nc: nc (Netcat network utility) nc: nc: Netcat, or "nc" as the actual program is named, is a simple utility nc: which reads and writes data across network connections, using TCP or nc: UDP protocol. It is designed to be a reliable "back-end" tool that nc: can be used directly or easily driven by other programs and scripts. nc: At the same time, it is a feature-rich network debugging and nc: exploration tool, since it can create almost any kind of connection nc: you would need and has several interesting built-in capabilities. nc: Netcat was written by *Hobbit* , and is a product nc: of Avian Research.