protocol analyzer
Protocol or network analyzers are metrological devices or software components for monitoring, error detection and performance analysis in networks. They can be used to control the network load, as well as to look at transmission and application-related details.
Corresponding to the multitude of protocols, transmission and access methods, there are also diverse analyzer solutions with their manifold operating and display options for the protocols in local networks and WLANs, wide area, access and mobile networks, IP networks, field buses and many others.
Generally, protocol analyzers collect all data packets of a network in the so-called promiscuous mode. The data is then collected in tables, filtered and protocol analyzed. Data collection, packet filtering and analysis can be performed continuously in real time. Depending on the functionality of the protocol analyzer, the data analysis can detect data traffic, data packet losses, broadcasts and broadcast storms, addressing and configuration errors, as well as non-evaluable data packets, synchronization errors and timing problems.
Packet filtering plays an important role in protocol analysis, as advanced filtering functions can be used to configure the protocol analyzer to capture only predetermined data packets. In addition, the stored data can be narrowed down using display filters for fast network analysis.
According to the different protocol hierarchies, protocol analyzers can be used for analysis purposes at the different layers according to the OSI reference model. However, the use is concentrated on the network and transport-oriented layers 2 to 4.