Protocol analysis

A protocol analyzer is a dedicated, special-purpose computer system that acts as a node on the network, but, unlike a typical node on the network, it monitors and captures all of the network traffic for analysis and testing. Protocol analyzers provide a “window into the network” to allow users to see the type of traffic on the network. Many problems can be solved quickly by determining what type of traffic is or is not present on the network and if protocol errors are occurring. Without a “window into the network,” network managers must rely on indirect measures to determine the network behavior, such as observing the nodes attached to the network and the problems the users are experiencing.