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netsniff-ng
What it is
netsniff-ng is a free, open-source toolkit for Linux network development, debugging, analysis, auditing and reconnaissance. It captures, analyzes, replays and redirects network traffic using zero-copy packet mechanisms, with support for live and command-line capture as well as offline trace analysis. It reads and writes pcap formats, including tcpdump-capable pcap, its nanosecond-resolution variant, Alexey Kuznetzov's pcap and netsniff-ng pcap; capture files can interoperate with other packet-analysis tools. Filtering includes low- and high-level options, including Berkeley Packet Filter expressions. Its built-in dissector covers Ethernet, WLAN, ARP, MPLS, VLAN, LLDP, IPv4, IPv6, ICMP, IGMP, TCP and UDP. The toolkit includes netsniff-ng, trafgen, mausezahn, ifpps, curvetun, astraceroute, flowtop and bpfc. Mausezahn and curvetun are marked experimental and are not advised for production use. The toolkit is licensed under GNU GPL 2.0. The project provides release verification instructions and directs questions to its mailing list and online FAQ; it also gives no guarantee that the tools are bug-free.
For and against
For
- Supports live capture and offline trace analysis.
- Reads and writes several pcap formats.
- Includes low- and high-level packet filters.
- Dissects a range of network protocols.
Against
- Available for Linux only.
- Mausezahn and curvetun are experimental.
- The project gives no bug-free guarantee.
The verdict
netsniff-ng combines packet capture, filtering and analysis with a broader networking toolkit. Linux users should account for its experimental utilities and lack of a bug-free guarantee.
Who it suits
It suits Linux users who need command-line network capture, packet filtering or offline trace analysis. Its experimental utilities should not be used in production, according to the project.
Plans and prices
netsniff-ng toolkit
Free, open-source toolkit under GNU GPL 2.0
Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Capture formats
- It captures and reads pcap files that interoperate with other packet-analysis tools.netsniff-ng.github.io · read 7 Oct 2026
- Experimental utilities
- The project marks mausezahn and curvetun as experimental and advises against using them in production.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Filtering
- netsniff-ng supports low-level and high-level packet filters, including Berkeley Packet Filter expressions.man7.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- License
- The toolkit is open source under the GNU General Public License version 2.0.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Limitations
- The project says it provides no guarantee that its tools are free of bugs.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Packet capture
- netsniff-ng captures, analyzes, replays, and redirects network traffic using zero-copy packet mechanisms.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Protocol analysis
- Its built-in dissector supports Ethernet, WLAN, ARP, MPLS, VLAN, LLDP, IPv4, IPv6, ICMP, IGMP, TCP, and UDP.man7.org · read 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- netsniff-ng is a free Linux network analyzer and networking toolkit for network development, debugging, analysis, auditing, and reconnaissance.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Release verification
- The project provides instructions for verifying releases using Git tags and GPG signatures.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project directs users to its mailing list and online FAQ for questions and feedback.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Toolkit components
- The toolkit includes netsniff-ng, trafgen, mausezahn, ifpps, curvetun, astraceroute, flowtop, and bpfc.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
