---
name: "traffic-collector"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "traffic-vis"
version: "0.34-18"
release: "Debian 4.0 (Etch)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/traffic-collector"
---

# traffic-collector(8)

Collect and summarise network traffic

## NAME

traffic-collect - Collect and summarise network traffic

## SYNOPSIS

**traffic-collector** \[**-tpVh**\] \[**-i, --interface interface**\] \[**-f, --filter bpf-filter**\] \[**-r, --read-file tcpdump-file**\] \[**-s, --summary-file output-file**\]

## DESCRIPTION

*traffic-collect* is a network traffic collection and summary tool. When executed traffic-collect will detatch from the terminal, place the specified interface in promiscuous mode (unless told otherwise) and begin collecting packets.

traffic-collect will execute until interrupted with a SIGTERM, SIGINTR or SIGHUP whereupon it will gracefully exit. If traffic-collect is interrupted with a SIGUSR1 it will write a report to the output file specified. On recipt of a SIGUSR2 it will write a report and then delete its state.

The report lists traffic per host, total network traffic and which hosts communicated and with whom. The report is not intended for human consumption, rather to be passed through one or more of the  *traffic-vis* sort tools and a frontend formatter.

*traffic-collect* can also accept  *tcpdump* style packet filter descriptions and read packet dump files generated by  *tcpdump*

## OPTIONS

- **-p, --no-promisc**

  Do not put the interface into promiscuous mode.

- **-i, --interface interface**

  Use **interface** instead of default.

- **-f, --filter filter**

  Use bpf / *tcpdump* filter to screen packets.

- **-r, --read-file file**

  Read a  *tcpdump* packet trace file instead of listening on a live interface

- **-s, --summary-file file**

  Write report to specified file instead of default.

- **-t, --timestamp**

  Append timestamp of '.YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS-XX' to summary filename when  writing files.

- **-V, --version**

  Display version information and exit

- **-h, --help**

  Display version information and exit

-

  ## EXAMPLES

The simplest example:

-

  `traffic-collect`

Will listen on the first available interface with no packet filter and report to the default output file.

This example uses a BPF packet filter to ignore all traffic except SMTP:

-

  `traffic-vis -f "tcp port 25"`

Every option has a corresponding long option, this can make commandlines much more readable:

-

  `traffic-vis --filter "tcp port 80" --summary-file /tmp/foo.tc`

## SEE ALSO

[tcpdump(8)](/tcpdump/8.md), [bpf(4)](/bpf/4.md), [pcap(3)](/pcap/3.md), *[traffic-vis(8)](/traffic-vis/8.md),* *[traffic-sort(8)](/traffic-sort/8.md),* *[traffic-resolve(8)](/traffic-resolve/8.md),* *[traffic-exclude(8)](/traffic-exclude/8.md),* *[traffic-totext(8)](/traffic-totext/8.md),* *[traffic-tohtml(8)](/traffic-tohtml/8.md),* *[traffic-tops(8)](/traffic-tops/8.md)* *[traffic-togif(8)](/traffic-togif/8.md)*

## AUTHORS

Damien Miller \<dmiller@ilogic.com.au\>

http://www.ilogic.com.au/~dmiller/traffic-vis.html

## BUGS

Hopefully none, probably legion.