Paessler PRTG – The better alternative to Ethereal
- All-in-one monitoring for your entire network
- Save time, money, and effort in the long run
- More flexible and scalable than Ethereal
Our users give top ratings for monitoring with Paessler PRTG
PRTG as an Ethereal alternative: What you’ll find on this page
PRTG makes network monitoring as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent all kinds of network issues.
PRTG vs. Ethereal: One tool for your entire network
Ethereal primarily serves as packet capture and packet analyzer solution. PRTG, however, offers all-in-one flow monitoring and packet sniffing, as well as:
- SNMP: ready to use and custom options
- WMI and Windows performance counters
- SSH: for Linux/Unix and Mac (macOS) systems
- REST API returning XML or JSON
- HTTP requests, Ping, SQL, and so much more...
With PRTG, you don't need separate modules or add-ons for features like infrastructure monitoring, performance monitoring, router monitoring, bandwidth management, or an integrated port scanner. PRTG comes with more than 250 preconfigured sensors, allowing you to set up and get started with your monitoring in no time.
What network monitoring looks like in PRTG
Diagnose network issues by continuously tracking the health, availability, and performance of your entire IT infrastructure. Show hardware parameters, application performance, network traffic, bandwidth usage, and other key metrics in real time. Visualize data in clear graphs and dashboards to identify problems more easily. Gain the overview you need to troubleshoot all kinds of issues in your network.
Device tree view of the complete monitoring setup
Preconfigured Packet Sniffer sensor in PRTG
Custom PRTG dashboard for keeping an eye on the entire IT infrastructure
Start monitoring your network with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
PRTG is compatible with all major vendors, products, and systems
Save time and nerves with PRTG
Quick, easy installation
PRTG makes installation easy – just follow the steps in the installation assistant, and within a few minutes, PRTG is ready to go. Ethereal requires you to download several source packages and manually build the binaries, costing you precious time and likely a few headaches.
Automated setup
PRTG lets you automatically discover available network devices and services and create sensors. Thanks to a clear graphic user interface, the process of adding, editing, and deleting sensors is very intuitive. Ethereal, on the other hand, requires advanced skills in programming and scripting.
Intuitive monitoring
PRTG offers custom dashboards and network maps, and an intuitive web interface to start monitoring right away. You’ll also get not only a sniffing tool as with Ethereal, but also monitoring of applications, network traffic, hardware, bandwidth, cloud and virtual environments, and more.
Always up to date
With our state-of-the-art network monitoring software PRTG, you always have access to the latest product updates, features, and security enhancements. Since Ethereal was acquired by Wireshark in 2006, the latest downloadable version 0.99 is many years old and requires Windows 2000 or XP.
Free mobile apps
PRTG mobile apps let you monitor your network while on the go. With Ethereal and many other monitoring tools, you can only monitor by way of the web interface. PRTG apps run on smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches with an iOS or Android operating system. Push notifications can be sent directly to your smartphone in the event of warning messages or errors in your network.
Find the root cause of the problem with our PRTG network monitoring solution
Real-time notifications mean faster troubleshooting so that you can act before more serious issues occur.
Your Ethereal alternative PRTG at a glance – even on the go
Set up PRTG in minutes and use it on almost any mobile device.
Need help making a decision?
You are interested to know if PRTG could be an alternative to your Ethereal implementation? Contact us for more information.
“The support we received from Paessler was extremely reassuring. Their reaction time, know-how, and solutions were outstanding in every department.”
Andreas Reimann, Senior Networking Communication Architect at Zürich Airport. Zürich Airport uses more than 4,500 sensors for its monitoring
“All-around winning “The real beauty of PRTG is the endless possibilities it offers” “PRTG Network MonitorIT experts agree: Paessler PRTG is a great solution for IT infrastructure monitoring
network monitor”
is very hard to beat”
Create innovative solutions with Paessler’s partners
Partnering with innovative vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.
PRTG makes network monitoring as easy as it gets
Custom alerts and data visualization let you quickly identify and prevent all kinds of network issues.
PRTG vs. Ethereal: FAQ
Should I choose PRTG or Ethereal?
Choosing between Paessler PRTG and Ethereal depends on several factors, such as your specific network monitoring needs, budget, and technical resources available in your organization.
PRTG is ideal:
- If you prefer an all-in-one, easy-to-use solution with minimal setup time and a maximum of functionality.
- If you need sophisticated, customizable visualizations like dashboards and network maps.
- If you want to monitor an unlimited number of remote locations and networks at no extra cost.
- If you prefer high scalability and a software tailored to large, complex environments.
- If you want to get real-time alerting, custom notifications, and automated reporting for easier troubleshooting.
- If you want to have the choice between an on-premises or cloud-based solution.
- If you want a that checks LANs, WANs, wireless networks, and VPNs alike.
- If you want a straightforward licensing model at a comparatively low price.
Ethereal might be your choice:
- If you only need a packet sniffer instead of comprehensive monitoring
- If you prefer manual setup and configuration work
- If you like to work with legacy tools
Is open-source software really cheaper than PRTG?
At first glance, free software like Ethereal seems like a good deal compared to PRTG. However, it will likely cost you more in the long run in terms of wasted hours, effort, and negative impact on your business.
Especially in the case of frequently used software that’s vital for smooth business operations, the purchasing price is only one part of the cost. PRTG saves you time and helps keep your business running with easy-to-use software, superior daily usability, expert tech support, and faster, more intuitive operation and setup.
What is a sensor in PRTG?
In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive.
On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.
PRTG: The multi-tool for sysadmins
Adapt PRTG individually and dynamically to your needs and rely on a strong API:- HTTP API: Access monitoring data and manipulate monitoring objects via HTTP requests
- Custom sensors: Create your own PRTG sensors for customized monitoring
- Custom notifications: Create your own notifications and send action triggers to external systems
- REST Custom sensor: Monitor almost everything that provides data in XML or JSON format
Paessler conducted trials in over 600 IT departments worldwide to tune its network monitoring software closer to the needs of sysadmins. We asked: would you recommend PRTG?
Over 95% of our customers say yes!
The result of the survey: over 95% of the participants would recommend PRTG – or already have.
Paessler PRTG is used by companies of all sizes. Sysadmins love PRTG because it makes their job a whole lot easier. Bandwidth, servers, virtual environments, websites, VoIP services – PRTG keeps an eye on your entire network. Everyone has different monitoring needs. That’s why we let you try PRTG for free.Still not convinced?
More than 500,000
sysadmins love PRTG
Monitor your entire IT infrastructure
Try Paessler PRTG
for free
Start monitoring your network with PRTG and see how it can make your network more reliable and your job easier.
|
PRTG |
Network Monitoring Software - Version 25.1.104.1961 (April 7th, 2025) |
|
Hosting |
Download for Windows and cloud-based version PRTG Hosted Monitor available |
Languages |
English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese |
Pricing |
Up to 100 sensors for free (Price List) |
Unified Monitoring |
Network devices, bandwidth, servers, applications, virtual environments, remote systems, IoT, and more |
Supported Vendors & Applications |
|
Discover more monitoring insights and stories
Solutions for all your monitoring needs
Powerful stories from the monitoring world
