What is Wireshark?
Wireshark is the world's most widely used open-source network protocol analyzer. It allows you to capture and analyze data passing through the network in real-time. Thanks to its packet-level inspection capability, it appeals to a wide range of users, from cybersecurity experts to system administrators, network engineers to developers.
It is especially used in areas such as troubleshooting, protocol resolution, security auditing, and network performance analysis.
What Does Wireshark Do?
-
Monitors and records network traffic live
-
Analyzes and displays packets in detail (IP, TCP, UDP, HTTP, DNS, etc.)
-
Detailed analysis can be done with the help of specific filters
-
Problematic connections, slow data flow, or unauthorized access can be detected
-
Used in cyber attack monitoring and vulnerability analysis
How to Download and Install Wireshark?
Official download address: https://www.wireshark.org/download.html
-
Select the version suitable for your operating system (Windows/macOS/Linux)
-
Installation with "Npcap" support is recommended for Windows
-
During installation, Wireshark GUI and Terminal tool (TShark) can be installed
After installation, you can start capturing packets from the "Wireshark" interface.
How to Capture Packets with Wireshark?
-
Interface Selection: Select one of the network adapters on the opening screen (e.g. Ethernet or Wi-Fi)
-
Monitor Live Traffic: Click the "Start Capturing" button
-
Filtering: You can type a filter in the filter field at the top, for example
ip.addr == 192.168.1.1
-
Packet Analysis: When you click on the packets, headers, content and raw data appear below
Useful Wireshark Filters
-
ip.addr == 192.168.1.1
→ A specific IP address -
tcp.port == 80
→ HTTP traffic -
udp.port == 53
→ DNS queries -
http.request
→ Only HTTP requests -
tcp contains password
→ TCP packets containing password
Using Wireshark on VPS and VDS Servers
ekasunucu.com Wireshark is preferred for analyzing the traffic of VPS and VDS servers located in the infrastructure, especially for external connection tests, port controls, and attack monitoring. Network data can be examined by mirroring (port mirroring) from another device connected to the server.
Network Monitoring with Germany Location VPS
Performance evaluation can be done by analyzing data such as international traffic, packet loss, and connection times on Germany location VPS servers.
Turkey Location VPS and Security Audit
Wireshark can be used as an effective analysis tool for detecting DDoS attempts, bot scans, and abnormal requests in Turkey location VPS services.
Cyber Security and Wireshark
Wireshark is used in penetration tests, traffic recording, and attack analysis. It is especially beneficial in the following situations:
-
Port scanning and service analysis (example: traffic tracking after nmap attack)
-
Credential leakage checks
-
DNS spoofing or ARP spoofing monitoring
-
SSL/TLS handshake errors and encryption protocol analysis
Comparison with Wireshark Alternatives
Feature | Wireshark | tcpdump | Microsoft Message Analyzer | SolarWinds Packet Tool |
---|---|---|---|---|
Interface (GUI) | ✅ Yes | ❌ Command line | ✅ | ✅ |
Filtering Support | ✅ Advanced | ✅ Medium | ✅ | ✅ |
Real-Time Monitoring | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Open Source | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
Common Errors and Solutions
-
“Permission denied”
-
The network adapter cannot be accessed without root privileges on Linux systems: should be run with
sudo wireshark
.
-
-
“No interfaces found”
-
Npcap may not be installed correctly on Windows, it should be reinstalled.
-
-
“Packets not captured”
-
The correct network adapter is not selected or network mirroring may not be done.
-
Conclusion: A Powerful Tool for Network Analysis – Wireshark
Wireshark is an ideal tool for solving both simple network problems and performing complex security analyses. It offers advanced filtering, detailed protocol resolution, and packet viewing for IT professionals of all levels.
You can choose our VPS and VDS, Germany location VPS, Turkey location VPS and GPU servers solutions to improve your network security and optimize server connections.
Guides for other related system tools and analysis software: