Ethereal vs Ettercap

Struggling to choose between Ethereal and Ettercap? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Ethereal is a Network & Admin solution with tags like packet, network, analyzer, sniffer, protocol.

It boasts features such as Packet capture and real-time network traffic analysis, Powerful display filters for analyzing captured data, Protocol dissection of hundreds of protocols, TCP reassembly and stream following, VoIP analysis and RTP streams playback, Supports common capture file formats like pcap and pcapng, Extensible via plugins and dissectors and pros including Free and open source, Available for multiple platforms like Windows, Linux, macOS, Rich feature set for deep inspection and analysis, Support for wide range of network protocols, Active community support and development.

On the other hand, Ettercap is a Security & Privacy product tagged with maninthemiddle, arp-spoofing, network-auditing, protocol-analysis, password-sniffing.

Its standout features include Man-in-the-middle attack, Password sniffing, ARP spoofing detection, SSL stripping, Packet filtering and injection, Plugin support, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Works on various platforms, Powerful CLI interface, Supports many protocols, Can be used for auditing and analysis.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Ethereal

Ethereal

Ethereal is a free and open-source packet analyzer and network protocol analyzer software for Unix-like operating systems. It allows users to examine data from a live network or from a capture file on disk. Ethereal has powerful features to inspect hundreds of protocols, and provides the ability to reconstruct TCP sessions and browse data as it presents itself on the wire.

Categories:
packet network analyzer sniffer protocol

Ethereal Features

  1. Packet capture and real-time network traffic analysis
  2. Powerful display filters for analyzing captured data
  3. Protocol dissection of hundreds of protocols
  4. TCP reassembly and stream following
  5. VoIP analysis and RTP streams playback
  6. Supports common capture file formats like pcap and pcapng
  7. Extensible via plugins and dissectors

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Available for multiple platforms like Windows, Linux, macOS

Rich feature set for deep inspection and analysis

Support for wide range of network protocols

Active community support and development

Cons

Steep learning curve

Capturing and analysis limited by available bandwidth

Lacks some features found in commercial analyzers

User interface not very intuitive


Ettercap

Ettercap

Ettercap is a free and open source network security tool for man-in-the-middle attacks on LAN. It can be used for network auditing, protocol analysis, sniffing passwords, detecting ARP spoofing, and more.

Categories:
maninthemiddle arp-spoofing network-auditing protocol-analysis password-sniffing

Ettercap Features

  1. Man-in-the-middle attack
  2. Password sniffing
  3. ARP spoofing detection
  4. SSL stripping
  5. Packet filtering and injection
  6. Plugin support

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Works on various platforms

Powerful CLI interface

Supports many protocols

Can be used for auditing and analysis

Cons

Steep learning curve

Prone to false positives

Requires expertise to use effectively

Does not work well on switched networks