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set a network performance baseline by Collecting data.

There are two approaches to collecting network data for traffic analysis, each with its own pluses and minuses. Data capture or sniffing tools capture the entire stream of network data, giving administrators a full view of what is moving around the network at a given moment in time. Sniffing the network offers a complete view of what is going on. While this is vital for network forensic analysis and troubleshooting, it might be overkill for ongoing network monitoring and baseline analysis. For network performance monitoring, the metrics of application and network utilization are key, not necessarily the information within the individual packets. In these situations, network sniffing tools could provide the required information, but would do so with significant overhead.