Software to monitor ALL incoming/outgoing connections to computer?

[superboyac]

Is there a tool available to monitor ALL incoming/outgoing connections to a computer (maybe even keeping a log)?  I know of programs like NetLimiter and firewalls tend to display connections.  But they are all so complicated and hard to really understand on a connection-to-connection basis what is happening.

I would like to be able to read something like this:
[ip address] [outgoing or incoming] connected using [service/file/protocol]

I don't really understand all the ways connections are made, so I don't really know what to ask for.  I do know that bytes need to be sent back and forth, but a lot of things I see on my computer use svchost.exe and I don't really know what to make of that.  Basically, I just want to know if things I don't want to happen are happening.

Ever since setting up my ftp server, I've noticed it being hammered constantly by China.

[rgdot]

SmartSniff http://nirsoft.net/utils/smsniff.html and NetworkTrafficView http://nirsoft.net/utils/network_traffic_view.html would be great starts

[anandcoral]

I was having problem when I was posted in different branch. All our machines are connected to internet with proxy server, and though it has all firewall and anti virus active, many of our machine are infected.

Life goes like this in this branch. But I was worried of my machine. I wanted every connection/port trying to reach my machine to be notified/barred and every application from my machine trying to reach internet to be notified/barred. I needed a simple and small solution.

My search reached Filseclab Personal Firewall http://www.filseclab.com/, a 8 MB freeware.

Ever since I installed it, my machine is safer in this infected zone. All connection to my machine are barred, but I can grant specific one if I need to. All new application just can not visit the internet at their own wish; they need my permission and for most I deny.

It does creates log file if enabled. You can try it and see if it serves your purpose.

Regards,

Anand

[skwire]

Ever since setting up my ftp server, I've noticed it being hammered constantly by China.

Are you running your server on the standard port (21)?  If so, change that to something else and you'll notice the hammering go away.  I'd recommend something way up in the available port range; somewhere between 30000 and 50000 ought to be fine.