To check if promiscuous mode is enabled, click Capture > Options and verify the “Enable promiscuous mode on all interfaces” checkbox is activated at the bottom of this window. Wireshark uses pcap to capture packets, so it can only capture packets on the types of networks that pcap supports. It can parse and display the fields, along with their meanings as specified by different networking protocols. If you have promiscuous mode enabled-it’s enabled by default-you’ll also see all the other packets on the network instead of only packets addressed to your network adapter. Wireshark is a data capturing program that 'understands' the structure ( encapsulation) of different networking protocols. Wireshark captures each packet sent to or from your system. You can configure advanced features by clicking Capture > Options, but this isn’t necessary for now.Īs soon as you click the interface’s name, you’ll see the packets start to appear in real time. For example, if you want to capture traffic on your wireless network, click your wireless interface. Capturing PacketsĪfter downloading and installing Wireshark, you can launch it and double-click the name of a network interface under Capture to start capturing packets on that interface.
Don’t use this tool at work unless you have permission. Just a quick warning: Many organizations don’t allow Wireshark and similar tools on their networks. WireShark is a free and open-source tool that lets you see and manipulate the packets on your computers network.