NetFlow and Traffic Flow Analysis: Turning Packets into Decisions
Flow data shows who talks to whom, how much and when. Use it for capacity planning, peering decisions and security investigations.
What flow data contains
Routers and switches export summaries of traffic — source and destination IPs, ports, protocols, byte counts and timestamps. Collected centrally, these records reveal traffic patterns without storing full packets.
High-value use cases
- Find top talkers and applications consuming bandwidth
- Plan upgrades before links saturate
- Identify networks worth peering with at an IX
- Detect DDoS and scanning activity early
- Investigate incidents after the fact
Peering decisions with data
For ISPs, flow analysis by destination ASN shows how much traffic goes to each content network. If a large share goes to networks present at an internet exchange, peering there can cut transit costs and latency.
Practical tips
Use sampling on high-speed links, synchronise clocks with NTP, enrich flows with ASN and geolocation, and keep raw data long enough for investigations.
How Infivate Networks can help
Infivate Networks delivers Network Intelligence & Protection for organisations across India — from assessment and design to implementation and ongoing support. Talk to our team or email [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Need help with this?
Talk to the Infivate Networks team.
