Monthly Archives: July 2017

API overview of WFilter NGF.

WFilter NGF has a built-in API library for developers to manipulate the entire system or integrate WFilter features. With APIs, you’re able to:

  • 1. Get bandwidth history.
  • 2. Get online users, including ip, mac, account, live connections.
  • 3. Terminate user connections, kick off user…
  • 4. Add/remove user from virtual group to apply policies.
  • 5. Extend user expire date.

In this post, I will use an API example to demonstate the API library usage of WFilter NGF. The requirement is simple: “a API call to set access policy and bandwidth rate limit for an ip address”.

1. First, we need to setup WFilter NGF.

Because “access policy” and “bandwidth shaper” are separate modules in WFilter NGF,  we need to setup a virtual group with policies applied. In the API call, we only need to add IP addresses into the virtual group to apply the rules.

1.1) New a “limited access” virtual group.

api01 api02

1.2) Setup policies to this group.

api03

2. Use php to call WFilter API.

Now, we’ve setup policies for the virtual group. To implement policies to an IP address, we only need to add this IP into this group.  We have a php SDK, you need to include the WFilterNGF.php to call the API functions.

api04

Isn’t it simple? You may check more details in WFilter API. If you have any suggestions or requirement, please feel free to contact us.

 

 

 

Three ways to block torrent traffic in your network.

Torrent downloading is annoying and can consume most of your bandwidth, so you might want to block torrent in your network. There are several ways to block torrent in your network. While in this post, I will introduce three solutions to block torrent(bittorrent, utorrent, qtorrent) with WFilter internet content filter and WFilter NG firewall.

Please be aware that “WFilter internet content filter(ICF)” and “WFilter NG firewall(NGF)” are total different products. WFilter ICF is a windows program, which is designed for pass-by deployment on a mirroring port. While WFilter NGF is a dedicated linux firewall system.

1. Block torrent with WFilter ICF

passby_router_topology.png

As you can see in the diagram, the WFilter internet content filter(ICF) shall be connected to a mirroring port in your router or switch. So it can analysis network packets and deploy internet access policies. Steps to block torrent with WFilter ICF:

blocktorrent01 blocktorrent02 blocktorrent03

2. Block torrent with WFilter NGF as a network bridge.

Network topology diagram:

Ros guide bridge.png

WFilter NGF acts as a network bridge, sitting between your router and switch. So it can filter internet traffic.

3. Block torrent with WFilter NGF as a network gateway.

Network topology diagram:

Ros guide gateway.png

In this topology, WFilter NGF acts as the gateway of your network to deploy internet access policies. Please be aware that you can install WFilter NGF in a virtual machine to act as a virtual gateway, here is a guide: Using a pre-built VMWare image of WFilter NG Firewall

You can setup “application control” policies to block torrent with below steps:

block_torrent1 block_torrent2 block_torrent3

 

When deployed and configured properly, both WFilter ICF and WFilter NGF can block torrent completely. All torrent clients will have zero uploading and downloading speed.

utorrent_4 block_torrent04[1][2] after.

 

WFilter ICF homepage: WFilter Internet Content Filter

WFilter NG homepage: WFilter NG firewall

WFilter videos: WFilter Videos