# Network Monitor

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