Wireshark

Wireshark captures network packets and presents them in an interactive interface, allowing users to examine the details of traffic flowing through a computer network. It supports deep inspection of hundreds of protocols, providing filtering, decoding, and statistical tools that help diagnose bottlenecks, troubleshoot connectivity problems, and understand traffic patterns. The application runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and UNIX, and can be built from source for additional platforms.

The software is released under the GNU General Public License, making it free to use, modify, and distribute. Its open‑source nature encourages contributions from a large community of developers and users, resulting in regular updates, extensive documentation, and multilingual support. The project maintains a stable release series, with the latest version offering installers for various architectures and portable options.

Network engineers, security analysts, developers, and IT professionals use Wireshark to monitor and analyze network behavior, validate protocol implementations, and investigate security incidents. Its widespread adoption is reflected in millions of downloads and a vibrant user base that contributes to ongoing enhancements and certification programs.