rtnetmon

Real-time network monitoring dashboard for Linux systems with dual-interface support.

Overview

rtnetmon is a terminal-based network monitoring tool that provides real-time visibility into network health, packet loss, and latency across two network interfaces simultaneously. It's designed for Linux systems and uses ncurses for a clean, real-time dashboard interface.

Features

• Dual Interface Monitoring: Monitor two network interfaces simultaneously
• Real-time Updates: Live dashboard with sub-second updates
• Comprehensive Metrics:
  • ICMP reachability tests
  • Packet loss percentage
  • TCP connection latency
  • Interface health status
• Visual Indicators: Color-coded status, spinners, and meters for quick status assessment
  • Packet loss meter uses reverse coloring (empty/green = good, full/red = bad)
• Detailed Logging: Optional logging to file for debugging and analysis

Requirements

• Linux operating system
• Go 1.21 or later
• Root/sudo access (for raw ICMP packets)
• ping command available in PATH

Installation

git clone https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/rtnetmon.git
cd rtnetmon
make build

Usage

sudo ./rtnetmon --ifaceA eth0 --labelA "Primary WAN" --ifaceB wlan0 --labelB "Backup WiFi"

Command Line Options

• --ifaceA: Primary network interface (default: "gu0")
• --labelA: Label for primary interface (default: "gu LAN - VPN outbound")
• --ifaceB: Secondary network interface (default: "backhaul0")
• --labelB: Label for secondary interface (default: "Cox cable direct")
• --hosts: Comma-separated list of hosts to monitor
• --logfile: Path to log file (default: "/tmp/rtnetmon.log")

Keyboard Controls

• q or Ctrl+C: Quit the application

Project Structure

rtnetmon/
├── cmd/rtnetmon/       # Main entry point
│   └── main.go
├── internal/
│   ├── cli/           # Command-line interface using Cobra
│   │   └── root.go
│   └── monitor/       # Core monitoring functionality
│       ├── monitor.go # Main monitoring types and functions
│       ├── loops.go   # Monitoring loops (reachability, loss, TCP)
│       ├── styles.go  # Terminal color styles
│       └── ui.go      # User interface rendering
├── go.mod
├── go.sum
├── Makefile
└── README.md

Development

Building

make build          # Build the binary
make test          # Run tests
make lint          # Run linter
make fmt           # Format code
make all           # Format, lint, test, and build

Testing

The project includes unit tests for core functionality. Run tests with:

make test

Using the Monitor API

The monitor package provides an object-oriented API for programmatic use:

import "git.eeqj.de/sneak/rtnetmon/internal/monitor"

// Create a new monitor
mon := monitor.NewMonitor("eth0", "Primary", "wlan0", "Backup", "/tmp/monitor.log")

// Configure timing parameters (optional - defaults are sensible)
mon.ICMPTimeout = 1 * time.Second
mon.PacketLossPings = 10
mon.PacketLossPeriod = 10 * time.Second

// Add hosts to monitor
mon.AddReachabilityHost("8.8.8.8")
mon.AddReachabilityHost("google.com")

mon.AddPacketLossHost("github.com")
mon.AddPacketLossHost("8.8.8.8")

mon.AddTCPHost("google.com:443")
mon.AddTCPHost("github.com:443")

// Run the monitor
ctx := context.Background()
if err := mon.Run(ctx); err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}

License

WTFPL - Do What The Fuck You Want To Public License

Author

sneak@sneak.berlin