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netcat VS PortMapper

Compare netcat VS PortMapper and see what are their differences

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netcat logo netcat

Netcat is a featured networking utility which reads and writes data across network connections...

PortMapper logo PortMapper

Do you need to map a specific TCP or UDP port on your machine to another port on another machine?
  • netcat Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-11-19
  • PortMapper Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-24

netcat features and specs

  • Versatility
    Netcat can be used for a wide variety of network-related tasks, including port scanning, file transfers, and working as a backdoor.
  • Simplicity
    Netcat operates with simple command-line arguments, making it easy to use for those familiar with command-line interfaces.
  • Speed
    Netcat is lightweight and performs network operations quickly, without the overhead associated with more complex tools.
  • Scriptability
    Netcat is highly scriptable, allowing users to automate network tasks by including it in bash or other scripts.
  • Cross-Platform
    Netcat is available on multiple operating systems including Unix, Linux, and Windows, making it a versatile tool for different environments.

Possible disadvantages of netcat

  • Security
    Netcat can be misused, as it is often favored by attackers for creating reverse shells and other malicious activities.
  • Lack of Encryption
    Netcat does not natively support encrypted connections, meaning data transmitted can be vulnerable to interception.
  • Minimal Logging
    Netcat provides minimal logging capabilities, which can make it difficult to track usage or troubleshoot issues.
  • Basic Functionality
    Netcat provides core networking functions but lacks advanced features found in specialized tools.
  • Cannot Handle High Load
    Netcat is not designed to handle high traffic loads effectively, making it less suitable for some enterprise use cases.

PortMapper features and specs

  • Freeware
    PortMapper is available as freeware, meaning it can be used without any cost, making it accessible for users who are looking for a budget-friendly solution.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    PortMapper provides an easy-to-use interface, allowing users to set up port forwarding without much technical expertise.
  • Lightweight
    The software is lightweight, ensuring it doesn't consume significant system resources, which is beneficial for performance.
  • Simple Configuration
    The software allows for quick and simple configuration of ports, useful for users who need to set up port forwarding quickly.

Possible disadvantages of PortMapper

  • Limited Advanced Features
    PortMapper lacks some advanced features that might be necessary for power users or more complex network setups.
  • Windows Only
    The application is only available for Windows, limiting its usability for users on other operating systems like macOS or Linux.
  • Lack of Support
    As a freeware product, PortMapper might not offer robust customer support or regular updates, which can be a drawback for users who may need assistance.
  • Potential Security Risks
    As with any port forwarding tool, there are potential security risks if not configured correctly, possibly exposing the network to vulnerabilities.

netcat videos

+ Add

Linux Terminal 101: Netcat

More videos:

  • Review - Advanced Netcat and TCP Fun - Hak5 1922
  • Review - Netcat 101: Remote Shells in Windows, HakTip 86

PortMapper videos

No PortMapper videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to netcat and PortMapper)

netcat

PortMapper

Monitoring Tools
69 69%
Monitoring Tools
31% 31
Log Management
68 68%
Log Management
32% 32
Productivity
67 67%
Productivity
33% 33
Security
100 100%
Security
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare netcat and PortMapper

netcat Reviews

9 Best Angry IP Scanner Alternatives Reviewed 2021 (Free & Paid)
Netcat lacks a lot of the documentation you can easily find with software like AngryIP or Nmap which in my opinion is its biggest drawback. If you’re thinking about trying out Netcat, check out our Netcat Cheat Sheet to quickly pull up powerful and useful commands. Netcat is compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS systems.
Source: www.comparitech.com
Top 5 Best Port Scanners
Netcat is one of the oldest network tools in the "Unixverse", it's been there since 1995, and the last official version is from 2004. Although it has many forks and variants that work pretty well on modern operating systems, like ncat from the Nmap suite, or this alternative Netcat version from Mike Frysinger.
Source: securitytrails.com

PortMapper Reviews

We have no reviews of PortMapper yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, netcat seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 7 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

netcat mentions (7)

  • could not connect to the rhel-9 from putty in windows machine
    If you don't like using telnet, that's fine. Don't use it. There are plenty of other options available. Use netcat. Or use netcat. Or use netcat. Or read and write directly to /dev/tcp/hostname/port using shell constructs. Or run openssl s_client if you suspect something complicated is listening on the other end. There is more than one way to do it and ways that are not your way still work. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • The HTTP crash course nobody asked for
    Reminder, there are many different netcats, here are some of the most commons: - netcat-traditional http://www.stearns.org/nc/ - netcat-openbsd : https://github.com/openbsd/src/blob/master/usr.bin/nc/netcat.c (also packaged in Debian) - ncat https://nmap.org/ncat/ - netcat GNU: https://netcat.sourceforge.net/ (quite rare) To prevent any confusion, I like to recommend socat: http://www.dest-unreach.org/socat/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Gaining remote access to a computer with a reverse shell attack in Node.js
    A common tool to execute a reverse shell is called netcat. If you're using macOS, it should be installed by default. You can check by running nc -help in a terminal window. - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
  • Programm to send and receive TCP/UDP Packets
    You could try using Ncat on Windows or netcat on Linux, though it's a command-line only tool if that matters. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Is there a way to copy a file from a remote shell to local without using scp?
    If you have netcat, you can easily set up a transfer from one machine to the other:. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

PortMapper mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of PortMapper yet. Tracking of PortMapper recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing netcat and PortMapper, you can also consider the following products

Wireshark - Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer for Unix and Windows. It lets you capture and interactively browse the traffic running on a computer network.

Port Map - TheCodingMonkeys, authors of software like SubEthaEdit.

Ettercap - Ettercap is a suite for man in the middle attacks on LAN.

socat - socat is a relay for bidirectional data transfer between two independent data channels.

tcpdump - tcpdump is a common packet analyzer that runs under the command line.

Packet Sender - Packet Sender can send and receive UDP, TCP, and SSL on the ports of your choosing.

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