Issue about Sniff IP and Tracking IP

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Hi EveryBody:

Is it true that when I want to sniff a certine IP from my machine that I
have to be apart of network, and If some security Devices such as Firewall
and routers if them configuered well they will protect me from sniffing the
ip?

Also What is the Diffreance betwen sniffing IP an Tracking the IP ?

any help or redirection will be appreciated

regard's

HUsam

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=?Utf-8?B?SHVzYW0=?= <Hu***@discussions.microsoft.comwrote in
news:E2**********************************@microsof t.com:

Hi EveryBody:

Is it true that when I want to sniff a certine IP from my machine that
I have to be apart of network,

To sniff a packet, the packet must enter into your network interface. Think
of it as tapping into a pipe - you must be located somewhere along the
pipe.

and If some security Devices such as
Firewall and routers if them configuered well they will protect me
from sniffing the ip?

It depends. Switches will prevent you from sniffing some data. Firewalls
may encrypt data (i.e. VPN, SSL HTTP Proxy, etc). However, if the packet
crosses your network interface, you'll be able to log it and perhaps
dissect it.

Also What is the Diffreance betwen sniffing IP an Tracking the IP ?

I think you'll have to provide more context, but I assume sniffing means to
read the information from the TCP packets (not hard to do), while tracking
an IP means to follow it's data stream and track the requests associated to
the IP?