[Q] What is your favorite Network Tools Live CD / USB, which you could have running in remote offices?

2013-08-22 Thread Stefan
I've been toying with Live distros (CD, then USB) for many years, in
support of security toolsets, to which I kept adding my own stuff, or
customizing existing components.

I am now trying to build a network toolset LiveCD/USB, but this time with
a completely different purpose: I would like to put it in the hands of all
remote offices we have on our network, and use it to have local systems
boot out of it, and help us then run troubleshooting tools, from the
central office, by SSH/X-ing into the remote live system (e.g. iperf,
hping3, httping, tcping, mtr, tcpdump, voip tools, some thin
clients/apps, synthetic transactions scripted to run at diff time
intervals, and report back to us the health seen form the remotes, etc.).
Has anybody used a base network tools Live CD/USB that they would
recommend, having used as basis for such a network probe functionality?

NOTE: I assume *nix based (Linux or BSD flavors), not Windows ...

TIA,
***Stefan


Re: [Q] What is your favorite Network Tools Live CD / USB, which you could have running in remote offices?

2013-08-22 Thread Michael Shuler
On 08/22/2013 12:06 PM, Stefan wrote:
 I've been toying with Live distros (CD, then USB) for many years, in
 support of security toolsets, to which I kept adding my own stuff, or
 customizing existing components.
 
 I am now trying to build a network toolset LiveCD/USB, but this time with
 a completely different purpose: I would like to put it in the hands of all
 remote offices we have on our network, and use it to have local systems
 boot out of it, and help us then run troubleshooting tools, from the
 central office, by SSH/X-ing into the remote live system (e.g. iperf,
 hping3, httping, tcping, mtr, tcpdump, voip tools, some thin
 clients/apps, synthetic transactions scripted to run at diff time
 intervals, and report back to us the health seen form the remotes, etc.).
 Has anybody used a base network tools Live CD/USB that they would
 recommend, having used as basis for such a network probe functionality?

http://www.kali.org/ - it is completely customizable, as well.

-- 
Kind regards,
Michael



Re: [Q] What is your favorite Network Tools Live CD / USB, which you could have running in remote offices?

2013-08-22 Thread Stefan
Should have mentioned what I already use for security toolset base: Kali
and Security Onion ...

***Stefan Mititelu
http://twitter.com/netfortius
http://www.linkedin.com/in/netfortius


On Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 12:29 PM, Michael Shuler mich...@pbandjelly.orgwrote:

 On 08/22/2013 12:06 PM, Stefan wrote:
  I've been toying with Live distros (CD, then USB) for many years, in
  support of security toolsets, to which I kept adding my own stuff, or
  customizing existing components.
 
  I am now trying to build a network toolset LiveCD/USB, but this time
 with
  a completely different purpose: I would like to put it in the hands of
 all
  remote offices we have on our network, and use it to have local systems
  boot out of it, and help us then run troubleshooting tools, from the
  central office, by SSH/X-ing into the remote live system (e.g. iperf,
  hping3, httping, tcping, mtr, tcpdump, voip tools, some thin
  clients/apps, synthetic transactions scripted to run at diff time
  intervals, and report back to us the health seen form the remotes,
 etc.).
  Has anybody used a base network tools Live CD/USB that they would
  recommend, having used as basis for such a network probe
 functionality?

 http://www.kali.org/ - it is completely customizable, as well.

 --
 Kind regards,
 Michael




Re: [Q] What is your favorite Network Tools Live CD / USB, which you could have running in remote offices?

2013-08-22 Thread Tomasz Rola
On Thu, 22 Aug 2013, Michael Shuler wrote:

 On 08/22/2013 12:06 PM, Stefan wrote:
  I've been toying with Live distros (CD, then USB) for many years, in
  support of security toolsets, to which I kept adding my own stuff, or
  customizing existing components.
  
  I am now trying to build a network toolset LiveCD/USB, but this time with
  a completely different purpose: I would like to put it in the hands of all
  remote offices we have on our network, and use it to have local systems
  boot out of it, and help us then run troubleshooting tools, from the
  central office, by SSH/X-ing into the remote live system (e.g. iperf,
  hping3, httping, tcping, mtr, tcpdump, voip tools, some thin
  clients/apps, synthetic transactions scripted to run at diff time
  intervals, and report back to us the health seen form the remotes, etc.).
  Has anybody used a base network tools Live CD/USB that they would
  recommend, having used as basis for such a network probe functionality?
 
 http://www.kali.org/ - it is completely customizable, as well.

Alternatively, GRML Linux:

http://grml.org/features/

http://grml.org/files/

http://grml.org/faq/

I understand it is more about admin than pentesting. Also, last time I 
downloaded (few months ago), images were somewhere in =~ 400MB area (vs 
Kali's 2GB, AFAIK). I am not sure about customizations. It is some kind of 
Debian's relative, so, in theory, why not.

BTW, I am long time lurker and this is my first post here, so hello 
everybody. You guys know what are your interests - mine are there, too, 
either full set or a subset.

Regards,
Tomasz Rola

--
** A C programmer asked whether computer had Buddha's nature.  **
** As the answer, master did rm -rif on the programmer's home**
** directory. And then the C programmer became enlightened...  **
** **
** Tomasz Rola  mailto:tomasz_r...@bigfoot.com **



Re: [Q] What is your favorite Network Tools Live CD / USB, which you could have running in remote offices?

2013-08-22 Thread Ben Bartsch
perfSONAR-PS project - http://www.perfsonar.net/


On Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 12:58 PM, Tomasz Rola rto...@ceti.pl wrote:

 On Thu, 22 Aug 2013, Michael Shuler wrote:

  On 08/22/2013 12:06 PM, Stefan wrote:
   I've been toying with Live distros (CD, then USB) for many years, in
   support of security toolsets, to which I kept adding my own stuff, or
   customizing existing components.
  
   I am now trying to build a network toolset LiveCD/USB, but this time
 with
   a completely different purpose: I would like to put it in the hands of
 all
   remote offices we have on our network, and use it to have local systems
   boot out of it, and help us then run troubleshooting tools, from the
   central office, by SSH/X-ing into the remote live system (e.g. iperf,
   hping3, httping, tcping, mtr, tcpdump, voip tools, some thin
   clients/apps, synthetic transactions scripted to run at diff time
   intervals, and report back to us the health seen form the remotes,
 etc.).
   Has anybody used a base network tools Live CD/USB that they would
   recommend, having used as basis for such a network probe
 functionality?
 
  http://www.kali.org/ - it is completely customizable, as well.

 Alternatively, GRML Linux:

 http://grml.org/features/

 http://grml.org/files/

 http://grml.org/faq/

 I understand it is more about admin than pentesting. Also, last time I
 downloaded (few months ago), images were somewhere in =~ 400MB area (vs
 Kali's 2GB, AFAIK). I am not sure about customizations. It is some kind of
 Debian's relative, so, in theory, why not.

 BTW, I am long time lurker and this is my first post here, so hello
 everybody. You guys know what are your interests - mine are there, too,
 either full set or a subset.

 Regards,
 Tomasz Rola

 --
 ** A C programmer asked whether computer had Buddha's nature.  **
 ** As the answer, master did rm -rif on the programmer's home**
 ** directory. And then the C programmer became enlightened...  **
 ** **
 ** Tomasz Rola  mailto:tomasz_r...@bigfoot.com **




Re: [Q] What is your favorite Network Tools Live CD / USB, which you could have running in remote offices?

2013-08-22 Thread Jon Meek
On Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 1:06 PM, Stefan netfort...@gmail.com wrote:

 I've been toying with Live distros (CD, then USB) for many years, in
 support of security toolsets, to which I kept adding my own stuff, or
 customizing existing components.

 I am now trying to build a network toolset LiveCD/USB, but this time with
 a completely different purpose: I would like to put it in the hands of all
 remote offices we have on our network, and use it to have local systems
 boot out of it, and help us then run troubleshooting tools, from the
 central office, by SSH/X-ing into the remote live system (e.g. iperf,
 hping3, httping, tcping, mtr, tcpdump, voip tools, some thin
 clients/apps, synthetic transactions scripted to run at diff time
 intervals, and report back to us the health seen form the remotes, etc.).
 Has anybody used a base network tools Live CD/USB that they would
 recommend, having used as basis for such a network probe functionality?

 NOTE: I assume *nix based (Linux or BSD flavors), not Windows ...

 TIA,
 ***Stefan


I use Voyage Linux: http://linux.voyage.hk/

In several modes:

 - Bootable USB flash drive

 - On PC Engines ALIX boards from Compact Flash

 - And in a few instances on servers with spinning disks, and desktop with
minimal window system

The bootable USB stick has been used extensively for iperf + tcpdump +
analysis from PCs are remote locations. We either have people copy an image
to the USB stick, or mail them a stick. Then they can turn (almost) any PC
into a network analysis tool. We have the system report it's IP address at
boot time, and then we ssh in.

Jon


Re: [Q] What is your favorite Network Tools Live CD / USB, which you could have running in remote offices?

2013-08-22 Thread Eduardo Schoedler
BackTrack - http://www.backtrack-linux.org


2013/8/22 Stefan netfort...@gmail.com

 I've been toying with Live distros (CD, then USB) for many years, in
 support of security toolsets, to which I kept adding my own stuff, or
 customizing existing components.

 I am now trying to build a network toolset LiveCD/USB, but this time with
 a completely different purpose: I would like to put it in the hands of all
 remote offices we have on our network, and use it to have local systems
 boot out of it, and help us then run troubleshooting tools, from the
 central office, by SSH/X-ing into the remote live system (e.g. iperf,
 hping3, httping, tcping, mtr, tcpdump, voip tools, some thin
 clients/apps, synthetic transactions scripted to run at diff time
 intervals, and report back to us the health seen form the remotes, etc.).
 Has anybody used a base network tools Live CD/USB that they would
 recommend, having used as basis for such a network probe functionality?

 NOTE: I assume *nix based (Linux or BSD flavors), not Windows ...

 TIA,
 ***Stefan




-- 
Eduardo Schoedler


Re: [Q] What is your favorite Network Tools Live CD / USB, which you could have running in remote offices?

2013-08-22 Thread Christopher X. Candreva
On Thu, 22 Aug 2013, Stefan wrote:

 a completely different purpose: I would like to put it in the hands of all
 remote offices we have on our network, and use it to have local systems
 boot out of it, and help us then run troubleshooting tools, from the
 central office, by SSH/X-ing into the remote live system (e.g. iperf,
 hping3, httping, tcping, mtr, tcpdump, voip tools, some thin
 clients/apps, synthetic transactions scripted to run at diff time
 intervals, and report back to us the health seen form the remotes, etc.).

I'm toying with a similar idea, though of putting a Raspberry Pi in remote 
offices to do tests from. I'm just looking for something I can ssh too, 
however, it also doesn't seem like much of a stretch to put some kind of 
web-based screen that someone in the office could run an automated scan, and 
read us off information that might help.


==
Chris Candreva  -- ch...@westnet.com -- (914) 948-3162
WestNet Internet Services of Westchester
http://www.westnet.com/



Re: [Q] What is your favorite Network Tools Live CD / USB, which you could have running in remote offices?

2013-08-22 Thread Jon Meek
On Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 9:17 PM, Christopher X. Candreva
ch...@westnet.comwrote:

 On Thu, 22 Aug 2013, Stefan wrote:

  a completely different purpose: I would like to put it in the hands of
 all
  remote offices we have on our network, and use it to have local systems
  boot out of it, and help us then run troubleshooting tools, from the
  central office, by SSH/X-ing into the remote live system (e.g. iperf,
  hping3, httping, tcping, mtr, tcpdump, voip tools, some thin
  clients/apps, synthetic transactions scripted to run at diff time
  intervals, and report back to us the health seen form the remotes,
 etc.).

 I'm toying with a similar idea, though of putting a Raspberry Pi in remote
 offices to do tests from. I'm just looking for something I can ssh too,
 however, it also doesn't seem like much of a stretch to put some kind of
 web-based screen that someone in the office could run an automated scan,
 and
 read us off information that might help.


 ==
 Chris Candreva  -- ch...@westnet.com -- (914) 948-3162
 WestNet Internet Services of Westchester
 http://www.westnet.com/


There is a lot to be said for the RaspberryPi, but network throughput, and
especially processing power are limited. My tests show that the RaspberryPi
could push only about 46 Mbps of iperf while most PCs configured the same
way get almost to wire speed (100 Mbps or 1Gbps), and processing 30 seconds
of 45 Mbps traffic on the RaspberryPi takes many minutes. But, if you want
to test slower circuits, it can't be beat for cost, size, flexibility.

I am expecting delivery of a Parallella board in October and will be
testing it for iperf capability at GigE speed.

Jon