PCAP 🔍
Packet Analysis Made Practical
Learn to interpret network capture files using Wireshark-style analysis with real-world network traffic examples.
What is PCAP?
PCAP (Packet CAPture) files store network traffic data for later analysis. They're essential for troubleshooting network issues, analyzing security threats, and understanding protocol behavior.
- Used for protocol analysis with Wireshark
- Helps identify malicious traffic patterns
- Enables detailed packet-level examination
Common File Types
.pcaket - Native Wireshark/Tcpdump format
.pcapng - Next-generation capture format
.tsh - TShark capture files
Practice Analysis Tools
Threat Hunting
Identify malicious traffic patterns in pre-captured network sessions
Explore Threats →Protocol Decoding
Practice decoding uncommon protocols and inspecting packet headers
Start Decoding →Packet Analysis Exercise
Scenario
Open the sample PCAP and identify:
- HTTP traffic between 192.168.1.5 (you) and 8.8.8.8 (server)
- 3 packets that might indicate port scanning behavior
- Size of the largest TCP segment in the conversation
Wireshark Filter Syntax
tcp and ip.addr == 192.168.1.5 and ip.addr == 8.8.8.8
ssl
Use the display filter to isolate DNS traffic:
dns
Pro Tips
- Look for TCP retransmissions patterns
- Filter DNS queries using
dnsfilter - Use IO Graph for traffic volume analysis