Wireshark Reviews

Name: Wireshark
Brand: Wireshark
Rating: 5 (61 reviews)

Vendor: Wireshark

4.5 out of 5

61 reviews
98% willing to recommend

793 followers

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What is Wireshark?

Wireshark is the world's foremost network protocol analyzer.

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Wireshark is the #4 ranked solution in top Network Troubleshooting solutions. PeerSpot users give Wireshark an average rating of 9.0 out of 10. Wireshark is most commonly compared to Dynatrace: Wireshark vs Dynatrace. Wireshark is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 59% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 14% of all views.

Helped 805,335 peers since 2012

Featured reviews

DonniUgalde

Senior I.T. Systems Engineer at Pro Techs MSP

I wish the filters were a little bit more prepopulated. It would have been easy to hit a drop-down and select a filter. If I only wanted to look at DCP, UDP, or IP, it would be easy to filter it out. Advanced network knowledge is required to get a lot out of the tool. However, it's very easy to install and deploy. It would be nice if there were some handheld Android devices with a Wireshark-specialized application that would allow us to mirror a Cisco port. Then, we can just plug into the port and click the green start button, and it will start ingesting the packet capture. Then, we won’t be using a laptop. The only downside is that we must have a laptop and connect a network cable. Some new laptops don't have network ports, so we have to get another adapter. Having an all-in-one device, like NetAlly or Fluke, and some of their network devices would be cool.

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Vijay Duggal

Network Specialist at Squarepoint Capital

I'm using the solution for tasks like identifying top talkers and detecting network congestion. I specifically focus on understanding how the network behaves during short bursts, with sampling intervals ranging from milliseconds to tens or hundreds of milliseconds. I also work with High Frequency…

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PrathmeshShinde

Teaching Assistant at University of Colorado Boulder

Wireshark is one of the best and most popular network management or monitoring tools. Whatever traffic is going from your Internet, you can use the solution to make a plugin into that. You can take a replica of that, and from layer one to layer seven, you can check how the packet is loading and…

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Wireshark mindshare

As of September 2024, the mindshare of Wireshark in the Network Troubleshooting category stands at 11.6%, down from 14.0% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Troubleshooting

Key learnings from peers

Last updated Jul 11, 2024

Valuable Features

Wireshark's key features include powerful filtering, packet capture, and traffic analysis capabilities. It excels in segmenting traffic, inspecting email data, and decrypting information. Users appreciate the detailed traffic breakdown, session-level filtering, and ease of use with a friendly interface. The ability to analyze Voice over IP interactions and adaptive support for new protocols stands out. It offers extensive online support, stability, and user customizations through source code modifications. It provides colorization for data identification and simple troubleshooting with broad community assistance.

"Wireshark is a good tool to start with network analyzing and packet capturing."
"The GUI is easy to use."
"The feature to incorporate Voice over IP (VoIP) incidents into network traffic analysis is valuable. Capturing voice or SIP communication allows for examination of interactions between SIP clients and SIP servers. This helps the team investigate or analyze issues related to call center servers and operators."

Room for Improvement

Wireshark needs a more user-friendly interface, better data processing, and improved filtering ease. Enhancements should include retaining older functionalities, increasing capacity for larger files, and supporting encryption. Real-time evolution, graphical network visualizations, and automation capabilities are also suggested. Experienced users find it technically demanding, indicating a need for better beginner accessibility. It should perform better on various operating systems and have a more interactive GUI with advanced analytics and AI integration.

"The solution’s user interface could be improved."
"I wish the filters were a little bit more prepopulated."
"You need some basic knowledge to work with Wireshark. Maybe it could be more user-friendly just for new users. Just for the new generation."

ROI

Wireshark has significantly improved network troubleshooting efficiency, reducing diagnosis time. Users experienced better clarity in network traffic analysis, which led to faster problem resolution. Enhanced monitoring capabilities contributed to maintaining optimal performance. Some users reported that the tool's comprehensive features justified the investment, highlighting cost savings through minimized downtime. Experts appreciated Wireshark's ability to detect complex issues that were previously unnoticed, enabling proactive maintenance and supporting network integrity.

Pricing

Wireshark is open-source and free to use, making it highly accessible for enterprises without licensing or setup costs. Many organizations utilize the free version effectively for network investigation and analysis. While Wireshark offers paid tiers with additional features, most users find the free version sufficient for their needs.

"Wireshark is free of charge, and there's no license involved."
"The tool is free."
"Wireshark is open source and gives great value and functionality to the network investigation."

Popular Use Cases

Users primarily employ Wireshark for network troubleshooting, packet analysis, and traffic monitoring. Typically, they capture packets to examine traffic conditions, diagnose connectivity issues, identify protocols, and detect malicious activity. It is used for in-depth inspection of network communications, decoding streams, and analyzing performance during specific intervals. Additionally, Wireshark helps with monitoring WiFi connections, understanding packet origin, and analyzing customer network traffic for critical issues and debugging purposes.

Service and Support

Wireshark users generally rely on its extensive online community for support. Many resolve issues through resources like YouTube tutorials, forums, and Google searches. As an open-source tool, direct customer service and technical support are minimal, with many never needing to contact support. Some pay for versions offering support tiers, but most find all necessary information online.

Deployment

Wireshark's initial setup is straightforward for technical users and takes between a couple of minutes to 30 minutes. Users download the software, install it, and select the desired interface to capture traffic. The process involves simple steps and doesn't require extensive technical knowledge, although basic understanding is beneficial. In larger organizations, obtaining approvals for installation can be challenging. Users appreciate the ease of use and minimal complexity during deployment.

Scalability

Wireshark's scalability is often praised, though some users find it complex. It handles large files and supports numerous users within organizations. Some challenges include managing extensive data and needing automated solutions. Users appreciate its broad capabilities across devices and protocols. While it can scale to many devices and users, deploying in large environments may require improvements. Users' ratings vary, typically accentuating its flexibility and usability.

Stability

Wireshark is highly stable, impressing many users who rate it between eight to ten out of ten. It performs well on multiple platforms like Windows, Linux, and MacBook without crashing or freezing. Users have noted its reliability and lack of bugs or glitches. However, it may struggle with larger files exceeding 100 to 150 megabytes, causing it to crash after a few minutes. Despite this, its stability remains a standout feature for most users.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Wireshark Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.