Re: internet monitoring software

["Tom Jedrzejewicz" <tomjedrz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 2:22 PM, ed stevens <edrocketman@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Anybody using internet usage monitoring software? I'm looking for a way to monitor usage by user with sites visited and duration of visit. We use a WatchGuard firewall and windows network.

We use the SurfControl product, which has been absorbed by Websense.
We use is sitting on a Microsoft ISA proxy server, but Websense offers
standalone systems and appliances as well.  We like the fact that it
is connected to Active Directory so user authentication is behind the
scenes.  We also like the "mobile filter" client which allows rules
and logging even for remote PCs.

Note #1 - Be wary of how the vendor describes a "user". Understand how
the system manages users and permissions and authentication.
Understand if you have to manage a separate user and password
database.

Note #2 - "duration of visit" is hard to measure in a realistic
manner, because of the disconnected nature of the web.  If I open a
site, get up and get a cup of coffee (or go to lunch) and then clink
on a link, how long is the visit? On the other side, I could visit a
site, get to 100 page PDF and read it all day, but if I click nothing
else, the visit is short.