Network Sniffer Tool
Automatically monitor and measure network and application performance with network sniffer software
Track network and application response time
Tracking packet response times for both networks and applications means you can more easily answer the question, “Is it the network or a specific application that’s causing slowdowns for users?” The sniffer network monitoring tool in SolarWinds® Network Performance Monitor (NPM) helps you narrow down the issue with dashboard displays of top ten Time to First Byte and TCP Handshake metrics. Gain an at-a-glance ability to correlate and identify the source of slowdowns and configure the dashboard to instantly isolate metrics by type, time, or other factors. Drill down into discrete values to understand network traffic in depth.
How to use network sniffer software
Analyze traffic distribution
With the SolarWinds network sniffing tool, you can automatically classify network traffic according to categories like business vs. social and risk level. Categorize traffic into types based on destination server IP addresses, ports used, and measurement of the total and relative volumes of traffic for each type. Group traffic by categories like file transfer, network monitoring, messaging, remote access, and database use. Using the NPM network sniffer tool, you can also identify excessive levels of non-business traffic—like social media or the use of risky apps—you may need to filter or eliminate.
Monitor and identify application traffic
With NPM, you can identify and monitor over 1,200 applications out of the box, including popular platforms like Skype and Facebook. View specific traffic on your network and automatically calculate application response times. Use the unique QoE dashboard to monitor metrics across specific sets of applications and troubleshoot faster using a realistic view of current user impact. Perform bulk application assignments within the dashboard for quicker management. You can also reconfigure application type or risk designation to fit your business needs.
Configure security features
With NPM, admins can set custom dynamic thresholds to trigger automatic alerts. Worried about a spike in Active Directory activity rates? You can set an alert on that. With applications automatically classified by risk level, you can easily monitor their traffic—or decide to turn off the alerting for trusted programs. Change parameters to zoom in on performance spikes or zoom out for historical or network segment comparison.
Admins can also use the Wi-Fi network sniffer to use basic anomaly detection to catch Wi-Fi security issues. Run custom reports to understand risk factors within your overall network.
Get More on Network Sniffing
What is network sniffing?
What is network sniffing?
Networking sniffing is a form of data packet analysis enabling real-time network monitoring. Network sniffing is used to diagnose network problems and analyze overall network and application activity. With packet-level insights, admins can pinpoint slowdowns, categorize and assess traffic, and identify security risks. Sniffing is also popular with hackers, who use it to illegally intercept data and spy on network activity.
How does network sniffing work?
How does network sniffing work?
The three most common types of network sniffers are ARP sniffers, IP sniffers, and MAC sniffers. With ARP sniffers, network traffic is sent to the ARP cache of both network hosts, and then to the administrator. IP sniffers capture data for analysis according to a specific IP address filter. MAC sniffers work similarly, using a network card to sniff all data packets corresponding to a MAC address filter.
What is a network sniffer?
What is a network sniffer?
A network sniffer, also known as a packet analyzer, is either software or hardware that can intercept data packets as they travel across a network. Admins use network sniffers to monitor network traffic at the packet level, helping ensure network health and security.
How does network sniffer software work?
How does network sniffer software work?
A network sniffer tool can decode traffic and analyze either the metadata or entire contents. A network sniffer app works by intercepting the packets of data being sent across a network, analyzing the metadata or raw contents, and presenting it in a readable form. The software user then has access to details of the data exchange—like response time or request failures.
Why is network sniffer software important?
Why is network sniffer software important?
Admins use network sniffing software to monitor network and application performance and effectiveness, analyze traffic patterns or types, detect security issues, or otherwise learn about network traffic. With network sniffing software, admins have the visibility they need to pinpoint and troubleshoot network problems.
How does NPM support packet sniffing?
How does NPM support packet sniffing?
NPM supports packet sniffing and network troubleshooting by providing straightforward packet loss management. You can customize the Response Time Retry Count for the Orion polling engine in order to set the maximum times it will retry ICMP pings before alerting to packet loss. With insight into packet loss, you can better understand the factors underlying network performance issues.
What is network sniffing?
What is network sniffing?
Networking sniffing is a form of data packet analysis enabling real-time network monitoring. Network sniffing is used to diagnose network problems and analyze overall network and application activity. With packet-level insights, admins can pinpoint slowdowns, categorize and assess traffic, and identify security risks. Sniffing is also popular with hackers, who use it to illegally intercept data and spy on network activity.
"SolarWinds NPM is simply the best monitoring solution I’ve ever used. Easy to setup, deploy, and capture data."
Ryan McCracken
IT/Systems Administrator
Delta Health Technologies
Use a network sniffer tool to gain insights into your network traffic
Network Performance Monitor
- Troubleshoot network and application slowdowns.
- Get to the root cause quicker by leveraging packet response time insights.
- Catch inappropriate or risky traffic by relying on comprehensive networking sniffing.
Starts at
NPM, an Orion module, is built on the SolarWinds Platform
