# Internet connection logger



## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

I have a customer who is sure that all their internet problems are caused by me... mostly because I will answer the phone and COX just leaves them on hold but I digress. 

I implemented a cloud controlled mesh WiFi system at their house, I have these on dozens of campuses and they work flawlessly. But I keep getting calls from them stating that their internet is down and it's my fault. Or their streaming audio stopped playing and it's my fault. I suspect that it's caused my short and long ISP outages which I have observed but I would like to document because they have told me they are documenting all their problems, which I take as a threat of litigation. I am not pleased. 

I am looking for something I could leave on site to monitor ISP connectivity. Or perhaps a SW solution that I could ping and their gateway and log the results.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

This is the reason why I don't like setting up TVs, home theater receivers, or anything to do with computers or networking. Even though it works when you set it up, you are now on the hook to troubleshoot every issue they ever have, even issues that they directly caused.

I can't help you with the logging software. If I were you, I would make it clear that it worked and your scope of work is complete, anything else is on the ISP or the equipment manufacturers.


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

Actually, there is lots of logging software, what I'm looking for is a HW solution or an off prem solution. I don't want to install anything on their machines. I could just buy a cheep laptop and leave it there for a week or so. I'm looking for something more compact.


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

HackWork said:


> This is the reason why I don't like setting up TVs, home theater receivers, or anything to do with computers or networking. Even though it works when you set it up, you are now on the hook to troubleshoot every issue they ever have, even issues that they directly caused.


While you can't make a nickel on TV's (and I don't sell them) if you become an authorized dealer of premium (and protected line) electronics, they are quite profitable.


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

If you haven't already, I'd look into Spiceworks. I haven't done remote monitoring with it, but I'm sure that it supports it.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

five.five-six said:


> While you can't make a nickel on TV's (and I don't sell them) if you become an authorized dealer of premium (and protected line) electronics, they are quite profitable.


May be. But instead of spending money on a hardware logging solution to prove your innocence in this matter, I would spend it on a lawyer to draw up something making it clear that you are not responsible for continued troubleshooting, and make them sign it once you have it setup and working the first time.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

I have done a ton of work along these lines. One way to go would be to install a mid range or better router, not something best buy. This will allow you to monitor whether the internet service line goes down, but that might not be enough; you might want to look at utilization, and problems upstream past your customer's service at the ISP. 

I have had better luck putting a computer on the premises and installing and running the right tools on there. It's more flexible. I like those micro sized ones you can get from Lenovo and others these days, look at the Lenovo M700 tiny desktops, there are nice ones with SSD in the $550 range last I looked. I just find the computer can do anything the router can and more. 

If you want to go super geek you could set up a computer with two NICs as the router and have your cake and eat it too.


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

I don't do any of this kind of work in general, so I might sound like Chicken Steve when he talks about anything, but my home router keeps a log internally about ISP up-time and failed connections.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

Just as a sidenote, maybe it's time to add some more language to your contracts five-five.six?


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Download the firmware upgrade from the router manufacturer if there is one and install it for them. You shouldn't have to, but you wouldn't believe all the times I had to do manual downloads for the so called IT dept. heads at state offices for various internet connected computing systems I worked on or installed custom software for them.


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

splatz said:


> I have done a ton of work along these lines. One way to go would be to install a mid range or better router, not something best buy. This will allow you to monitor whether the internet service line goes down, but that might not be enough; you might want to look at utilization, and problems upstream past your customer's service at the ISP.
> 
> I have had better luck putting a computer on the premises and installing and running the right tools on there. It's more flexible. I like those micro sized ones you can get from Lenovo and others these days, look at the Lenovo M700 tiny desktops, there are nice ones with SSD in the $550 range last I looked. I just find the computer can do anything the router can and more.
> 
> If you want to go super geek you could set up a computer with two NICs as the router and have your cake and eat it too.


 It's Cox cable for ISP. So the mid range router about 200 bucks. I do have a raspberry that As a team viewer on it, I'll have to see if I can get that back for my wife and I can install a larger software on that


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## GrayHair (Jan 14, 2013)

Why not take a look at *Wireshark*. You should be able to set up filters to do what you want. VERY handy tool on a network.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Wireshark will usually tell you pretty quickly whether you have a bad NIC or NICs on the network, but that's not usually a first round suspect for me. 

Tools like Wireshark are why putting the PC in place can do much more than doing it in the router.


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

New discussion in this thread

http://www.electriciantalk.com/f137/convince-me-tell-guy-go-himself-209153/


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