Ethereal-users: Re: [Ethereal-users] Ethereal version 0.8.20 for windows

Note: This archive is from the project's previous web site, ethereal.com. This list is no longer active.

From: Guy Harris <gharris@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 00:58:18 -0700
On Thu, Oct 25, 2001 at 09:31:23PM -0500, Keith Miller wrote:
> I installed thereal version 0.8.20 on a windows XP home version and
> theethereal:Capture preferances does not show my network interface, how do I
> get it to show my network adapter

	Install it on a machine *not* running Windows XP

or

	install the 2.3 beta version of WinPcap, and report bugs to
	winpcap@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (as it's a beta, so bugs should
	be reported to the maintainers).

WinPcap is, as John LeMay noted, required if you want to do any packet
capturing on Windows:

	http://www.ethereal.com/distribution/win32/

"As of 0.8.17, separate "capture" and "non-capture" versions of Ethereal
are no longer provided.  Ethereal can now detect the presence of WinPcap
at run-time, so one binary can act as both "capture" and "non-capture"
versions.  To capture packets, you must also install the WinPcap packet
capture driver; it can also be downloaded from the local mirror and the
Wiretapped.net mirror site."

and the current version of WinPcap, 2.2, does *NOT* support Windows XP:

	http://netgroup-serv.polito.it/winpcap/misc/faq.htm

"Q-12: On which OS can I run WinPcap?

A: WinPcap can run on all the main Win32 operating systems: Windows
95,98,ME, NT4 and 2000.  Windows XP is supported from version 2.3 beta. 
A version for Windows CE is currently under development."

	http://www.ethereal.com/faq.html#q3.13

"Q 3.13: Does Ethereal work on Windows XP? 

A: Yes, but it cannot capture packets, as the current version of WinPcap
doesn't work on Windows XP.  It can read existing capture files,
however.  The beta of version 2.3 of WinPcap does support Windows XP; it
is a beta, so there is a greater risk of bugs if you use it, and you
should report problems to winpcap@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx so that they
can attempt to fix them before the final release of 2.3."

> or maybe get it to monitor my modem line

That might not even work with WinPcap 2.3 beta:

	http://netgroup-serv.polito.it/winpcap/misc/faq.htm

"Q-4: Can I use WinPcap on a PPP connection?

A: We have tested WinPcap on PPP connections under Windows 95, Windows
98 and Windows ME.  In Windows 95, due to a bug in NDIS, WinPcap
sometimes resets the PPP connection.  In Windows 98/ME this bug appears
to be corrected, and WinPcap seems to work properly.  Under Windows NT
and Windows 2000 there are problems with the binding process, that
prevents a protocol driver from working properly on the WAN adapter."

and, as Windows XP is really Windows NT 5.1, just as Windows 2000 is
really Windows NT 5.0, the same problem that NT 4.0 and NT 5.0 have may
exist in NT 5.1 as well.