Best Web-Based Packet Analyzers of 2025

Paessler PRTG is an all-inclusive monitoring solution with an intuitive, user-friendly interface powered by a cutting-edge monitoring engine. It optimizes connections and workloads, reduces operational costs, and prevents outages. It also saves time and controls service level agreements (SLAs). This solution includes specialized monitoring features such as flexible alerting, cluster failover, distributed monitoring, maps, dashboards, and in-depth reporting.

Snort stands as the leading Open Source Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) globally. This IPS utilizes a collection of rules designed to identify harmful network behavior, matching incoming packets against these criteria to issue alerts to users. Additionally, Snort can be configured to operate inline, effectively blocking these malicious packets. Its functionality is versatile, serving three main purposes: it can act as a packet sniffer similar to tcpdump, function as a packet logger that assists in troubleshooting network traffic, or serve as a comprehensive network intrusion prevention system. Available for download and suitable for both personal and commercial use, Snort requires configuration upon installation. After this setup, users gain access to two distinct sets of Snort rules: the "Community Ruleset" and the "Snort Subscriber Ruleset." The latter, created, tested, and validated by Cisco Talos, offers subscribers real-time updates of the ruleset as they become available to Cisco clients. In this way, users can stay ahead of emerging threats and ensure their network remains secure.

Utilize Network Watcher to monitor and troubleshoot networking problems without the need to access your virtual machines (VMs) directly. You can initiate packet captures by configuring alerts and obtain real-time performance insights at the packet level. Upon detecting an issue, you have the opportunity to conduct a thorough investigation to enhance your diagnosis. Additionally, delve into your network traffic patterns with the aid of network security group flow logs and virtual network flow logs. The insights garnered from these flow logs are invaluable for collecting data related to compliance, auditing, and overseeing your network security posture. Network Watcher also empowers you to identify and analyze common VPN gateway and connection issues, enabling not only the pinpointing of the problem but also utilizing the comprehensive logs generated for deeper analysis. This comprehensive approach allows you to maintain a robust and secure networking environment.

Wireshark stands as the leading and most widely utilized network protocol analyzer in the world. This tool allows users to observe the intricate details of their network activity and has become the standard reference point for various sectors, including commercial enterprises, non-profit organizations, government bodies, and academic institutions. The continued advancement of Wireshark is fueled by the voluntary efforts of networking specialists from around the world, originating from a project initiated by Gerald Combs in 1998. As a network protocol analyzer, Wireshark enables users to capture and explore the traffic traversing a computer network interactively. Known for its extensive and powerful capabilities, it is the most favored tool of its type globally. It operates seamlessly across a range of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and UNIX. Regularly employed by network professionals, security analysts, developers, and educators worldwide, it is accessible without cost as an open-source application and is distributed under the GNU General Public License version 2. Additionally, its community-driven development model ensures that it remains up-to-date with the latest networking technologies and trends.

Xplico is a prominent tool featured in many leading digital forensics and penetration testing distributions, including Kali Linux, BackTrack, DEFT, Security Onion, Matriux, BackBox, CERT Forensics Tools, Pentoo, and CERT-Toolkit. It supports simultaneous access for multiple users, allowing each to manage one or several cases effectively. The interface is web-based, and its backend database options include SQLite, MySQL, or PostgreSQL. Additionally, Xplico can function as a Cloud Network Forensic Analysis Tool. Its primary objective is to extract application data from internet traffic captures, such as retrieving emails via protocols like POP, IMAP, and SMTP, along with HTTP content, VoIP calls through SIP, and file transfers using FTP and TFTP from pcap files. Importantly, Xplico is not classified as a network protocol analyzer. As an open-source Network Forensic Analysis Tool (NFAT), it organizes the reassembled data with an associated XML file that distinctly identifies the data flows and the corresponding pcap file. This structured approach enables users to efficiently analyze and manage the data extracted from network traffic.

Riverbed Packet Analyzer enhances the speed of real-time network packet analysis and the reporting process for extensive trace files, utilizing a user-friendly graphical interface and a variety of pre-set analysis perspectives. This tool allows users to rapidly identify and resolve intricate network and application performance problems right down to the bit level, featuring seamless integration with Wireshark. By simply dragging and dropping preconfigured views onto virtual interfaces or trace files, users can achieve results in mere seconds, drastically reducing the time typically needed for such tasks. Furthermore, it supports the capture and combination of multiple trace files, which aids in accurately diagnosing issues across different segments of the network. It also allows users to zoom in on a 100-microsecond window, enabling them to spot utilization spikes or microbursts that could overwhelm a gigabit network and lead to major disruptions. Such capabilities make it an indispensable tool for network professionals seeking to optimize performance and troubleshoot effectively.

The Observer Platform serves as a robust network performance monitoring and diagnostics (NPMD) solution that effectively ensures the optimal performance of all IT services. As an integrated system, it offers insights into essential key performance indicators (KPIs) through established workflows that range from overall dashboards to the identification of root causes for service anomalies. This platform is particularly well-equipped to meet business objectives and address challenges throughout the entire IT enterprise lifecycle, whether it involves the implementation of new technologies, the management of existing resources, the resolution of service issues, or the enhancement of IT asset utilization. Furthermore, the Observer Management Server (OMS) user interface acts as a cybersecurity tool, enabling straightforward navigation for the authentication of security threats, the management of user access and password security, the administration of web application updates, and the consolidation of management tools into a single, central interface. By streamlining these processes, it enhances operational efficiency and supports organizations in maintaining a secure and effective IT environment.

Omnipeek® provides advanced visual packet analysis and deep packet inspection, enabling quicker resolution times for network and security challenges. Organizations and service providers rely heavily on consistent network functionality. Issues such as configuration mistakes, application errors, and security breaches can threaten operations, degrade user experience, and negatively impact financial performance. To ensure optimal network performance, engineers must maintain continuous surveillance of their networks and swiftly address any emerging issues. They require real-time insights across all network segments, including 1/10/40/100 Gigabit, 802.11, and voice and video over IP, as well as for all traffic levels. Omnipeek stands out as a top-tier network analytics solution, offering user-friendly visualization and powerful forensic capabilities that accelerate the resolution of network and application performance challenges, along with security assessments. Building on extensive experience in LiveAction packet intelligence, Omnipeek supports customizable workflows that enhance user efficiency and effectiveness in managing network performance.

Capsa is a versatile tool designed for network performance analysis and diagnostics, offering a robust packet capture and analysis solution that caters to both experienced professionals and newcomers, simplifying the task of safeguarding and overseeing networks in crucial business settings. By using Capsa, users can stay informed about potential threats that might lead to significant disruptions in business operations. This portable network analyzer serves both LAN and WLAN environments, delivering features such as real-time packet capturing, continuous network surveillance, detailed protocol analysis, thorough packet decoding, and automatic expert-level diagnostics. The high-level overview provided by Capsa allows network administrators and engineers to swiftly identify and tackle application issues that may arise. With its intuitive interface and powerful data capture capabilities, Capsa stands out as an essential resource for efficient network monitoring, ensuring that businesses remain resilient and secure in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Ultimately, Capsa's comprehensive functionality makes it a vital asset for any organization looking to enhance its network management strategy.

The Intelligence Hub serves as a comprehensive real-time analytics platform that models and connects client trading activities, plant efficiency, and counterpart execution within venues to facilitate proactive management and operational strategies. Corvil functions as an open data infrastructure that grants API access to a wide array of analytics, trading insights, market data messages, and their foundational packet structures. The Streaming Data API enhances this system by providing an expanding collection of Corvil Connectors, which allow for the seamless integration of streaming data directly from network packets into preferred big data platforms. Additionally, Corvil Center acts as a centralized access point for all analytical and reporting needs, enabling users to visualize vast quantities of granular packet data captured by Corvil with just a few clicks. Furthermore, Corvil Instrumentation delivers exceptional price-to-performance packet analysis and capture appliances, including software-defined packet sniffers known as Corvil Sensors, designed to extend capabilities into virtual and cloud-based environments, as well as the Corvil AppAgent for internal multi-hop software instrumentation, thereby ensuring comprehensive data insights across diverse settings. This integrated approach not only optimizes data accessibility but also enhances decision-making processes for businesses operating in dynamic environments.

CommView is an advanced network monitoring and analysis tool tailored for LAN administrators, security experts, network developers, and even casual users who seek a comprehensive overview of the data traversing through a computer or a local area network segment. Packed with numerous intuitive features, CommView merges high performance and adaptability with an unparalleled user-friendliness that stands out in the market. This application captures every packet transmitted over the network, presenting critical details such as lists of network packets and connections, essential statistics, and protocol distribution graphs. Users can analyze, save, filter, import, and export the captured packets while gaining insights into protocol decodes down to the most fundamental layer, supporting over 100 different protocols for thorough analysis. By leveraging this wealth of information, CommView enables users to identify network issues and effectively troubleshoot both software and hardware challenges. Furthermore, the latest iteration, CommView version 7.0, has introduced on-the-fly SSL/TLS traffic decryption, enhancing its capabilities even further for those needing to secure and monitor their network communications. This enhancement signifies a significant advancement in network analysis technology, making it an invaluable tool for users seeking to maintain robust network security.