TCP Port Listener Tool

Network administrators and applications developers require various tools to carry out their tasks, address connectivity issues and run security-related tests. A TCP listener is amongst the basic yet much needed applications in the toolbox of a network manager.

TCP Port Listener Tool is a nifty software utility that can create a local listener for any port, thus allowing its user to test the connection in a newly established network. It is, in fact, a port tester for the workstation it is running on, as its job is to open a port on the local system and to wait for a connection to be made.

Focusing on functionality rather than looks, the application comes with a plain, one-window interface, with no additional menus and options. No explanations are available so previous networking knowledge or experience is required to understand how it works and what its purpose is. In other words, it is not addressed to beginner users, but it can prove to be a real asset to experienced network experts.

The main window is split in two separate parts, one for the server side and the other for the client side. The server requires users to enter the number of the port to listen to before initiating the listener, whereas the client configuration includes the address and the port number to connect to the server.

Once the server is up and listening, you can send messages back and forth, either from the server or the client. TCP Port Listener Tool connects to the socket and sends in data in various amounts from the server to the client to test the connectivity.

The status of the server and the client is visible within the main window as well, where TCP Port Listener Tool enables you to see the amount of data that has been sent to the server. The latter performs an analysis and displays details about the data received via the corresponding socket.

TCP Port Listener Tool builds a local TCP listener that can be used in network monitoring and testing. However, leaving aside the interface, which needs a makeover, additional features wouldn’t hurt this application either. For instance, the port testing sessions are not logged.