When spelled with a lowercase “s,” the term “sniffer” indicates the use of a packet sniffing tool for either good or nefarious purposes. In the hands of authorized network administrators, a sniffer is employed to maintain the unimpeded flow of traffic through a network. Conversely, in the hands of a hacker, a sniffer may be used for unauthorized monitoring of the network.
When spelled with an upper case “S,” the term “Sniffer” refers to trademarked technology from NETSCOUT. This branded sniffer enables network administrators to monitor bandwidth and ensure that no single user is using too much available capacity.