Display and Capture filters differences in Wireshark

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Display and Capture filters differences in Wireshark

Wireshark is a popular open-source network protocol analyzer tool used for analyzing network traffic in real-time or from a previously captured file. It provides two types of filters, display filters, and capture filters, which can be used to filter network packets based on various criteria.

Display filters are used to filter packets from a capture file or live capture session based on specific criteria such as source or destination IP address, protocol, port number, etc. Display filters do not affect which packets are captured but only limit which packets are displayed on the screen.

Capture filters, on the other hand, are used to filter packets during the actual capture process. Capture filters are set before the capture starts, and they limit which packets are captured and stored in the capture file. They are based on the same criteria as display filters but have a different syntax.

The main difference between display filters and capture filters is that capture filters are applied before the packets are captured, while display filters are applied after the packets are captured. As a result, capture filters can help to reduce the amount of network traffic that is stored in the capture file, whereas display filters can help to reduce the amount of traffic that is displayed on the screen.

Another difference between display filters and capture filters is their syntax. Capture filters use a different syntax than display filters, and they are more limited in terms of what criteria can be used. Capture filters are based on the Berkeley Packet Filter (BPF) syntax, while display filters are based on Wireshark's own syntax.

In summary, display filters and capture filters are two different types of filters in Wireshark that are used to filter network packets based on specific criteria. Display filters are used to filter packets after they have been captured, while capture filters are used to filter packets during the actual capture process. Capture filters use a different syntax than display filters and are more limited in terms of what criteria can be used.