EtherApe: FOSS App For Monitoring Your Network Data Traffic Graphically [Linux, Mac OSX]

EtherApe is an open source application (works on Linux, Mac, BSD, Solaris) for monitoring your network data traffic. EtherApe offers a dynamic graphical interface; features IP and TCP modes; supports Ethernet, FDDI, PPP, and slip devices; filters traffic; and reads traffic from both a tcpdump file and live from the network.

Each node represents a specific host. Links represent connections to hosts. Nodes and links are color coded to represent different protocols forming the various types of traffic on the network. Individual nodes and their connecting links grow and shrink in size with increases and decreases in network traffic.

You can also view the traffic for each protocol as a list:

EtherApe features:

• graphical network traffic display
• color coded node and links for most used protocols
• traffic may be viewed on one's own network, end to end (IP) or port to port (TCP)
• a variety of frame and packet types are supported
• data view can be manipulated using a network filter
• clicking a node or link provides additional information regarding including protocol and traffic information
• summary protocol and node table
• can read traffic from a file or an actual network

To install EtherApe in Ubuntu, run the following command in a terminal:

sudo apt-get install etherape

Please note that on my tests, for the application to run properly, you must run it as root (Applications > Internet > EtherApe (as root)).

For other Linux distributions, Mac OSX, BSD and Solaris, see EtherApe DOWNLOAD page.

[via UbuCentrum]