Packet Sniffer

Packet Sniffer

Packet sniffers have been used for many years to examine data packets that pass through network devices.  Packet sniffers' job is to sniff out what is being sent in the packet. A computer usually only looks at packets that are directly addressed to them.  When packet sniffers are set up to a computer they are set to "promiscuous mode" and look at everything that is sent through the computer.  It even looks at things that are not addressed to them. 

 

A packet sniffer can be set up two different ways, either filtered or unfiltered.  The unfiltered captures all of the packets that go through the computer. Filtered captures packets with specific information.  Packets that contain the information the filtered sniffer was searching for is copied onto a hard disk as they pass through. The copies it makes can be analyzed by specific patterns or information.  The packet sniffers are used mostly for security purposes.

  

 

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