Solutions for Network Monitoring
Solutions for Network Monitoring
There are several options beyond Glasswire for tracking network activity and devices. You can explore tools that offer deeper visibility into bandwidth usage and device behavior, especially if you're concerned about unexpected data spikes from IoT gadgets. While Glasswire is convenient, it may not suit all setups or budget constraints. Alternatives like Wireshark for packet analysis, NetFlow/IPFIX monitoring, or even custom scripts can provide more granular control. Running these on your TrueNAS server would give you flexibility and avoid limitations tied to Windows-only solutions.
Your router should provide most of the details you need, but consumer models have limited capabilities. I prefer Untangle for its strong monitoring features and clear visibility of data usage. PF Sense can handle this too, though the graphs aren't as effective in my opinion. You'll likely want to place this device between your modem and your router, converting your current RAX120 into an access point.
It seems the best approach would be to utilize the features already available on my RAX120. I might experiment with that in the future. Glasswire's marketing is a bit confusing; it gives the impression it can track your entire network, but in reality it only observes activity on your computer or Android device. If those are the only devices connected, the concept becomes feasible. After doing more research, setting up a Pihole on my server to redirect DNS traffic would let me monitor those requests, offering some useful information.