EtherApe review
A free, visual analyzer for mapping live and captured Linux network traffic.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
EtherApe is an open-source graphical network traffic monitor for Unix-like systems, with binary distributions available for Linux. It is intended for network professionals who want a visual view of hosts, links, protocols, and traffic volumes rather than a primarily text-based analysis workflow. The interface can display link-layer, IP, and TCP views, sizing nodes and links according to traffic volume and using colors to distinguish protocols. DNS and hosts-file name resolution can add readable names to the visualization.
Its strongest area is the combination of graphical mapping and packet-source flexibility. EtherApe can capture live traffic from supported network interfaces or read and replay tcpdump capture files. Protocol-aware coloring, protocol stack selection, and libpcap syntax capture filtering help narrow the displayed traffic. Separate dialogs provide node, link, protocol, and traffic statistics, while XML and JSON export makes node statistics available for further processing. These features make it a focused choice for visual traffic exploration and flow analysis.
The main trade-off is scope. EtherApe is a desktop application with Linux support, and remote capture is not part of its capabilities. Its positioning also stops short of verified decryption, so teams needing remote collection or encrypted-traffic decryption should choose a different analyzer. For Linux users who want a free, open-source way to see traffic relationships, inspect captures, and export node statistics, EtherApe is a direct fit. It is less suitable for cross-platform deployments or workflows centered on remote sensors and deeper decryption analysis.
EtherApe pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Visualizes traffic volume through node and link sizing
- Supports live capture and tcpdump file replay
- Exports node statistics in XML and JSON
- Where it doesn't
- Binary distributions are available for Linux only
- No remote capture support
- Decryption is outside its listed scope
EtherApe fact sheet, pricing and score →
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