Other helpful tools

Wireshark is an extremely versatile and useful tool. However, there are some things it doesn't do easily or at all, so we'll discuss a few other tools you may want to include in your analysis toolset.

HttpWatch

HttpWatch is a packet-based performance analysis utility that integrates with Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers to view a graphical depiction and statistical values from HTTP interactions between the browser and websites. This kind of utility makes it easy to discover and measure from the user's perspective when significant delays are occurring and the source of those delays.

The following screenshot shows the HttpWatch visual and numerical analysis by loading the www.wireshark.org home page:

You can get more information about HttpWatch from http://www.httpwatch.com/. Also, a similar performance analysis utility is Fiddler, which can be found at http://www.telerik.com/fiddler.

SteelCentral Packet Analyzer Personal Edition

SteelCentral Packet Analyzer (previously known as Cascade Pilot) is available in Standard and Personal Edition versions. Unlike Wireshark, this utility is able to open and analyze multigigabyte trace files; you can quickly isolate a conversation of interest, right-click on it, and save that conversation in a separate packet trace file or launch Wireshark directly and pass that conversation to it from the same menu.

In addition, the utility offers a variety of network analysis screens called Views that provide graphical displays and reports on a wide range of performance perspectives. The following screenshot illustrates a set of MAC Overview Views:

You can get more information on the SteelCentral Packet Analyzer products at http://www.riverbed.com/products/performance-management-control/network-performance-management/packet-analysis.html.

AirPcap adapters

If you are using Wireshark to analyze wireless networks, you will need a wireless adapter that provides the ability to see all of the available channels and provides a Radiotap Header, which offers additional information for each frame such as radio channel and signal/noise strengths.

The prevalent wireless adaptor for use with Wireshark or SteelCentral Packet Analyzer on Windows platforms is the Riverbed AirPcap adapter, which is available from the Riverbed website. The AirPcap adapter plugs into a USB port and includes drivers to integrate with Wireshark and provide the Radiotap Header information. There are several product models that offer increasing coverage of the various WLAN bands; AirPcap Nx offers the widest coverage. The following image depicts two of the available adapters:

You can get more information on the Riverbed AirPcap adapters at http://www.riverbed.com/products/performance-management-control/network-performance-management/wireless-packet-capture.html.