Need Ethernet Packet Analyzer (freeware/shareware)

[Jay Bollyn]

I have a couple winXP machines that are *very* locked down. They are release stations in a pay-for-print system we are rolling out.

I don't want to install a packet analyzer on the release station itself, since it would be really awkward because of the security measures.

Is there a freeware/shareware packet analyzer I could install on my office PC, and watch the release station traffic? All the machines involved are on the same subnet (10.133.12.*).

Of course, points assigned.

:-) Jay

[Ron Kinner · Accepted solution]

http://www.snort.org/ is a good start. It's actually an intrusion detection system but in order to get it to work they have you install a packet analyzer.

Ron

[Paul Nunez]

Hi Jay,

I highly recommend Ethereal:

www.ethereal.com

You'll also need to download and install the WinPcap software in order to get traces from the Windows PC...

HTH,

Paul

[Jay Bollyn]

I have used Ethereal before. I had forgotten that on a switched network (which we have), only broadcast and multicast traffic will be sent to all ports. So it looks like I will need to install Ethereal on the release station.

http://www.ethereal.com/faq.html#q5.1

We do have manageable switches, but I don't have access to them (that is another dept).

Thanks both!

:-) Jay