|
| 1 | +# 🚀 NetworkMonitor Installation Guide |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +This guide will help you install and run NetworkMonitor on your computer in just a few minutes! |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +--- |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +## 📥 Download Options |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +### Option 1: Download from GitHub Releases (Recommended) |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +1. Go to [**Releases Page**](https://github.com/umerfarok/networkmonitor/releases) |
| 12 | +2. Download the latest version for your operating system: |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | +| Platform | Download | Type | |
| 15 | +|----------|----------|------| |
| 16 | +| **Windows** | `NetworkMonitor-Windows-Setup-x.x.x.zip` | Installer (Recommended) | |
| 17 | +| **Windows** | `NetworkMonitor-Windows-x.x.x.zip` | Portable Version | |
| 18 | +| **Linux** | `NetworkMonitor-Linux-x.x.x.tar.gz` | Executable | |
| 19 | +| **macOS** | `NetworkMonitor-macOS-x.x.x.zip` | Application Bundle | |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +--- |
| 22 | + |
| 23 | +## 🪟 Windows Installation |
| 24 | + |
| 25 | +### Prerequisites (One-Time Setup) |
| 26 | + |
| 27 | +Before running NetworkMonitor, you need **Npcap** for network packet capture: |
| 28 | + |
| 29 | +1. Download Npcap from [https://npcap.com](https://npcap.com) |
| 30 | +2. Run the installer **as Administrator** |
| 31 | +3. ✅ **Important**: Check the box **"Install Npcap in WinPcap API-compatible Mode"** |
| 32 | +4. Complete the installation |
| 33 | + |
| 34 | +### Installing NetworkMonitor |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +#### Method A: Using the Installer (Recommended) |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +1. Download `NetworkMonitor-Windows-Setup-x.x.x.zip` |
| 39 | +2. Extract the ZIP file |
| 40 | +3. Right-click `NetworkMonitor_Setup.exe` and select **"Run as administrator"** |
| 41 | +4. Follow the installation wizard |
| 42 | +5. Launch from Start Menu or Desktop shortcut |
| 43 | + |
| 44 | +#### Method B: Portable Version (No Installation) |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | +1. Download `NetworkMonitor-Windows-x.x.x.zip` |
| 47 | +2. Extract to any folder (e.g., `C:\NetworkMonitor`) |
| 48 | +3. Right-click `NetworkMonitor.exe` and select **"Run as administrator"** |
| 49 | + |
| 50 | +### Running NetworkMonitor |
| 51 | + |
| 52 | +``` |
| 53 | +⚠️ IMPORTANT: Always run NetworkMonitor as Administrator! |
| 54 | +Right-click → "Run as administrator" |
| 55 | +``` |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | +1. Double-click `NetworkMonitor.exe` (or use Start Menu shortcut) |
| 58 | +2. A status dashboard will appear |
| 59 | +3. Your web browser will open automatically to `http://localhost:5000` |
| 60 | +4. You'll see all devices connected to your network! |
| 61 | + |
| 62 | +--- |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | +## 🐧 Linux Installation |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | +### Prerequisites |
| 67 | + |
| 68 | +```bash |
| 69 | +# Ubuntu/Debian |
| 70 | +sudo apt update |
| 71 | +sudo apt install -y libpcap-dev net-tools iptables |
| 72 | + |
| 73 | +# Fedora/RHEL |
| 74 | +sudo dnf install -y libpcap-devel net-tools iptables |
| 75 | + |
| 76 | +# Arch Linux |
| 77 | +sudo pacman -S libpcap net-tools iptables |
| 78 | +``` |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +### Installation |
| 81 | + |
| 82 | +```bash |
| 83 | +# 1. Download the latest release |
| 84 | +wget https://github.com/umerfarok/networkmonitor/releases/latest/download/NetworkMonitor-Linux-x.x.x.tar.gz |
| 85 | + |
| 86 | +# 2. Extract the archive |
| 87 | +tar -xzf NetworkMonitor-Linux-*.tar.gz |
| 88 | + |
| 89 | +# 3. Make it executable |
| 90 | +chmod +x NetworkMonitor |
| 91 | + |
| 92 | +# 4. Run with sudo (required for network access) |
| 93 | +sudo ./NetworkMonitor |
| 94 | +``` |
| 95 | + |
| 96 | +### Running |
| 97 | + |
| 98 | +```bash |
| 99 | +# Always run with sudo for network scanning |
| 100 | +sudo ./NetworkMonitor |
| 101 | +``` |
| 102 | + |
| 103 | +Open your browser and go to: `http://localhost:5000` |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +--- |
| 106 | + |
| 107 | +## 🍎 macOS Installation |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +### Prerequisites |
| 110 | + |
| 111 | +```bash |
| 112 | +# Install libpcap (usually pre-installed, but just in case) |
| 113 | +brew install libpcap |
| 114 | +``` |
| 115 | + |
| 116 | +### Installation |
| 117 | + |
| 118 | +1. Download `NetworkMonitor-macOS-x.x.x.zip` |
| 119 | +2. Extract the ZIP file |
| 120 | +3. If you see a security warning: |
| 121 | + - Go to **System Preferences** → **Security & Privacy** |
| 122 | + - Click **"Open Anyway"** |
| 123 | + |
| 124 | +### Running |
| 125 | + |
| 126 | +```bash |
| 127 | +# Run with sudo for network access |
| 128 | +sudo ./NetworkMonitor |
| 129 | +``` |
| 130 | + |
| 131 | +Or right-click the app and select **"Open"**, then enter your password. |
| 132 | + |
| 133 | +Open your browser and go to: `http://localhost:5000` |
| 134 | + |
| 135 | +--- |
| 136 | + |
| 137 | +## 🌐 Using the Web Dashboard |
| 138 | + |
| 139 | +Once NetworkMonitor is running, the dashboard provides: |
| 140 | + |
| 141 | +### Features |
| 142 | +- 📊 **Device List**: See all devices on your network |
| 143 | +- 🔍 **Device Details**: IP, MAC, Hostname, Vendor |
| 144 | +- ⚡ **Speed Monitoring**: Real-time bandwidth usage |
| 145 | +- 🔒 **Protection**: Protect devices from ARP attacks |
| 146 | +- ✂️ **Network Cut**: Disconnect devices from the network |
| 147 | +- 🚦 **Speed Limiting**: Control bandwidth per device |
| 148 | + |
| 149 | +### Dashboard URL |
| 150 | +``` |
| 151 | +http://localhost:5000 |
| 152 | +``` |
| 153 | + |
| 154 | +--- |
| 155 | + |
| 156 | +## ☁️ Using with Vercel-Hosted Frontend |
| 157 | + |
| 158 | +NetworkMonitor supports a **hybrid setup** where the beautiful dashboard is hosted on Vercel: |
| 159 | + |
| 160 | +### How It Works |
| 161 | + |
| 162 | +``` |
| 163 | +┌─────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────┐ |
| 164 | +│ Your Computer │ │ Vercel (Cloud) │ |
| 165 | +│ │ │ │ |
| 166 | +│ NetworkMonitor.exe │◄────────│ Web Dashboard │ |
| 167 | +│ (Backend API) │ API │ (React Frontend) │ |
| 168 | +│ :5000 │ calls │ │ |
| 169 | +└─────────────────────┘ └──────────────────────┘ |
| 170 | +``` |
| 171 | + |
| 172 | +### Setup |
| 173 | + |
| 174 | +1. **Start the local backend** on your computer: |
| 175 | + ```bash |
| 176 | + # Windows |
| 177 | + NetworkMonitor.exe |
| 178 | + |
| 179 | + # Linux/macOS |
| 180 | + sudo ./NetworkMonitor |
| 181 | + ``` |
| 182 | + |
| 183 | +2. **Access the Vercel dashboard**: |
| 184 | + - Go to the deployed Vercel URL (e.g., `https://your-app.vercel.app`) |
| 185 | + - The dashboard connects to `http://localhost:5000` automatically |
| 186 | + |
| 187 | +3. **That's it!** The cloud dashboard controls your local network. |
| 188 | + |
| 189 | +--- |
| 190 | + |
| 191 | +## 🔧 Troubleshooting |
| 192 | + |
| 193 | +### "Npcap not found" (Windows) |
| 194 | + |
| 195 | +1. Download Npcap from [npcap.com](https://npcap.com) |
| 196 | +2. Run installer as Administrator |
| 197 | +3. ✅ Enable "WinPcap API-compatible Mode" |
| 198 | +4. Restart NetworkMonitor |
| 199 | + |
| 200 | +### "Permission denied" (Linux/macOS) |
| 201 | + |
| 202 | +```bash |
| 203 | +# Must run with sudo |
| 204 | +sudo ./NetworkMonitor |
| 205 | +``` |
| 206 | + |
| 207 | +### "Cannot bind to port 5000" |
| 208 | + |
| 209 | +Another application is using port 5000. Either: |
| 210 | +- Close the other application |
| 211 | +- Or change the port in settings |
| 212 | + |
| 213 | +### "No devices found" |
| 214 | + |
| 215 | +1. Make sure you're connected to a network |
| 216 | +2. Run as Administrator/root |
| 217 | +3. Check firewall settings |
| 218 | +4. Try restarting NetworkMonitor |
| 219 | + |
| 220 | +### Dashboard shows "Cannot connect to server" |
| 221 | + |
| 222 | +1. Make sure NetworkMonitor.exe is running |
| 223 | +2. Check if the firewall is blocking port 5000 |
| 224 | +3. Try accessing `http://localhost:5000/api/status` in your browser |
| 225 | + |
| 226 | +--- |
| 227 | + |
| 228 | +## 📞 Getting Help |
| 229 | + |
| 230 | +- **GitHub Issues**: [Report a bug](https://github.com/umerfarok/networkmonitor/issues) |
| 231 | +- **Documentation**: [Read the docs](https://umerfarok.github.io/networkmonitor) |
| 232 | +- **Logs**: Check application logs at: |
| 233 | + - Windows: `%LOCALAPPDATA%\NetworkMonitor\logs` |
| 234 | + - Linux/macOS: `~/.networkmonitor/logs` |
| 235 | + |
| 236 | +--- |
| 237 | + |
| 238 | +## 🎉 Quick Reference |
| 239 | + |
| 240 | +| Action | Command/Steps | |
| 241 | +|--------|---------------| |
| 242 | +| **Start** | Run `NetworkMonitor.exe` as Admin | |
| 243 | +| **Access Dashboard** | Open `http://localhost:5000` | |
| 244 | +| **Stop** | Click "Exit" or close the window | |
| 245 | +| **View Logs** | `%LOCALAPPDATA%\NetworkMonitor\logs` | |
| 246 | + |
| 247 | +--- |
| 248 | + |
| 249 | +## ⚠️ Important Notes |
| 250 | + |
| 251 | +1. **Administrator/Root Required**: Network scanning requires elevated privileges |
| 252 | +2. **ARP Scanning**: Some networks/routers may flag ARP scanning as suspicious activity |
| 253 | +3. **Firewall**: Make sure port 5000 is allowed through your firewall |
| 254 | +4. **Use Responsibly**: Only use on networks you own or have permission to monitor |
| 255 | + |
| 256 | +--- |
| 257 | + |
| 258 | +**Happy Network Monitoring! 🎯** |
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