[comp.dcom.lans] LAN Traffic Analysis / Monitoring tools

shukla@blake.acs.washington.edu (Mangesh Shukla) (05/09/89)

Hi Everybody, 
Sometime ago there was a discussion on this newsgroup about LAN analysis
and monitoring software and hardware. Does someone have a summary? Would
that someone be kind enough to e-mail it to me? 

I am doing my thesis on traffic measurements on ethernets and am using
the HP 4971S LAN Protocol Analyzer. This is a real nice piece of hardware,
but are there any inconsistencies/shortcomings that I have overlooked? 
Are some of the other protocol analyzers any better/worse?

BTW, during my measurements I noticed a funny thing about the AT&T ISN.
If it sees any two back to back packets with same source and dest address,
both smaller than the max frame length, it joins them together. When this
frame is transmitted over an ethernet, it shows up as a jabber! Has anyone
else noticed this?

I would also be interested in knowing the merits/demerits of tools available
on AT&T 3B2s/Sun/VAX for low level network monitoring. Examples are traffic,
etherfind, ether on Suns, Netwatch on the PCs, DEC's LTM etc.

Please post or e-mail as seen fit.

My addresses are:
		Internet: sshukla%ece@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
			or
			  shukla@toby.acs.washington.edu
		Bitnet:  RSL08@ukanvax

Thanks.
:Shailesh Shukla