Bandwidth Bro

A script to debug unstable internet connections.

Overview

Bandwidth Bro is a comprehensive Bash script designed to diagnose and monitor internet connectivity issues. It performs a variety of tests to assess network performance, including ping tests, DNS resolution, HTTP connection checks, speed tests, and more. The script is highly configurable and logs detailed results for analysis.

Features

• Ping Tests: Measures packet loss and latency to multiple hosts with different packet sizes.
• DNS Resolution: Tests DNS resolution speed and reliability, including alternate DNS servers.
• HTTP Connection: Checks the ability to connect to a specified URL.
• Network Interface Status: Reports on the status of network interfaces.
• Gateway Connectivity: Tests connectivity to the default gateway.
• First Hop Beyond Gateway: Identifies and tests connectivity to the first hop beyond the gateway.
• WiFi Signal Strength: Measures WiFi signal strength and quality.
• Router Status Messages: Checks system logs for network-related messages.
• MTU Issues: Tests for Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) issues with different packet sizes.
• Speed Tests: Performs internet speed tests using speedtest-cli if available, or falls back to a curl-based test.
• Traceroute: Runs traceroute to analyze the path to a specified host.
• Bandwidth Usage: Monitors current bandwidth usage on network interfaces.

Installation

1. Download the Script:

   wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tosfos/BandwidthBro/main/bandwidth_bro.sh -O bandwidth_bro.sh

2. Make the Script Executable:

   chmod +x bandwidth_bro.sh

3. Install Required Tools: Ensure the following tools are installed on your system:

   • ping
   • curl
   • dig
   • iwconfig
   • traceroute
   • netstat
   • speedtest-cli (optional, for more accurate speed tests)

   On Debian/Ubuntu systems, you can install these tools with:

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install -y iputils-ping curl dnsutils wireless-tools traceroute net-tools speedtest-cli

   On Red Hat/CentOS systems:

   sudo yum install -y iputils curl bind-utils wireless-tools traceroute net-tools speedtest-cli

Usage

Run the script with default settings:

./bandwidth_bro.sh

The script will continuously run tests at specified intervals until interrupted with Ctrl+C. Results are logged to a file (default: ~/internet_debug.log) and displayed in the terminal with color-coded output for easy reading.

Configuration

You can customize the script's behavior by setting environment variables or creating a configuration file at /etc/bandwidth_bro.conf. The following variables can be configured:

• CONFIG_FILE: Path to the configuration file (default: /etc/bandwidth_bro.conf).
• LOGFILE: Path to the log file (default: ~/internet_debug.log).
• TEST_HOST, TEST_HOST2, TEST_HOST3: IP addresses for ping tests (default: 8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1, 208.67.222.222).
• TEST_URL: URL for DNS and HTTP tests (default: google.com).
• PING_COUNT: Number of pings per test (default: 10).
• INTERVAL: Seconds between test cycles (default: 5).
• SPEED_TEST_INTERVAL: Minutes between speed tests (default: 3).
• TRACEROUTE_INTERVAL: Minutes between traceroute tests (default: 5).
• ALTERNATE_DNS: Alternate DNS server for comparison (default: 1.1.1.1).
• DEBUG_MODE: Enable debug output (default: false).

Example configuration file (/etc/bandwidth_bro.conf):

LOGFILE="/var/log/bandwidth_bro.log"
TEST_HOST="8.8.4.4"
INTERVAL=10
DEBUG_MODE=true

Logging

All test results are logged to the specified log file with timestamps. The log file is created if it doesn't exist, and the directory is created if necessary.

Debug Mode

Set DEBUG_MODE=true to enable detailed debug output, which can help in troubleshooting the script itself.

Troubleshooting

• Missing Tools: If any required tools are missing, the script will exit with an error message. Install the missing tools as described in the Installation section.
• Permission Issues: Some tests (like checking system logs) may require sudo privileges. Run the script with elevated permissions if needed.
• Log File Access: Ensure the script has write access to the log file directory.

Contributing

If you have suggestions for improvements or bug fixes, please submit them as issues or pull requests on the project's repository (if applicable).

License

This script is provided under the MIT License. See the script's comments or repository for full license details.