Robin vs MTR

Robin turns your iPhone into a control panel for remote packet capture. It connects over SSH to your own OpenWrt router or Linux host, runs tcpdump remotely, and sends a standard pcap straight back to your iPhone. Robin offers two capture sources: • Air capture — use monitor mode on a compatible Wi-Fi radio to capture 802.11 frames. Robin can scan nearby access points and configure the radio, channel, and width. • Interface capture — capture packets visible to an existing Linux interface such as br-lan or eth0. Monitor-mode support is not required, and Robin does not change the interface state. Robin does not require jailbreaking your iPhone or attaching a USB Wi-Fi adapter to it. The capture runs on the remote host; your iPhone handles connection, detection, configuration, control, and download. Robin is not a generic SSH client. It is a guided workflow built for remote packet capture: • Connect — securely over SSH with password or Ed25519/RSA key authentication. Passphrase-protected private keys are supported, and host keys are pinned on first use. • Detect — check whether air and interface capture are available, including radios, Linux interfaces, required tools, and permissions. • Configure — choose a capture source, channel, or network interface, then add an optional BPF filter, stop timer, and output directory. • Filter — get basic BPF validation as you type, with common examples, a combination builder, and a syntax reference. • Capture — start a detached tcpdump task that keeps running if SSH disconnects. Interface capture excludes the current SSH control connection by default and has a protective file-size limit. • Download — pull the .pcap to your iPhone and open it in Wireshark or your tool of choice. WORKS WITH: • OpenWrt routers, usually with root login • Regular Linux hosts using an existing active network interface • A monitor-mode-compatible Wi-Fi radio for air capture; interface capture does not require one • Root, file capabilities, passwordless sudo, or password-based sudo • Standard Dropbear / OpenSSH targets, with no SFTP required BUILT FOR: Network engineers, Wi-Fi troubleshooters, and security researchers who need a fast, portable way to collect pcaps from infrastructure they own or are authorized to test. GOOD TO KNOW: • Robin requires an SSH-accessible remote device with tcpdump. Only air capture requires Wi-Fi monitor mode. • Captures survive SSH disconnects and can be resumed after reconnecting. • Credentials are stored in the iOS Keychain, never on the remote device. • Air capture on a single-radio router may drop your Wi-Fi control link. Interface capture does not switch the radio mode, and Robin warns you when the air-capture risk applies. Robin is a capture and transfer tool. Use it only on networks you own or have explicit permission to test. Capturing traffic on networks without authorization may be illegal in your jurisdiction.

MTR - Network Trace is a focused, native network path diagnostic utility for iPhone and iPad. It continuously sends ICMP probes with increasing hop limits and shows latency and packet-loss statistics for every responding router between your device and the destination. Designed for network administrators, engineers, homelab users, and anyone troubleshooting a connection. FEATURES • Continuous hop-by-hop network tracing • IPv4 and IPv6 with automatic or explicit selection • Last, average, best, and worst latency • Jitter, sent and received probe counts, and packet loss • Reverse DNS with full hostnames • Optional AS number, BGP prefix, network name, and registry country details • Alternate responder tracking • Saved targets and complete local trace history • Terminal-style text reports and structured CSV export • Copy and share results directly from the app • Configurable interval and maximum hop count MTR keeps moving when intermediate routers do not respond, so later hops can still appear without waiting for every timeout. PRIVACY FIRST MTR has no account, advertising, analytics SDK, subscription, or in-app purchase. Saved targets, settings, and trace history stay on your device. AS/BGP lookups are optional and clearly described in the Privacy Policy. One app, one job: a clean MTR-style network trace built for iOS.