Streamline Network Diagnostics with Tshark by NetworkTestingTech

Lightweight, scriptable, and powerful—Tshark delivers deep packet inspection and traffic analysis right from the command line.

Overview

Tshark is the command-line companion to Wireshark, designed for professionals who require robust packet analysis without the overhead of a GUI. Ideal for automated workflows, remote environments, and scripting, Tshark delivers real-time capture, filtering, and decoding of traffic across thousands of network protocols. With its compact footprint and integration flexibility, it is a go-to tool for SOCs, NOCs, and DevOps teams seeking deep visibility in dynamic or headless environments.

NetworkTestingTech, based in Phoenix, Arizona, specializes in scaling Tshark across enterprise, data center, and industrial use cases throughout North America. With expertise in automation, integration, and compliance, we help organizations unlock the full potential of Tshark in production environments—backed by our continuous R&D, strict QA process, and industry-aligned support.

Core Components

Software

Tshark CLI binary compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS
Supports real-time and offline packet decoding
Lua scripting and custom dissectors for extended protocol support

Hardware (Optional Enhancements)

Network TAPs or mirrored switch ports for raw traffic feeds
Utilize Ethernet Analyzers from NetworkTestingTech to ensure accurate data capture and analysis across TAP or SPAN connections.
High-speed NICs supporting multi-gigabit capture
Deploy SFP+ Transceivers to enable stable, high-bandwidth packet capture in modern enterprise environments.
Integration with portable forensic capture kits
Incorporate Media Converters Ethernet to Fiber for flexible connectivity between forensic kits and various network types during field investigations.

Cloud Services (via NetworkTestingTech Integration)

Pipeline integration into cloud-based SIEM/NDR platforms
Centralized log and packet archive via secure S3-compatible storage
Web-accessible dashboards for decoded packet review

Key Features and Functionalities

Headless packet capture and filtering from the terminal
Supports the same dissection engine as Wireshark
Highly scriptable for automation and integration
BPF-compatible capture filters and powerful display filters
Protocol-specific analysis for TCP, HTTP, SIP, DNS, and more
Batch export to PCAP, CSV, JSON, and XML
Useful for compliance audits and forensic reconstruction
Low resource overhead for embedded and remote systems

Integrations

Tshark easily integrates with a variety of security and observability stacks:

SIEM platforms (e.g., Splunk, QRadar, Elastic Stack)
Suricata/Zeek for layered threat detection
Security Onion for full SOC visibility
Custom Linux pipelines using cron jobs, shell scripts, or Ansible
CI/CD pipelines for application-level traffic diagnostics during staging

NetworkTestingTech helps build, optimize, and scale these integrations for seamless, secure traffic analysis workflows.

Compatibility

Operating Systems: Fully compatible with Linux, macOS, Windows
Protocol Support: 2,000+ protocols using Wireshark dissection engine
File Formats: PCAP, PCAPNG input/output
Traffic Sources: Live interfaces, pipe input, file replay, mirrored ports

Benefits

Automated visibility without manual interaction
Perfect for remote monitoring and headless deployments
Ideal for scripting and CI environments
Saves system resources compared to GUI-based analyzers
Powerful for deep forensic packet analysis
Highly extensible via community and custom dissectors

Applications

Continuous packet logging in cloud or hybrid environments
Security investigation in isolated or air-gapped networks
Scripted protocol testing in CI/CD environments
Automated compliance packet auditing

Industries

Tshark serves as a core diagnostic and threat analysis tool in:

Cloud and Data Centers – Inline packet capture for DevOps visibility
Utilities & Energy – Audit traffic in embedded or remote OT systems
Healthcare IT – Analyze encrypted health information channels
Government Cybersecurity – Lightweight and secure for field operations
Retail and Banking – Monitor critical payment and transaction traffic

Relevant U.S. & Canadian Industry Standards

NIST 800-115
FISMA
PCI DSS
SOC 2 Type II
PIPEDA (Canada)

Case Studies

Case Study 1 – Tech Startup (Austin, Texas)

A fast-scaling SaaS company integrated Tshark with its DevOps toolchain to automatically capture packet-level traces during staging deployments. With NetworkTestingTech’s support, they reduced incident reproduction time by 60% and significantly improved release confidence.

Case Study 2 – Healthcare Provider (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

A regional hospital system used Tshark to monitor HL7 and HTTPS traffic in remote clinics. Our engineers configured real-time alert triggers on anomalies without impacting system performance, ensuring HIPAA-compliant traffic monitoring.

Case Study 3 – Utility Network (Alberta, Canada)

A Canadian energy provider implemented Tshark in remote substations to log Modbus TCP and IEC 104 traffic. NetworkTestingTech developed a compact deployment model with automated log rotation and central packet aggregation, reducing physical site visits by 40%.

Contact Us

Ready to deploy Tshark as a lightweight, powerful tool for automated network visibility? Contact NetworkTestingTech to speak with our experts, request integration assistance, or explore scalable deployment options tailored to your operational needs.