====== Bandwidth Monitoring ======

This menu contains settings for Bandwidth Monitoring features. The menu sections include Bandwidth Monitoring, Backup (of monitoring statistics in rstats format) and Restore.


===== Bandwidth Monitoring =====

{{::bandwidth_monitor-bandwidth_monitor-2024.3.png?679}}

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**Enable:** turns on the Bandwidth Monitoring feature.

(Default: Enabled).

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**Save History Location:** lets you choose where Bandwidth Monitoring history files are saved.

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  * RAM (Temporary) * - makes Bandwidth Monitoring save history files to RAM. 
    * This is temporary storage. **Contents will disappear after a reboot/crash**.

  * NVRAM - will save Bandwidth Monitoring history to NVRAM.
    * NVRAM is permanent storage, but in routers, is often very small.

  * JFFS2 - will save monitoring files to a JFFS-formatted portion of flash RAM.
    * JFFS is a journaling, log-structured file system. 
    * JFFS is managed in the [[:jffs|JFFS]] menu. 
    * Space available depends on the router model/build.
    * FreshTomato and JFFS2 partitions share space on the same chip. 
    * Larger builds have less space left for JFFS2 partitions. 
    * The upgrade process rewrites the whole flash chip. JFFS data are destroyed.
    * To stop this, FreshTomato blocks firmware upgrades until JFFS is disabled.\\ * This depends on the feature being enabled in [[admin-access|Admin Access]].
    * Data on JFFS storage must be backed up before a firmware upgrade.

  * CIFS1 - makes FreshTomato write bandwidth logs to the first CIFS share. 
    * CIFS client connections to CIFS shares are configured in [[:admin-cifs|CIFS Client]].
  * CIFS2 - makes FreshTomato write bandwidth data to the second external CIFS share.

  * Custom Path - Lets you create a custom directory within JFFS2 storage space. 
    * When using JFFS2 for other tasks, this lets you organize storage in folders.

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**Save Frequency:** specifies how often Bandwidth Monitoring saves logs.

The more often they're saved, the less likely they'll be lost due to adverse events like power outages or crashes.

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**Save on Shutdown:** makes FreshTomato save bandwidth logs immediately if it sees a shutdown signal.

This prevents data loss.

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**Create New File:** erases the current log file and creates a new one.

This helps when switching storage locations (say, moving from RAM to CIFS). FreshTomato must create a new file for logs to save properly.

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**Create Backups:** enabling this makes FreshTomato create backup logs.

Backups are put in the same folder as the original files, and given a ".bak" file ending. (Default: Disabled).

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**First Day of the Month:** sets the first day of the month for bandwidth logs.

Thus, "3" means FreshTomato makes the third day of each month the first day it records bandwidth monitoring. This is useful with ISPs that log/bill for bandwidth starting on a day other than the first of the month. (Default: 1).

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**Excluded Interfaces:** specifies the device names of interfaces whose bandwidth not to monitor/log.

Multiple names must be separated by commas.


===== Backup =====

{{::administration-bandwidth_monitor-backup-2024.3.png?616}}

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Here, you can back up the bandwidth monitoring log file, to any file name you wish. FreshTomato creates a default filename, but clicking the cursor in the field lets you change it. After clicking Save, the new filename will take effect.

Backup files are are saved in the GNU .gz (gzip) format. This is an archive format, similar to .zip. It can be easily opened by programs in Windows, Linux, and MacOS.

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**Backup:** clicking this downloads the log file to your browser.

The browser opens a window asking you to Open or Save the file. Generally, click Save and the browser prompts you to browse to the location to save the log.

Hovering your mouse over the blue word "link" makes your browser display the full backup file path in the status area. It will also prompt you where to store the existing Bandwidth Monitor backup file.

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===== Restore =====

{{::administration-bandwidth_monitor-restore-2024.3.png?472}}

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The //Browse…// button lets you find existing Bandwidth Monitoring logs to restore to the location selected in the //Save History Location// dropdown. FreshTomato will expect to find a GNU .gz (gzip) archive file.

If you Restore an existing Bandwidth Monitoring log to the same location it was first stored, FreshTomato will continue to log bandwidth statistics to the same file, continuing where it left off.

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