When will the downloads page documentation be updated to remove WinPCAP and replace with NPCAP (with current version number) as the stated packet capture tool?

asked 2019-08-30 15:42:21 +0000

berthman
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updated 2019-08-30 15:44:56 +0000

The following statement is incorrect, according to:

"Installation Notes For a complete list of system requirements and supported platforms, please consult the User's Guide.

Information about each release can be found in the release notes.

Each Windows package comes with the latest stable release of WinPcap, which is required for live packet capture. If needed you can install the latest development release from the WinPcap download page."

The specific version release notes state:

"The Windows installers now ship with Npcap 0.996."

I'm also being told that v3.0.3 having been downloaded by my peer actually contains Npcap v.995 and not 0.996 as documented??? image description

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answered 2019-09-01 07:18:12 +0000

hackslash
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the winpcap and win10pcap are old legacy, now npcap is better one and ready to replace those two , u could install npcap to replace winpcan in comatible way , as for the docu, guess they forget to update that

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guess they forget to update that

If so, then, as noted, a bug should be filed about that on the Wireshark Bugzilla; the Bugzilla is the right place to report obvious errors either with the software or the documentation, as that allows the issue to be tracked. The Q&A site is more of a "crowdsourced FAQ" for issues that might not even be bugs.

Guy Harris ( 2019-09-01 07:29:59 +0000 )edit

thks for replying , but its not a bug, because the version of winpcap and npcap is little misunderstanding and a little mess, when u install wireshark in default way , it will install winpcap, even though it not support on windows 10, so this prob will be fixex sonn

hackslash ( 2019-09-01 08:02:42 +0000 )edit

@hackslash

Unfortunately your comment is incorrect and misleading. The current state of libpcap supporting drivers for use with Wireshark on Windows at the time of writing is:

Wireshark versions 3.x offer to install npcap. As npcap still hasn't reached a stable 1.0 release, the Wireshark releases tend to track and offer the current npcap version available when the release is made.
Wireshark versions 2.6.x and earlier offer to install WinPcap. The version used is the stable (and final) version 4.1.3 (very old Wireshark installers may offer an earlier version of WinPcap).
Wireshark 3.x will work with npcap, npcap in "WinPcap compatibility mode" and WinPcap or anything else that offers a WinPcap equivalent API, preferring npcap native mode if found.
Wireshark 2.6.x and earlier will work with npcap in "WinPcap compatibility mode" and WinPcap or anything else that offers a WinPcap ...

(more)

grahamb ( 2019-09-01 10:37:19 +0000 )edit

but its not a bug

The subject line of this question began with "When will the downloads page documentation be updated", suggesting that the downloads page documentation is incorrect. Bugzilla has a "Web sites" category for reports, so it views errors on Wireshark Web sites as bugs; therefore, if the downloads page documentation is incorrect, it IS a bug.

Guy Harris ( 2019-09-01 17:09:51 +0000 )edit

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answered 2019-08-30 17:56:26 +0000

Jaap

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That last one, concerning the Npcap version number, was a mixup with the intended library builds. Everything was setup for 0.996, including release notes, apart from one small but significant detail. This will obviously be solved in the upcoming stable release, due shortly.

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answered 2019-08-30 16:51:56 +0000

Guy Harris
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When will the downloads page documentation be updated to remove WinPCAP and replace with NPCAP (with current version number) as the stated packet capture tool?

After a bug is filed on the page at the Wireshark Bugzilla, perhaps.

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If a bug is filed, then I would just note that the documentation should probably not remove the mention of WinPcap entirely. In some cases, WinPcap is still be needed. For example, I don't believe AirPcap Adapters work with npcap, so if you're using one of those adapters, then you need to install WinPcap in order for it to work.

cmaynard ( 2019-09-06 13:22:39 +0000 )edit

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