There is no substitute for a network sniffer tool when you need to understand what your network is really doing. A good network sniffer provides you with several different capabilities. The first is to understand what your network is doing at the "macro" level. At the macro level, you can look at traffic on a network segment in the aggregate, perform long-term monitoring, and answer questions such as:
The sniffer also helps you analyze your network at the "micro" level. In this mode, the sniffer is used to capture all data frames on a network segment over an interval of time for later analysis. When capture mode is complete, the sniffer is placed in analysis mode to study the captured network data. In analysis mode, the contents of each individual data frame can be viewed.
When network data is captured on a high-speed network segment (such as a 100Base-TX LAN) an extremely large amount of data is often collected. Fortunately, most sniffers allow you to select a subset of data to view based on criteria such as source and destination MAC address, source and destination IP address, network protocol, etc. At least one sniffer vendor has incorporated an expert system analysis tool into their sniffer product which is able to point out a variety of network problems it finds in a trace.
A few examples of how analysis of a network data capture might be used include:
FLG Networking Services uses a software sniffer tool sold by Network General for network analysis and troubleshooting. If you have a network performance issue or other network problem, FLG Networking Services can help.
About Us | Phone: (913) 268-1061 | Fax: (913) 268-1062 | Email: flg@flgnetworking.com