From the man page:
vnStat is a console-based network traffic monitor. It keeps a log of hourly, daily and monthly network traffic for the selected interface(s). However, it isn’t a packet sniffer. The traffic information is analyzed from the proc(5) and sys filesystems depending on availability. That way vnStat can be used even without root permissions on most systems.
WARNING! These examples only works on FreeBSD operating systems. Linux specific installation instructions are here. Note that virtual and aliased interfaces cannot be monitored because the kernel doesn’t provide traffic information for that type of interfaces.Step #1: Update Ports Tree
You must update port tree by typing the following portsnap command:
# portsnap fetch update
OR
# pkg update
Step #2: Install vnStat
Type the following command to find out exact port location:
# cd /usr/ports
# whereis vnstat
Sample outputs:
/usr/ports/net/vnstat
Install the vnstat, run:
# cd /usr/ports/net/vnsta
# make install clean
# rehash
Alternatively, you can install the binary package using the pkg_add command on an older version of FreeBSD, enter:
# pkg_add -r -v vnstat
OR use the pkg command on the latest version of FreeBSD:
# pkg install vnstat
Sample outputs:
Updating FreeBSD repository catalogue... FreeBSD repository is up-to-date. All repositories are up-to-date. The following 11 package(s) will be affected (of 0 checked): New packages to be INSTALLED: vnstat: 1.15 libgd: 2.2.4,1 fontconfig: 2.12.1,1 expat: 2.2.0_1 freetype2: 2.6.3 png: 1.6.27 webp: 0.5.2 jpeg-turbo: 1.5.1 giflib: 5.1.4 tiff: 4.0.7_1 jbigkit: 2.1_1 Number of packages to be installed: 11 The process will require 14 MiB more space. 3 MiB to be downloaded. Proceed with this action? [y/N]: y [backup] Fetching vnstat-1.15.txz: 100% 92 KiB 94.6kB/s 00:01 [backup] Fetching libgd-2.2.4,1.txz: 100% 187 KiB 191.6kB/s 00:01 [backup] Fetching fontconfig-2.12.1,1.txz: 100% 349 KiB 71.4kB/s 00:05 [backup] Fetching expat-2.2.0_1.txz: 100% 102 KiB 52.3kB/s 00:02 [backup] Fetching freetype2-2.6.3.txz: 100% 488 KiB 83.4kB/s 00:06 [backup] Fetching png-1.6.27.txz: 100% 280 KiB 143.4kB/s 00:02 [backup] Fetching webp-0.5.2.txz: 100% 364 KiB 93.1kB/s 00:04 [backup] Fetching jpeg-turbo-1.5.1.txz: 100% 298 KiB 61.1kB/s 00:05 [backup] Fetching giflib-5.1.4.txz: 100% 74 KiB 75.4kB/s 00:01 [backup] Fetching tiff-4.0.7_1.txz: 100% 794 KiB 45.2kB/s 00:18 [backup] Fetching jbigkit-2.1_1.txz: 100% 67 KiB 68.8kB/s 00:01 Checking integrity... done (0 conflicting) [backup] [1/11] Installing jpeg-turbo-1.5.1... [backup] [1/11] Extracting jpeg-turbo-1.5.1: 100% [backup] [2/11] Installing jbigkit-2.1_1... [backup] [2/11] Extracting jbigkit-2.1_1: 100% [backup] [3/11] Installing expat-2.2.0_1... [backup] [3/11] Extracting expat-2.2.0_1: 100% [backup] [4/11] Installing freetype2-2.6.3... [backup] [4/11] Extracting freetype2-2.6.3: 100% [backup] [5/11] Installing png-1.6.27... [backup] [5/11] Extracting png-1.6.27: 100% [backup] [6/11] Installing giflib-5.1.4... [backup] [6/11] Extracting giflib-5.1.4: 100% [backup] [7/11] Installing tiff-4.0.7_1... [backup] [7/11] Extracting tiff-4.0.7_1: 100% [backup] [8/11] Installing fontconfig-2.12.1,1... [backup] [8/11] Extracting fontconfig-2.12.1,1: 100% Running fc-cache to build fontconfig cache... /usr/local/share/fonts: skipping, no such directory /usr/local/lib/X11/fonts: skipping, no such directory /var/db/fontconfig: cleaning cache directory fc-cache: succeeded [backup] [9/11] Installing webp-0.5.2... [backup] [9/11] Extracting webp-0.5.2: 100% [backup] [10/11] Installing libgd-2.2.4,1... [backup] [10/11] Extracting libgd-2.2.4,1: 100% [backup] [11/11] Installing vnstat-1.15... ===> Creating groups. Creating group 'vnstat' with gid '284'. ===> Creating users Creating user 'vnstat' with uid '284'. [backup] [11/11] Extracting vnstat-1.15: 100% Message from vnstat-1.15: ########################################################################### vnstat has been installed. A sample configuration file has been installed in /usr/local/etc/ Please add your default network interface in the 'Interface' line there before starting vnstat service. You can add any number of additional interfaces either in vnstat_additional_ifaces variable in /etc/rc.conf, or with this command: su -m vnstat -c "/usr/local/bin/vnstat --create --iface <your interface>" and restart vnstat service: service vnstat restart For more information about vnStat use "man vnstat" or visit: http://humdi.net/vnstat/ ########################################################################### |
Enable vnstat service
Type any one of the following command:
echo 'vnstat_enable="YES"' >> /etc/rc.conf
OR
# sysrc vnstat=YES
vnstat: -> YES
How do I start/stop/restart vnstat service?
You can start/stop/restart vnstat using the following syntax:
# service vnstat start
# service vnstat stop
# service vnstat restart
Step #3: Configure vnStat
Now, vnstat has been installed. However, you need to configure /usr/local/etc/vnstat.conf file, enter:
# cp /usr/local/etc/vnstat.conf.sample /usr/local/etc/vnstat.conf
# vi /usr/local/etc/vnstat.conf
Set default interface
Interface "em0" |
Set maximum bandwidth (Mbit) for all interfaces, use 0 to disable feature. In this example, set to 100Mbit:
MaxBandwidth 100 |
Save and close the file.
Step #3.1: Create Interface Specific Stats
Type the following command (use ifconfig command to see a list of interfaces):
# su -m vnstat -c "/usr/local/bin/vnstat --create --iface em0"
OR
# su -m vnstat -c "/usr/local/bin/vnstat --create --iface tun0"
Sample outputs:
Creating database for interface "tun0"... Info: -> A new database has been created.
Next, restart the vnStat daemon if it is currently running in order to start monitoring “tun0”:
# service vnstat restart
Sample outputs:
Stopping vnstat. Starting vnstat.
How Do I View Network Traffic?
Simply type the vnstat command, run:
# vnstat
Sample outputs:
rx / tx / total / estimated
em1:
Nov '09 2.97 GiB / 56.38 GiB / 59.35 GiB
Dec '09 35.29 MiB / 604.47 MiB / 639.76 MiB / 20.71 GiB
yesterday 39.43 MiB / 418.21 MiB / 457.64 MiB
today 35.29 MiB / 604.47 MiB / 639.76 MiB / 683 MiB
em0:
Nov '09 205.19 MiB / 134.89 MiB / 340.07 MiB
Dec '09 1.53 MiB / 938 KiB / 2.45 MiB / 0 KiB
yesterday 1.56 MiB / 769 KiB / 2.31 MiB
today 1.53 MiB / 938 KiB / 2.45 MiB / --
Here is another outputs:
See Daily Traffic, Enter:
vnstat -d
Sample outputs:
em1 / daily
day rx | tx | total | avg. rate
------------------------+-------------+-------------+---------------
11/20/09 44.69 MiB | 654.44 MiB | 699.13 MiB | 66.29 kbit/s
11/21/09 30.52 MiB | 322.34 MiB | 352.86 MiB | 33.46 kbit/s
11/22/09 31.04 MiB | 313.65 MiB | 344.70 MiB | 32.68 kbit/s
11/23/09 208.52 MiB | 7.04 GiB | 7.24 GiB | 703.35 kbit/s
11/24/09 57.55 MiB | 1.00 GiB | 1.06 GiB | 102.95 kbit/s
11/25/09 710.73 MiB | 705.73 MiB | 1.38 GiB | 134.30 kbit/s
11/26/09 65.78 MiB | 1.52 GiB | 1.59 GiB | 154.01 kbit/s
11/27/09 45.24 MiB | 641.35 MiB | 686.59 MiB | 65.10 kbit/s
11/28/09 95.72 MiB | 280.59 MiB | 376.32 MiB | 35.68 kbit/s
11/29/09 80.17 MiB | 1.77 GiB | 1.85 GiB | 179.37 kbit/s
11/30/09 271.64 MiB | 10.62 GiB | 10.89 GiB | 1.06 Mbit/s
12/01/09 44.13 MiB | 368.22 MiB | 412.35 MiB | 39.10 kbit/s
12/02/09 45.46 MiB | 699.37 MiB | 744.83 MiB | 70.62 kbit/s
12/03/09 54.18 MiB | 1.01 GiB | 1.06 GiB | 103.05 kbit/s
12/04/09 44.90 MiB | 668.54 MiB | 713.43 MiB | 67.64 kbit/s
12/05/09 28.79 MiB | 325.02 MiB | 353.81 MiB | 33.55 kbit/s
12/06/09 55.02 MiB | 1.35 GiB | 1.41 GiB | 136.60 kbit/s
12/07/09 276.27 MiB | 10.73 GiB | 11.00 GiB | 1.07 Mbit/s
12/08/09 38.15 MiB | 343.64 MiB | 381.79 MiB | 36.20 kbit/s
12/09/09 43.77 MiB | 625.01 MiB | 668.78 MiB | 63.41 kbit/s
12/10/09 36.95 MiB | 348.90 MiB | 385.84 MiB | 36.58 kbit/s
12/11/09 54.36 MiB | 320.11 MiB | 374.47 MiB | 35.51 kbit/s
12/12/09 138.14 MiB | 1.41 GiB | 1.55 GiB | 150.33 kbit/s
12/13/09 32.60 MiB | 410.92 MiB | 443.52 MiB | 42.05 kbit/s
12/14/09 280.86 MiB | 10.51 GiB | 10.79 GiB | 1.05 Mbit/s
12/15/09 49.07 MiB | 717.77 MiB | 766.83 MiB | 72.71 kbit/s
12/16/09 39.99 MiB | 356.22 MiB | 396.22 MiB | 37.57 kbit/s
12/17/09 54.12 MiB | 743.57 MiB | 797.69 MiB | 75.63 kbit/s
12/18/09 39.43 MiB | 418.21 MiB | 457.64 MiB | 43.39 kbit/s
12/19/09 35.33 MiB | 604.59 MiB | 639.92 MiB | 64.72 kbit/s
------------------------+-------------+-------------+---------------
estimated 37 MiB | 644 MiB | 681 MiB |
See Traffic For Months, Enter:
# vnstat -m
Sample outputs:
em1 / monthly
month rx | tx | total | avg. rate
------------------------+-------------+-------------+---------------
Aug '09 2.24 GiB | 42.50 GiB | 44.74 GiB | 140.13 kbit/s
Sep '09 1.68 GiB | 37.86 GiB | 39.54 GiB | 127.96 kbit/s
Oct '09 2.12 GiB | 48.09 GiB | 50.21 GiB | 157.27 kbit/s
Nov '09 2.97 GiB | 56.38 GiB | 59.35 GiB | 192.06 kbit/s
Dec '09 35.33 MiB | 604.59 MiB | 639.92 MiB | 64.72 kbit/s
------------------------+-------------+-------------+---------------
estimated 1.13 GiB | 19.50 GiB | 20.63 GiB |
Other Options:
To display traffic for the last 24 hours, enter:
# vnstat -h
Display all time top10 traffic days, run:
# vnstat -t
To display traffic for 7 days, current and previous week, run:
# vnstat -w
To display current transfer rate for the selected interface in real time until interrupted. Statistics will be shown after interruption if runtime was more than 10 seconds, run:
# vnstat -l
Sample outputs:
Monitoring em1... (press CTRL-C to stop)
rx: 28 kbit/s 25 p/s tx: 108 kbit/s 22 p/s
em1 / traffic statistics
rx | tx
--------------------------------------+------------------------
bytes 729 KiB | 3.95 MiB
--------------------------------------+------------------------
max 236 kbit/s | 1.84 Mbit/s
average 72.00 kbit/s | 399.80 kbit/s
min 8 kbit/s | 8 kbit/s
--------------------------------------+------------------------
packets 4254 | 4424
--------------------------------------+------------------------
max 130 p/s | 185 p/s
average 52 p/s | 54 p/s
min 8 p/s | 8 p/s
--------------------------------------+------------------------
time 1.35 minutes
See Also:
- How to install vnstat under Linux operating systems.
- How to install vnstat on a CentOS/RHEL/Fedora Linux
- View Vnstat Graphs Using PHP Web Interface Frontend
- How to install vnstat on FreeBSD Unix server
- Fedora Linux install vnstat network traffic monitor
3 comment
Sweet Cron Job Entry as well as tutorial.
As always,
Thanks for growing my knowledge,,,,,,,,
JAYSUNN
Thanks for the post, it made my day easier)
no need to run from cron, just start the daemon!
sysrc vnstat=YES
service vnstat start