Which device is commonly used to perform packet sniffing?

Question

Options

• AHub
• BSwitch
• CRouter
• DPacket sniffer

• A
  93% (28)
• C
  3% (1)
• D
  3% (1)

Explanation

A hub is the answer because it operates at Layer 1 and broadcasts every incoming packet to all connected ports - meaning any device on the hub can passively capture traffic intended for other devices, making it the ideal environment for sniffing.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• B (Switch): A switch is smarter - it forwards frames only to the specific destination port using MAC address tables, so other connected devices don't see the traffic (making passive sniffing much harder).
• C (Router): A router operates at Layer 3 and moves packets between networks; it doesn't expose intra-segment traffic to arbitrary hosts.
• D (Packet sniffer): A packet sniffer (e.g., Wireshark, tcpdump) is software, not a network infrastructure device - and the question asks what device facilitates the sniffing.

Memory tip: Think of a hub as a megaphone - whatever one device says, everyone hears it. That indiscriminate broadcasting is exactly why hubs are associated with sniffing attacks, and why modern networks replaced them with switches.

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