This program supports a massive number of network protocols, most of which a modern professional working in security will find redundant. By doing so, it allows users to identify the traffic crossing their networks, as well as its amount, frequency, latency, and more. Wireshark intercepts binary traffic and converts it into a format readable by humans. If you prefer using the command line, you'll like tcpdump, a packet analyzer that displays TCP/IP packets transmitted on a network. The minimum requirements include knowing how to read packet headers, how the TCP/IP stack, routing, port forwarding, and DHCP work. You'll need knowledge of the basics of networking to use Wireshark. The graphical tools help you visualize the statistics, making it much easier to spot trends. Alternatively, there's a TTY-mode utility in combination with TShark.ĭepending on your platform, you could also opt for reading data from Ethernet, PPP/HDLC, Bluetooth, USB, FDDI, and more.
With Wireshark, you can browse captured network information using a GUI. In essence, Wireshark is free software that provides the user with tools for deep inspection of hundreds of protocols, live capture of the network, offline analysis, and even a utility for VoIP analysis.