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network analyzer

A hardware device or server software that captures packets transmitted in a network for routine inspection and problem detection. Also called a "sniffer," "packet sniffer," "packet analyzer," "packet sampler," "traffic analyzer" and "protocol analyzer," the hardware analyzer plugs into a port on a network switch and decodes one or more protocols into a human-readable format for the network administrator. It can also store packets for further analysis later on.

In order to alert admins about traffic problems, packets are analyzed in real time. Hardware network analyzers can detect voltage and cable problems, whereas software analyzers cannot. See IPFIX, sFlow and port mirroring.

Before/After Your Search Term

Before	After
network access unit	network appliance
network accounting	network architecture
network adapter	Network Associates
network adaptor	network-attached storage
network address translation	network audio player
network addressable unit	network audio receiver
network administration	network bindings
network administrator	network bridge
network admission control	network bus
network affect	network cable

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