Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

tcpdump VS Packet Sender

Compare tcpdump VS Packet Sender and see what are their differences

tcpdump logo tcpdump

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

Packet Sender logo Packet Sender

Packet Sender can send and receive UDP, TCP, and SSL on the ports of your choosing.
  • tcpdump Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-27
  • Packet Sender Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-29

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.

Packet Sender features and specs

  • Open Source
    Packet Sender is open source, allowing users to inspect, modify, and enhance the code according to their needs.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    The application is available on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, offering flexibility and accessibility for various users.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Packet Sender provides an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users.
  • Versatile Functionality
    The tool supports sending and receiving TCP, UDP, and SSL packets, making it versatile for different networking needs and testing scenarios.
  • Active Development
    Regular updates and an active development community ensure the tool is continually improving and adapting to user feedback.

Possible disadvantages of Packet Sender

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While Packet Sender is excellent for basic testing, it may lack some of the advanced features found in more specialized network tools.
  • No Built-In Automation
    Packet Sender lacks extensive automation features, which might be inconvenient for users needing to perform repetitive tasks.
  • Documentation
    While adequate for basic use, the documentation may be lacking in depth for more advanced or niche use cases, requiring users to seek additional resources or community help.

tcpdump videos

Tcpdump - Protocol Review 5 (TCP)

More videos:

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

Packet Sender videos

Dan Dangle - Packet Sender

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Tello EDU Drone Swarming Tutorial with Packet Sender and Python

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to tcpdump and Packet Sender)
Monitoring Tools
70 70%
30% 30
Log Management
68 68%
32% 32
Productivity
66 66%
34% 34
Security
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 Packet Sender

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

Packet Sender Reviews

We have no reviews of Packet Sender yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Packet Sender seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 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.

Packet Sender mentions (4)

  • [Discussion] Send SMS (which is not 100% reliable) alternatives that don't require UI Interaction (which has it's own issues)?
    By googling around I found https://packetsender.com which is able to send-receive packets in various protocols - including UDP. It has desktop apps for Win, Mac and Linux (I used the Linux variant). In the desktop app, under the Tools menu, it has references to mobile apps for Android and iOS, but I had no luck locating them. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • UART command processor, best approach?
    I've slowly transitioned most of my company's projects over to this method for in house testing/calibration and it's made a world of difference. There is something to be said about being able to open putty or Packet Sender and get intimidate feedback on what is happening without having to bust out the debugger. Source: over 3 years ago
  • DUO MFA Issues
    RADIUS uses UDP ports so you can't test it via telnet / test-netconnect (powershell), but there are 3rd party tools like Packet Sender: https://packetsender.com/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • UDP Simulator
    Network Fuzzing is used to send network packets to test network security. You could try one of those. Here's another utility you might want to try. Source: almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing tcpdump and Packet Sender, 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.

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

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...

PortMapper - Do you need to map a specific TCP or UDP port on your machine to another port on another machine?

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