Top 10 Uses of Packet Sniffer Software

Packet Sniffer software is a network monitoring tool that helps us to be in control of our network 24/7. All computer networks that are connected to the internet are highly vulnerable to security risks. If our networks are not constantly monitored, we can easily become a prey for the hackers. Packet sniffer software logs all traffic and all data that is sent in and out of the network that matches the specific packet criteria set by the network administrator.

Packet sniffer software has a number of uses and all of them are of critical nature.

1. Whenever there is a network related problem, we need some basic clues so that we can start addressing the problems. We will be able to get these clues from the packet sniffer software that is installed in the network. Therefore, packet sniffer software will not only help us monitor the network, but it will also help us analyze the network traffic so that we can identify any problem that crops up in the shortest time possible.
2. If there are any unauthorized intrusions, we will be able to detect the intrusions in good time. This will help us protect our network from the hackers.
3. We will be able to monitor the usage levels of the network at any given time. This will help us optimize the usage if we need to.
4. Using packet sniffer software we can keep a tab on each user in the network and gather sensitive information including passwords.
5. Packet sniffers will also be useful to monitor ‘on the fly’ network traffic to determine what is going on in the network at any given time.
6. Packet sniffers are not only useful for network administrators, it is also useful for programmers and security professionals to study the network traffic and possible loopholes so that they can be sealed.
7. Parents can keep a tab on their children’s online PC usage.
8. For those who are in learning stages packet sniffer will help them understand various protocols of the network such as HTTP, POP3, STMP, etc.
9. The reports generated can be used to build reliable statistics about the network use.
10. You will be able to find reasons for system slowdown. Using the packet sniffer software you will be able to troubleshoot the problem in the shortest time possible.

There many other uses besides the ones mentioned above. In addition, there are many packet sniffer software products available in the market. When you want to install packet sniffer software in your network, you must spend enough time in identifying the best packet sniffer software. The product you select should be a versatile tool and a popular product that has been tested in a variety of situations. It should be capable of handling small as well as large network without causing any problems in the network. One of the best packet sniffer software available in the market is Colasoft Capsa. For more information about this versatile tool, visit Colasoft.com.

About Colasoft
Ever since 2001, Colasoft has been dedicated in providing all-in-one and easy-to-use network analysis software for customers to monitor, analyze, and troubleshoot their network. Up to now, more than 4000 customers in over 70 countries trust the flagship product – Capsa as their network monitoring and troubleshooting solution. The company also offers four free network utilities: Colasoft Packet Builder, Colasoft Packet Player, Colasoft MAC Scanner, and Colasoft Ping Tool. Learn more today at http://www.colasoft.com/

Colasoft Packet Sniffer Capsa 6.9 Released

(colasoft.com) – Oct 21, 2008 - Colasoft, a dedicator in network analysis field, recently released version 6.9 of its flagship product – Capsa, a packet sniffer software designed for network monitoring and troubleshooting purpose. Two new protocols, Cisco Inter-Switch Link (ISL) and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) now can be recognized and decoded. This latest version also improved user’s experience based on user’s feedbacks.

Capsa is packet sniffer software which can perform real-time packet capturing, 24/7 network monitoring, advanced protocol analyzing, in-depth packet decoding, and automatic expert diagnosing. By giving users insights into all of the network's operations, Capsa makes it easy to isolate and solve network problems, identify network bottleneck and bandwidth use, and detect network vulnerabilities, external attacks and insecure applications.

"We'll always take into consideration good suggestions from our customers", Said Roy Luo, the CEO of Colasoft, "and include them in future releases to ensure highest satisfaction."

What’s New in Capsa 6.9

Support ISL Protocol Decoding: Cisco Inter-Switch Link (ISL) is a Cisco Systems proprietary protocol that maintains VLAN information as traffic flows between switches and routers, or switches and switches. It is a protocol to encapsulate traffic from different vlans, and tag them for latter specification. Now all trunk traffic between switch -- switch or router -- switch can be decoded and the context inside of the trunk link can be analyzed.

Support FCoE Protocol Decoding: Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is a proposed mapping of Fibre Channel frames over selected full duplex IEEE 802.3 networks. This allows Fibre Channel to leverage 10 Gigabit Ethernet networks while preserving the Fibre Channel protocol. The specification is supported by a large number of network and storage vendors, including Cisco, EMC, HP, IBM, Intel, and Sun Microsystems.

View IP address and Hostname in One Tab: Capsa will automatically resolve hostname and display it in its interface. In previous versions users may view only the hostname or the IP address at a time, they will need to switch manually if they want to view another value. In 6.9 users can directly view both the IP address and the hostname at the same time, which provides correlation between the two values

"It's the easiest product to use. The support is excellent and the features added in subsequent releases are always well thought-out and beneficial to our company." Eric Gomez, CSO, InfoSight, Inc.

Whether for a network administrator who needs to identify, diagnose, and solve network problems quickly, an IT professional who wants to monitor user activities on the network, a security manager who needs to ensure that the corporation's communications assets are safe, or a consultant who has to quickly solve network problems for clients, Capsa has the functions that satisfy the diversified needs perfectly.

Capsa 6.9 runs under Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista. A trial version is available at the company's web site: http://www.colasoft.com/

About Colasoft

Ever since 2001, Colasoft has been dedicated in providing all-in-one and easy-to-use network analysis software for customers to monitor, analyze, and troubleshoot their network. Up to now, more than 4000 customers in over 70 countries trust the flagship product – Capsa as their network monitoring and troubleshooting solution. The company also offers four free network utilities: Colasoft Packet Builder, Colasoft Packet Player, Colasoft MAC Scanner, and Colasoft Ping Tool. Learn more today at http://www.colasoft.com/