PNetMon

PNetMon is a personal network monitor that doesn't require a degree in IT to use. PNetMon enables you to see all network connections made by software on your PC in a compact and easy to read format. Is PNetMon a security tool? It's getting there! The latest version of PNetMon will not only alert you to communications with a blacklisted host(*), it will also optionally add rules to Windows Firewall to block communications with that host. This new 'auto block' feature is now available in the latest version. Today's malware has become increasingly sophisticated. Once it gets past your primary defenses it will often hide it's presence so it can remain on your PC to do its evil deeds for as long as possible. PNetMon is not meant to replace your existing defenses, but it could serve as a safety net if those defenses fail you. And now with the addition of blacklisted host alerts and auto-block PNetMon has become an even better safety net. PNetMon consists of two components -- a service that runs in the background collecting your PC's network activity and a client program that you run whenever you want to see activity. This design serves two purposes -- first, it eliminates the need for the client program to have Admin privileges and second, it allows PNetMon to maintain a running list of activity even if you forget to run the client program. PNetMon does not see other activity on the network unless your PC is involved. PNetMon examines only headers of network packets going in and out of your PC. It does not access the data portion of those packets. Furthermore, information on connections to remote hosts is kept for only short periods of time. PNetMon does not invade your computer with special drivers and other components that can destabilize your PC. It uses standard Windows API calls to gather its information. The PNetMon service is written in C++ for maximum performance. The client program is written in C#.