Wireshark review
A broad, free desktop analyzer for live captures, PCAP files, filtering, and protocol inspection.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Wireshark is an open-source network protocol analyzer for capturing, browsing, filtering, and inspecting network traffic. It is designed for network professionals, security experts, developers, and educators who need to examine live traffic or work with existing capture files. The desktop application runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and combines graphical analysis with command-line access through TShark.
Its feature depth is the main reason to consider it. Wireshark can inspect hundreds of protocols, apply display and capture filters, read and write PCAP and PCAPNG files, and provide conversation, endpoint, and other traffic statistics. It also supports protocol decryption for SSL/TLS, IPsec, WEP, and WPA/WPA2. That combination makes it suitable for investigations that require more than basic packet viewing, including detailed protocol dissection and flow analysis across live and offline captures.
Wireshark also extends beyond local interactive analysis. TShark provides command-line packet analysis, while remote capture over SSH supports traffic collection from another system. The product is free and open source, with no paid tier to evaluate or upgrade into. It is a strong choice for technical users who want broad packet-analysis capabilities across major desktop operating systems. Organizations seeking a hosted, browser-based, or narrowly focused monitoring tool may prefer a product built around those deployment models instead.
Wireshark pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Live capture and offline analysis support
- Deep inspection, filtering, decryption, and PCAP support
- Includes TShark and remote capture over SSH
- Where it doesn't
- Desktop deployment may not fit hosted or browser-based workflows
- Remote capture is provided through SSH
- Its extensive feature set is focused on technical packet analysis
Wireshark fact sheet, pricing and score →
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