Free IP Sniffer with PRTG

The difference between an IP sniffer and an IP puller lies primarily in their methods, functions, and typical use cases. An IP sniffer is a powerful network analysis tool, while an IP puller is more narrowly focused on identifying and extracting IP addresses, often with questionable intent.

IP sniffer

An IP sniffer is a type of network monitoring tool used to capture and analyze network traffic. It operates at a low level in the network stack, allowing it to intercept and examine data packets as they travel across a network. These tools are often referred to as "packet sniffers" or "network sniffers."

An IP sniffer captures all or selected packets of data traveling through a network. Each packet contains various information, including the source and destination IP addresses, protocols, and potentially the content of the data.

After capturing the packets, the sniffer can analyze them to reveal details about network activity, such as which devices are communicating, the nature of the data being transferred, and the IP addresses involved.

IT admins use sniffers to diagnose network issues, such as identifying bottlenecks, misconfigurations, or unauthorized devices. Security experts use sniffers to detect suspicious activity, such as potential intrusions or data exfiltration. Developers and researchers use sniffers to study how different network and internet protocols operate or to debug network applications.

IP puller

An IP puller (or IP grabber) is a tool specifically designed to extract or "pull" the IP address of a specific user, often without their knowledge. It is generally used in more targeted ways and is frequently associated with unethical or malicious activities.

An IP puller might involve social engineering, such as tricking a user into clicking a link or interacting with content that captures their IP address. Unlike a sniffer, an IP puller focuses on identifying the IP address of a particular individual or device. IP pullers typically work with specific applications, such as online games, chat services, or social media platforms, where they can intercept or log the IP addresses of connected gamers or users.

Some people use IP pullers to find the IP addresses of others to carry out Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks or to harass them online. In some cases, IP pullers are used to track URLs or a user's online activity, or they track IP addresses and geolocations without their consent.

The difference between an IP sniffer and an IP catcher lies in their methods, scope, and typical use cases. Both involve the identification of IP addresses, but they operate in distinct ways and are used for different purposes. An IP sniffer is a comprehensive network tool used for capturing and analyzing all traffic on a network, including IP addresses. In contrast, an IP catcher is a more targeted tool that captures IP addresses when users interact with specific online resources.

IP sniffer

An IP sniffer is a tool used to capture and analyze network traffic. It operates at a lower level in the network stack, intercepting all data packets as they travel across a network. The sniffer can capture a wide range of information beyond just IP addresses, including data content, protocol details, and other metadata.

IP catcher

An IP catcher is a tool or method designed to capture the IP address of a user who interacts with a specific resource, such as a website, link, or online service. Unlike an IP sniffer, an IP catcher typically operates at a higher level and is focused on recording IP addresses from specific interactions rather than capturing all network traffic.

An IP catcher logs the IP address of a user when they visit a specific website, click on a link, or access a resource controlled by the person using the catcher. This is done through embedded scripts, tracking pixels, or web server logs. The IP catcher records the IP address and possibly other information (like browser type or location) of users who interact with the monitored resource.

Common use cases include tracking visitors to a website to understand where traffic is coming from (web analytics), monitoring and logging access to a service or website to detect suspicious behavior, or analyzing the reach and engagement of shared links or online campaigns in marketing.

When you run PRTG for the first time, the Auto-Discovery feature will be launched automatically. Simply enter a range of IP addresses. PRTG will add all the devices (servers, routers, switches, firewalls, etc.) within this range to your monitoring environment. You can then create the  Packet Sniffer sensor separately on the server whose traffic you wish to monitor, or via the monitoring port of your switch if you wish to include all traffic in your monitoring.

An IP logger is a tool or service designed to capture and record the IP addresses of users who interact with a specific link, website, or piece of content. The primary function of IP logging is to log the IP address of a visitor when they access or click on something controlled by the person using the IP logger.

In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive.

On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.