Dish is a lightweight command-line tool written in Go for monitoring HTTP and TCP sockets. It aims to be a simpler alternative to tools like netstat and ss by providing a clear, real-time view of active connections, including details like the process using the socket, remote addresses, and connection state. Dish focuses on ease of use and minimal dependencies, making it a quick and convenient option for troubleshooting network issues or inspecting socket activity on a system.
Nping enhances the standard ping utility by providing a more visual and informative way to analyze network performance. It displays ping results in a variety of formats, including real-time graphs and customizable tables, offering a clearer picture of latency, packet loss, and other metrics over time. Beyond basic ping functionality, Nping supports TCP ping, UDP ping, and a range of other network probes, making it a versatile tool for network diagnostics and troubleshooting. Its flexible output options allow users to tailor the information displayed, focusing on the metrics most relevant to their specific needs.
Hacker News users generally expressed interest in Nping, praising its modern interface and potential usefulness. Several commenters highlighted the value of the table view, particularly for quickly comparing multiple pings. Some suggested additional features like customizable columns and integration with other tools. One commenter questioned the project's longevity and update frequency, while another pointed out the existing, though less visually appealing, prettyping tool. The discussion also touched on the benefits of using Rust and the possibility of leveraging existing libraries like tui-rs for further development.
Httptap is a command-line tool for Linux that intercepts and displays HTTP and HTTPS traffic generated by any specified program. It works by injecting a dynamic library into the target process, allowing it to capture requests and responses before they reach the network stack. This provides a convenient way to observe the HTTP communication of applications without requiring proxies or modifying their source code. Httptap presents the captured data in a human-readable format, showing details like headers, body content, and timing information.
Hacker News users discuss httptap, focusing on its potential uses and comparing it to existing tools. Some praise its simplicity and ease of use for quickly inspecting HTTP traffic, particularly for debugging. Others suggest alternative tools like mitmproxy, tcpdump, and Wireshark, highlighting their more advanced features, such as SSL decryption and broader protocol support. The conversation also touches on the limitations of httptap, including its current lack of HTTPS decryption and potential performance impact. Several commenters express interest in contributing features, particularly HTTPS support. Overall, the sentiment is positive, with many appreciating httptap as a lightweight and convenient option for simple HTTP inspection.
Sniffnet is a cross-platform network traffic monitor designed to be user-friendly and informative. It captures and displays network packets in real-time, providing details such as source and destination IPs, ports, protocols, and data transfer sizes. Sniffnet aims to offer an accessible way to understand network activity, featuring a simple interface, color-coded packet information, and filtering options for easier analysis. Its cross-platform compatibility makes it a versatile tool for monitoring network traffic on various operating systems.
HN users generally praised Sniffnet for its simple interface and ease of use, particularly for quickly identifying the source of unexpected network activity. Some appreciated the passive nature of the tool, contrasting it with more intrusive solutions like Wireshark. Concerns were raised about potential performance issues, especially on busy networks, and the limited functionality compared to more comprehensive network analysis tools. One commenter suggested using tcpdump or tshark with filters for similar results, while others questioned the project's actual utility beyond simple curiosity. Several users expressed interest in the potential for future development, such as adding filtering capabilities and improving performance.
Little Snitch has a hidden "Deep Packet Inspection" feature accessible via a secret keyboard shortcut (Control-click on the connection alert, then press Command-I). This allows users to examine the actual data being sent or received by a connection, going beyond just seeing the IP addresses and ports. This functionality can be invaluable for troubleshooting network issues, identifying the specific data a suspicious application is transmitting, or even understanding the inner workings of network protocols. While potentially powerful, this feature is undocumented and requires some technical knowledge to interpret the raw data displayed.
HN users largely discuss their experiences with Little Snitch and similar firewall tools. Some highlight the "deny once" option as a valuable but less-known feature, appreciating its granularity compared to permanently blocking connections. Others mention alternative tools like LuLu and Vallum, drawing comparisons to Little Snitch's functionality and ease of use. A few users question the necessity of such tools in modern macOS, citing Apple's built-in security features. Several commenters express frustration with software increasingly phoning home, emphasizing the importance of tools like Little Snitch for maintaining privacy and control. The discussion also touches upon the effectiveness of Little Snitch against malware, with some suggesting its primary benefit is awareness rather than outright prevention.
Stratoshark is a new open-source network traffic analysis tool designed to complement Wireshark. It focuses on visualizing large capture files by aggregating packets into streams and presenting various metrics like bandwidth usage, TCP sequence and acknowledgement numbers, and retransmission rates. This macro-level view aims to help users quickly identify patterns and anomalies that might be missed when examining individual packets, particularly in extensive datasets. Stratoshark uses a familiar three-pane interface similar to Wireshark, but prioritizes high-level statistical representation over detailed packet decoding, making it suitable for analyzing long-duration captures and identifying trends.
HN users generally praised Stratoshark's clean interface and niche utility for analyzing stratospheric balloon data. Several commenters expressed interest in using it for their own high-altitude balloon projects, noting its potential to simplify telemetry analysis. Some suggested potential improvements, including adding support for more data formats, integrating mapping features, and offering a cloud-based version. A few users familiar with Iridium satellite communication discussed the challenges and limitations of working with that technology, particularly regarding data rates and packet loss, which Stratoshark aims to address. One user questioned the project's long-term viability given the small target audience, while another countered that a niche tool can still be valuable to its dedicated users.
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https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43497792
Hacker News users generally praised
dishfor its simplicity, speed, and ease of use compared to more complex tools likenetcatorsocat. Several commenters appreciated the clear documentation and examples provided. Some suggested potential improvements, such as adding features like TLS support, input redirection, and the ability to specify source ports. A few users pointed out existing similar tools likencat, but acknowledgeddish's lightweight nature as a potential advantage. The project was well-received overall, with many expressing interest in trying it out.The Hacker News post for "Show HN: Dish: A lightweight HTTP and TCP socket monitoring tool written in Go" has a moderate number of comments, sparking a discussion around the tool's utility, comparisons to existing solutions, and potential improvements.
Several commenters express appreciation for the project, finding its simplicity and ease of use appealing. One user highlights the value of a lightweight tool like
dishfor quick checks, contrasting it with more complex solutions that might be overkill for simple monitoring tasks. They specifically mention the ease of use compared to tools likenetcat. Another commenter echoes this sentiment, praising the clear and concise outputdishprovides.The discussion also delves into comparing
dishwith other similar tools. One commenter mentionssocat, a versatile networking tool, suggesting it might offer overlapping functionality. This prompts further discussion about the specific niches each tool fills, with some arguing thatdishfocuses on simplicity and ease of setup for basic monitoring, whilesocatcaters to more advanced use cases. Another user brings upncat, a modern reimplementation ofnetcat, as another potential alternative.Several comments focus on potential enhancements for
dish. One suggestion involves adding support for UDP, expanding the tool's capabilities beyond TCP. Another commenter proposes integrating TLS functionality for secure connections. The idea of displaying response times is also raised, which could provide valuable performance insights. A suggestion is made to consider a web UI, which could make the tool more accessible and user-friendly, especially for those less comfortable with command-line interfaces. Finally, the discussion touches upon adding a feature to follow redirects, which would be helpful for debugging HTTP requests.Overall, the comments reflect a generally positive reception to
dish, acknowledging its usefulness as a simple, lightweight monitoring tool. The discussion also provides valuable feedback for the developer, highlighting potential areas for improvement and comparingdishto existing solutions in the networking toolkit landscape.