Which term describes a tool used to record or analyze network traffic?

• A. Packet Sniffer
• B. Intrusion Detection System
• C. Router
• D. Switch

Answer: (A)

Recording or analyzing network traffic is done by a packet sniffer. A packet sniffer captures the data packets as they travel across the network, allowing you to inspect headers, payloads, timing, and protocols. This makes it a primary tool for troubleshooting, performance analysis, and security investigations, since you can filter and review exact traffic that passed through the network. For example, Wireshark is a well-known packet sniffer that lets you view and analyze captured traffic in detail.

An intrusion detection system, while it analyzes traffic to identify suspicious activity, is primarily about detecting and alerting on threats rather than recording the full traffic for inspection. A router moves packets between networks, and a switch forwards frames between devices on a local network. Neither is primarily used to record and analyze traffic in the same way a packet sniffer is.