There is disclosed a method of capturing packets and packet receivers to capture packets. A plurality of packets may be received form a network. A timestamp may be attached to each received packet. The timestamped received packet may be distributed among a plurality of capture engines. Each of the plurality of capture engines may store, in a respective capture memory of a plurality of capture memories, at least some timestamped received packets determined to match one or more of a plurality of predetermined capture criteria. A list in timestamp order of contiguous packets stored in the plurality of capture memories may be prepared.