What does a protocol analyzer do?

Protocol analyzer tools capture data as it moves across communication busses in embedded systems, along with traffic entering and leaving LAN, PAN, and even wireless networks. Protocol scanners provide the ability to constantly monitor and decode bus data, which can be leveraged to generate reports and valuable insights for network admins when interpreted by network protocol analysis tools. Network protocol analysis tools can also perform other functions, like offering actionable details on critical network analytics and network bandwidth utilization. They can detect abnormal levels of network traffic or abnormal packet details signaling bandwidth bottlenecks or potentially malicious activity. The best protocol analyzers will display metrics and statistics from multiple dataflows in an easy-to-navigate user interface, allowing admins to quickly determine the state of the network traffic. While network analyzers shouldn't stand in for security programs like antivirus or spyware detection applications, they can also be used to lessen the risk of cyberattacks when incorporated into a robust security lineup. In the event of a hack, protocol scanners and analyzers can reduce admin response time.

Is a protocol analyzer the same as a packet sniffer?

Technically, protocol analyzers and packet sniffers are different applications, but the two names are often used interchangeably because many network protocol tools include both functionalities. Historically, network analyzers intercepted and monitored traffic, but over time—and with the increased prevalence of cloud computing—more network protocol analysis applications bundled protocol analyzers and packet sniffers together for more comprehensive network analysis. The primary difference between the two is packet sniffers collect bit strings and packets on the network interface, while packet analyzers examine the captured data to provide admins with as much information as possible about the protocols sending data through the network. Packet sniffers can be used to capture almost any sort of information passing through the network—such as the websites end users visit, what they download, and the contents of emails. On the other hand, many companies use packet analyzers to monitor end-user network use and are often included in antivirus software.

What are the benefits of a protocol analyzer?

When implemented correctly, protocol analyzers provide benefits for network security and efficiency, from reducing the risk of infection by malicious software or code to ensuring adequate network bandwidth. Protocol analyzers are extremely useful monitoring tools for embedded systems, as each one can capture, decode, and analyze data for a variety of different communication protocols. Because each communication protocol requires a matching protocol analyzer, implementing versatile protocol analyzers capable of monitoring multiple protocols takes advantage of their greater flexibility and value. Protocol analyzers also offer useful diagnostic capabilities. In addition to monitoring bus data traffic, they can capture real-time data while simulating errors to test if and how the system recovers. Testing and troubleshooting at the application level are helpful but being able to test dataflow on the bus is one way of conclusively testing whether a given feature is functioning as intended. Using network protocol analysis with the basic ping command allows admins to pinpoint problems within minutes.

How does the protocol analyzer in NetFlow Traffic Analyzer work?

SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer provides real-time network and bandwidth monitoring to help track the overall traffic on the network and identify which applications are being used. It does this through a centralized dashboard interface providing admins with access control over the network monitoring systems and customizable alerting and reporting functionalities. By collecting flow data and processing it, NetFlow Traffic Analyzer displays data in color-coded graphs and visually demonstrates bandwidth utilization in intuitive, easy-to-parse ways. Detailed analytics allow you to track and sort traffic based on metrics like destination IP address, source IP, ports, and protocols, while also giving you the ability to drill down on flow-through nodes and switches for more robust intelligence gathering. NetFlow Traffic Analyzer includes a powerful and convenient custom alerting system designed to notify you to sudden increases or drop-offs in network traffic. Alerts can also be used to swiftly examine unusual or potentially malicious network activity, including for port 0 monitoring, helping identify malformed traffic. The tool's powerful reporting system gives access to a range of valuable intelligence, from users and applications using the most bandwidth to detailed analysis of traffic patterns. This allows admins to stay on top of network usage, plan for capacity changes, and prevent service outages.

Network Protocol Analyzer

Gather traffic data with powerful network protocol analysis

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Analyze Bandwidth

Monitor Network Usage

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Analyze Metrics

Analyze bandwidth and traffic patterns with protocol monitoring

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Monitor interface-level network bandwidth and traffic patterns with up to one-minute granularity. Use protocol analyzer functions to track various flow data, including NetFlow, sFlow, J-Flow, IPFIX, and NetStream. SolarWinds^® NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (NTA) provides a quick view of a protocol monitoring dashboard to help you spot potential bandwidth problems in your network. Now you can easily investigate and isolate excessive network bandwidth utilization and unexpected application traffic.

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Protocol scanners monitor network bandwidth usage

See which users, applications, protocols, or IP address groups consume the most bandwidth. Get valuable insights into which applications consume the most bandwidth and track application traffic according to ports, source and destination IPs, and protocols. The bandwidth threshold alerting capability in SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer uses protocol monitoring to deliver instant notifications if bandwidth utilization exceeds predefined thresholds.

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Explore IP flow conversations with protocol analysis tool

Using NetFlow Traffic Analyzer as a protocol scanner helps you access personalized network traffic views by filtering flow data. Create in-depth network protocol analyzer reports and schedule automatic weekly delivery for your team. Determine which flows are representative of most bandwidth consumption and boost overall performance by up to 10 times when capturing flows representing 95% of the total network traffic.

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Troubleshoot network issues with a protocol analyzer

This network protocol analyzer gives you the tools you need to perform network protocol analysis and discover the root causes of any issues. The NetFlow Collector Services resource gives detailed status information about servers by collecting flow and CBQoS information. Other resources provide time stamps for devices routing data flows through NetFlow Traffic Analyzers, enabling you to drill down on individual interfaces with ease.

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Analyze a range of metrics with a network protocol analyzer

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Find the cause of high bandwidth utilization with NetFlow Traffic Analyzer’s detailed protocol monitoring capabilities. Track data flow statistics to determine the right CBQoS class and policies you need to create and apply to your systems—and ensure your implementation is properly tuned. Configurable alerts keep you up to date on the effects of policy maps applied to your Cisco devices, while cross-stack network data correlation gives you visual representations of data and corresponding analytics.

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Get More on Protocol Analyzer

Do you find yourself asking…

What is a network protocol analyzer?
What does a protocol analyzer do?
Is a protocol analyzer the same as a packet sniffer?
What are the benefits of a protocol analyzer?
How does the protocol analyzer in NetFlow Traffic Analyzer work?

A network protocol analyzer is a tool used to monitor data traffic and analyze captured signals as they travel across communication channels. Sometimes network protocol analyzers are standalone hardware devices through which all network traffic is routed, and in other cases, they’re software applications installed on specific workstations or networks to provide an added layer of security. In addition, network protocol analyzers can be paired with firewalls and antivirus programs for a strong line of defense against network intrusions.

Any information sent across the internet, whether as an email or a webpage, is broken down into thousands of small data packets, which are then reassembled at the intended destination. Network protocol analyzer tools, also known as “sniffers,” function by capturing data packets and assessing whether the data they contain is legitimate and valid—or whether it might contain elements of malicious code. Different methods of communication will use different protocols, which is why protocol monitoring tools and software needs to be able to monitor different protocols to provide proper network security.

A network protocol analyzer is a tool used to monitor data traffic and analyze captured signals as they travel across communication channels. Sometimes network protocol analyzers are standalone hardware devices through which all network traffic is routed, and in other cases, they’re software applications installed on specific workstations or networks to provide an added layer of security. In addition, network protocol analyzers can be paired with firewalls and antivirus programs for a strong line of defense against network intrusions.
Any information sent across the internet, whether as an email or a webpage, is broken down into thousands of small data packets, which are then reassembled at the intended destination. Network protocol analyzer tools, also known as “sniffers,” function by capturing data packets and assessing whether the data they contain is legitimate and valid—or whether it might contain elements of malicious code. Different methods of communication will use different protocols, which is why protocol monitoring tools and software needs to be able to monitor different protocols to provide proper network security.

"With SolarWinds we have seen improvements in availability and reductions in time-to-resolution. We are able to rectify problems much faster, before users start complaining."

Micheal Low

Systems Engineer

Marina Bay Sands

Analyze network traffic with a robust protocol analyzer

NetFlow Traffic Analyzer

Use protocol monitoring to track bandwidth use by application, protocol, and IP address group.
Get alerted if application traffic suddenly increases, decreases, or disappears completely.
Analyze protocol patterns over months, days, or minutes by drilling down into any network element.

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