Wireshark

Wireshark is a popular network protocol analyzer used to capture, monitor, and analyze network traffic in real time. It helps network administrators, security analysts, and students inspect packets traveling through a network. Main Features of Wireshark Captures live network packets Displays packet details layer by layer Supports hundreds of network protocols Provides filtering and searching options Helps troubleshoot network problems Detects suspicious or malicious traffic Common Wireshark Tools and Functions Tool / Feature Purpose Packet Capture Captures network traffic from interfaces Display Filters Filters packets based on protocols, IPs, ports, etc. Capture Filters Captures only selected traffic Packet Analyzer Examines packet contents in detail Protocol Hierarchy Shows protocol usage statistics Follow TCP Stream Reconstructs communication between hosts IO Graphs Displays network traffic graphs Statistics Tools Analyzes bandwidth, errors, and conversations Coloring Rules Highlights important packets visually Export Function Saves captured packets for later analysis Common Protocols Analyzed Wireshark can analyze: HTTP / HTTPS TCP / UDP DNS ARP FTP SMTP ICMP DHCP IPv4 / IPv6 Uses of Wireshark Network Troubleshooting Detect packet loss Identify slow connections Diagnose protocol issues Security Analysis Detect attacks and intrusions Monitor suspicious traffic Analyze malware communication Educational Purpose Learn packet structures Understand OSI/TCP-IP models Study protocol behavior Example When opening a website: Wireshark captures DNS requests. Shows TCP handshake packets. Displays HTTP/HTTPS communication. Helps analyze response time and errors. Advantages Open-source and free Powerful packet inspection Supports multiple operating systems User-friendly graphical interface Limitation Requires networking knowledge Large captures may consume memory Encrypted traffic may not be fully readable Wireshark is one of the most widely used tools for packet capture and network traffic analysis in networking and cybersecurity.