Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

nload VS tcpdump

Compare nload VS tcpdump and see what are their differences

nload logo nload

Monitor network traffic and bandwidth usage in real time

tcpdump logo tcpdump

tcpdump is a common packet analyzer that runs under the command line.
  • nload Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-02-27
  • tcpdump Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-27

nload features and specs

  • Real-time Monitoring
    Nload allows users to monitor incoming and outgoing network traffic in real-time, providing an instantaneous view of network load and performance.
  • Simple Interface
    The tool offers a straightforward, text-based interface that is easy to understand, making it accessible even to those who are not highly technical.
  • Lightweight
    Nload is a lightweight application that requires minimal resources, making it suitable for use on systems with limited processing power and memory.
  • No Configuration Required
    The tool runs with minimal configuration, enabling quick setup and deployment without the need for extensive settings adjustments.
  • Cross-Platform Availability
    Nload is available for multiple Unix-like systems, including Linux and BSD, offering flexibility across different environments.

Possible disadvantages of nload

  • Limited Features
    Nload provides basic monitoring capabilities and lacks advanced features or detailed analysis options found in more comprehensive network monitoring tools.
  • No Historical Data
    The tool is designed for real-time monitoring and does not store historical data, which means users cannot review past network performance.
  • Text-Based Display
    The reliance on a text-based display may not meet the needs of users who prefer graphical user interfaces or require detailed visualizations.
  • Single Interface Monitoring
    Nload monitors only one network interface at a time, which can be limiting for users who need to observe traffic across multiple interfaces simultaneously.
  • No Automated Alerts
    Without automated alert features, users must manually monitor the tool to detect unusual traffic patterns or potential issues, increasing the possibility of missing critical events.

tcpdump features and specs

  • Powerful packet capturing
    tcpdump offers comprehensive capabilities for capturing network packets, providing detailed insights into network traffic, which makes it a powerful tool for network diagnostics and analysis.
  • Wide compatibility
    Being a widely used tool, tcpdump is compatible with numerous operating systems, including Linux, Unix, and macOS, ensuring accessibility across different platforms.
  • Filter flexibility
    tcpdump supports a wide range of filtering options that allow users to capture specific types of traffic, ensuring efficient and targeted packet capture.
  • Command-line interface
    tcpdump is a command-line tool, which provides advanced users the ability to script and automate tasks, making it highly efficient for those familiar with command-line operations.
  • Free and open-source
    tcpdump is open-source software, which means it is freely available for use and can be modified and distributed by anyone, fostering a community of users and contributors.

Possible disadvantages of tcpdump

  • Steep learning curve
    For users unfamiliar with command-line interfaces and packet-level networking, tcpdump can be difficult to learn due to its complex commands and options.
  • Minimal graphical interface
    tcpdump lacks a graphical user interface (GUI), which can make it less accessible for users who prefer visual tools over text-based interfaces.
  • Limited analysis capability
    While tcpdump is excellent for capturing packets, it offers limited built-in analysis features, requiring additional tools for comprehensive analysis of captured data.
  • High resource usage
    Running tcpdump with extensive capture options or on high-traffic networks can result in significant CPU and memory usage, potentially impacting system performance.
  • Security risks
    tcpdump requires root or elevated privileges to capture packets, which could pose security risks if not managed correctly, especially on sensitive systems.

nload videos

nload, network traffic and bandwidth monitor

More videos:

  • Review - Remote linux server admin tools: byobu, htop, nethogs, nload, iptraf
  • Review - Typhoon Defence Industries F12 **FULL REVIEW** by RACKNLOAD

tcpdump videos

Tcpdump - Protocol Review 5 (TCP)

More videos:

  • Review - Tcpdump - Protocol Review 3 (UDP)
  • Review - Tcpdump - Protocol Review 4 (DNS) - Draft

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to nload and tcpdump)
Monitoring Tools
25 25%
75% 75
Performance Monitoring
100 100%
0% 0
Log Management
21 21%
79% 79
Productivity
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

nload Reviews

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tcpdump Reviews

6 Best Wireshark Alternatives for Windows and macOS
The quickness that you can have with tcpdump over Wireshark is awesome. It is one of those tools that many network administrators prefer whenever they need to take a look at the actual network packets that are being transmitted. The Tcpdump is not as feature rich as Wireshark but the output of its packet dump can be used as input by other programs. Moreover, It can be used...
Source: techwiser.com

What are some alternatives?

When comparing nload and tcpdump, you can also consider the following products

iftop - iftop does for network usage what top(1) does for CPU usage.

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.

darkstat - darkstat is a packet sniffer which runs as a background process, captures network traffic...

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

ntop - ntopng High-Speed Web-based Traffic Analysis and Flow Collection ntopng is the next generation version of the original ntop, a network traffic probe that monitors network usage. ntopng is based on …

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