Netflow Traffic Analysis
Analyse network traffic and bandwidth usage with NetFlow in ISPBills
Monitor and analyse real-time network traffic using NetFlow to gain visibility into bandwidth consumption, top talkers, and traffic patterns across your ISP infrastructure.
NetFlow collects IP traffic data from your routers and switches, allowing ISPBills to present detailed traffic analytics without the need for inline packet inspection.
Overview
The NetFlow module in ISPBills enables you to:
- Monitor real-time and historical bandwidth usage
- Identify top bandwidth consumers among your customers
- Analyse traffic patterns by protocol, source, and destination
- Generate bandwidth utilisation reports
What is NetFlow
NetFlow is a network protocol developed for collecting and monitoring network traffic flow data. Routers and switches that support NetFlow export summarised traffic records to a collector. ISPBills acts as a NetFlow collector and presents this data through an intuitive dashboard.
Supported flow types typically include NetFlow v5, v9, and IPFIX.
Enabling NetFlow
To start collecting flow data:
- Navigate to the NetFlow settings in ISPBills
- Enable the NetFlow collector service
- Note the collector IP address and port displayed in the settings
- Configure your routers or switches to export NetFlow data to the ISPBills collector
| Configuration Step | Details |
|---|---|
| Collector Address | The IP and port where ISPBills listens for flow data |
| Router Configuration | Enable NetFlow export on your router pointing to the collector |
| Flow Version | Select the NetFlow version supported by your equipment |
| Sampling Rate | Adjust if your router uses sampled NetFlow |
Ensure the firewall between your network devices and the ISPBills server allows UDP traffic on the configured NetFlow port.
Viewing Traffic Data
Once flow data is being received, the NetFlow dashboard provides:
- Real-time graphs — live bandwidth usage across your network
- Top talkers — customers or IP addresses consuming the most bandwidth
- Protocol breakdown — traffic distribution by protocol (HTTP, DNS, streaming, etc.)
- Source/Destination analysis — see where traffic is coming from and going to
Use the time range selector to compare traffic patterns across different periods — useful for capacity planning and identifying usage trends.
Bandwidth Reports
Generate detailed bandwidth reports for operational and business purposes:
| Report Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Per-Customer Usage | Bandwidth consumed by individual customers over a period |
| Peak Usage | Identifies peak traffic hours and days |
| Protocol Distribution | Breakdown of traffic by application or protocol |
| Aggregate Summary | Total network throughput for the selected period |
Reports can be filtered by date range, customer, or network segment and exported for further analysis.
Bandwidth reports help you make informed decisions about capacity upgrades and identify customers who may benefit from higher-tier packages.
Starting a Trial
If you have not yet used NetFlow with ISPBills, you can start a trial to explore the feature.
- Navigate to the NetFlow section
- Look for the trial activation option
- Follow the guided setup to configure your first flow source
- Explore the dashboard with sample or live data during the trial period
The trial provides full access to all NetFlow features so you can evaluate the value before committing to a subscription.