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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteUse vnStat for lightweight, per-interface bandwidth accounting on a Linux server. The vnstatd daemon periodically reads the kernel’s interface counters and stores five-minute, hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly totals; the vnstat command then reports those saved values or exports them as JSON or XML. Install the package or build it with SQLite support, enable the daemon, confirm the interface name, and allow the first update cycle to complete before judging the results.
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vnStat is an accounting tool, not a packet sniffer. It can tell you how much traffic crossed eth0 or another interface and when, but not which connection, process, URL, or packet caused it. That distinction determines whether it is the right monitor for your server.
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What vnStat records and how its two commands work
vnStat is a console-based network traffic monitor that reads counters exposed through Linux /proc or /sys filesystems. It normally does not need root privileges to read those counters on supported systems. Because it samples counters instead of inspecting packets, it uses little CPU and storage compared with packet-capture or flow-analysis systems.
The project separates collection from reporting:
| Component | Role | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
vnstatd |
Collector daemon | Wakes periodically, reads interface counters, caches values, and writes database updates. |
vnstat |
Query and export client | Reads the database and prints human-readable periods or machine-readable JSON/XML. |
The daemon’s sleep-and-update cycle means a query can trail the live kernel counter. That is normal: the database changes when the next collection and save operation occurs, not on every packet.
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RX, TX, and total traffic
Every report separates RX (received traffic) from TX (transmitted traffic), usually with a combined total. Decide which direction matters for your provider’s quota before interpreting a number. A server that downloads backups may be RX-heavy; a web or game server serving clients may be TX-heavy.
Available time buckets
vnStat maintains five-minute, hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly history. These are reporting buckets built from interface counters, not independent precision measurements. A newly created database cannot show a complete month or year until enough collection time has elapsed.
Install vnStat
Use your distribution package when available
Most Linux distributions package vnStat. Package names, default paths, service-unit names, and whether the daemon is enabled automatically differ by distribution and release, so follow that distribution’s current package documentation. After installation, verify which executable and unit were installed:
vnstat --version
systemctl status vnstatIf your distribution uses a differently named unit, list matching units with systemctl list-unit-files | grep -i vnstat. Do not assume that installing the command also started the collector.
Build from source
The upstream build requires a C compiler and make. SQLite development files are required for the traffic database; libgd is optional and is needed only for image output through the related vnstati utility. A typical source installation uses:
./configure --prefix=/usr --sysconfdir=/etc
make
sudo make installInstall the development packages provided by your operating system before running configure. If configuration reports a missing SQLite header or library, add that distribution’s SQLite development package and rerun the command. Keep a record of the prefix and configuration directory because they determine where the executable, service file, and configuration are installed.
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Enable and start the systemd service
The upstream installation examples use a systemd service file. If your package or source tree supplies one, install or copy it according to its instructions, reload systemd’s unit metadata when necessary, then enable and start the daemon:
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sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable vnstat
sudo systemctl start vnstat
sudo systemctl status vnstatenable makes the service start at boot; start starts it now. A successful service status only proves that the collector process is running, not that the desired interface has been added or that enough history exists to display a useful report.
Identify and register the interface you actually want
First inspect Linux’s interface names with the operating system’s normal tools:
ip linkChoose the interface carrying the traffic you intend to measure. On a virtual server this may be ens3, enp1s0, or another provider-specific name rather than the traditional eth0. Avoid selecting loopback unless you intentionally want local-only traffic, and remember that bridges, VLANs, containers, and tunnel devices can produce different accounting views.
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vnstat --iflistOn versions whose long-option spelling differs, run vnstat --help and use the database-listing option shown by that build. If automatic discovery did not add the interface, add it explicitly:
sudo vnstat --add -i eth0Replace eth0 with the real name. Confirm the resulting entry with the interface-listing command before building reports around it. In a multi-interface host, specify the interface on every important query instead of relying on a default.
Run the routine reports
The following commands use eth0 as an example. Substitute the interface selected on your server.
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| Question | Command | Use |
|---|---|---|
| What is the current summary? | vnstat -i eth0 |
Quick human-readable overview for the selected interface. |
| How much traffic per day? | vnstat -d -i eth0 |
Daily totals and recent daily rows. |
| How much traffic per month? | vnstat -m -i eth0 |
Monthly accounting for quota and trend checks. |
| What happened this year? | vnstat -y -i eth0 |
Yearly totals built from collected history. |
| What happened each hour? | vnstat -h -i eth0 |
Short-term distribution across hours. |
| What happened in five-minute buckets? | vnstat -5 -i eth0 |
Fine-grained recent history after those buckets have been collected. |
| What is moving right now? | vnstat -l -i eth0 |
Live-style view based on current counters; it is not a replacement for packet tracing. |
Use one explicit interface in scripts and runbooks. The default interface is a configuration convenience, not a safe assumption on a host with several network devices.
Keep rate units consistent
Traffic volume is commonly displayed in bytes, while rates may be displayed in bytes per second or bits per second. The Debian command documentation supports choosing the rate-unit mode. Set that mode deliberately in the shared configuration and keep it unchanged for dashboards and scripts; otherwise a value labeled “Mb/s” can be mistaken for “MB/s,” an eightfold difference.
Export data for scripts and dashboards
Human-readable tables are ideal for an SSH check, but automation should consume a documented structured format:
vnstat --json -i eth0
vnstat --xml -i eth0JSON is usually the simplest starting point for a script, while XML can fit an existing XML pipeline. The command documentation also includes database-listing and database-dump-oriented modes for administration. Check the help output on the installed version before hard-coding an option, because distribution packages can lag or alter command-line details.
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IFACE=eth0
vnstat --json -i "$IFACE" > /var/tmp/vnstat-"$IFACE".jsonHave the consumer treat the file as a snapshot, not an instantaneous kernel reading. The daemon may not yet have saved the latest counters, and a query made during a write can represent the previous completed interval. For a robust dashboard, record the interface name, collection timestamp, RX/TX units, and the vnStat version alongside the payload.
Force a save when coordinating automation
The daemon manual documents SIGHUP behavior: it writes cached data, rescans the database directory, and reloads configuration. With a systemd-managed service, request that signal without guessing the daemon’s process ID:
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sudo systemctl kill -s HUP vnstatUse this when a controlled handoff or backup needs the most recent cached values. It does not turn vnStat into a packet-level real-time monitor, and it should not be sent repeatedly as a substitute for normal collection intervals.
Configure the database and shared behavior
vnstat.conf is shared by vnstat, vnstati, and vnstatd. Depending on how you installed the software, it is commonly under the system configuration directory selected at build time (the source example uses /etc); package layouts may differ. Consult the installed service and help output to locate the active file rather than editing an unused copy.
Relevant settings include:
- Database directory: where per-interface history files are stored.
- Default interface: the interface used when a command omits
-i. - Disk-space checks: safeguards that prevent database writes when available space falls too low.
- Update behavior: daemon intervals and related collection settings.
- Display and rate units: the byte-versus-bit convention used by reports.
The documented Linux default database directory is /var/lib/vnstat unless configuration changes it. Treat that directory as operational state: include it in backups when long-term history matters, preserve ownership and permissions, and document any custom DatabaseDir alongside your service configuration.
There is no universal retention period or published accuracy percentage to apply to every installation. Retention depends on the vnStat version, configuration, database growth, and whether old interface databases are removed. Monitor disk usage and define your own retention and backup policy instead of promising that a particular number of years will always remain available.
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When a newly installed interface is missing
- Run
ip linkand copy the exact Linux interface name. - Check vnStat’s database list.
- Add the interface with
vnstat --add -i INTERFACEif discovery did not create it. - Run an explicit query such as
vnstat -d -i INTERFACEand wait for a collection cycle.
Adding an interface starts a new history for that database entry; it cannot recreate traffic that was never collected under that name.
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When a provider or migration renames the device
Interface names can change after a virtual-machine migration, operating-system reinstall, or network configuration change. Check DatabaseDir, preserve the existing per-interface database files, and verify whether the old name still maps to the same traffic source. Do not merge files or rename entries casually: an old database may represent a different device, and combining counters can make totals meaningless. If the old history is retained but the new interface is genuinely different, keep separate records and label them with their dates and roles.
Removing an obsolete entry
Use the interface-management removal option documented by your installed version (commonly vnstat --remove -i INTERFACE) only after backing up the database. Removal is an administrative action; it is not a way to correct a mistaken total while preserving an audit trail.
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Troubleshoot the common failure modes
The command prints no useful data immediately after installation
- Check
systemctl status vnstatand the service journal for startup errors. - Confirm that the intended interface appears in vnStat’s database list.
- Wait several minutes for the first update cycle. The upstream guide explicitly warns that results are not immediate because database entries are not updated continuously.
- Run the query with an explicit interface after the first cycle.
The report shows the wrong interface
List interfaces with ip link, compare them with vnStat’s database list, and repeat the query using -i. On hosts with bridges, VLANs, containers, or tunnels, decide whether you want physical-link traffic, virtual-device traffic, or both; those are different accounting scopes.
Totals appear stale in a script
Remember that vnstat reads the saved database while vnstatd caches and periodically writes counters. Check the daemon’s state, allow the next save interval, or issue the documented HUP signal before a coordinated export. Do not interpret a short delay as packet loss.
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History disappeared after moving the server
Inspect the active configuration for a changed DatabaseDir, restore the preserved database files, and correct ownership and permissions for the service account. A clean reinstall can leave the old history untouched in a different directory, so search configuration and backup records before creating a replacement database.
The daemon cannot write its database
Check free disk space, the configured directory, directory permissions, and service logs. Disk-space checks are configurable; a full filesystem or an unwritable custom directory prevents new samples even though the query command itself still runs.
Know where vnStat stops being the right tool
vnStat is a good fit for lightweight, local, per-interface accounting and trend views. It does not identify individual connections, processes, applications, domains, packet contents, or attack signatures. It also does not provide a built-in centralized fleet view, universal alerting system, or a guaranteed retention period.
| Need | vnStat fit | Use another class of tool when |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly quota and historical interface totals | Strong fit | — |
| Quick SSH check with minimal overhead | Strong fit | — |
| Per-connection or packet investigation | Not provided | You need packet capture or flow inspection. |
| Which process consumed bandwidth? | Not provided | You need host-level process attribution. |
| Many servers in one dashboard | Limited to exported data | You need centralized collection, retention, and alerting. |
| Sub-second incident response | Limited | You need a real-time telemetry or packet-analysis system. |
These boundaries are consequences of vnStat’s data source: aggregate counters exposed by the operating system. Pair it with another monitor when the question is about who or what generated traffic rather than how much crossed an interface.
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- Install vnStat from the distribution package or build it with SQLite support.
- Locate the service and configuration file supplied by that installation.
- Run
ip linkand select the interface whose traffic should be counted. - Enable and start
vnstatd. - Verify the interface in vnStat’s database list; add it explicitly if needed.
- Wait through the first collection cycle, then run an interface-specific daily or monthly query.
- Choose and document byte or bit rate units.
- For automation, consume JSON or XML and record the interface, units, timestamp, and version.
- Back up the configured database directory if historical continuity matters.
- Recheck the database path and interface mapping after migrations, renames, or reinstalls.
Following that sequence gives you reproducible per-interface history without mistaking a delayed aggregate counter for a packet trace.
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