Comparison
The non-exhaustive table below compares the differences in terms of functionalities and features between NfSen and nfsen-ng. It should be however noted that the time and scope of this project did clearly not allow a complete replacement of the existing NfSen solution. Ideas about what should or could be done to make nfsen-ng a real alternative to NfSen are documented here.
| Feature | NfSen | nfsen-ng |
|---|---|---|
| Alerts | Yes | No |
| Plugins support | Yes | No |
| Display graph by sources (x-axis) | Yes | Yes |
| Display graph by protocols (x-axis) | No | Yes |
| Display graph by ports (x-axis) | Yes (with Porttracker plugin) | Yes |
| Zoom into the graph | No | Yes |
| Years of data for the graph | 1 year | 3 years |
| Data readability | Hard to read | Values updated depending on the mouse position on the graph |
| Profiles | Yes | No |
| Get a flow listing | Yes | Yes |
| Get a statistic | Yes | Yes |
| Optimized for mobile | No | Yes |
| CSV export | No | Yes |
| Output filterable and sortable | No | Yes |
| Extendibility | Hard | Easy |
| Installation | Unclear | Easy |
The first comparison highlights the differences between NfSen and nfsen-ng regarding the graph display. Both are set to display flows per second for 7 sources with a logarithmic scale and the stacked option. It can be observed that getting a value of a curve point is much easier and more readable with nfsen-ng.
Illustration 5: nfsen-ng graph display for udp flows/second
Illustration 6: NfSen graph display for udp flows/second
The second comparison shows the difference between a flow listing in NfSen versus nfsen-ng. Both are set to display a list of 10’000 flows related to the 13th April to 14th April period (2017) for the 7 available sources without aggregation. Where NfSen shows a never-ending scrollable webpage, nfsen-ng transforms the output so that it can be used in a sortable and filterable table that adapts automatically for mobile devices.
Illustration 7: Flow listing in nfsen-ng
Illustration 8: Navigation by page while listing flows in nfsen-ng
Illustration 9: Flow listing in NfSen