How to Use Wireshark for Network Analysis – Step-by-Step

Wireshark is the world’s most widely used open-source packet analyzer. It allows cybersecurity professionals, students, and network administrators to capture and inspect data traveling across a network in real time. Whether you are troubleshooting network issues, analyzing suspicious activity, or learning the basics of networking, Wireshark is an essential tool. This guide explains step-by-step how to use Wireshark effectively in 2025.

What Is Wireshark?

Wireshark is a free and open-source tool that lets you see exactly what is happening on a network at the packet level. It captures and decodes packets in real time, displaying detailed information about protocols, IP addresses, ports, and payloads. This makes it invaluable for network troubleshooting, security analysis, and learning network protocols.

Key Features of Wireshark

• Live packet capture and offline analysis
• Deep inspection of hundreds of protocols
• Filtering using display and capture filters
• Color-coding for quick protocol identification
• Export capabilities to XML, CSV, or plain text
• Cross-platform: runs on Windows, Linux, macOS

Step 1: Installing Wireshark

Download Wireshark from its official website (wireshark.org). Choose the correct version for your OS. During installation:

• Windows users should also install Npcap (packet capture driver).
• Linux users may need to run sudo apt install wireshark or equivalent.
• macOS users can install via the installer or using Homebrew (brew install wireshark).

Step 2: Understanding the Wireshark Interface

Component	Description
Menu Bar	Contains options for capture, filtering, and analysis tools.
Capture Interfaces	Lists available network interfaces (Ethernet, Wi-Fi, etc.).
Packet List Pane	Displays all captured packets with summary (time, source, destination, protocol).
Packet Details Pane	Breaks down protocol layers of a selected packet.
Packet Bytes Pane	Shows the raw hexadecimal and ASCII representation of packet data.

Step 3: Capturing Packets

To start capturing traffic:

• Launch Wireshark and select a network interface (e.g., Wi-Fi).
• Click the blue shark fin icon to begin capturing.
• Wireshark will immediately display live network traffic.
• Press the red square stop button to end capture.

Step 4: Using Filters

Wireshark captures thousands of packets per minute. Filters are essential to focus on relevant data.

Capture Filters

Used before starting capture. Examples:

• host 192.168.1.10 → capture only packets to/from a specific host.
• port 80 → capture only web (HTTP) traffic.
• tcp → capture only TCP traffic.

Display Filters

Applied after capturing packets. Examples:

• ip.addr == 10.0.0.5 → show packets from/to specific IP.
• http → show only HTTP traffic.
• tcp.port == 443 → filter HTTPS packets.

Step 5: Analyzing Traffic

Once filtered, inspect individual packets:

• Expand protocol layers: Ethernet → IP → TCP/UDP → Application data.
• Look for anomalies: retransmissions, malformed packets, suspicious connections.
• Identify conversations: Use Statistics → Conversations to view host-to-host communication.
• Check throughput: Statistics → IO Graphs to visualize traffic volume.

Step 6: Saving and Exporting

You can save captured packets for future analysis or share with colleagues:

• File → Save As (PCAP format)
• Export specific packets to CSV, XML, or JSON
• Use PCAP files in intrusion detection tools like Snort or Suricata

Common Use Cases of Wireshark

• Network troubleshooting: Identify slowdowns, dropped packets, or misconfigured devices.
• Security analysis: Detect unauthorized connections or malware activity.
• Protocol learning: Students use Wireshark to understand TCP/IP layers.
• Forensics: Analyze captured traffic after a security incident.

Best Practices and Security Tips

• Run Wireshark with administrator/root privileges to capture all traffic.
• Use capture filters to reduce noise and improve performance.
• Be mindful of privacy laws — capturing traffic on networks you don’t own may be illegal.
• Regularly update Wireshark to patch vulnerabilities and add protocol support.

Exam-Relevant One-Liners

• Wireshark captures: live packets for deep protocol inspection.
• Capture filters: applied before capture, reduce workload.
• Display filters: applied after capture for refined analysis.
• PCAP: the standard file format for saving packet captures.
• Statistics → IO Graphs: visualizes network traffic over time.

Conclusion

Wireshark remains an indispensable tool for network analysis in 2025. By mastering capture filters, display filters, and protocol analysis, you can uncover hidden issues, secure your network, and gain a deeper understanding of how the internet works at the packet level. Whether you are a student, IT professional, or cybersecurity analyst, Wireshark equips you with the skills to analyze networks like an expert.