vnstatd

Network traffic statistics collection daemon

TLDR

Start the daemon

$ sudo systemctl start vnstat

Enable at boot

$ sudo systemctl enable vnstat

Run daemon in foreground

$ vnstatd -n

Run with debug output

$ vnstatd -D

Sync database and exit

$ vnstatd --sync

vnstatd is the daemon component of vnStat that collects network traffic statistics. It reads interface counters from the kernel at configured intervals and stores data in a persistent database.The daemon tracks multiple interfaces simultaneously, recording 5-minute, hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly statistics. It automatically detects new interfaces added to the database without requiring restart.Resource usage is minimal since vnstatd reads kernel counters rather than capturing packets. Data persists across reboots, making it suitable for long-term bandwidth monitoring.

PARAMETERS

-d, --daemon

Fork to background as daemon.

-n, --nodaemon

Stay in foreground.

-s, --sync

Sync cached data to database and exit.

-D, --debug

Enable debug output.

--config file

Use specified config file.

-p, --pidfile file

Use specified PID file.

--noadd

Don't add new interfaces automatically.

-v, --version

Display version.

CONFIGURATION

Config file: /etc/vnstat.confKey settings include monitored interfaces, database location, update interval, and data retention periods.

INSTALL

sudo apt install vnstat

sudo dnf install vnstat

sudo pacman -S vnstat

sudo apk add vnstat

sudo zypper install vnstat

brew install vnstat

nix profile install nixpkgs#vnstat

CAVEATS

Statistics begin from daemon start, not historically. Kernel counter resets (reboots, interface changes) may cause inaccuracies. Database corruption possible on unclean shutdown.

HISTORY

vnstatd is part of vnStat, created by Teemu Toivola for lightweight network traffic monitoring. The project began in 2002 and has become a standard tool for bandwidth monitoring on Linux servers and embedded systems.