Wireshark Study Cards

Enhance Your Learning with Wireshark Software Flash Cards for quick understanding



Wireshark

A free and open-source network protocol analyzer used for network troubleshooting, analysis, software and communications protocol development, and education.

Packet

A unit of data transmitted over a network. In Wireshark, packets can be captured and analyzed to understand network behavior and diagnose issues.

Capture Filter

A filter used to selectively capture network traffic based on specific criteria, such as source/destination IP address, port number, or protocol.

Display Filter

A filter used to selectively display captured network traffic based on specific criteria, such as protocol, IP address, port number, or packet content.

Protocol Hierarchy

A feature in Wireshark that displays the protocol stack of captured packets, allowing users to analyze network traffic at different layers.

Follow TCP Stream

A feature in Wireshark that allows users to reconstruct and view the entire conversation of a TCP stream, making it easier to analyze network communication.

IO Graph

A graphical representation in Wireshark that displays network statistics over time, helping users visualize network behavior and identify anomalies.

Expert Info

A feature in Wireshark that provides warnings and information about potential issues or anomalies in captured network traffic, assisting in troubleshooting.

Coloring Rules

Customizable rules in Wireshark that assign colors to packets based on specific criteria, making it easier to visually identify important packets or patterns.

Packet Decoding

The process of interpreting and understanding the contents of captured packets, allowing users to analyze network protocols and troubleshoot issues.

TCP/IP

The suite of communication protocols used for transmitting data over the internet. Wireshark can analyze and dissect TCP/IP packets for network analysis.

DNS

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical decentralized naming system for computers, services, or other resources connected to the internet. Wireshark can capture and analyze DNS traffic.

HTTP

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is an application protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems. Wireshark can analyze HTTP traffic for web debugging and analysis.

FTP

The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used for the transfer of computer files between a client and server on a computer network. Wireshark can capture and analyze FTP traffic.

SSH

The Secure Shell (SSH) is a cryptographic network protocol for secure data communication, remote command-line login, remote command execution, and other secure network services. Wireshark can capture and analyze SSH traffic.

ARP

The Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a communication protocol used for discovering the link layer address, such as MAC address, associated with a given network layer address, typically IPv4. Wireshark can capture and analyze ARP traffic.

ICMP

The Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) is a network protocol used for sending error messages, operational information, and diagnostic messages. Wireshark can capture and analyze ICMP traffic.

SSL/TLS

The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are cryptographic protocols that provide secure communication over a computer network. Wireshark can capture and analyze SSL/TLS traffic.

Bandwidth

The maximum data transfer rate of a network or internet connection. Wireshark can measure and analyze bandwidth usage to identify potential bottlenecks or performance issues.

Latency

The time delay between the sending and receiving of data packets over a network. Wireshark can measure and analyze latency to identify network delays or performance issues.

Throughput

The amount of data that can be transmitted over a network or internet connection in a given period of time. Wireshark can measure and analyze throughput to assess network performance.

TCP Retransmission

The retransmission of TCP packets that were not acknowledged by the receiving end, typically due to packet loss or network congestion. Wireshark can identify and analyze TCP retransmissions.

DNS Resolution

The process of converting domain names into IP addresses. Wireshark can capture and analyze DNS resolution requests and responses to troubleshoot DNS issues.

TCP Window Size

The amount of data that can be sent by a sender before receiving an acknowledgment from the receiver. Wireshark can analyze TCP window size to assess network performance and congestion.

SYN Flood

A type of denial-of-service (DoS) attack where an attacker floods a target system with a large number of SYN packets, overwhelming the system's resources. Wireshark can detect and analyze SYN flood attacks.

TCP Keep-Alive

A mechanism used to ensure that a TCP connection remains active and does not time out due to inactivity. Wireshark can capture and analyze TCP keep-alive packets.

HTTP Response Codes

Numeric codes sent by a web server to indicate the status of a HTTP request. Wireshark can analyze HTTP response codes to troubleshoot web server issues.

TCP Window Scaling

A TCP extension that allows for larger window sizes, improving network performance and throughput. Wireshark can analyze TCP window scaling to assess network behavior.

TCP Fast Retransmission

A mechanism used by TCP to quickly retransmit lost packets without waiting for a retransmission timer to expire. Wireshark can identify and analyze TCP fast retransmissions.

HTTP Cookies

Small pieces of data stored on a client's computer by a web browser, used to remember user preferences and track user activity. Wireshark can capture and analyze HTTP cookies for web debugging and analysis.

TCP Zero Window

A condition where the receiving end of a TCP connection advertises a window size of zero, indicating that it cannot receive any more data. Wireshark can detect and analyze TCP zero window conditions.

TCP Keep-Alive Timeout

The duration of inactivity after which a TCP connection is considered idle and may be closed. Wireshark can analyze TCP keep-alive timeout values to assess network behavior.

HTTP Redirects

A mechanism used by web servers to redirect a client's request to a different URL. Wireshark can analyze HTTP redirects to troubleshoot web server configuration issues.

TCP Out-of-Order Packets

TCP packets that arrive at the receiving end out of sequence, typically due to network congestion or packet reordering. Wireshark can identify and analyze out-of-order packets.

HTTP Caching

The process of storing web page resources on a client's computer to reduce server load and improve page load times. Wireshark can capture and analyze HTTP caching headers.

TCP Dup ACK

A duplicate acknowledgment sent by the receiving end of a TCP connection to indicate that it has received out-of-order packets. Wireshark can detect and analyze TCP duplicate acknowledgments.

HTTP Compression

A technique used to reduce the size of web page resources for faster transmission and improved performance. Wireshark can capture and analyze HTTP compression methods.

TCP Window Update

A TCP packet used to update the receiving end's window size, allowing for more data to be sent. Wireshark can analyze TCP window update packets to assess network behavior.

TCP Zero Window Probe

A mechanism used by TCP to determine if the receiving end's window size has increased after being zero. Wireshark can detect and analyze TCP zero window probes.

HTTP Authentication

A process where a web server requests user credentials to verify their identity. Wireshark can capture and analyze HTTP authentication headers for troubleshooting authentication issues.

TCP Keep-Alive Interval

The frequency at which TCP keep-alive packets are sent to ensure that a connection remains active. Wireshark can analyze TCP keep-alive interval values to assess network behavior.

HTTP Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

A type of web vulnerability where an attacker injects malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. Wireshark can capture and analyze HTTP requests and responses for XSS attacks.

TCP Out-of-Order Packets Reassembly

The process of reassembling out-of-order TCP packets into the correct sequence for proper analysis. Wireshark can reassemble and analyze out-of-order packets.

HTTP Session Hijacking

A type of attack where an attacker steals a user's session information to impersonate them on a website. Wireshark can capture and analyze HTTP traffic for session hijacking attempts.

TCP Keep-Alive Probes

TCP packets sent to check if a connection is still active when no data has been transmitted for a certain period of time. Wireshark can capture and analyze TCP keep-alive probes.

HTTP Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

A type of web vulnerability where an attacker tricks a user into performing unwanted actions on a website. Wireshark can capture and analyze HTTP requests and responses for CSRF attacks.

TCP Keep-Alive Response

A TCP packet sent by the receiving end to acknowledge a keep-alive probe and indicate that the connection is still active. Wireshark can analyze TCP keep-alive responses.

HTTP Secure Cookies

Secure HTTP cookies that are only transmitted over encrypted connections (HTTPS). Wireshark can capture and analyze secure HTTP cookies for web debugging and analysis.

TCP Keep-Alive Acknowledgment

A TCP packet sent by the receiving end to acknowledge a keep-alive probe and indicate that the connection is still active. Wireshark can analyze TCP keep-alive acknowledgments.

HTTP Content-Type

An HTTP header that specifies the type of content being sent or received. Wireshark can capture and analyze HTTP content-type headers for troubleshooting content-related issues.

TCP Keep-Alive Failure

A condition where a TCP connection fails to receive a response to a keep-alive probe, indicating a potential network or connection issue. Wireshark can detect and analyze TCP keep-alive failures.

HTTP Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS)

A mechanism that allows restricted resources on a web page to be requested from another domain outside the domain from which the resource originated. Wireshark can capture and analyze HTTP requests and responses for CORS-related issues.

HTTP Content-Encoding

An HTTP header that specifies the encoding format of the content being sent or received. Wireshark can capture and analyze HTTP content-encoding headers for troubleshooting content-related issues.