Need to monitor all users' web surfing? (no cost (or low cost))

I'm looking for an open source software that can monitor each user's web
surfing. For example, I want to be able to generate a report which lists
all the web sites that each user has visited over a 1 week (or 1 day, or 1
month) period.

We have a small network of 50 users who connect to the internet through SBS
2003 STANDARD Edition. The SBS connects to the internet through our Linksys
router.

I'd prefer an open source solution, but 30 day trial would be almost as
good.

Thanks!

 

Your assumption is incorrect, but understandable. It's not really about
lack the need or the money.

The primary reason why I want it for free is because I don't want to ask the
owners to pay for it. They would probably gladly pay for it, but then
they'd be asking for reports, and whether or not the reports can include
this or that feature, etc. For now I'd rather keep it as a side project,
that I can work on in my spare time. That way I can set up the monitoring,
make sure I understand the capabilities, work out any issues, etc all on my
own time schedule. Then I can decide whether or not I want to offer to
provide them with reports. That explains why I mentioned that a "30 day
trial would be almost as good."

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to clarify.

 

If the owners did not ask you for this kind of spying, why are you looking
at spying on these users???????

They would probably gladly pay for it, but then

Again, why. You are infringing on the privacy of others without the owners
permission. If you want to monitor internet access, get the owners involved,
and then notify the users that their internet surfing will be monitored.

And again, unless you get the owners permission to spy on their users, you
are being very suspect in your actions and motives

 

Dana,

Thanks for your comment. I agree that monitoring an employee's web access
involves valid ethics concerns regarding privacy rights, etc. I feel
comfortable that what I want to do in this particular situation is ethical.
And of coarse, I don't have any doubt that it's legal. So at this point, if
you have any expertise to offer about how to actually to get this done, I'd
be very appreciative.

Sincere Regards,

Oscar Vogel

 

Not at low cost or no cost, unless there is a Linux solution you like,...but I
don't do Linux.

MS ISA Server is an excellent product and has vast capabilities, but even it by
itself does not make monitoring a particular user easy to do. There is an
add-on made by GFI that runs on ISA that adds more of that functionality to ISA.

None of this is cheap.

--
Phillip Windell
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft, or
anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------
Understanding the ISA 2004 Access Rule Processing
http://www.isaserver.org/articles/ISA2004_AccessRules.html

Troubleshooting Client Authentication on Access Rules in ISA Server 2004
http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/1/8/918ed2d3-71d0-40ed-8e6d-fd6eeb6cfa07/ts_rules.doc

Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server: Partners
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/partners/default.asp

Microsoft ISA Server Partners: Partner Hardware Solutions
http://www.microsoft.com/forefront/edgesecurity/partners/hardwarepartners.mspx
-----------------------------------------------------

 

Thanks. But I think your utility requires ISA which I don't have (SBS 2003
Standard).

 

If your server is between the users and the internet router and you are
running SBS2003, your reporting services should monitor web/e-mail access
quite nicely.

 

I don't believe it is open source but it is free. FreeProxy will allow you
to log all connections. You can isnstall it on your sbs server and set the
router to allow web connections from your sbs server only. That will keep
your users from bypassing it by changing their proxy settings. You will
likely have to export the logs to a spreadsheet to get the types of reports
you want. Google for it.
Louis