There's almost too many choices in this category of software. Ultimately packet sniffing is the go to tool when you've got a network issue that you can't quite isolate to a single machine or protocol and it's time to start digging deep. KisMAC Now revived as KisMAC 2, this free wireless packet sniffer can show live wireless signal heat maps.Network Miner Available in free and paid versions, this tool captures packets and displays them live on screen.Cain and Abel Known as a hacker tool, this system includes a wireless packet sniffer.Kismet A free packet sniffer for wireless networks.Available for Linux, macOS, Unix, and Android. tcpdump A command-line no fills packet capture utility.Available for Windows, Linux, Unix, and macOS. Wireshark A free packet capture and analysis tool that has a great graphical front-end for viewing traffic statistics.ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer – FREE TRIAL A traffic flow analyzer that can help implement traffic shaping measures as well.

The package includes real-time displays of packet information, which is derived from NetFlow data extractors, and also statistical functions that capture packets, analyze the header contents, and produces aggregated traffic characteristics.

SolarWinds Bandwidth Analyzer Pack – EDITOR'S CHOICE A bundle of two network monitoring tools that watch device health and analyze traffic flows.

They all tend to have the same sort of functionality – you can view packets being sent and received on some level or another, but many of the tools have certain nuances that allow them to shine in certain situations or network environments the trick is knowing which one! Here is our list of the best packet sniffers and network analyzers: Troubleshooting is always an act that is half instinct and half data – and Packet Sniffing is where the data comes in.Ī Packet Sniffer is the tool that helps you figure out if packets are being sent, received, and arriving safely on your network, but they can also do so much more!īelow is a list of some of the Best Packet Analyzers and Sniffers and some of the features that they have built in for you to extract network information and data.

Every IT professional, from companies big or small, knows the value of data.

Wireless packet sniffer for mac