Ethereal-users: RE: [Ethereal-users] TCP "Data" ?

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From: Tony Scarola <TONYS@xxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 16:32:19 -0500
Guy,

Thank you.

One other thing... (You might have known I'd ask).

Do you know if it is possible to simply tell Ethereal that a certain port
maps to a specific application (i.e. port 5900 is [most likely] VNC)?

I see that there is a "decode as" option, however, do not see any way to
change or develop custom protocols for "unknown ports". I would think there
might be an easy way for non-programmers to add custom ports.

Thank you again,

Tony

-----Original Message-----
From: Guy Harris
To: Tony Scarola
Cc: 'ethereal-users@xxxxxxxxxxxx'
Sent: 11/19/2003 3:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Ethereal-users] TCP "Data" ?


On Nov 19, 2003, at 12:14 PM, Tony Scarola wrote:

> I am attempting my first Ethereal 0.9.16 packet capture and 
> analysis(660,865
> frames). Upon performing the protocol analysis, I have come across the
> protocol "Data" (Frame/Ethernet/Internet Protocol/Transmission Control
> Protocol/Data) as shown within "Protocol Hierarchy Statistics" screen,

> and
> cannot find any information as to its definition. I assume it refers 
> to TCP
> data that does not match the "known" ports that Ethereal understands, 
> but
> need to be sure.

It refers to anything that a given dissector, such as the TCP 
dissector, doesn't find a dissector to handle, and dissects it as 
"Data" instead.  If it's under "Transmission Control Protocol", it 
refers to TCP payload for traffic that isn't to or from a known port, 
isn't matched by a heuristic dissector that runs atop TCP (ONC RPC, DCE 
RPC, etc.), and isn't part of a conversation set up by another protocol 
(e.g., something set up as RTP or RTCP by RTSP or SIP/SDP).

> Is there any way to build a filter to show only this TCP Data as 
> described
> above?

"tcp && data" should work - although that'd also show packets if the 
protocol running atop TCP *itself* had payload that it handed to a 
subdissector, but couldn't find a subdissector and dissected it as 
"Data".