What is Wireshark?

 What is Wireshark?

Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer (packet sniffer) used to capture, inspect, and analyze network traffic in real time.

In simple words:

Wireshark lets you see what data is traveling across a network, packet by packet.

It is one of the most important tools in:

• Networking
• Cybersecurity
• Ethical hacking
• SOC analysis
• Troubleshooting network issues

🧠 What does Wireshark do?

Wireshark can:

• Capture live network packets
• Decode hundreds of protocols (TCP, UDP, HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, FTP, SMTP, ARP, ICMP, etc.)
• Show source & destination IPs
• Analyze ports, flags, payloads
• Detect suspicious or malicious traffic
• Help troubleshoot slow networks or errors

🛠️ How Wireshark works (Simple Explanation)

1. Wireshark listens to a network interface (Wi-Fi / Ethernet)
2. It captures packets flowing through that interface
3. Each packet is displayed with:

• Source IP
• Destination IP
• Protocol
• Length
• Packet content

1. You can filter and analyze packets

📦 Key Components of Wireshark

1️⃣ Packet List Pane

Shows:

• Time
• Source IP
• Destination IP
• Protocol
• Info

2️⃣ Packet Details Pane

Breaks down packet layers:

• Ethernet
• IP
• TCP/UDP
• Application layer

3️⃣ Packet Bytes Pane

Shows raw data in:

• Hexadecimal
• ASCII

🧪 Common Protocols You See in Wireshark

ProtocolPurposeTCPReliable data transferUDPFast, connectionlessHTTPWeb traffic (unencrypted)HTTPSEncrypted web trafficDNSDomain name resolutionARPIP ↔ MAC mappingICMPPing / network checksFTPFile transferSMTPEmail sending

🔐 Wireshark in Cybersecurity

Wireshark is used to:

• Detect MITM (Man-in-the-Middle) attacks
• Analyze malware communication
• Capture credentials (only on unencrypted traffic)
• Identify port scans
• Investigate data exfiltration
• SOC incident response