Tracking/recording (isolating?) network traffic of specific device

[tankman1989]

I have a device that "needs" to be on my network to report usage/stats of various devices on the home power grid. The device uses ethernet over power line (or somethign similar) to talk to the devices in the house, then sends the information to an external webserver via the home network (cat5). The landlord requires this to report on these "smart" devices.

I have had hundreds of issues with 20-30 computers (all have same common issues, freeze ups, strange graphics/pixilation (large pixels) type display on freeze up, and other strange reboots which try to access random HD's on boot) I've also had issues with all the routers (5 different units + 3 home made linux routers) that all have had unexplained problems.

I had isolated the device on it's own network on a Linux router and things seemed to be ok for a while then the router started having problem after problem, so - well, IDK..

So I want to put a computer in between the router and "smart device" to do packet capture or whatever is best to see if there is something strange with this device - or if problems stop when this is put in place.

I'm wondering if a laptop can be used with a USB adapter to give an extra CAT5 port. I can run Linux on it with no problem.

I've looked at wireshark, nexsus, tcp dump, and a few others but they seem a little daunting at first but I'm wiling to learn to figure this out.

Can anyone give suggestions here? I was thinking of installing Kali or an old BT release as I think those have the needed software to do this.

 

[Brian_B]

I've used USB adapters just like you suggest before, and it's worked to bridge two networks.

You can do packet capture with just some sniffing software - the PC doesn't have to sit between the device and the network. That's what programs like WireShark do.

You can use something like pfSense or a linux install to firewall this device off your LAN and still give it network access. I've never heard of these problems being caused by a rogue CAT5 device, but anything is possible. Maybe try a wIfi bridge - that disconnects it electrically from your network while still allowing all the traffic to go, and they aren't much more expensive than a USB adapter anymore.

Honestly, the first step I think you should do is to just talk with your landlord and let them know it isn't working and get a replacement.

 

[rma]

I cant see how an network device would, make your PC's screen give pixel "errors" and give boot problems, it would give sense if you had network problems, like large package loss or high network loads generated by the device, i think you need to look at other issues, then the device.

 

[NoOther]

I wonder if your issues have more to do with power than with the network. The issues you are having seem to be more consistent with lack of proper power regulation than with network issues. But if you want to sniff the traffic, you could perhaps make a mirror port on your router and send it to your laptop and install wireshark on it. Wireshark is probably one of the easier programs to use and see what is going on if you aren't well versed in reading packet information.

 

[rma]

Other solution, would just be to seperate the device from the rest of the network, simple vlan it out of the network.