Utility

IPTraf – console-based network statistics utility

IPTraf is a console-based network monitoring utility that provides detailed statistics about traffic passing through Linux network interfaces.

Its full-screen, menu-driven interface lets administrators examine network activity without a graphical desktop. The program captures packets through the Linux PF_PACKET interface and organises the results into several monitoring facilities.

IPTraf is particularly useful for examining TCP connections, identifying busy network services and determining which computers generate traffic on a local network.

The original IPTraf project has been superseded by IPTraf-ng, which continues its development. IPTraf remains of historical interest, but IPTraf-ng is the recommended choice for current Linux systems.

This is free and open source software.

Key Features

  • IP traffic monitor displays TCP connection information, packet and byte counts, TCP flags and protocol details.
  • General interface statistics show packet counts and activity across network interfaces.
  • Detailed interface statistics break down traffic by protocol, packet size and errors.
  • TCP and UDP service monitor identifies traffic associated with individual service ports.
  • LAN station monitor reports activity for detected hosts using their MAC addresses.
  • Supports monitoring Ethernet, loopback, PPP, SLIP and other Linux network interfaces.
  • Display filters restrict traffic according to network addresses, ports and protocols.
  • Supports ICMP, IGMP, OSPF, ARP, RARP and other network protocols.
  • Can perform reverse DNS lookups to identify hosts.
  • Provides configurable refresh intervals, connection timeouts and logging.
  • Offers optional promiscuous-mode monitoring for capturing additional network traffic.
  • Supports background operation and logging for unattended monitoring.

Website: iptraf.seul.org
Support:
Developer: Gerard Paul Java
License: GNU General Public License v2.0

IPTraf


Related Software

Network 'top' Tools
ntopngWeb-based network traffic monitoring application with an open source version
NetHogsGroups bandwidth by process
nloadReal time network traffic monitor for the text console
IPTraf-ngFork of IPTraf
iftopDisplays bandwidth usage on an interface by host
ntopNetwork traffic probe that shows the network usage
IPTrafInteractive Colourful IP LAN Monitor
socktopRemote system monitor with a rich TUI

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