Fing Security vs tcpdump

Fing Security checks routers and networks for vulnerabilities, open ports, and threats. Scheduled router checks look for known vulnerabilities, outdated firmware, DNS hijacking risks, and exposed management interfaces. It can alert users when an unknown device joins and show that device's brand, model, and type. Fing also scans connected Wi-Fi networks for cameras and spy devices using a database of over 12 million known camera models. Fing Agent can run on Raspberry Pi, Docker, or NAS for ongoing automated checks. Home Assistant, IFTTT, and the Fing Local API support presence data, network events, and custom automation. The maker identifies IT consultants, MSPs, and small businesses as users for client audits and security monitoring. The free plan allows up to three scans per day; scheduled vulnerability scans and continuous threat detection require a subscription. Premium costs $7.99 per month and Professional costs $16.99 per month. Fing Desktop is available for Windows and macOS, but not currently Linux. Fing says it is SOC 2 Type II certified.

tcpdump is a network monitoring and data acquisition tool that captures traffic through libpcap, an interface for user-level packet capture. It provides command-line tools and PCAP support, and the project lists systems including AIX, BSD variants, GNU/Linux, macOS, Solaris, QNX, and Windows. It is free, with source code available through a public Git repository and native packages or ports on many systems.

Building requires libpcap and a C99-compliant compiler. Windows builds also require WinPcap or Npcap and Visual Studio with CMake. The license permits redistribution and use in source and binary forms under its conditions. Capture permissions depend on the operating system and its configuration; the project cautions that permitted users may capture network traffic, including passwords. Native packages may lag a few versions, while a newer snapshot can be compiled from source. The project lists Linux, macOS, and Windows among its platforms.