Ifconfig bandwidth tracking

Question

I've been using ubuntu servers for a long time, but something i've never quite understood was the ifconfig command and total bandwidth.

I've found that on every server i've used, and some desktop versions, the bandwidth ALWAYS resets its total when it hits something like 4.6GB. How can i change it where it keeps track of more total bandwidth?

I've logged into a professional hosting site that uses Ubuntu Servers, and when i used Ifconfig on their server it reported the real total, which ranged over the TB mark. I want my servers to do the same.

Thanks :)

Xrpixer

Answer 1

The counter is an integer, and at 4.6G it wraps around back to 0 (on 32 bit systems). The wrap around point for 64 bit systems is much higher (you should never hit it, actually).

If you want to track usage, install vnstat (it's awesome).