nChronos

What nChronos is

nChronos is a network performance analysis system from Colasoft, designed for monitoring traffic in medium and large corporations. It uses a client/server architecture: the server captures, analyzes, and stores packets, while a console lets users view and examine server data. Capture runs continuously and can receive traffic through a network mirror port or link tap. Stored packets can be retrieved later to investigate network and application problems, alongside real-time network statistics and user-defined alerts for network events.

Users can create system and custom reports and schedule them for email delivery hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly. Custom application and transaction monitoring is available, with analysis profiles for HTTP, FTP, email, and DNS. nChronos can replay packet files in formats including libpcap, used by Wireshark, Ethereal, and Tcpdump, as well as several vendor formats. Listed formats also include Colasoft Packet File, EtherPeek V9, HP Unix Nettl, Microsoft Network Monitor, and Novell LANalyzer.

The server requirements list openEuler 22.03, Rocky Linux 8.9, Red Hat 8.6, and CentOS Linux 7.9. The console requirements list Windows 7, 8, and 10, plus Windows Server 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2019. The maker says server-to-console connections use a private encryption algorithm. Pricing is available by request.

Who it suits

nChronos suits network teams at medium and large corporations that need continuous packet capture and retrospective traffic analysis. It can also fit teams that monitor application transactions, use scheduled reports, or work with the listed packet capture formats.

Limits

Standard specifications list up to four logical links, eight capture interfaces, and two concurrent connections to a server. Analysis at 100,000 Mbps requires professional capture cards.

Getting started

1. Open the nChronos website and request a demo or quote.
2. Choose a supported Linux server environment from the listed requirements.
3. Deploy the server for capture, analysis, and packet storage.
4. Install the console on a listed Windows system.
5. Connect the console to the server and configure a network mirror port or link tap.

Verdict

Choose nChronos if your organization needs continuous packet capture, historical traffic investigation, and application analysis in a server-and-console deployment. Teams should check the quote and hardware specifications against their required throughput, links, interfaces, and concurrent connections.