Created decent description.

README.md

@@ -1,3 +1,132 @@
-# Ping_monitor
+# Network Monitor
 
-Use test-connection to monitor whether devices are online
+A PowerShell-based network monitoring tool that provides real-time status monitoring of multiple IP addresses with comprehensive logging features.
+
+## Features
+
+- **Real-time Network Monitoring**: Continuously pings specified IP addresses and displays their status
+- **Visual Status Display**: Color-coded console output shows UP/DOWN status at a glance
+- **Performance Metrics**: Tracks min/max/mean response times and success rates
+- **Trend Indicators**: Shows whether response times are increasing, decreasing, or stable
+- **Comprehensive Logging**: Multiple log types for different purposes
+- **Flexible IP Configuration**: Supports both individual IPs and IP ranges
+
+## Getting Started
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+- Windows with PowerShell 3.0 or later
+- Administrative privileges (recommended for reliable ICMP ping)
+
+### Installation
+
+1. Download the `NetworkMonitor.ps1` script
+2. No additional installation required
+
+### Usage
+
+Run the script in PowerShell:
+
+```powershell
+.\NetworkMonitor.ps1
+```
+
+To stop monitoring, press `Ctrl+C`.
+
+## Configuration
+
+Edit the script to modify the following:
+
+### IP Addresses
+
+Modify the `$addressDefinitions` array at the top of the script:
+
+```powershell
+$addressDefinitions = @(
+    "1.1.1.1",           # Single IP address
+    "1.0.0.1",           # Single IP address
+    "8.8.8.8-9"          # IP range (will monitor 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.8.9)
+)
+```
+
+### Monitoring Parameters
+
+Adjust these values in the main monitoring loop:
+
+```powershell
+$pingInterval = 1        # Seconds between pings
+$statsLogInterval = 15   # Minutes between logging statistics
+$csvLogFrequency = 5     # Log every Nth ping to CSV
+```
+
+### Log Location
+
+Change the log directory by modifying:
+
+```powershell
+$logFolder = ".\Logs"    # Default is a "Logs" subfolder in the current directory
+```
+
+## Log Files
+
+The script creates the following log files in the `Logs` folder:
+
+| File | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| `network_monitor.log` | General events and status changes |
+| `statistics.log` | Periodic performance metrics |
+| `ping_data.csv` | Structured ping data for analysis |
+| `errors.log` | Detailed error information |
+
+## Console Display
+
+The console display shows:
+
+- **IP Address**: The address being monitored
+- **Status**: UP (green) or DOWN (red)
+- **Min**: Minimum response time in milliseconds
+- **Max**: Maximum response time in milliseconds
+- **Mean**: Average response time in milliseconds
+- **Success%**: Percentage of successful pings
+- **Fails**: Count of failed pings
+- **Trend**: Direction of recent response times (↑, ↓, or ━)
+
+## Use Cases
+
+- **Server Monitoring**: Track the availability of critical servers
+- **Network Troubleshooting**: Identify intermittent connectivity issues
+- **Performance Analysis**: Monitor response times over time
+- **Historical Reporting**: Use CSV logs for creating reports and visualizations
+
+## Advanced Usage
+
+### Creating Visualizations
+
+The CSV log file (`ping_data.csv`) can be imported into tools like Excel or PowerBI to create visualizations of network performance over time.
+
+### Scheduled Monitoring
+
+To run the monitor as a scheduled task:
+
+1. Create a `.bat` file with:
+   ```batch
+   powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\path\to\NetworkMonitor.ps1"
+   ```
+2. Set up a scheduled task to run this batch file
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+Common issues:
+
+1. **Permission errors**: Run PowerShell as Administrator
+2. **No responses**: Check firewall settings that might block ICMP traffic
+3. **Script errors**: Check the `errors.log` file for detailed error information
+
+## License
+
+This script is provided as-is with no warranty. Use at your own risk.
+
+## Acknowledgments
+
+- Inspired by the need for a simple yet effective network monitoring solution
+- PowerShell community for various examples and best practices