The Snooper™ & EtherProbe™

Now available for Linux! Requires Linux with libc5 or libc6, an Ethernet card, and the X Window System.

Real-Time Network Protocol Capture and Analysis for the Desktop

The Snooper and EtherProbe - two great analyzers from General Software (now sold by Crynwr Software) that help you pinpoint and solve problems on your Ethernet network. Whether you're into protocol development or network management, you'll be able to use these products to accomplish the same things you would ordinarily use a hardware protocol analyzer to do without the hardware analyzer price tag!

Ethernet Protocol analyzers for NetWare, LAN Manager, and TCP/IP Networks

You'd think a hardware analyzer would outperform a software analyzer. A $15,000 'hardware' analyzer is really just a $14,000 PC with a $1,000 software package. Why pay $14,000 for a PC when you don't have to? There's no need for expensive hardware if you already have a 386, 486, or Pentium-based PC and a 16-bit network card.

If you need basic traffic capture, protocol decoding for NetWare, LAN Manager, and TCP/IP and the ability to save captured data to disk, The Snooper and EtherProbe are perfect solutions.

The Snooper

The Snooper is a very cost-effective product that turns your PC into a protocol analyzer. Just add virtually any NIC and The Snooper will capture, decode, and display network traffic just like the hardware analyzers do. The Snooper is also ideal for LAN product development where protocols must be checked and optimized for performance.

We made The Snooper more than just a traffic capture facility. It also shows traffic densities and network utilization by protocol suite and file request type (open, close, read, write, etc.). And, The Snooper can save captured data to disk in "Sniffer-compatible" format, so that data can be interchanged with your existing or rented hardware analyzers.

Both The Snooper and EtherProbe offer summary, detail, and hexadecimal breakdowns of network traffic, packet-by-packet.

Real-time statistics periodically sample the network status, or run the analyzer continuously.

The Snooper also comes with full source code. If you're a protocol developer, you can easily add additional protocol decoding and displays, using the templates we provide. Or, you can integrate The Snooper into your embedded application for a low, per-copy royalty.

EtherProbe

EtherProbe provides all of the real-time capturing, decoding, and displays that The Snooper does, and then adds traffic generation, capture triggers, and 45 alarms to help manage your network.

Both The Snooper and EtherProbe provide continuous real-time network status on any PC. Choose from four real-time statistics screens (3 are shown), to zoom-in on file-sharing activity or protocol classes, or zoom-out and see aggregate distribution of unicast, multicast, and broadcast packets. Broadcast storms, excessive collisions, and a saturated network are easily spotted and anticipated.

Generate Traffic with EtherProbe using custom or pre-defined packets.

With EtherProbe's traffic generator, you can actually create LAN traffic yourself with customized or automatically-generated packets, complete with serialization, protocol headers, and user-defined data. Traffic generation is an important tool for determining the performance and correct operation of network routers, network interface cards, and cabling systems.

Etherprobe's capture triggers let you defer capturing until a specific programmed event occurs--such as a specific time of day, when certain embedded data arrives, or when an alarm is activated.

EtherProbe's 45 alarms can trigger events based on traffic densities, protocol densities, or file requests. Alarms can pop-up messages to your screen, log events to disk, and even start traffic capture for later analysis of important events.

45 Alarm Options on EtherProbe keep a close eye on network system integrity.

Built-in Support for Major Protocol Suites

There is nothing else to buy, and no costly add-ons. That's because both EtherProbe and The Snooper already decode most major Ethernet LAN protocols. TCP/IP, XNS, Novell Netware's IPX/SPX and NCP, Microsoft LAN Managers 802.2, NETBEUI, and General Software's Embedded LAN are supported from the very beginning. Both products recognize (with hexadecimal decoding) over 100 additional protocols, such as Appletalk, ISO, and SNA, so you can quickly determine what types of protocols are running between stations on a network. Developers using The Snooper can add decoding for these and other protocols directly to the product's source code.

High-End Analyzer Features

Both of our software-based network analyzers offer the same high-end features you'd expect from a hardware model. Decoding of all major protocols, address filtering, protocol-level filtering, and name management (assignment of symbolic names to addresses) are some of the features that make our network analyzers practical in a real-live environment.
"We were able to add new protocols and add statistics' display to the product and are very happy with EtherProbe."
- D. Neilson, Utah Power.

Address and Protocol Filtering

Another way to simplify complex traffic is to eliminate "background traffic" by specifying the actual addresses you're interested in. EtherProbe and The Snooper allow you to specify filters based on a packet's source and/or destination addresses. Both products allow you to restrict which packets are captured based on what protocols they carry at any level.

Name Management

The 12-digit hexadecimal Ethernet addresses in protocol decoding displays can be made easier to read by substituting 12-character symbolic names, like "John's PC", "SuperServer", or "Cyclone". With translated addresses, traces of multiple simultaneous conversations become clearer and are easier to review.

Technical Specifications

Feature Summary

The Snooper and Etherprobe Analyzers

High Performance Capture and Display

Standard Crynwr Packet Driver Support

Real-Time Statistics Displayed During Capture

Easy To Use

System Requirements

Features

Protocol Decoding

Real-Time Capture Displays

Filtering

Protocol Display

DLC Name Management

Options & Disk I/O

Programmable Traffic Generation -- EtherProbe Only

Capture Triggers -- EtherProbe Only

45 Programmable Alarms -- EtherProbe Only

General

We strive to provide the best service, value, and experience in everything we do. That includes creating great products that lead the competition, so you can stay ahead of yours.
"The Snooper from General Software has proven to be an invaluable tool for my network-related development efforts, andfor those of the team. I consider it at least as powerful and useful as competing products costing tens of thousands of dollars or more, and without hesitation recommend it to any network programmer or administrator"
- Forrest Foltz, Microsoft Corporation
We have FREE FAX, BBS and E-Mail basic technical support, so you can get answers to complex application questions quickly. We also offer premium support that puts you directly in contact with a product's development team. You'll obtain valuable expertise by speaking with a network engineer who can advise you of ways of improving your network by using The Snooper or EtherProbe.

In business since 1991, we've helped over a thousand developers and network administrators solve simple to complex network and systems problems. Let us help you with your network problems.

"EtherProbe is a true first class network tool. Out of the box, in five minutes I detected two incorrectly programmed routers and increased my network's performance by 15%! EtherProbe is easy to use, straightforward, and flexible. A valuable 'probe' for my networking bag of tricks."
- J. Kidder, Martin Marietta Energy Systems

Ordering Information

Call us toll-free: 1-800-233-7351. We accept purchase orders on net-30 terms from qualified institutions. We also accept Visa, Mastercard, or American Express. Snooper costs $350, and EtherProbe $995. Priority Mail shipping is free. Overseas shipping is an additional $10, and overnight shipping is an additional $20.

Crynwr Software

521 Pleasant Valley Rd.
Potsdam, NY 13676-3213 USA
Sales: 1-800-233-7351
Tel: 1-315-268-1925
Fax: 1-315-268-9201
E-mail: info@crynwr.com
© 1999 Crynwr Software. All rights reserved. The Snooper and EtherProbe are trademarks of General Software, Inc. All other products and logos are trademarks of their respective owners. Product specifications subject to change without notice.