Ethereal-users: Re: [Ethereal-users] Sniffer Pro vs. Ethereal
"McNutt, Justin M." <McNuttJ@xxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
[ snip ]
>
> True. A revised list then:
>
> Sniffer can (Ethereal can't):
> 1) Monitor mode (collect statistics over time). This is actually more
> useful that one might think, not so much with problem-solving, but with link
> usage analysis and the creation/modification of network policy. In fact, if
> Ethereal had this, we wouldn't need Sniffer Pro at all.
>
> Can you say, "Ethereal monitoring Internet link via X Windows through SSH
> tunnel"? :-) Works pretty well...
>
> 2) Capture mangled *frames* (runts, FCS errors, etc.), by virtue of being
> bundled with proprietary drivers (and sometimes, proprietary NICs). Not
> that interesting - in our case anyway - because most network devices will
> tell you which port is receiving mangled frames. Most useful in a shared
> (hub-based) environment where it's the repeater itself or a patch cord that
> is the problem.
>
> 3) Decode certain proprietary or esoteric protocols. Nifty, but hardly
> essential. We're about to turn Bay Autotopology and Cisco Discovery
> Protocol off...
>
> Ethereal can (Sniffer can't):
>
> 1) X Windows.
>
> 2) Linux
>
> 3) Follow TCP streams.
>
> 4) Tethereal! Woo hoo!
5) be extended and improved as needed.
This point may be obvious, but for me this is the critical difference.
This also argues that 3 in the "Sniffer can" is really a "Sniffer can
(Ethereal can't yet)". Someone just needs to write a dissector.
I have seen several different capture tools over the years. All of
them have better support for one protocol or the other, but none that
I have seen had a way for me to extend them or improve them. If they
didn't do what I needed out of the box I was basically stuck.
> And personally, I like Ethereal's capture/display filter syntax MUCH better
> than Sniffer Pro's.
>
> --J
>
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--
-Andrew Feren
Cetacean Networks, Inc.
Portsmouth, NH
