EtherApe is a network monitoring tool for Unix systems that visually represents network traffic, inspired by Etherman, with hosts and connections dynamically changing size based on the amount of traffic and utilizing color coding for different protocols. It accommodates a variety of devices, such as FDDI, ISDN, PPP, SLIP, and WLAN, and supports multiple encapsulation methods. Users have the option to filter the traffic they see and can capture data in real-time or extract it from a file. Additionally, statistics for each node can be exported for further examination. The software features modes for link layer, IP, and TCP, enabling users to concentrate on particular levels of the protocol stack. Each node and link is displayed with comprehensive details, including a breakdown of protocols and traffic metrics. Released under the GNU General Public License, EtherApe is open source. A unique aspect of the interface allows a single node to be focused on while multiple selected nodes can be organized in a circular arrangement, complemented by an alternative display mode that aligns nodes in vertical columns. This versatility makes EtherApe a powerful tool for network analysis and visualization.
