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Handy Windows tools for sniffing network traffic
Sniff Kit
Sometimes you just need a quick answer and don't want to slow down to spin up a big, complicated monitoring application. If you work on a Windows network, three useful tools for sniffing traffic and analyzing network packets are SmartSniff [1], SniffPass [2], and Open Visual Traceroute [3]. In this article, I introduce these three handy utilities and also take a look at Microsoft Message Analyzer, which you can call in for more advanced analysis.
Whereas SmartSniff records networks and packets much like Wireshark, SniffPass investigates the transmission of unencrypted passwords. Open Visual Traceroute in turn brings the individual hops from network packets onto the screen, including their targets on the Internet. The tool does not just intercept packets, it also visualizes their path on a globe.
Network Analysis Using SmartSniff
You can use SmartSniff (Figure 1) on almost all Windows systems, including Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. Download, unpack, and start the tool to analyze your network. You won't need to install. The sniffer process will start when you click the green triangle. However, you first need to choose the network adapter on which the tool will be sniffing for network packets. SmartSniff collects TCP/IP packets and displays their contents without the need to install additional drivers. As with most Windows scan programs, you need to install the WinPcap extension [4] for advanced options.
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