Ethereal-users: Re: [Ethereal-users] WinXP Problem: Ethereal doesn't capture & after rebooting,

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 This list is no longer active.

From: Guy Harris <guy@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 11:23:40 -0700

On Sep 6, 2003, at 10:35 PM, John Overton wrote:

I've installed WinPcap 3.0 and ethereal-0.9.14. Am running WinXP Pro on
a Fujitsu S2010 laptop, using an Intersil PRISM wireless adapter to
capture packets.

Two problems:
1. After correctly assigning the Intersil PRISM wireless interface,
   the capture appears to launch correctly, and the "Running" dialog
   box starts counting time.  But no packets are captured.
2. After rebooting, when I next log into XP, all wireless connectivity
   (via PRISM adapter) is wedged.
   a. If I uninstall either ethereal-0.9.14 or WinPcap and reboot,
      wireless connectivity returns.

Anyone know what to do?

Try it with the current version of WinDump. If the same problem occurs (as I strongly suspect will happen), this is a WinPcap or wireless driver or Windows networking stack problem (as I strongly suspect this is), and you should report it to the WinPcap developers:

	http://winpcap.polito.it/contact.htm

(although if it's a wireless driver or Windows networking stack problem, they might not be able to do much to help you).

About the only thing I can think of is to try capturing with promiscuous mode turned off (or throw out Windows and use Linux or BSD, as their networking code and wireless drivers are, at least, less hostile to packet capture than Windows wireless code appears to be...).