Socket Workbench V3.1

Socket Workbench is the definitive tool for analyzing socket communications.

Socket Workbench can be configured to run as a socket client or server, or you can run it in pass-through mode^* to intercept socket communications without packet sniffing. You can send and receive both text and binary data that you have typed in or read from a file. It can be used to "stress test" servers and clients.

Socket Workbench is ideal for analyzing HTTP and SMTP as it includes a library of common protocols.

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Features

Features of Socket Workbench include: the ability to send data at regular intervals; the ability to analyze data in either raw, binary, octal, decimal or hexadecimal format; logging of incoming and outgoing data using time stamps; logging of socket state transitions and events; filtering of incoming data; and more...

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Common Configurations

Socket Workbench is ideal for people wishing to learn how the e-mail protocols works through to developing and debugging real time two/three/n tier client server applications. Socket Workbench contains a setup wizard that handles seven common configurations:

• Web Server,
• Web Browser,
• Web Browser (via a Proxy),
• Sending E-mail,
• Keep Alive requests,
• Quote of the Day and
• Time Of Day

Client/Server Development

Often in the development of a client-server application that utilizes sockets, one end of the socket connection will be developed before the other end is written. Although a communication protocol is defined, programmers can find it difficult to write the communications library without actually connecting to anything.

This is where Socket Workbench comes in. Write the application and have Socket Workbench ready and waiting for your connection. Configure it to automatically send data so you can test your end of the application independently of the other end.

Once both ends of the socket connection are written, configure Socket Workbench to intercept the communications between the applications to ensure that the protocol is being adhered to.^*

TCP/IP Protocols

Socket Workbench makes for an ideal training tool. If you are interested in how web browsers work or how your e-mail client sends and reads its mail then Socket Workbench can be configured to handle it. You can even send anonymous E-mails once you have learnt the protocol.

It is also great at sending and receiving SOAP packets to simulate web service communications.

Pass Through Mode

^* Socket Workbench was tcpIQ's first product. The 'pass through mode' feature of Socket Workbench was added for completeness but proved to be one of the most popular features. It was decided that this one feature needed to be an entire product by itself. This is why "Proxy Workbench" was written. It is a graphical proxy server. If you are interested in intercepting socket communications Proxy Workbench is the program for you.