Wireshark – Packet Analyzer | A Comprehensive Guide

wireshark logo

Wireshark is a packet analysis tool and is also used as a protocol analyzer. A packet is a data component that is sent over a computer network. When two or more devices communicate, a large number of packets are sent over a network and these packets can be captured for further analysis. Once these packets are captured, Wireshark allows us to inspect the contents of a packet, and monitor your network at a granular level. This becomes very effective in conducting a traffic analysis, which can be used to troubleshoot problems by locating the source.

Being a very powerful network sniffer, Wireshark is used popularly used by:

  • Government Agencies
  • Educational Institutions
  • Non-Profit Organizations
  • Small Businesses

Installing Wireshark on Linux:

sudo apt-get install wireshark

Wireshark is the most often-used packet sniffer in the world. Like any other packet sniffer, Wireshark does three things:

  • Packet Capture: Wireshark listens to a network connection in real time and then grabs entire streams of traffic – quite possibly tens of thousands of packets at a time.
  • Filtering: Wireshark is capable of slicing and dicing all of this random live data using filters. By applying a filter, we can obtain just the information you need to see.
  • Visualization: Wireshark, like any good packet sniffer, allows us to dive right into the very middle of a network packet. It also allows you to visualize entire conversations and network streams.

Working of Wireshark

Wireshark is a packet sniffer and analysis tool. It captures network traffic on the local network and stores that data for offline analysis. Wireshark captures network traffic from Ethernet, Bluetooth, Wireless (IEEE.802.11), and many more. Wireshark provides the privilege of narrowing the results of captured packets by a large number of filters that are provided along with it. Each packet contains information such as the protocol used, source and destination IP and MAC, file content, etc.

Wireshark also colors the packet according to the protocol used, so that it becomes easier to identify the type of packet. Wireshark currently supports thousands of protocols. The majority of these are old and unpopular, but TCP, UDP, and ICMP are fully supported, allowing for the analysis of IP packets.

Wireshark | cybervie

Capturing Data Packets

On opening Wireshark, we see a list of network interfaces that can be analyzed and monitored.

Wireshark | cybervie

We can select one or more of the network interfaces using shift left-click. Once we select the network interfaces, we can start the capture.

Wireshark | Cybervie

Once we have captured all the packets you need, we use the same buttons or menu options to stop the capture. Best practice says that one should stop Wireshark packet capture before you do analysis.

Wireshark | cybervie

Wireshark shows us three different panes for inspecting packet data. The Packet List, the top pane, is a list of all the packets in the capture. When you click on a packet, the other two panes change to show you the details about the selected packet. We can also tell if the packet is part of a conversation. Here are some details about each column in the top pane:

  • No.: This is the number order of the packet that got captured. The bracket indicates that this packet is part of a conversation.
  • Time: This column shows us how long after we started the capture that this packet got captured. We can change this value in the Settings menu if you need something different displayed.
  • Source: This is the address of the system that sent the packet.
  • Destination: This is the address of the destination of that packet.
  • Protocol: This is the type of packet, for example, TCP, DNS, DHCPv6, or ARP.
  • Length: This column shows us the length of the packet in bytes.
  • Info: This column shows us more information about the packet contents, and will vary depending on what kind of packet it is.

Packet Details, the middle pane, shows us as much readable information about the packet as possible, depending on what kind of packet it is. We can right-click and create filters based on the highlighted text in this field. The bottom pane, Packet Bytes, displays the packet exactly as it got captured in hexadecimal. When we are looking at a packet that is part of a conversation, we can right-click the packet and select Follow to see only the packets that are part of that conversation.

Filters in Wireshark

Wireshark has the option of filters that eases our work by manifolds, there are two ways in which the filter can be applied:

  • Right clicking on the packet
  • Using the filter window at the top of the screen

Valid filter rules are always colored green. If we make a mistake on a filter rule, the box will turn a vivid pink.

Wireshark | Cybervie

To optimise our search we can use the below values :

Wireshark | Cybervie
Source : https://www.comptia.org/content/articles/what-is-wireshark-and-how-to-use-it

For more blogs like this check our blog page

Share the Post...
WhatsApp

About Cybervie

Cybervie provides best cyber security training program in hyderabad, India.This cyber security course enables you to detect vulnerablities of a system, wardoff attacks and manage emergency situations. Taking a proactive approach to security that can help organisations to protect their data, Cybervie has designed its training module based on the cyber security industry requirements with three levels of training in both offensive and defensive manner, and use real time scenarios which can help our students to understand the market up-to its standard certification which is an add on advantage for our students to stand out of competition in an cyber security interview.

More Info – Click Here

Recent Posts

Follow Us on Youtube

CSEP : Certified Security Engineer Professional

Certified Security Engineer Professional (CSEP) certification is a comprehensive program designed for individuals aspiring to become cybersecurity engineers. It equips candidates with hands-on knowledge across various in-demand cybersecurity domains, ensuring they are well-prepared for current and future industry needs.

Organizations today seek candidates with a diverse set of skills beyond just one tool or area of expertise. The CSEP certification addresses this need by providing essential hands-on experience, making you proficient in multiple cybersecurity domains.

The program includes live classes featuring practical exercises, followed by a real-time project that offers valuable industrial knowledge.

Domains covered in the CSEP certification:

  • Cybersecurity Essentials
  • Penetration Testing
  • Application Security
  • Security Operations
  • AI in Cybersecurity
  • Multi-Cloud Security
  • Threat Intelligence

 

This certification is ideal for those looking to secure a role as a cybersecurity engineer and want to gain a competitive edge in the cybersecurity field.

For Further kindly feel free to fill out the profile form  for relevant information on our counselor will get in touch with you

Sign up for our Newsletter

Interested in Cyber Security Training Program 2024 – Click Here
Open chat
1
Hello 👋
How can we help you?