In our case this will be Ethernet, as we’re currently plugged into the network via an Ethernet cab. The very first step for us is to open Wireshark and tell it which interface to start monitoring. By using Wireshark, we will see what data we can find on the network relating to any network communications.

Let’s look at an example using Telnet to log onto a Cisco Switch. Inspecting the contents of data packets.Isolating and identifying source and destination traffic.We can then open the capture results and see how we would go about capturing such information, as well as where we can find it in our results. Our example will show you how to reveal a plain-text password being transmitted over your network via Telnet, which will be intercepted by Wireshark. This is not an exhaustive or all-encompassing tutorial, but hopefully will help to shed light on the steps that most people might take when trying to pinpoint details about a particular application or packet stream on the network. What follows is a basic walkthrough of some of the steps you might follow when undertaking a preliminary investigation of a specific target on your network, and how it might benefit you depending on the objective in mind. It is a freeware tool that, once mastered, can provide valuable insight into your environment, allowing you to see what’s happening on your network. Wireshark is a very useful tool for information security professionals and is thought of by many as the de facto standard in network packet and protocol analysis.

Wireshark example