CompTIA ITF+ Practice Test

The tool commonly used to monitor network traffic is a network analyzer or packet sniffer. This tool captures and analyzes data packets transmitted over a network, allowing administrators to inspect and troubleshoot network traffic in real-time. By examining the data flow, they can identify issues such as bottlenecks or unauthorized access, analyze performance metrics, and ensure network security.

Firewalls serve a different purpose—they protect networks by controlling incoming and outgoing traffic based on predetermined security rules, rather than monitoring traffic in the same detailed manner as a packet sniffer. Antivirus software is primarily focused on detecting, preventing, and removing malicious software, and while it may monitor for specific harmful activities, it does not provide comprehensive insights into overall network traffic patterns. Routers facilitate the forwarding of data packets between computer networks but do not specifically analyze traffic, unlike a packet sniffer.