| Comparison Matrix |
Observer
|
Expert
Observer
|
Observer
Suite
|
Gigabit
Observer
|
| General Features | ||||
| Ethernet |
10
/ 100 / Gigabit
Half-Duplex Speed |
10
/ 100 / Gigabit
Half-Duplex Speed |
10
/ 100 / Gigabit
Half-Duplex Speed |
10
/ 100 / Gigabit
Full-Duplex Wire-Speed |
| Token Ring |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| FDDI |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| 802.11a Wireless |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| 802.11b Wireless |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| 802.11g Wireless |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Switch Support |
Yes
(open)
|
Yes
(open)
|
Yes
(open)
|
Yes
(open)
|
| Distributed with Probes |
Yes
(full functionality)
|
Yes
(full functionality)
|
Yes
(full functionality)
|
Yes
(full functionality)
|
| Auto-Probe Update |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Multi-Probe Console |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| User Permissions |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Pricing |
$995
|
$2,895
|
$3,995
|
$17,995
|
| Capture/Decode | ||||
| Protocols Supported |
500+
|
500+
|
500+
|
500+
|
| Frames Recognized |
4000+
|
4000+
|
4000+
|
4000+
|
| Show Dropped Packets |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Real Time Capture |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Post Filter |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Expanded Data Mining |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Scheduled Capture |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Statistics | ||||
| Bandwidth Utilization |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Protocol Distribution |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Top Talkers |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Size Distribution |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Triggers & Alarms |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Efficency History |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Internet Usage Tracking |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Network Activity (Broadcast / Multicast Display) |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Errors By Station |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Network Vital Signs (Aggregate Error Display) |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Pair Matrix |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Router Tracking |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Utilization History |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Utilization Thermometer |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Web Server Tracking |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| VLAN |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Cross Mode Drill Down |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Application Response Time (ART) |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Wireless Statistics | ||||
| Wireless Types |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Wireless Speeds |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Wireless Latest |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Wireless Errors-by-station |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Wireless Vital Signs |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Access Point Statistics |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Channel Traffic |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Trending | ||||
| Network Flow |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Internet Usage |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Switch Port Usage |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| SNMP Statistics |
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Tools | ||||
| Auto Discovery |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Ping / Traceroute |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Replay Buffer |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| SNMP MIB Walker |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Traffic Generator |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Switch Station Locator |
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Expert System | ||||
| Real-Time Expert |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Post-Capture Expert |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Events Tracked |
No
|
450+
|
450+
|
450+
|
| Summary |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| TCP / UDP / ICMP Events |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| IPX / SPX Events |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| NetBIOS / NetBEUI Events |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Wireless Events |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Oracle / SQL Events |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Connection Dynamics |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Time Interval Analysis |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Server Analysis |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| What-If Modeling |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| VoIP Expert |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| SNMP Management Console | ||||
| SNMP Reporting |
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| MIB Compiler |
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| MIB Editor |
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Support SNMP V3 |
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| RMON | ||||
| RMON1/2/3 Support |
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| RMON Statistics |
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| RMON Tables |
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| RMON Probe |
No
|
No
|
option
|
option
|
| Web Based Repoting | ||||
| Local HTML Reports |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Remote HTML Reports |
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Report Scheduler |
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Internal Web Server |
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|