Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!uoregon!oregon!dsmith
From: dsmith@oregon.uoregon.edu (Dale Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Protocol Analyzer?
Message-ID: <23@oregon.uoregon.edu>
Date: 26 Oct 88 08:37:03 GMT
References: <5500003@techsup>
Organization: University of Oregon
Lines: 34

In article <5500003@techsup>, tomfout@techsup.UUCP writes:
> I'm looking for a protocol analyzer.
> It needs to be able to handle a large number
> of protocols and yet still be fairly inexpensive.
> I can't give an exact price range yet as I don't 
> know my budget yet. 

We recently purchased a protocol analyzer for less than $5K.  It is a
"roll your own" and consists of a Toshiba T3200 (any fast AT-class
portable with expansions slots would do), a Micom/Interlan NI5210 and
FTP Software's LANwatch.  I am very happy with it.  For an inexpensive
solution, I think it really has worked out well.  The commercial boxes
(Sniffer and LANalyzer) cost $15 to $20K and have some cuter features
such as bar charts showing network packet rates, etc, but as for being
able to pick up packets at a high rate and look at them in detail, I
think my solution is just as good.  FTP even provides hooks for you to
be able to write support for your own protocols.  It comes with code
that supports lots of protocols.  You would have to talk to them about
what is in the current distribution. 

Cheers,

Dale Smith, Assistant Director of Network Services

Internet: dsmith@oregon.uoregon.edu
BITNET:	dsmith@oregon.bitnet
Voice:	(503) 686-4394
USmail:	University of Oregon
	Computing Center
	Eugene, OR  97403-1212


Disclaimer: I have no relationship with the above mentioned firms except
	being a happy user of their products.