Troubleshooting with the Time Column in Wireshark (chris greer)

 

Hey Packet People!

Learning how to use the time column goes a long way when troubleshooting network issues. It is very important for analysts to learn how to configure it to represent time in different ways, start and stop time references, and to add specific TCP timers.

Layer 1 – gets them all the time

 I was doing some work on-site when the client asks me if I can help with his IP cameras.

The vendor helped over the phone and they determined that 2 cameras probably need to be replaced. The client explained that he is not that technical and wanted someone else to take a look before he goes through all the trouble of taking them down and sending them back.

I started with a quick look around and determined that the camera is POE and the cable runs to a patch panel, then to the DVR, which is also providing the POE.

How to Use TShark's Autostop Duration Parameter: A Quick Wireshark CLI Tutorial

If you work with network traffic analysis, this short tutorial on TShark's autostop duration option is worth a watch. TShark, the command-line counterpart to Wireshark, gives network admins and security analysts a powerful way to capture packets without needing the full graphical interface — ideal for headless servers and remote environments. This video walks through the `-a duration` flag, which tells TShark to automatically stop a packet capture once a specified number of seconds has elapsed, saving you from having to manually interrupt long-running captures.

The autostop duration parameter is one of several capture-control options available in TShark, alongside conditions like file size and file count limits. By pairing `-a duration:<seconds>` with the `-w` flag, you can launch a timed capture that writes straight to a `.pcapng` file for later review in the full Wireshark GUI.

Using Wireshark Name Resolution to Make Packet Analysis Easier (chris greer)

Digging through packet traces can be mind-numbing. It can be difficult for our brains to deal with so many IP addresses flying by at line-speed, or even when doing post-capture analysis.

For this reason it is a good practice to learn to use the Name Resolution feature of Wireshark. As we will see in this video, Wireshark is able to use DNS (and other naming protocols)

Figuring Out Where To Slice a Packet With Wireshark

There are many scenarios with packet slicing is helpful and possible necessary.

Here are some examples or scenarios where you should consider packet slicing:

• The data is not useful or unreadable/encrypted
• To conserve disk space or reduce your trace file size
• Legal issues around the payload of captured packets
• Reduce load on your capture device. Some packet capture tools are less likely to drop packets when packets are sliced.