Wireshark Explained in Easy Language
What is Wireshark?
Wireshark is a tool that helps you look at the data moving through a computer network. Think of it like a
magnifying glass for your internet connection. Just like an electrician uses tools to check electric cables,
Wireshark lets you see what's happening inside a network cable, but in much more detail.
In the past, these kinds of tools were hard to get or very expensive. Wireshark changed that by being free
and open-source.
Why People Use Wireshark
- Network admins use it to fix problems in the network.
- Security experts use it to look for bad activity.
- Testers use it to make sure apps work correctly over the network.
- Developers use it to fix bugs in how programs talk over the network.
- Students or learners use it to understand how the internet and other network systems work.
Features of Wireshark
- Works on both Windows and UNIX.
- Can watch live network traffic.
- Can open and read saved packet files from other tools.
- Can show packet data in great detail.
- Can save and share captured data.
- Allows filtering and searching packets.
- Lets you add color rules for easier reading.
Wireshark Explained in Easy Language
- Shows statistics about the traffic.
- And much more!
Capturing Traffic
Wireshark can capture data from many sources like Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, etc. But it depends on
your hardware and operating system.
Opening and Saving Files
Wireshark can read files from many other tools, and it can save your captures in different formats, too.
Understanding Protocols
Wireshark understands many network 'languages' (called protocols), so it can break them down and show
you whats going on.
Open Source and Free
Wireshark is open-source. That means you can use it for free, and you can even look at or change the code
yourself if you want.
What Wireshark Doesnt Do
- It doesnt alert you about attacks like an alarm system (not an intrusion detection system).
- It doesnt send any data on the network. It only listens and shows whats already happening.