What it does
EtherApe is a Unix graphical traffic monitor with protocol colors, host-link visualization, filters and live or saved-capture input.
Read a saved capture or a live interface, choose link-layer, IP or TCP scope, and use the graph to find active hosts and conversations. Opening a node or link shows protocol statistics; pcap-style filters reduce background traffic. EtherApe 0.9.22 can export node data as XML or JSON, selected in Preferences. Capture placement determines visibility: on a switched network, the adapter usually sees its own traffic and broadcasts unless traffic is deliberately mirrored through that point. A large graph is therefore not a complete network inventory. The project is GPL-licensed. Scripts using final-export should account for the 0.9.21 change to exit after replay and export finish.
Strengths
- Live or saved traffic displayed as a host graph
Sources
- EtherApe, a graphical network monitor (Oct 26, 2026)
- EtherApe FAQ (Oct 26, 2026)
- EtherApe features and licensing (Oct 26, 2026)