Provided by: vnstat_1.14-1ubuntu2_amd64 
NAME
vnstat - a console-based network traffic monitor
SYNOPSIS
vnstat [ -Ddhlmqrstuvw? ] [ --cleartop ] [ --config file ] [ --create ] [ --days ] [
--delete ] [ --dbdir directory ] [ --debug ] [ --disable ] [ --enable ] [ --exportdb ] [
--help ] [ --hours ] [ --importdb file ] [ -i interface ] [ --iface interface ] [ --iflist
] [ --json mode ] [ --live mode ] [ --locale locale ] [ --longhelp ] [ --months ] [ --nick
nickname ] [ --oneline ] [ --query ] [ --rateunit ] [ --rebuildtotal ] [ --reset ] [ -ru ]
[ --savemerged ] [ --short ] [ --showconfig ] [ --style number ] [ --sync ] [ --testkernel
] [ --top10 ] [ -tr time ] [ --traffic time ] [ --update ] [ --version ] [ --weeks ] [
--xml mode ]
DESCRIPTION
vnStat is a console-based network traffic monitor. It keeps a log of hourly, daily and
monthly network traffic for the selected interface(s). However, it isn't a packet sniffer.
The traffic information is read from the proc(5) or sys filesystems depending on
availability. That way vnStat can be used even without root permissions on most systems.
The implementation is divided into two commands. The purpose of the vnstat command is to
provide an interface for querying the traffic information stored in network interface
specific databases where as the daemon vnstatd(1) is responsible for data retrieval and
storage. Although the daemon process is constantly running as a service, it is actually
spending most of the time sleeping between data updates.
OPTIONS
--cleartop
Remove all top 10 entries.
--config file
Use file as configuration file instead of using normal configuration file search
functionality.
--create
Create database for interface specified with -i or --iface option.
-d, --days
Show traffic statistics on a daily basis for the last 30 days.
--dbdir directory
Use directory as database directory instead of using the directory specified in the
configuration file or the hardcoded default if no configuration file is available.
-D, --debug
Show additional debug output.
--delete
Delete the database for the interface specified with -i or --iface and stop
monitoring it.
--enable, --disable
Enable or disable updates for selected interface. Useful for interfaces that aren't
always available, like ppp0. If the interface goes down it should be disabled in
order to avoid errors. Add something like vnstat -r --disable -i ppp0 to the script
that's executed when the interface goes down and vnstat --enable -i ppp0 to the up
script. These two options aren't needed when the daemon is used.
--exportdb
Instead of showing the database with a formatted output, this output will dump the
whole database in a plain text based architeture independent format. The output
can be imported back using the --importdb option and can be used for moving a
database from one host to another. See the --importdb documentation below for an
example. Using the output for scripting is possible but the outputs of --xml and
--json are likely to be more suitable. The dump uses ; as field delimeter.
active;1 activity status
interface;eth0 name for the interface
nick;inet nick (if given)
created;1023895272 creation date in Unix time
updated;1065467100 when the database was updated
totalrx;569605 all time total received MiB
totaltx;2023708 all time total transmitted MiB
currx;621673719 latest rx value in /proc
curtx;981730184 latest tx value in /proc
totalrxk;644 total rx KiB counter
totaltxk;494 total tx KiB counter
btime;1059414541 system boot time in Unix time
Then follows 30 lines like the following
d;0;1078696800;559;7433;68;557;1
where d = days, 0 = day number in database (0 is today), 1077314401 date in Unix
time, 559 = rx MiB, 7433 = tx MiB, 68 = rx KiB, 557 = tx KiB and 1 tells that
vnStat has filled this value and it is in use.
m;0;1078092000;48649;139704;527;252;1 (x12)
t;0;1078351200;5979;47155;362;525;1 (x10)
h;0;1078699800;118265;516545 (x24)
m = months, t = top 10 and h = hours, all other fields are in the same order as in
days except hours that doesn't have a separate KiB value. For hours the forth and
fifth fields have values in KiB.
-h, --hours
Show traffic statistics on a hourly basis for the last 24 hours.
--importdb file
Import a database from file which was previously exported using the --exportdb
option. This can be used to transfer a database between different architectures and
hosts, as the database is architecture dependant and not compatible between
different architectures. First dump the database on one host, e.g. with vnstat -i
ppp0 --exportdb >ppp0db.txt and then import the text file on a different host using
vnstat -i ppp0 --importdb ppp0db.txt
-i, --iface interface
Select one specific interface and apply actions to only it. For queries, it is
possible to merge the information of two or more interfaces using the
interface1+interface2+... syntax.
--iflist
Show list of currently available interfaces.
--json mode
Show database content for selected interface or all interfaces in json format. All
traffic values in the output are in KiB. An optional mode parameter can be used for
limiting the output to only selected information. Everything is shown by default.
Setting mode to 'h' will output only hours, 'd' days, 'm' months and 't' the top
10.
-l, --live mode
Display current transfer rate for the selected interface in real time until
interrupted. Statistics will be shown after interruption if the runtime was more
than 10 seconds. An optional mode parameter can be used to select between the
displaying of packets per second (mode 0) and transfer counters (mode 1) during
execution. --style can also be used to affect the layout of the output.
--locale locale
Use locale instead of using the locale setting specified in the configuration file
or the system default if no configuration file is available.
--longhelp
Show complete options list.
-m, --months
Show traffic statistics on a monthly basis for the last 12 months.
--nick nickname
Set the selected interfaces nickname as an alias the will be displayed in queries.
Usage of -u is required to save the change and the daemon may not be running during
the set operation.
--oneline
Show traffic summary for selected interface using one line with a parseable format.
The output contains 15 fields with ; used as field delimeter. The 1st field
contains the version information of the output that will be changed in future
versions of vnStat if the field structure changes. The following fields in order 2)
interface name, 3) timestamp for today, 4) rx for today, 5) tx for today, 6) total
for today, 7) average traffic rate for today, 8) timestamp for current month, 9) rx
for current month, 10) tx for current month, 11) total for current month, 12)
average traffic rate for today, 13) all time total rx, 14) all time total tx, 15)
all time total traffic.
-q, --query
Force database query mode.
-r, --reset
Reset the internal counters in the database for the selected interface. Use this if
the interface goes down and back up, otherwise that interface will get some extra
traffic to its database. Not needed when the daemon is used.
--rebuildtotal
Reset the total traffic counters and recount those using recorded months.
-ru, --rateunit
Swap the configured rate unit. If rate has been configured to be shown in bytes
then rate will be shown in bits if this option is present. In the same way, if rate
has been configured to be shown in bits then rate will be shown in bytes when this
option is present. Alternatively 0 or 1 can be given as parameter for this option
in order to select between bytes (0) and bits (1) regardless of the configuration
file setting.
--savemerged
Write the end result of a database merge to the file mergeddb that can then be used
as a new database if renamed. Top 10 traffic days isn't included in the merge and
will start empty in the new database. The merge interface syntax is documented in
-i, --iface option.
-s, --short
Use short output mode. This mode is also used if more than one database is
available.
--style number
Modify the content and style of outputs. Set number to 0 for a more narrow output,
1 for enabling bar column, 2 for same as previous but with average traffic rate
visible in summary and weekly outputs and 3 for enabling average traffic rate in
all outputs where it is supported. 4 disables the use of terminal control
characters in -l / --live mode.
--sync Synchronize internal counters in the database with interface counters for the
selected interface. Use this if the system is rebooted but interface counters
aren't reseted. Such can occur when suspend to ram/disk is used. Not needed when
the daemon is used.
--testkernel
Test if the kernel boot time information always stays the same like it should or if
it's shifting.
-t, --top10
Show all time top 10 traffic days.
-tr time
Calculate how much traffic goes through the selected interface during the given
time seconds. The time will be 5 seconds if a number parameter isn't specified.
-u, --update
Update all enabled databases or only the one specified with -i parameter. Not
supported when the daemon is running.
-v, --version
Show current version.
-w, --weeks
Show traffic for 7 days, current and previous week.
--xml mode
Show database content for selected interface or all interfaces in xml format. All
traffic values in the output are in KiB. An optional mode parameter can be used for
limiting the output to only selected information. Everything is shown by default.
Setting mode to 'h' will output only hours, 'd' days, 'm' months and 't' the top
10.
-?, --help
Show a command option summary.
FILES
/var/lib/vnstat/
This directory contains all databases the program uses. Files are named according
to the monitored interfaces. A backup copy of each database is kept in a file
starting with a . (dot character) and otherwise named according to the original
file.
/etc/vnstat.conf
Config file that will be used unless $HOME/.vnstatrc exists. See vnstat.conf(5) for
more information.
EXAMPLES
vnstat Display traffic summary for the default interface or multiple interfaces when more
than one is monitored.
vnstat -i eth0+eth1+eth3
Display traffic summary for a merge of interfaces eth0, eth1 and eth3.
vnstat -i eth2 --xml
Output all information about interface eth2 in xml format.
vnstat --json
Output all information of all monitored interfaces in json format.
vnstat -u -i eth0
Force a database update for interface eth0 or create the database if it doesn't
exist. This is usually the first command used after a fresh install if the daemon
isn't used.
vnstat -u -i eth0 --nick local
Give interface eth0 the nickname "local". That information will be later later
visible as a label when eth0 is queried. The database will also be updated when
this command is executed or created if the database doesn't exist.
vnstat -i eth2 --delete
Delete database of interface eth2 and stop monitoring it.
RESTRICTIONS
Updates needs to be executed at least as often as it is possible for the interface to
generate enough traffic to overflow the kernel interface traffic counter. Otherwise, it is
possible that some traffic won't be seen. This isn't an issue for 64-bit kernels but at
least one update every hour is always required in order to provide proper input. With
32-bit kernels, the maximum time between two updates depends on how fast the interface can
transfer 4 GiB. Calculated theoretical times are:
10 Mbit: 54 minutes
100 Mbit: 5 minutes
1000 Mbit: 30 seconds
However, for 1000 Mbit interfaces updating once every minute is usually a usable solution
if faster updates can't be used.
Estimated traffic values are likely to be somewhat inaccurate if daily traffic is low
because only the MiB counter is used to calculate the estimate.
Virtual and aliased interfaces cannot be monitored because the kernel doesn't provide
traffic information for that type of interfaces. Such interfaces are usually named eth0:0,
eth0:1, eth0:2 etc. where eth0 is the actual interface being aliased.
AUTHOR
Teemu Toivola <tst at iki dot fi>
SEE ALSO
vnstatd(1), vnstati(1), vnstat.conf(5), proc(5), ifconfig(8), units(7)