Wireshark 4.4.0, the first release in the 4.4 branch, was announced on August 28, 2024. Its most useful workflow changes let analysts build more informative packet columns from field expressions, work with display-filter functions, switch configuration profiles when a capture matches a filter, and inspect traffic with updated graph tools. Wireshark 4.4.0 is a historical feature release, not necessarily the right version to install today; the official release index lists later releases in both the 4.4 and 4.6 lines.
What changed in Wireshark 4.4.0?
The official Wireshark 4.4.0 release notes describe it as the first 4.4 release and list changes since 4.2.0. For analysts, the main theme is more control over how traffic is filtered, summarized, and viewed—not a promise that the program will automatically decode every protocol or make every packet easier to understand.
| Area | What 4.4.0 adds or changes | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Display filters | Autocomplete includes display-filter functions; qualifying display filters can be copied as pcap filters. | Helps construct filters and reuse them for capture filtering when equivalent fields exist. |
| Custom columns and TShark output | Valid field expressions can be used, including functions, arithmetic, slices, logical tests, raw-byte addressing, and layer modifiers. | Supports tailored packet summaries and more flexible field extraction. |
| Configuration profiles | A profile can be associated with a display filter and selected automatically when an opened capture matches. | Lets analysts apply capture-specific preferences and views. |
| Graphs | I/O Graphs, Flow Graph / VoIP Calls, and TCP Stream Graphs receive updates. | Improves traffic visualization and sequence-diagram workflows. |
How do custom columns improve protocol visibility?
Custom columns turn packet fields into a compact, scan-friendly summary in the packet list. In 4.4.0, a column can use a valid field expression rather than only a simple field reference. The release notes include filter functions, arithmetic, slices, logical tests, raw-byte addressing, and layer modifiers among the supported expression capabilities.
This makes it possible to shape a column around the question being investigated—for example, applying an expression to a field or extracting a portion of packet data—rather than relying only on the default columns. The same broader expression support applies to custom tshark -e output fields, so command-line extraction can be tailored as well.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
These features change how analysts present or extract available packet information. They do not guarantee that a protocol will be decoded correctly when Wireshark lacks the required protocol support or the capture does not contain enough information.
What changed in display filters?
Display-filter autocomplete now includes filter functions, making those functions easier to discover while composing a display filter. Wireshark 4.4.0 also allows a display filter to be copied as a pcap filter—but only if every display-filter field used has a corresponding pcap-filter equivalent. A display filter that uses fields without such equivalents cannot be assumed to translate into a usable capture filter.
How does automatic profile switching work?
Wireshark 4.4.0 can associate a display filter with a configuration profile. When a user opens a capture file that matches the filter, Wireshark switches to the associated profile. This can be useful when different capture types call for different preferences, columns, or views, without requiring the analyst to select the profile manually each time.
What improved in Wireshark’s graph tools?
Wireshark maintainer Gerald Combs’s 4.4.0 launch summary highlights several graph changes:
- I/O Graphs support a minimum interval of 1 microsecond.
- The I/O Graph Y axis can display SI prefixes, and bar graph rendering is improved.
- Users can drag graph entries to reorder them; the legend and layer order are synchronized, and the legend can be moved with a right-click.
- Sequence diagrams can be exported as images.
- Flow Graph / VoIP Calls and TCP Stream Graphs are among the graph tools updated in this release.
The 1-microsecond interval is a graph setting, not a claim about capture precision or a guarantee that a particular capture contains meaningful data at that timescale. The release announcement does not establish such a guarantee.
What protocol and compatibility changes are included?
The 4.4.0 release notes list new protocol support including BIER, Matter Bluetooth Transport, Monero, NMEA 0183, PLDM, RF4CE, TREL, and ZeroMQ Message Transport Protocol, among others. They also describe updates to existing protocol support, including IPv6 address detail properties. This is a list of additions and updates, not a quantified total increase in supported protocols.
There are also changes relevant to users who maintain Lua scripts or extensions. Wireshark 4.4.0 added Lua 5.3 and 5.4 support and removed Lua 5.1 and 5.2 support. Its Windows and macOS installers included Lua 5.4.6; Windows installers shipped with Npcap 1.79.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you install Wireshark 4.4.0?
Choose a release based on whether you need a historical feature baseline, compatibility with your environment, or a currently maintained build. Wireshark announced 4.4.0 on August 28, 2024, as the first release in the 4.4 branch. It is useful as the reference point for the branch’s initial feature set, but it should not be treated as the current recommended installer solely because it introduced these changes.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The official Wireshark download page and official release-notes index list newer versions. The index includes later 4.4 releases, including 4.4.19, and the 4.6 line. For example, the 4.4.18 notes document subsequent fixes and protocol updates, including security-related fixes. Check the current index and the notes for the version you plan to install before choosing a build.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
