Packet sniffing is the act of capturing packets of data flowing across computer network. You are able to see any bit of information entering or leaving your computer. Normally computer looks at packet addressed to it and ignores the traffic on the network. When a sniffers is set on a computer, it interface is set to promiscuous mode. This means that it looks at everything that comes through. Using packet sniffer it is possible to capture data like passwords, IP addresses, and protocols being used on the network and also other information. A packet sniffer utility is that it sniffs without modifying the packets in any way. The computer having sniffer installed not only receive the data which is directed to him but also monitor all traffic on the physically connected network. Packet sniffer sees everything. It includes SMTP, POP, IMAP traffic, HTTP, FTP traffic and can read password in clear text etc.
A packet sniffer can be set up in two ways.
a) Unfiltered
Captures all of the packets
b) Filtered
Captures only those packets which containing specific data elements.
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