数据包嗅探(Packet Sniffing)乍一看似乎是一种恶意活动，但它实际上是一种分析网络和诊断任何与网络相关的问题的合乎道德的方式。网络技术人员使用数据包嗅探(Packet Sniffing)工具进行此类诊断过程。话虽如此，黑客使用数据包嗅探进行恶意活动（例如收集密码和监视用户流量）的事件数量相同。
在这里，我们不打算讨论数据包嗅探攻击，而是一些免费的数据包嗅探工具，可以有效地用于诊断网络问题并解决问题。在我们向您介绍三个适用于Windows的数据包嗅探工具之前，让我们看一下数据包嗅探工具的一般工作原理。
数据包嗅探工具的工作原理
有不同类型的数据包嗅探器。一些数据包嗅探器仅用于检测与硬件相关的问题。其他数据包嗅探工具实际上是在主机上运行的一些软件应用程序。
数据包嗅探工具拦截并记录网络流量。这些工具使用无线或有线网络接口“查看”网络。数据包嗅探工具需要在其主机上访问此接口。如果是有线网络，数据包嗅探工具可以捕获完全取决于网络结构的数据。
网络结构可以让数据包嗅探器工具查看整个网络上的流量，也可以只查看其中的一小部分。如果是无线网络，数据包嗅探工具可以使用无线接口捕获一个通道。如果主机有多个无线接口，那么数据包嗅探器可以捕获多个通道。
然后，嗅探工具分析捕获的原始数据包数据。分析由嗅探工具转换为可读格式。这种分析只不过是网络上节点之间的对话。这些信息有助于网络技术人员定位故障。
阅读(Read)：PktMon.exe 或 Packet Monitor是(PktMon.exe or Packet Monitor)Windows 10中新的内置网络嗅探器或网络诊断和数据包监控工具。
适用于Windows 11/10的免费数据包嗅探工具(Packet Sniffing Tools)
如果您还想分析您的网络，这里有三个免费的Windows数据包嗅探工具。
1. WireShark 数据包嗅探器
Wireshark是Windows上流行的免费数据包嗅探工具之一。该工具可以让您在微观层面上查看网络上正在发生的事情。该工具的一些重要功能如下：
- 深入检查数百种协议，并不断添加更多协议
- 实时捕获和离线分析
- 标准三窗格数据包浏览器
- 除了Windows之外，此工具还可以在其他操作系统上运行，例如Linux、OS X、Solaris、FreeBSD、NetBSD和许多其他操作系统。
- (Captured)可以通过GUI(GUI)或通过TTY 模式 TShark(TTY-mode TShark)实用程序浏览捕获的网络数据
- 业内最强大的显示过滤器
- 丰富的 VoIP 分析
- 对许多协议的解密(Decryption)支持，包括IPsec、ISAKMP、Kerberos、SNMPv3、SSL/TLS、WEP和WPA/WPA2
- 可以将着色规则应用于数据包列表，以进行快速、直观的分析
- 输出可以导出为XML、PostScript®、CSV或纯文本
您可以通过从其网站下载(downloading it from its website)来试用此工具。
2. 智能嗅探
SmartSniff 是另一个免费的数据包嗅探工具，它允许您捕获通过网络适配器的TCP/IP借助此网络监控实用程序，您可以以ASCII模式或十六进制转储查看TCP/IP对话。
SmartSniff提供了 3 种捕获TCP/IP数据包的方法：
- Raw Sockets (Only for Windows 2000/XP or greater):此方法允许您在网络上捕获TCP/IP数据包，而无需安装捕获驱动程序。然而，这种方法有一些局限性和问题。
- WinPcap Capture Driver：这种特殊方法可以让您在所有Windows操作系统上捕获TCP/IP
- Microsoft Network Monitor Driver (Only for Windows 2000/XP/2003): Microsoft在(Microsoft)Windows 2000/XP/2003下提供免费的捕获驱动程序，可供SmartSniff使用。但是，此驱动程序需要手动安装。
如果您想尝试这个数据包嗅探工具，请从这里下载(download it from here)。
3.微软消息分析器
Microsoft Message Analyzer是Microsoft Network Monitor的继任者。它有助于捕获、显示和分析协议消息流量和其他系统消息。它不仅是解决网络问题的有效工具，也是测试和验证协议实现的有效工具。
如果您有任何其他免费的数据包嗅探工具要添加，请告诉我们。(Do let us know if you have any other free packet sniffing tools to add.)
您可能还想查看其中一些免费的网络监控工具(Network Monitoring Tools)。
Free Packet Sniffing Tools for Windows 11/10 computer
Packet Sniffing may sound like a malicious activity at first glance, but it is actually an ethical way to analyze the network, and diagnose any network-related problems. Packet Sniffing tools are used by network technicians for such diagnostic processes. Having said this, there are an equal number of incidences where packet sniffing is used by hackers for malicious activities such as collecting passwords and spying on user traffic.
Here, we are not going to talk about packet sniffing attacks, but some free packet sniffing tools that can be effectively used to diagnose network problems and resolve the issues. Before we present you three packet sniffing tools for Windows, let’s look at how packet sniffing tools work in general.
How Packet Sniffing tools work
There are different types of packet sniffers. Some packet sniffers are used only for detecting hardware-related problems. Other packet sniffing tools are actually some software apps that run on the host computers.
The packet sniffing tools intercept and log network traffic. The tools ‘view’ the network using a wireless or wired network interface. The packet sniffing tool needs to have access to this interface on its host computer. If it is a wired network, a packet sniffing tool can capture the data which totally depends on the network’s structure.
The network structure might let the packet sniffer tool view traffic on the entire network or it can let it view only a small segment of it. If it’s a wireless network, packet sniffing tools can capture one channel using the wireless interface. If the host computer has multiple wireless interfaces, then the packet sniffer can capture multiple channels.
The sniffing tool then analyzes the captured raw packet data. The analysis is converted by the sniffing tool into a readable format. This analysis is nothing but the conversation between nodes on the network. This very information is helpful for the network technicians to locate the fault.
Read: PktMon.exe or Packet Monitor is the new built-in network sniffer or network diagnostic and packet monitoring tool in Windows 10.
Free Packet Sniffing Tools for Windows 11/10
If you also wish to analyze your network, here are three free packet sniffing tools for Windows.
1. WireShark Packet Sniffer
Wireshark is one of the popular free packet sniffing tools for Windows. This tool can give you an ability to see what’s happening on your network at a microscopic level. Some of the important features of this tool are as follows:
- Deep inspection of hundreds of protocols, with more being added all the time
- Live capture and offline analysis
- Standard three-pane packet browser
- Apart from Windows, this tool can run on other operating systems such as Linux, OS X, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and many others
- Captured network data can be browsed via a GUI, or via the TTY-mode TShark utility
- The most powerful display filters in the industry
- Rich VoIP analysis
- Decryption support for many protocols, including IPsec, ISAKMP, Kerberos, SNMPv3, SSL/TLS, WEP, and WPA/WPA2
- Coloring rules can be applied to the packet list for quick, intuitive analysis
- Output can be exported to XML, PostScript®, CSV, or plain text
You can try this tool by downloading it from its website.
2. SmartSniff
SmartSniff is yet another free packet sniffing tool that allows you to capture TCP/IP packets that pass through your network adapter and view the captured data as sequence of conversations between clients and servers. With the help of this network monitoring utility, you can view the TCP/IP conversations in ASCII mode or as hex dump.
SmartSniff provides 3 methods for capturing TCP/IP packets:
- Raw Sockets (Only for Windows 2000/XP or greater): This method allows you to capture TCP/IP packets on your network without installing a capture driver. However, this method has some limitations and problems.
- WinPcap Capture Driver: This particular method lets you to capture TCP/IP packets on all Windows operating systems.
- Microsoft Network Monitor Driver (Only for Windows 2000/XP/2003): Microsoft provides a free capture driver under Windows 2000/XP/2003 that can be used by SmartSniff. However, this driver needs to be installed manually.
If you wish to try this packet sniffing tool, download it from here.
3. Microsoft Message Analyzer
Microsoft Message Analyzer is the successor to Microsoft Network Monitor. It is helpful in capturing, displaying, and analyzing protocol messaging traffic and other system messages. It is not only an effective tool for troubleshooting network issues, but for testing and verifying protocol implementations as well.
Do let us know if you have any other free packet sniffing tools to add.
You might want to also check out some of these free Network Monitoring Tools.
