Using Wireshark to Test Troubleshooting Tools

Every time I post a network troubleshooting article, I get email from readers asking how I did certain things or how to analyze packets. Even though I explain the methodology in many of the articles, I agree that it would help if I walked you through it.

In this video, I show you how I analyzed tracetcp, a traceroute tool available on GitHub that uses TCP instead of ICMP for network troubleshooting, using Wireshark.

Throughout the years, I’ve used the term “tool calibration” to describe the process of documenting how your tools behave. After you document how your tools behave, you can provide valuable feedback to the vendor regarding feature suggestions. The other benefit is that you can determine if any software upgrades change or affect the tool's behavior.