Which tool is typically used to monitor network traffic anomalies and performance issues?

The correct choice is a network sniffer, which is a tool designed to capture and analyze packets of data flowing through a network. By monitoring this data in real-time, a network sniffer can identify various anomalies in traffic patterns, such as unusual spikes in data or unexpected sources of network traffic. This capability is essential for diagnosing performance issues, as it allows network engineers to pinpoint where delays or bottlenecks may be occurring.

Network sniffers operate at a deep level within the network stack, giving insights into not just the volume of traffic but also the type of traffic, which can be crucial for troubleshooting. By examining headers, payloads, and even protocols being used, they can provide a comprehensive view of network health and performance, making them an invaluable tool for ongoing monitoring.

In contrast, while firewalls are focused on controlling incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules, and load balancers distribute traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server becomes a bottleneck, they do not provide the real-time analysis needed for monitoring performance anomalies. An intrusion detection system, while it does help in identifying potential security threats by monitoring traffic, is not specifically designed for performance analysis and anomaly detection, which makes a network sniffer the preferred choice for this purpose