Configuring NIC settings

Web Security Help | Web Security Solutions | Version 7.8.x

Related topics:

Network Agent configuration

Configuring monitoring settings for a NIC

Adding or editing IP addresses

Use the Network Agent > Local Settings > NIC Configuration page to specify how Network Agent uses each available network interface card (NIC) to monitor and manage network usage.

The NIC Information area provides the context for the changes that you make, showing the IP address, brief NIC Description, and card Name. Use this information to ensure that you are configuring the correct NIC.

Monitoring

In a multiple-NIC configuration, you can identify one NIC to monitor network traffic, and another NIC to serve block pages. At least one NIC must be used for monitoring, and more than one NIC can monitor traffic.

Use the Monitoring section to indicate whether or not to Use this NIC to monitor traffic.

If this NIC is not used for monitoring, deselect the check box and then continue with the next section.

If the NIC is used for monitoring, select the check box, and then click Configure. You are taken to the Configure Monitoring Behavior page. See Configuring monitoring settings for a NIC for instructions.

Other NIC options

In addition to configuring monitoring options, you can also determine other NIC behaviors:

Under Blocking, make sure that the appropriate NIC is listed in the Blocking NIC field. If you are configuring multiple NICs, the settings for each NIC should show the same value in this field. In other words, only one NIC is used for blocking.

If you are running Websense software in Stand-Alone mode, Filter and log HTTP requests is selected, and cannot be changed.

If you have integrated Websense software with a third-party device or application, use the Integrations options to indicate how this Network Agent should filter and log HTTP requests. Options that do not apply to your environment are disabled.

Select Log HTTP requests to make Network Agent responsible for generating all Internet activity log records.

When this option is selected, log records generated by the integration product are discarded by Filtering Service. Only the log records that Network Agent creates are forwarded to Log Server for inclusion in the Log Database.

Select Filter all requests not sent over HTTP ports to use Network Agent to filter only those requests not sent through the integration product.

Under Protocol Management, indicate whether Network Agent should use this NIC to filter non-HTTP protocols:

Check Filter non-HTTP protocol requests to activate the protocol management feature. This allows Websense software to filter Internet applications and data transfer methods, such as those used for instant messaging, streaming media, file sharing, Internet mail, and so on. See Managing access to categories and protocols and Working with protocols for more information.

Check Measure bandwidth usage by protocol to activate the Bandwidth Optimizer feature. Network Agent uses this NIC to track network bandwidth usage by each protocol or application. See Using Bandwidth Optimizer to manage bandwidth for more information.