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Depending on which layer you are referring to, data can be represented in one of five different ways: The OSI Model is divided into 7 layers and is meant to provide a conceptual understanding of how data is transmitted across a network.
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Before diving into the details of what it does, let’s first understand what a packet is. Wireshark is a packet analyzer (or “sniffer”). Wireshark’s source code can be found on Gitlab and the application can be downloaded from Wireshark’s official website. Since its inception, over 700 people from around the world have contributed to the project. Today, Wireshark is one of the most widely used network protocol analyzers, and remains freely available for anyone to use. In 2006, the project changed its name to Wireshark. Over time, the project gained contributors who implemented new functionality to cover different use cases related to network analysis. The project steadily gained traction among network professionals who were looking for a tool to solve similar problems. (1)Ĭombs made Ethereal’s code open-source and the application was freely available for anyone to use or modify. Disappointed by the lack of available options at the time, he decided to create his own.
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In 1998, Gerald Combs wanted a tool to help him investigate network problems and learn more about networking in general.
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