Packet analyzer

A packet sniffer is a promiscious software program that can see the traffic passing over a network or part of a network. As data streams travel back and forth over the network, the program captures each packet and eventually decodes it's content.

The usage of Packet Sniffers is versatile, one can use it to :

• Troubleshoot a network
• Detect intrusion attempts
• Monitor the network usage and filter for suspect content

Packet sniffers are often also refered to as Network Analyzers or Ethernet Sniffers.

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Packet Sniffing FAQ (by Robert Graham) : http://www.robertgraham.com/pubs/sniffing-faq.html

Packet Sniffers : http://www.sniff-em.com http://www.ethereal.com