Network Activity Settings

One look at captured network information provides an overview of the quantity and type of network activity that has been going on. It also lets you know what Internet sites are visited and how much data is transferred to and from those sites. See Viewing Network Activity.

Use these settings to:

Turn network activity recording on and off.

Control which programs and ports are included or excluded when network activity is recorded.

Accessing Network Activity

To access the Network pane:

1. Open the Settings window.

2. Locate Network Activity under Recording in the Navigate pane at left.

3. Click to open the Network Activity pane. This pane contains:

• Options: turn the recording option on or off.

• Programs: limit the programs for which you record network activity.

• IP Ports: select which IP ports to record.

• Advanced: click this button to open the Advanced Network Settings window, where you adjust the Flush After  . . . . Minutes of Inactivity setting, if necessary.

Customizing Network Settings

Close all applications that are running and log off all users to ensure that new settings affect these applications and users.

To select recording options:

1. Capture Network Connections - This box must be checked to record network activity, although by default it is not checked.  

2. Click OK to save the changes you have made, or Cancel to discard them. The Settings window closes.

To limit the programs for which you record network activity:

1. If you have determined that you want to limit the programs for which you record network activity, make the appropriate selection:

• Capture network activity for only these programs listed - Select this if you want to create an Include Programs list and record activity only for the program(s) listed here.

• Capture network activity for all programs except these listed - Select this if you want to create an Exclude Programs list and record activity for all programs, except for those listed here. This is the default.

2. Click Add.

• If you are creating an Include Programs list, the Select Program(s) to Include window opens.

• If you are creating an Exclude Program(s) list, the Select Programs to Exclude window opens.

Whether you are creating an Include or an Exclude list, all currently open programs are displayed here (as shown in the two examples above). To add a program to the Include or Exclude Programs list, it must first appear in this list.

If the program you want to select is not here:

Click Refresh. The Refresh feature takes another look at the available programs and updates the list so that if a program was recently opened, it may now appear here. OR,

Click Browse. Navigate through the Open window and click to select any program that is installed.

3. Click Open to return to the Select Program(s) to Include / Exclude window. The selected program is added to the list on that window. (In the window below it is the Select Program(s) to Exclude window.)

4. Click to select a program.

5. Click OK to accept the selection, or Cancel to reject it. The window closes and if the selection was accepted, the program is added to the Programs list.

To delete a program in the Programs list, click to select it and then click Delete. The entry is removed.

6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for each program you want to add to the list.  

7. Click OK to save the changes you have made, or Cancel to discard them. The Settings window closes.

To change the IP ports:

The IP ports listed here are private Internet addresses, and do not usually need to be modified. The default is to capture network activity for all IP ports EXCEPT the ones listed here (those representing internal traffic).

Including Private Internet Addresses

If you want to capture network activity only for the private Internet addresses and no others, simply click Capture network activity for these IP ports listed.

Adding IP Ports

If you want to add IP ports to the those already listed:

1. Select the appropriate button:

• Capture network activity for these IP ports listed - If this is selected, activity is captured only for the IP Ports listed here.

• Capture network activity for all IP ports except these listed - If this is selected, activity is captured for all IP ports, except those listed here. This is the default.

2. Click Add. The IP:Port window opens.

3. Enter the IP:Port - Type in IP and Port information.

4. Computer and Domain Name Resolver - Allows you to enter a "friendly" name that the computer is known by on the network, for example "Office."

5. Resolve - Enter a computer and domain name if you want to find the actual IP address for that computer, and click Resolve.

6. Click OK to accept the entry, or Cancel to reject it. The window closes. If the entry was accepted, the IP and Port is added to the IP:Ports list.

7. Click OK to save the changes you have made, or Cancel to remove them. The Settings window closes. To delete an IP Port in the list, click on it and then click Delete. The entry is removed.  

To change advanced settings:

Under normal circumstances, you will not need to change advanced settings. SpectorSoft advises that only advanced users change these settings, as this could affect Spector Pro's ability to reliably capture data.

1. Click Advanced. A warning appears reminding you that changing the advanced settings could have an adverse effect on Spector Pro's ability to record. Click Yes to proceed. The Advanced Network Settings window opens.

2. Flush After . . . Minutes of Inactivity - Indicates the number of minutes after which the system clears out information that has been collected in the buffer and writes it to the program. The available range is 0 to 9999999 minutes. The default is 10 minutes.

3. Click OK to accept the change you have made, or Cancel to reject it. The Advanced Network Settings window closes.

4. Click OK to save the changes you have made, or Cancel to discard them. The Settings window closes.

Next you will review Document Tracking Settings.