Item: Wireshark
Rating: 10
Author: Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Wireshark

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use it as a systems information manager to capture traffic on the network and analyze the packets for various reasons. I have used it to find a ping scan from a wireless network that was DOS'ing an external location, and also have used it to pinpoint a system with a corrupted NIC driver that was causing a severe broadcast storm on our main network.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Packet capturing
Packet analysis
Traffic monitoring and reporting

Cons

It is beginner-friendly as far as installation, but it could use a tutorial.
Perhaps there is a way to do this already, but I haven't yet seen it. It would be nice if it could be integrated with a network package that could detect network anomalies, fire up an automated packet analysis, and send a report to an administrator.

Return on Investment

It has helped identify hardware malfunction issues that were leading to network downtime.
It has helped identify security issues on a network that helped in preventing an attack.
It has helped me get an overview coming into a network with no documentation so I could streamline our documentation and make our support process more efficient.

Alternatives Considered

PRTG Network Monitor

It is free compared to solarwinds deep packet software. It is easier to use than tcpdump or ettercap, and it has a much better presentation of the data. It's not as in depth as PRTG Network Monitor, but for an on the spot analysis, it is better for resource management and much quicker to set up and configure.

Support Rating

I haven't had to contact their official support because there is a HUGE amount of documentation and community support available. I imagine that one would be hard pressed to find many issues where they might need to contact actual support.

Key Insights

Do you think Wireshark delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Wireshark's feature set?

Yes

Did Wireshark live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Wireshark go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Wireshark again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Microsoft Office 2016, Microsoft Office 365, Zix, Quest Rapid Recovery (formerly AppAssure), WatchGuard Network Security

Likelihood to Recommend

It is invaluable for capturing and analyzing network traffic and identifying issues with devices that are either malfunctioning, or possibly even set up as rogue devices on a network. Using the data from a packet analysis combined with logs and MAC tables from various network devices, it can be used to find specifically where a device might be located. It's not a "set it and forget it" application, but it is well suited for on-the-spot analysis.

Comments

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Powerful, Easy to use, Exactly what you need!