investigating wired and wireless networks using a java-based programmable sniffer
Teaching students about networking requires laboratory investigation into network data. Such investigation requires examination of both wired and wireless network data. Most available network traffic sniffers are either too expensive or too cryptic to use. To implement network experiments in a classroom setting, we have developed NetSpy: a Java-based network sniffer that allows plug-in Java modules to analyze network data. NetSpy works with both wired and wireless networks. Modules are written by students as part of their experimentation with traffic data. This paper describes the NetSpy system and the way it can be used in a Networking clas.
java network sniffer pedagogy network concepts