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  1. Home>
  2. IT Topics>
  3. Performance>
  4. Network Sniffer
PRTG Logo

Network Sniffer with PRTG

Fix network performance issues fast

  • Sniff out, capture, and analyze network data packets
  • Monitor traffic across your entire infrastructure
  • Filter by IP address, protocol, and data type
Free download
product overview

Our users give top ratings for monitoring with Paessler PRTG

Gartner peer insights
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Capterra
G2
Trustpilot

PRTG network sniffer: What you will find on this page

Table of content
  • Free network sniffer: Having a nose for trouble saves hours of frustration
  • 3 reasons why to choose PRTG to sniff out network issues
  • How PRTG network sniffer works
  • Preconfigured PRTG sensors for network sniffing
  • Network Sniffer: FAQ

PRTG makes network sniffing as easy as it gets

Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent network performance issues.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Free network sniffer: Having a nose for trouble saves hours of frustration

Because enterprise networks have so many moving parts – network devices like routers or firewalls and other hardware, applications, processes, and services – diagnosing the cause of a performance issue can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack.

We've all been there. Hours (or days) tracking down a failed switch, or working out why a critical app isn't running properly… while busy colleagues sit around and wait, and your boss breathes down your neck.

Paessler PRTG monitors traffic across your entire network and sniffs out issues before your system crashes, saving you time, stress, and frustration.

Table of content

3 reasons why to choose PRTG to sniff out network issues

Warning

Instant network activity diagnostics

Don't tear your hair out trying to get to the root of a network problem. Whether it's a glitchy protocol, an issue with data packet capture, IP addresses, network security, or something else, our network analysis tool alerts you immediately and shows you what and where to check, so you can fix things double quick.

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All-in-one network monitoring tool

Keep an eye on your Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or virtual network from one place. Alongside monitoring traffic, PRTG has preconfigured sensors for servers, routers, switches, and major database and cloud environments. Plus, it grows with your network, no matter how complex it gets.

Happy

Try now with full-stack functionality

Yes, really. Access PRTG's full feature set – including network management, unlimited multi-platform probes for Mac- and Linux-based monitoring, the customizable alerting and notification system, reporting, and all of our 250+ preconfigured sensors – for 30 days, 100% free.

What network packet sniffing looks like in PRTG

Diagnose network issues by continuously tracking data packets. Show traffic volume, the sources of your network traffic, and other key metrics in real time. Visualize monitoring data in clear graphs and dashboards to identify problems more easily. Gain the visibility you need to troubleshoot dips in your network's performance. 

PRTG Screenshot device tree view

Device tree view of the complete monitoring setup

Live data graph of a Packet Sniffer sensor

Live data graph of a Packet Sniffer sensor

Packet Sniffer sensor in PRTG

Packet Sniffer sensor in PRTG

Start monitoring your network's traffic with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW

IT experts agree: Paessler PRTG is a great solution for IT infrastructure monitoring

PCMag

“All-around winning
 network monitor”

IT Brief

“The real beauty of PRTG is the endless possibilities it offers”

ITPro

“PRTG Network Monitor 
is very hard to beat”

Explore our preconfigured PRTG sensors for network sniffing

PRTG comes with more than 250 native sensor types for monitoring your entire on-premises, cloud, and hybrid cloud environment out of the box. Check out some examples below!

Packet Sniffer

The Packet Sniffer sensor monitors the headers of data packets that pass a local network card using a built-in packet sniffer. You can choose from predefined channels. It can show the following and more:

  • Traffic from Citrix applications
  • Traffic from file transfer (FTP/P2P) and various other protocols (UDP, TCP)
  • Traffic from network services (DHCP, DNS, Ident, ICMP, SNMP)
  • Internet mail traffic (IMAP, POP3, SMTP)
  • Traffic from remote control applications (RDP, SSH, Telnet, Virtual Network Computing (VNC))
Packet Sniffer
Packet Sniffer

Cisco IP SLA

The Cisco IP SLA sensor monitors Voice over IP (VoIP) network parameters using IP service level agreements (SLA) from Cisco. It can show the following:

  • Average jitter
  • Average, minimum, and maximum latency and RTT (round-trip time)
  • The ICPIF
  • The MOS
  • Number of lost, out-of-sequence, and late packets
Cisco IP SLA
Cisco IP SLA

Syslog Receiver

The Syslog Receiver sensor receives and analyzes Syslog messages. It can show the following:

  • Number of dropped packets on the syslog port
  • Number of messages categorized as "error" and “warning”
  • Number of received Syslog messages
Syslog Receiver
Syslog Receiver

SNMP Trap Receiver

The SNMP Trap Receiver sensor receives and analyzes Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) traps. . It can show the following:

  • Number of dropped packets on the SNMP trap collector port
  • Number of messages categorized as "error" and “warning”
  • Overall number of received traps
SNMP Trap Receiver
SNMP Trap Receiver

See the PRTG Manual for a list of all available sensor types.

PRTG is compatible with all major vendors, products, and systems

compatible with all major vendors, products, and systems

PRTG makes network sniffing as easy as it gets

Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent network performance issues.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW

“PRTG helps us to keep control of our IT by making issues visible immediately – and everywhere. We always have an eye on the performance and availability of our IT and can react in time if any failures occur. On a long-term perspective, the monitoring data helps us with capacity planning so that we can deliver the required resources for our own systems as well as for our customers, without wasting money on unwarranted redundancies.”

Stein Erik Høybakk, Senior Network Engineer
TAFJORD

“All our production and business processes depend on SAP. But, of course, IT and production systems also play a crucial role in securing these processes. By incorporating SAP, production, and IT into one centralized monitoring system, we can quickly detect critical drops in performance and identify the causes of these issues. In fact, thanks to PRTG and itesys, this couldn’t be any easier.”

Andreas Schmidt, Senior Systems Engineer
Truma

“Any downtime could be detrimental to our customers. We also strive to provide the best possible service to our customers. PRTG allows us to see the health and performance of the network. Using these measurements we can make decisions on how to repair a piece of equipment before it fails and causes a service interruption.”

James Ott Jr., Communications System Technician and IT Administrator
Federal Radio

Your network sniffer for Windows at a glance – even on the go

PRTG is set up in a matter of minutes and can be used on a wide variety of mobile devices.

device overview
Gartner peer insights

“Excellent tool for detailed monitoring. Alarms and notifications work greatly. Equipment addition is straight forward and server initial setup is very easy. ...feel safe to purchase it if you intend to monitor a large networking landscape.”

Read the complete review at Gartner Peer Insights

Create innovative solutions with Paessler’s IT partners

Partnering with innovative IT vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.

baramundi

baramundi

baramundi and PRTG create a secure, reliable and powerful IT infrastructure where you have everything under control - from the traffic in your firewall to the configuration of your clients.

Read more
ScriptRunner

ScriptRunner

With ScriptRunner Paessler integrates a powerful event automation platform into PRTG Network Monitor.

Read more
UVnetworks

UVnetworks

UVexplorer integrates tightly with PRTG to bring fast and accurate network discovery, detailed device inventory, and automatic network mapping to the PRTG platform.

Read more

Find the root cause of the problem with our PRTG network sniffer solution

Real-time notifications mean faster troubleshooting so that you can act before more serious issues occur.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Paessler PRTG

Paessler PRTG

Network Monitoring Software – Version 24.4.102.1351 (November 12th, 2024)

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Hosting

Download for Windows and cloud-based version PRTG Hosted Monitor available

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Languages

English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese

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Monitor everything

Network devices, bandwidth, servers, applications, virtual environments, remote systems, IoT, and more

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Pricing

Choose the PRTG Network Monitor subscription that's best for you

Discover beyond network sniffer

Resources Solution

Solutions for all your monitoring needs

  • Bandwidth Management Using the PRTG Network Packet Sniffer
  • Get valuable network insights with packet sniffing tool PRTG
  • Advanced port sniffer: PRTG logs all data flowing through your network
Resources Content

Powerful stories from the monitoring world

  • Sensor of the Week: Packet Sniffer Sensor
  • Video: Bandwidth monitoring with flows and packet sniffing
  • What is Packet Sniffing? Definition and Details
Resources Solutions

Resources to master your monitoring challenges

  • Packet Sniffer Sensor doesn't recognize network adapter
  • Packet Sniffer Sensor
  • Upgrade broke packet sniffer sensor

Network Sniffer: FAQ

 

What is a network sniffer tool?

A sniffer (also known as network analyzer or packet analyzer) is a software that can intercept and log traffic on a network. The tool captures each packet that flows across the infrastructure and analyzes its content.

PRTG is a proprietary software that shows you, as a network sniffing tool, how much traffic is flowing through your network and where it's coming from in real time. It logs every data packet and analyzes its content, so it's quick and easy to track how much bandwidth you're using and troubleshoot performance issues.

Why use a network sniffer?

Because it helps you identify and address network performance issues before it's too late. It's like having a personal guard dog with a highly sensitive nose, continuously sniffing for signs of trouble. But a network sniffer isn't just for troubleshooting. It's also useful for the following:

  • Tracking bandwidth usage spikes (and dips)
  • Analyzing your network's overall performance
  • Identifying and pinpointing unusual traffic in your network
  • Collecting data for security analysis in your infosec team
Should I use the free network sniffer or the full version?

The simple answer is: it depends (and no, we're not trying to sidestep the question). The free sniffer tool is perfect for diagnosing a specific problem, or if you have a small network and only need to monitor traffic from limited sources. But if you have a larger, more complex network and need comprehensive monitoring, alerting, and reporting, the full version is probably the better choice. Still unsure? Try the full version for 30 days, completely free. No catches.

How much does PRTG hard disk monitor cost?

We're so confident you'll love PRTG that it comes with a free, no-obligation 30-day trial. Should you decide to keep using it, you can find our pricing list here.

What is a sensor in PRTG?

In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive. On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.

We asked: would you recommend PRTG? Over 95% of our customers say yes!

Paessler conducted trials in over 600 IT departments worldwide to tune its network monitoring software closer to the needs of sysadmins. The result of the survey: over 95% of the participants would recommend PRTG – or already have.

recommendation

Still not convinced?

Love

More than 500,000 sysadmins love PRTG

Paessler PRTG is used by companies of all sizes. Sysadmins love PRTG because it makes their job a whole lot easier.

PRTG

Monitor your entire IT infrastructure

Bandwidth, servers, virtual environments, websites, VoIP services – PRTG keeps an eye on your entire network.

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Try Paessler PRTG for free

Everyone has different monitoring needs. That’s why we let you try PRTG for free.

PRTG Logo

Start monitoring your network's traffic with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.

Free download
PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Products

  • Paessler PRTG
    Paessler PRTGMonitor your whole IT infrastructure
    • PRTG Network Monitor
    • PRTG Enterprise Monitor
    • PRTG Hosted Monitor
  • PRTG extensions
    Extensions for Paessler PRTGExtend your monitoring to a new level
  • Icon Features
    FeaturesExplore all monitoring features

Monitoring with PRTG

  • Network monitoring
  • Bandwidth monitoring
  • SNMP monitoring
  • Network mapping
  • Wi-Fi monitoring
  • Server monitoring
  • Network traffic analyzer
  • NetFlow monitoring
  • Syslog server

Useful Links

  • PRTG Manual
  • Knowledge Base
  • Customer Success Stories
  • About Paessler
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • PRTG Support
  • PRTG Consulting

Contact

Paessler GmbH
Thurn-und-Taxis-Str. 14, 
90411 Nuremberg 
Germany

[email protected]

+49 911 93775-0

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