Cartsonis adds that attempts to measure LAN use through packets sent can produce counts that are double or even triple the actual use. For example, on a LAN there are many paths that the packet could take. If the packet passes more than one probe, it will be counted again. The job is easier with external Web access, however. If a company uses a firewall or proxy server, a probe can be installed at that point, and every packet entering or leaving can be logged.
Several vendors are active in the intranet-management market.
Optimal is not the only company working to add intranet cost-allocation functionality to its monitoring tool. Other management companies are also jumping on this train, as many in the industry fores ee Internet costs moving to pricing schemes based on level of use. The Microsoft Windows NT-based tool will show network managers which types of applicatio ns and services departments and users are accessing, the percentage of bandwidth these activities are consuming, and the length of time they tie up a connection and then estimate the cost. The combination of tools could make sense because, in the end, the network manager is always held accountable.