tshark

Tshark is a powerful command-line tool used for network protocol analysis and packet capturing. It is part of the Wireshark network analysis suite and provides a lightweight alternative for analyzing network traffic.

Here are some key features of tshark:

1. Protocol support: Tshark supports a wide range of network protocols, including TCP, UDP, IP, HTTP, DNS, SSL, and many more. It can dissect and display packet details at different protocol layers.

2. Packet capturing: Tshark can capture live network traffic directly from network interfaces or read packet capture files (e.g., pcap or pcapng files) created by other tools.

3. Filtering and selection: It allows users to apply filters based on various criteria like source/destination IP address, port numbers, protocols, packet length, and more. This helps in narrowing down the analysis to specific packets of interest.

4. Display customization: Tshark provides options to customize the output format and display fields according to user preferences. It can output packet details in different formats like CSV, JSON, or even export to other tools for further analysis.

5. Statistics and analysis: It can generate statistics and summaries, such as conversation statistics, protocol hierarchy, I/O graphs, or endpoints statistics. These features help in gaining insights into the network traffic patterns and behavior.

6. Command-line automation: Tshark's command-line interface makes it suitable for automation and scripting purposes. It can be easily integrated into scripts or workflows to automate packet capture, analysis, and reporting tasks.

7. Cross-platform support: Tshark is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

Overall, tshark is a versatile tool that allows network administrators, security analysts, and network engineers to analyze and troubleshoot network issues efficiently through the command line interface.