Understanding Network Scanners
Network scanner has become a broad term often referring to a family of tools used to analyze our networks, but the CompTIA Network+ objectives are much less vague. So with regard to those critical objectives, know that network scanners refer to these four tools:
- Packet sniffers
- Intrusion detection system/intrusion prevention system (IDS/IPS) software
- Port scanners
- Wi-Fi analyzers
- Bandwidth speed testers
Packet Sniffers/Network Monitors
Unlike port scanners, packet sniffers actually look inside every packet on a network segment. Packet sniffers come in many flavors, and some of them, like Microsoft’s Message Analyzer, are even free today. Message Analyzer comes bundled with Windows Server and does allow you to analyze network communications traffic.
All good, but personally, I use Wireshark instead. It’s also free, and you can easily download it from www.wireshark.org. A nice feature of Wireshark is that it runs from Windows, OS X, Linux...
