What is Wireshark?
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Wireshark is the world’s leading network protocol analyzer, used by network administrators, security professionals, and developers to capture, inspect, and troubleshoot network traffic in real time. As a companion tool of Stratoshark, it provides deep visibility into network communications, allowing users to analyze data at the packet level.
Wireshark is an open-source tool, originally created in 1998 by Gerald Combs, and has grown to become an essential resource for diagnosing network issues, detecting security vulnerabilities, and understanding how applications communicate across networks.
What is Wireshark?
What you'll learn
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The key features of Wireshark
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What Wireshark is used for
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How to get started with Wireshark
Key Features
- Packet capture and analysis: Capture live traffic from networks or analyze saved packet capture (PCAP) files.
- Protocol support: Wireshark recognizes thousands of protocols, from common ones like TCP/IP, HTTP, and DNS to more obscure protocols.
- Real-time inspection: View network traffic in real time with detailed packet breakdowns of each packet.
- Filtering and search: Use advanced filters to isolate specific packets, sessions, or protocols for easier troubleshooting.
- Cross-platform: Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
- Visualization tools: Generate statistics, graphs, and flow diagrams to visualize network performance and identify anomalies.
Why Use Wireshark?
- Network troubleshooting: Diagnose latency, packet loss, and connectivity issues.
- Security analysis: Detect suspicious activity and analyses post-incident breaches.
- Protocol development: Debug new protocols or apps by inspecting network behaviour.
- Learning and training: Wireshark is an invaluable tool for networking students and professionals to learn about protocols and network operations.
How Does Wireshark Work?
Wireshark captures data from network interfaces (like Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and VPNs) and displays the raw traffic in a readable format. Users can apply filters to view specific streams of data or analyze how different devices communicate.
Getting Started
Wireshark is free to download from the official website, wireshark.org. Its intuitive interface, combined with powerful features, makes it the go-to tool for anyone looking to understand or secure their networks.