Gurubox: MRTG for Traffic Graphing

You never know when you might have to monitor a router or switch (or even your home network, right?).  MRTG has been around for quite some time, and has matured into a VERY good traffic monitoring and graphics package.  I've used it as a long-term (daily/weekly/monthly/yearly) tool for a NOC full of Cisco routers, and a dextrous hand with configuration can produce quality tracking for just about any SNMP-enabled network device.  In fact, my test for the Gurubox build is my home DSL connection, which is controlled by a SpeedStream 4200 DSL modem.  The build from source was absolutely painless. If you're looking for a quick-and-easy "network status" webpage, MRTG is the perfect tool with which to build it.

MRTG - Tobi Oetiker's MRTG - The Multi Router Traffic Grapher

 

Today's Random Free MP3s: A Mountain of Indie Christmas Music

Suburban Sprawl Music is an independent label based in Michigan.  Not only have they put together a "Holiday Sampler" of their artists, but they've maintained all past efforts online as well.  It doesn't seem that there will be a 2010 edition, but here you go - this link takes you to 254 (yes, 254!) MP3s of indie/alternative Christmas music.  You'll find everything from an a cappella "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to "My Reindeer Got Drunk" and "Beards Scare Children (Unless They're Attached to Santa)"...needless to say, several of these tracks are definitely NOT for your mom's playlist or the office Christmas party, but it's all interesting stuff.  Load up.

Suburban Sprawl Music | Holiday Music Stockpile

 

Gurubox: netactview - A Graphical Network Activity Viewer

During troubleshooting/debugging, it's always useful to know what network connections your system is making (or failing to make, as the case may be).  In the Windows world, I've long used Mark Russinovich's TCPView for this purpose, but I knew of no such tool for Linux.  Well, now there's netactview; it shows all UDP/TCP/UDP6/TCP6 activity and autorefreshes the list.  In a very nice addition for troubleshooters, it displays connections for 3 seconds after they are closed, giving you time to catch those "no answer" SYN_SENT or "I wasn't listening" SYN_RCVD TCP states.  This nice little package should be on every troubleshooter's system.

Net Activity Viewer