Support for capturing from multiple interfaces at the same time is one of the most notable improvements in the major update to the Wireshark network protocol analyser. Version 1.8.0 of the open source, cross-platform tool – used for network troubleshooting, analysis, development and education – also includes support for GeoIP IPv6 databases, and now allows users to add, edit and save packet and capture file annotations.

Like TCP retransmissions, fast retransmissions are now flagged as an expert info note in the new stable release of the network monitor, and TCP Window Updates are no longer coloured as "Bad TCP". Wireshark can now resolve SNMP OIDs (object identifiers) on 64-bit versions of Windows, and decryption key management for IEEE 802.11, IPsec and ISAKMP is said to be easier.

Other changes include new and updated protocol support and capture file support, as well as fixes for various bugs. Additionally, the "Save As" menu item has been split into "Save As" for saving a file using a different name and "Export Specified Packets" to provide more control over which packets are saved. The developers note that several command-line options, such as the option for performing a two-pass analysis and the option for printing packets, have changed.

Further details about the new version, including a list of known issues and new protocol support, can be found in the release notes. Licensed under the GPLv2, Wireshark 1.8.0 can be downloaded for Windows and Mac OS X, and as source, from the project's site.

(crve)