Ethereal-users: Re: [Ethereal-users] win2k short frames

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From: Guy Harris <gharris@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 01:18:08 -0700
On Tue, Jul 24, 2001 at 09:09:20AM +0100, Neil Macdonald wrote:
> When I run Ethereal, I get lots of Short Frames - the only full size
> frames are ones coming from my machine.
> 
> Can anyone advise?

I'd advise you to try WinDump:

	http://netgroup-serv.polito.it/windump/

and see if similar things happen.

Run WinDump with "-s 65535", otherwise it'll cut frames short to 68
bytes (so that they'll all be short frames), and save the result to a
file with the "-w" flag.  Then read the capture with Ethereal.  (The "-s
65535" is absolutely critical; without it - or, at least, without a "-s"
argument at least as large as the maximum frame size on the network on
which you're capturing - the fact that you get short frames will just be
the result of not having told WinDump *not* to cut the frames short.)

If you still get short frames, it's a problem with WinPcap - the libpcap
port used both by Ethereal and WinDump - and it should be reported to
the WinDump maintainers, by sending mail to

	winpcap@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When reporting the problem to them, tell them what type of network card
you're using; it may be a problem with the WinPcap driver, or it may be
a problem with the particular network card.  (Also mention that it's W2K
in the body of the message, not just in the subject line.)