The standard Kismet tracks wifi systems, but it can be extended to detect Bluetooth networks as well. Kismet can’t intercept packets on wired networks, but it is great for wireless packet sniffing. Ettercap is way more powerful than Wireshark. If you want to gather evidence, you can track the actions of suspicious users and record their deeds instead of banning them. It can identify malicious users and isolate them from the network. System defenders also get useful facilities in Ettercap. It can capture SSL security certificates, alter packet contents in transit, drop connections, and capture passwords. Ettercap is a powerful hacker tool with many more facilities than those of Wireshark. The Ettercap software itself can create several network attacks including ARP poisoning and MAC address masquerading. This troubleshooting tool is also able to report on-demand on interfaces to web servers.Įttercap uses the libpcap library to capture data packet traces. The traffic analyzing module can report on end-to-end network performance for connections and also link performance. So, Omnipeek is a network management system as well as a packet sniffer. These events can be set to trigger alerts. Omnipeek can scan packets for signs of trouble or detect changes in transfer speeds. The analytical capabilities of Omnipeek are superior to those of Wireshark. It can’t operate on Linux, Unix, or Mac OS. One attribute in which Omnipeek doesn’t compete with Wireshark is the operating systems that it can run on. An add-on called Capture Engine intercepts packets on a wired network and there is a separate Wifi Adapter for wireless networks. Like Wireshark, Omnipeek doesn’t actually gather packets itself. However, the software has a lot to recommend it and you can get it on a 30-day free trial to test whether it will replace Wireshark in your toolkit. Omnipeek from Savvius isn’t free to use like Wireshark. Value for money represented by a free tool that is easy to use or a paid tool that repays its purchase price with efficiency gains.A free tool or a paid system that includes a free tool for assessment.The ability to calculate packet flow statistics.A graphical interpretation of captured packets.The ability to interpret WinPcap or libpcap files.Solutions for Windows, macOS, and Linux.We reviewed the market for Wireshark alternative packet sniffers and analyzed the options based on the following criteria: What should you look for in packet sniffer tools like Wireshark? The analysis engine of Wireshark is not that great and many users choose other tools to get better insights into their data. You can load stored packets into the interface for analysis. The Wireshark network interface can show you the captured packets, sort them, categorize them, and filter them. Wireshark saves data in capture files that follow the pcap format. EtherApe A network mapper that shows live connections and offers the option to capture packets.
SmartSniff A free packet sniffer that includes packet analysis functions.Kismet A wireless packet sniffer that evades intrusion detection systems.
It can be installed on Windows, Linux, Unix, and Mac OS, and best of all, it’s free. Wireshark is a very popular packet sniffer.