Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

tcpdump VS Etherape

Compare tcpdump VS Etherape and see what are their differences

tcpdump logo tcpdump

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

Etherape logo Etherape

GUI network monitor for Linux.
  • tcpdump Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-27
  • Etherape Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-19

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.

Etherape features and specs

  • Open Source
    Etherape is an open-source network traffic visualization tool, allowing users to access and modify its source code, fostering community collaboration and transparency.
  • Visual Network Monitoring
    It provides a graphical representation of network traffic, which can help users easily identify patterns, anomalies, and the flow of data within the network.
  • Protocol Support
    Etherape supports a wide range of network protocols, allowing it to capture and display traffic information from various types of network communications.
  • Customizability
    Users can customize the interface and filter settings to focus on specific protocols or traffic types, providing flexibility in monitoring network data.

Possible disadvantages of Etherape

  • Limited Platform Support
    Etherape primarily runs on Unix-like operating systems, which may limit accessibility for users who are on Windows or macOS platforms.
  • Resource Usage
    The tool can be resource-intensive, especially when monitoring high volumes of network traffic, potentially impacting the performance of the system it is running on.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its specialized nature and the technical detail it presents, new users may find it challenging to understand and effectively utilize the software without prior network knowledge.
  • Limited Alerting Features
    Etherape lacks advanced alerting and reporting features found in more comprehensive network management solutions, which may limit its utility in larger network environments.

tcpdump videos

Tcpdump - Protocol Review 5 (TCP)

More videos:

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

Etherape videos

EtherApe: Monitor your network!

More videos:

  • Review - Etherape Network Monitor
  • Review - EtherApe on Kali Linux

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to tcpdump and Etherape)
Monitoring Tools
78 78%
22% 22
Log Management
84 84%
16% 16
Productivity
81 81%
19% 19
Network & Admin
100 100%
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 tcpdump and Etherape

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

Etherape Reviews

11 Best Wireshark Alternatives in 2020
EtherApe is a graphical network monitoring solution. It supports Ethernet, FDDI, ISDN, SLIP, PPP, and WLAN devices. EtherApe allows you to select the level of the protocol stack to concentrate on.
Source: www.guru99.com
5 Best Wireshark alternative packet sniffers
EtherApe is a free utility that runs on Linux, Unix, and Mac OS. It creates a network map by picking up connected devices’ messages. The hosts on the network are plotted on the map and labeled with their IP addresses. EtherApe then captures all of the packets traveling between those hosts and displays them on the map in real-time. Each transfer is depicted by a color, which...
Best Linux Network Monitoring Tools for 2020
EtherApe is a network monitoring software compatible with Linux/Unix systems that shows there’s strength in graphics. For IT specialists wishing to monitor small networks without the long lists of numbers and jargony script, EtherApe provides a slick graphical component for visualization of network data. Like some of the other open-source tools, it reads packets from your...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Etherape seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 2 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.

tcpdump mentions (0)

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

Etherape mentions (2)

  • Sniffnet – monitor your Internet traffic
    You may also want to look at the venerable EtherApe, that has been around for a while https://etherape.sourceforge.io/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Capturing network traffic on a PC
    Once you have the captures, you can run them through wireshark or something else. I usually use etherape first to get a better visualization. Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing tcpdump and Etherape, 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.

SmartSniff - SmartSniff is a packet sniffer that capture TCP/IP packets and display them as sequence of conversations between clients and servers.

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

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

CloudShark - CloudShark is a browser-based threat assessment tool.

NetworkMiner - NetworkMiner is a Network Forensic Analysis Tool (NFAT) for Windows.