In a multiple segments network, a router, bridge or smart hub may serve as traffic control, preventing unneeded traffic from being sent to a segment. Because computers' MAC addresses can not be retreived behind routers, it will has some trouble to identify users.

Two solutions are available for multiply segments network:

1. Central Placement

You can put WFilter at a single location and use "by IP address" mode. But this will cause some trouble if your users change their IP addresses rapidly. We suggest you use "IP-MAC binding" to avoid unauthorized change of IP addresses.

As in Figure 1, it requires a port mirroring switch to be installed between the router and the switch. And the machine with WFilter installed on shall be connected to the monitor port of the switch. You also need to set the monitor mode to "by IP address" in "Monitor Settings" of WFilter.

Figure 1

2. Distributed Placement

The second solution is deploying WFilter in each network segment, and all the dedicated machines of WFilter might use a central network database. By installing WFilter at each network segment, it will be able to get computers' MAC addresses. So "By MAC Address" monitoring mode works.

Figure 2