Packet Capture vs Ettercap

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

Packet Capture is a Network & Admin solution with tags like packet-capture, network-traffic, network-analysis, wireshark, tcpdump, windump.

It boasts features such as Real-time packet capture and analysis, Support for hundreds of protocols and network standards, Powerful display filters for drilling down on specific traffic, Expert Info to explain meaning of network packets, Statistical reports on network usage and metrics, Ability to reconstruct TCP sessions and application streams, Export captured packets in multiple formats (pcap, csv, xml, etc) and pros including Free and open source, Cross-platform support, Rich feature set for deep inspection and analysis, Extensive protocol support, Large user and developer community.

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.

Packet Capture

Packet Capture

Packet capture software intercepts and logs network traffic passing through a network interface. It can help analyze network issues, view raw network packets, monitor bandwidth usage, debug protocols, etc. Popular open-source packet capture tools include Wireshark, tcpdump, and Windump.

Categories:
packet-capture network-traffic network-analysis wireshark tcpdump windump

Packet Capture Features

  1. Real-time packet capture and analysis
  2. Support for hundreds of protocols and network standards
  3. Powerful display filters for drilling down on specific traffic
  4. Expert Info to explain meaning of network packets
  5. Statistical reports on network usage and metrics
  6. Ability to reconstruct TCP sessions and application streams
  7. Export captured packets in multiple formats (pcap, csv, xml, etc)

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Cross-platform support

Rich feature set for deep inspection and analysis

Extensive protocol support

Large user and developer community

Cons

Steep learning curve

Can be resource intensive for large captures

Limited technical support compared to commercial tools


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