What is EtherPeek 3.x (+ EtherHelp 3.5 OT Module)?

One network administrator describes locating problems on his LAN as “like finding a needle in a haystack in a hurricane.” With maxed-out servers, wide area networks, and Internet connections all dumping traffic onto the wire at mindnumbing rates, getting a clear picture of LAN activity and performance isn’t easy AG Group’s EtherPeek network analyzer has always been a big help in such situations, and with the slew of enhancements in version 3.0, it’s bound to become your right hand. The new version adds support for PCI Ethernet cards (including 100BaseT), automatic name resolution, real-time utilization graphs, customizable views, traffic statistics by protocol, AppleScript and speech notifications, and plug-in modules. The price is up $200 from version 2.0, but the enhancements are well worth it.

The package provides the EtherPeek analyzer program, a set of interface modules for various brands of network hardware adapters, and a library of protocol-specific filters and decoders. A well-written manual explains how to use the analyzer in various situations. In addition to TCP/IP, DECnet, NetWare, Banyan, XNS, and IPTalk protocol suites, version 3.0 adds support for IPv6, ICMPv6, DHCP, and IGRP. The new version also works with OpenTransport 1.1. Context-sensitive documentation for each protocol lets you call up detailed protocol definitions on the spot.

EtherPeek works by eavesdropping on network traffic, capturing and categorizing every packet. Filtering tools let you extract only the packets you’re interested in — by protocol, type, address, or contents. Every protocol includes packet decoders to display the contents of any packet formatted down to the bit level. You can use the supplied filters or make your own.

In addition to filtering, you can set a “trigger" to start and stop capture only when certain events occur. A trigger can also generate a sound, message, pager notification, or AppleScript event. When network traffic exceeds certain configurable thresholds, or when security-sensitive events, such as a new node or protocol, occur, an alarm feature uses these same techniques to notify you. Statistical bar graphs, by node or protocol, let you detect network congestion and traffic bottlenecks. A real-time graphic network utilization monitor displays overall network efficiency and the rate of collisions and error conditions, letting you easily monitor the overall health of your LAN.

Two new features stand out. The first, automatic name resolution, translates network station numbers (either hardware addresses or protocol addresses, such as IP or AppleTalk) to names, making it much easier to identify network entities. The second, plug-in analyzer modules, makes EtherPeek highly extendable. Five plug-ins are supplied: duplicate IP address detection, AppleTalk and IP detail extraction, and Web URL and Usenet newsgroup monitoring. These last two plug-ins let you monitor the two most common bandwidth hogs. Other features include a traffic generator (essential for verifying network configurations and performing stress tests) and various postcapture tools.

The Last Word

AG Group sells EtherPeek as a standalone product or in various bundles with its other network-management tools. The products work together well and are certain to make your network-management life easier.

Beckman, Mel. (December 1996). EtherPeek 3.0. Macworld. (pg. 77).

Download EtherPeek 3.x (+ EtherHelp 3.5 OT Module) for Mac

Architecture

68K + PPC (FAT)

System Requirements

From Mac OS 7.0 up to Mac OS 9.2

Compatibility notes

Architecture: 68K + PPC (FAT)

Mac OS 7.x - Mac OS 9.2.2

 

Emulating this? It could probably run under: QEMU