Capsa Review by ECS


Author: Tony Bradley

July 24, 2008

Capsa Enterprise

Introduction

Network administrators are responsible for maintaining the availability and integrity of the network and ensuring that the network functions as optimally as possible. To meet that responsibility and deliver the best possible network experience, network administrators need to have the right tools to efficiently monitor and troubleshoot network issues.

Colasoft Capsa Enterprise is an enterprise-class network analyzer (also known as a network sniffer, packet sniffer, or protocol analyzer).With Capsa Enterprise you can perform real-time capture of network traffic, and monitor the network 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Capsa Enterprise allows you to get a comprehensive view of complex network traffic, conduct packet-level analysis, and troubleshoot network performance problems.

Pros

  • Comprehensive features and functions
  • Affordable, cost-effective pricing
  • Online help and tutorial resources
  • Current version works with Windows 7 RC

Cons

  • I did not note any cons during my review

Description

  • Purely Software Based. Colasoft Capsa Enterprise does not require separate or proprietary hardware.
  • User Friendly. The Capsa Enterprise console and reports are intuitive and easy to use.
  • Drilldown Analysis. Capsa Enterprise provides detailed analysis of captured data with the ability to drill down on a single workstation, protocol, or packet.
  • Customer Support. Colasoft provides exceptional technical support and customer service to assist users with effectively using Capsa Enterprise.

Bottom Line

Colasoft Capsa Enterprise provides the core functionality you need for real-time network packet capture, detailed protocol analysis, and expert diagnosis and troubleshooting. In addition, Capsa Enterprise includes advanced tools such as the Packet Builder and Packet Player that allow you to create and transmit custom packets, as well as a MAC scanner and Ping tool.

The advanced tools bundled in Capsa Enterprise provide administrators with everything they need to conduct intrusion detection and perform detailed network analysis. What sets Capsa Enterprise apart from the competition however is the slick, yet intuitive interface, the simplicity with which the data can be drilled into and examined, and the tutorial resources available to walk you through how to use Capsa Enterprise for a variety of network monitoring functions.

As if that is not enough, Colasoft has put it all together at a reasonable and cost-effective price. Capsa Enterprise starts at $499 for a single-use license (not including maintenance). A Professional Edition is also available starting at $299 (not including maintenance) with limited functionality. The Professional Edition is limited to projects with a single Ethernet adapter and lacks the Reports and Graphs tabs of the Capsa Enterprise Project Explorer.