it is not like you have options.

I feel cheated because government wants to control every aspect of communication but it is not enough they want to control all the money that is generated of it and a Telkom GP phone is now more expensive then a mobile contract and prices is just going up and up. I unplugged my phone and still ended up with a bill of over R210 excluding VAT for something I didn’t even use! Well shows you Telkom is not your friendly telecommunications provider.

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## AndyD

> I have 6 staff members with some of them abusing my internet facility.
>  ( Facebook, Surfing, emails to zillions of friends etc. ) And all this during work time ! 
> Does anybody know of a software program I can install that can monitor the situation and preferably something where I can give each person a quota.
> I have both a wireless ISP ( WiFi connection ) and an ADSL line so by just putting limits on the router ( If that can be done ! ) would not solve the problem.
> I would prefer a program I can install on my PC that can do the monitoring for the whole network and so I can set the limits. I do not want to install software on the staff PCs as they will find ways around that.  ( All PCs connect directly to the net )
> 
> I have googled but not sure if I see anything that would work for me. 
> 
> It would obviously have to be something that looks at the IP address of the PCs concerned and then monitor the usage and apply a quota.
> ...


As suggested a written company policy and I would just check the router logs manually. 




> Right, restore point not available? What about the safe mode function? You can roll back on that menu?? Before the OS even stats AND more importantly what kind of a tech does life testing! My word man! You get a computer and set it up for testing THEN only do you start playing with stuff! That is like 101 for computers NEVER play with a live network, servers or policies if you donât know the tech or software....
> 
> well Google Sun Vitrual-Box it is free and it acts like a real computer. 
> 
> You can do testing with it and more importantly it allows you to just âmake a new imageâ if something goes wrong. I am using it to talk to you right now!! JIP this is a virtual computer I use to run on the net because of viruses and all kinds of bad stuff. And it works extremely well.


Sandboxie is an invaluable free tool for web browsing and testing unknown programs and scripts. It's pretty bullet proof and easier than setting up a virtual machine for testing.

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Dave A (20-Jan-10)

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## Martinco

Ok, This is how I fixed the problem:
I installed Browse Control V 3.4 ( and paid for it +- R 1200 ). This program gives my TOTAL control over all/any of the PCs i.e. Access time to internet, Access or no access. Which sites can be accessed or blocked, which applications can be blocked/allowed on any of the PCs ( No games or Facebook), I can even prevent access to the CD drive. So it is very versatile.
I allow only work related applications, so now it is only work, work, work.

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## Martinco

> Ok, This is how I fixed the problem:
> I installed Browse Control V 3.4 ( and paid for it +- R 1200 ).


Just some feedback........had a couple of issues but working well now. ( Now v4.0.0.7 )
Some technical aspects........... the program gets installed on any PC ( the bosses ) and all the other PCs get a client service installed which can only be uninstalled with a password and the service cannot be manipulated by the client to turn it on or off. So they are st***ed.  :Big Grin: 
From the console one can now allow or disallow many URLs and applications, so yes.......works for me !  :Smile: 
Money well spent.   :Thumbup:

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Dave A (01-Dec-10)

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