On Saturday 31 May 2003 2:52 am, Steve Jeppesen wrote:
> On Thu, 29 May 2003 13:05:28 +0100
>
> Richard Urwin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > As for the constant traffic try disabling your mail server. If this
> > doesn't stop it install Ethereal (www.ethereal.com, rpms are on MDK9.x
> > CDs) capture the traffic and see if it explains the router's data
> > light. Send me a capture file if you want help decoding it. (Disable
> > your mail server then too, or I'll get to see your passwords.)
>
> Sorry for not replying too quick...
>
> mail server....am not running one.  What does nmap show?

I only mentioned it because it will generate traffic at regular intervals, and 
you might have set it to run every few seconds.

>
> As for Ethereal, gotta run upstairs now and find out just who is
> visiting www.createafart.com  LOL

Just watch the look on their faces when you ask :-)

>
> or is there a way to tell within ethereal's output?  Am off to find a
> good FM so I can RTFM on ethereal!

The protocol specifications are at
http://www.ietf.org/rfc.html
but they are somewhat terse.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=tcp%2Fip+tutorial&btnG=Google+Search
returns many interesting looking results.

>
> Thank you for the info on ethereal Richard, nice network monitor
> - from what I can tell so far, looks like alot of ARP traffic,
> someone/something asking who has such and such IP.
>
> ARP - should that not be directed at my IP?

ARP, the Address Resolution Protocol, RFC826, 
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc0826.txt?number=826

ARP is used to find the ethernet address of a machine, when only the IP 
address is known, which is the usual situation on a LAN.

It should be impossible for an ARP request to get onto your network from 
outside, or vice-versa. ARP is not capable of being routed since it sits on 
top of Etherenet, not IP. Ethereal will report the messages as "who has X, 
tell Y" where Y is the originator of the request, and both should be machines 
on your network. There will be a fair amount of this on a network with 
multiple intercommunicating machines because the ARP system caches addresses 
for a limited time, and then has to ask again.

On my network I see a good deal of SMB traffic, even when the windows machine 
is turned off. (The Linux machine is looking for someone to talk to.)
 
-- 
Richard Urwin

Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft? 
Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com

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