Install Wireshark on Windows Server 2025 with Best Steps

This guide aims to teach you How To Install Wireshark on Windows Server 2025. Wireshark is a powerful, open-source network protocol analyzer that allows you to capture and interactively browse the traffic running on a computer network. Whether you’re troubleshooting network issues, analyzing performance, or ensuring security, Wireshark is a great solution.

You can now follow the guide steps below on the Orcacore website to complete Wireshark Installation on Windows Server 2025.

Mastering Wireshark Installation on Windows Server 2025

To complete Wireshark Installation on Windows Server 2025, you must have admin access to your Windows Server and follow the steps below.

Also, you can check for the Video Tutorial about Wireshark setup on Windows Server 2025:

1. Download Wireshark for Windows Server 2025

First, you must visit the Wireshark Downloads page and get the latest installer for Windows that matches your system architecture.

Once your Wireshark download is completed, open the downloaded file. This will open a setup wizard for you. Follow the steps below to install Wireshark.

2. Install Wireshark on Windows Server 2025

On the welcome screen, click Next to continue.

Then, read the license agreement for Wireshark and click Noted.

You will see a donation screen, simply click on Next to continue.

At this point, you must choose the Wireshark components you want to install. You can keep the default options and click Next.

Now you can choose the additional tasks like shortcuts and file extensions for Wireshark. Click Next to continue.

Then, choose the Wireshark installation location and click Next.

Also, Wireshark needs Npcap to be installed on your Windows Server 2025. Check the box next to it and click Next.

Also, you need to install USBPcap to capture USB traffic. Select it and click Install.

The setup wizard will ask you to install Npcap and accept the license agreement to continue.

Then, you can choose the installation options for Npcap and click Install.

When it is completed, click the Finish button to continue Wireshark installation on Windows Server 2025.

Once your Wireshark setup is completed, click Next.

Finally, click Finish.

3. Launch Wireshark and Capture Packets

At this point, you need to search for the Wireshark app and open it.

From there, you can select your desired interface and start capturing packets by clicking on the icon mentioned.

To focus on specific traffic, you can use display filters. For example, typing http in the filter bar will display only HTTP traffic. Once you’ve gathered the necessary data, click the red “Stop” button to stop capturing data. You can also click on individual packets to view detailed information.

Conclusion

At this point, you have learned to install, configure, and use Wireshark on Windows Server 2025. Remember to install Npcap and USBPcap for your Wireshark setup too. Wireshark is a great tool for troubleshooting network issues and analyzing traffic patterns.

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FAQs

Is Wireshark safe to use on Windows Server 2025?

Yes, Wireshark is safe. However, since it captures network traffic, misuse can pose security risks. Always ensure you have proper authorization before monitoring any network.

Can Wireshark capture encrypted traffic?

Wireshark can capture encrypted traffic (like HTTPS or TLS), but it cannot decrypt it unless you have the appropriate decryption keys.

Does Wireshark slow down a server?

Wireshark itself is lightweight, but capturing a large volume of packets can consume CPU and memory, especially on a high-traffic server.

Alternative Solutions for Network Analysis on Windows Server 2025

While Wireshark is a fantastic and widely used tool, other options exist for network analysis on Windows Server 2025. Here are two alternatives, each with its strengths and weaknesses:

1. Using Microsoft Message Analyzer (Deprecated, but Conceptually Relevant)

Although Microsoft Message Analyzer is deprecated and no longer supported, its underlying concepts and the functionality it provided offer valuable insight into alternative approaches to network analysis. It was designed to provide a comprehensive view of system and network traffic, focusing on diagnostics and troubleshooting. While you can’t download it from Microsoft anymore, it illustrates an approach that other tools adopt.

Explanation:

Microsoft Message Analyzer was designed to handle Event Tracing for Windows (ETW) logs and network traffic captures. Its strength lay in its ability to correlate events from different sources (kernel, applications, network) to provide a holistic view of system behavior.

Key Features (Illustrative):

ETW Log Analysis: Message Analyzer excelled at parsing and filtering ETW logs, which are generated by the operating system and applications. This allows you to analyze performance issues and application behavior in detail.
Network Capture and Analysis: Like Wireshark, it could capture network traffic. However, Message Analyzer often focused on higher-level protocol analysis and correlation with system events.
Filtering and Visualization: Powerful filtering capabilities allowed you to isolate specific events or traffic patterns. The tool offered various visualization options, such as charts and graphs, to help you understand the data.

Why it’s Relevant (Even Deprecated):

Message Analyzer highlights the importance of integrating network analysis with system-level diagnostics. Modern alternatives to Wireshark and Message Analyzer often focus on this integrated approach. Consider this approach when troubleshooting and installing Wireshark on Windows Server 2025.

2. Utilizing PowerShell for Basic Network Analysis

Windows Server 2025 includes PowerShell, a powerful scripting environment that can be used for basic network analysis. While it doesn’t offer the same level of detail and graphical interface as Wireshark, PowerShell can be useful for quick checks and automated monitoring.

Explanation:

PowerShell provides cmdlets (commands) for interacting with the network stack. You can use these cmdlets to gather information about network interfaces, TCP connections, and DNS resolution. For more advanced packet capture, you can combine PowerShell with tools like tcpdump (if installed via WSL – Windows Subsystem for Linux) or pktmon (built-in).

Code Example:

This example uses pktmon (Packet Monitor), a built-in command-line tool, to capture network traffic and then uses PowerShell to analyze the captured data.

First, start a packet capture using pktmon:

pktmon start --capture --pkt-size 0 -f mycapture.etl

This command captures all packets (--pkt-size 0) and saves them to a file named mycapture.etl.

Next, stop the capture:

pktmon stop

Now, convert the ETL file to a more readable format (like text or CSV) using pktmon and analyze it with PowerShell:

pktmon format mycapture.etl -o mycapture.txt -t text

# Read the text file into PowerShell
$captureData = Get-Content mycapture.txt

# Example: Find all packets to a specific IP address
$targetIP = "192.168.1.100"
$filteredPackets = $captureData | Where-Object { $_ -like "*$targetIP*" }

# Output the filtered packets
$filteredPackets

Explanation of the Code:

pktmon start: Starts the packet capture with specified parameters (capture everything and save to mycapture.etl).
pktmon stop: Stops the packet capture.
pktmon format: Converts the ETL file to a text file for easier analysis.
Get-Content: Reads the contents of the text file into a PowerShell variable.
Where-Object: Filters the lines of the file to find packets containing the target IP address.

Advantages:

Built-in: PowerShell is already available on Windows Server 2025, eliminating the need to install additional software (besides pktmon or similar).
Automation: PowerShell scripts can be easily automated for scheduled monitoring and alerting.
Integration: PowerShell can be integrated with other system administration tasks.

Disadvantages:

Less User-Friendly: Analyzing network traffic in PowerShell is more complex than using a GUI-based tool like Wireshark.
Limited Features: PowerShell doesn’t offer the same level of protocol dissection and analysis capabilities as Wireshark.
Requires Scripting Knowledge: Using PowerShell effectively requires familiarity with scripting and network protocols.

In conclusion, while Wireshark remains a powerful and versatile tool for network analysis on Windows Server 2025, consider alternatives like PowerShell (especially combined with pktmon) for specific tasks or when automation is required. Remember to choose the tool that best fits your needs and technical expertise for efficient troubleshooting and monitoring. Installing Wireshark on Windows Server 2025 may be the best solution, but it’s important to understand other options.