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2-Day Instructor-Led Hands-On Lab Course
Available through Web-Based Live Delivery or On-Site Delivery
Minimum 10 Students – Maximum 16 Students

What Students are Saying about this class:

“Understanding how Wireshark can be customized to make my job easier (this will help WELL BEYOND even wireless)”
“Rather than focus on “here’s what you see in Wireshark, now let’s talk about what it means” you approached it by understanding the technology first and *then* showing how that can be seen in Wireshark. ”
“You emphasized that Wireshark is just *one* tool in your kit for troubleshooting. Further, while there is overlap, you explained really well how each compliments the other.”
“Thank you for making this class less training and more learning!”

Course Description

Wi-Fi troubleshooting requires a different packet-analysis skill set than traditional wired Ethernet troubleshooting. Wireless networks introduce radio conditions, multiple 802.11 frame types, management exchanges, association and authentication processes, and capture challenges that must be understood before the packets can tell their complete story.

The Wireshark WLAN Edition is a specialized hands-on course focused on using Wireshark to capture, analyze, and troubleshoot Wi-Fi network traffic. Students learn how to customize Wireshark specifically for WLAN analysis and then apply those tools to the physical, management, and operational behavior of IEEE 802.11 wireless networks.

The course combines an understanding of how Wi-Fi works with the packet-level evidence Wireshark provides. Students examine physical-layer and RadioTap information, beacon and management frames, probes, association and de-association exchanges, authentication processes, and other WLAN communications. The course then brings these skills together by showing how Wireshark can support wireless troubleshooting and site-survey activities.

Wireless packet analysis is a specialized skill because successful troubleshooting requires more than simply capturing packets. Analysts must understand what should happen during normal Wi-Fi operation, recognize the evidence contained in wireless frames, and distinguish protocol behavior from RF or coverage-related problems.

The course emphasizes an evidence-based troubleshooting approach. Wireshark is treated as one important tool within the broader wireless troubleshooting toolkit, helping students determine what the packets prove and how packet evidence can complement other Wi-Fi analysis and measurement tools.

This course helps answer questions such as:

How is Wireshark different when analyzing Wi-Fi instead of wired Ethernet?
How should Wireshark be customized for WLAN packet analysis?
How can wireless traffic be captured effectively for analysis?
What information is contained in RadioTap headers and 802.11 frames?
What can beacon and other management frames tell us about a wireless network?
How do probing, association, authentication, and de-association appear in packet captures?
How can Wireshark help distinguish WLAN protocol problems from other wireless issues?
How can packet analysis complement Wi-Fi troubleshooting and site-survey activities?

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Understand how Wireshark can be leveraged and customized for WLAN and Wi-Fi environments.
Use Wireshark for wireless packet capture, analysis, and troubleshooting.
Interpret important IEEE 802.11 wireless frames and supporting capture information.
Analyze Wi-Fi management and connection-establishment processes.
Apply Wireshark packet-analysis techniques to day-to-day wireless network support activities.
Use packet evidence as part of a structured WLAN troubleshooting process.

Audience

This course is designed for professionals who require a deeper understanding of Wireless LAN and Wi-Fi networks and need to use packet analysis as part of their responsibilities.

Ideal participants include:

Network administrators who need to:
- Measure wireless network performance and plan for future growth
- Troubleshoot wireless network problems
Network security engineers who need to examine and investigate wireless security issues
Network designers and architects
Product developers who need to debug wireless protocol implementations
Network and protocol analysts
Technical support personnel
IT professionals who need to understand and explore wireless network protocol operation

The course is particularly valuable for enterprise and service-provider personnel responsible for supporting Wi-Fi as the access network connecting users, devices, and IoT systems.

Course Prerequisites

This course is designed for anyone who needs the skills and knowledge required to use Wireshark for WLAN and Wi-Fi analysis.

There are no mandatory prerequisites; however, a general understanding of Wireshark and basic WLAN operation is beneficial. Because wireless packet analysis involves specialized capture and protocol-analysis skills, students with previous Wireshark or Wi-Fi experience will be able to build on that knowledge throughout the course.

Students should attend with a laptop computer.

When the course is delivered in a classroom where suitable computers are provided, a student laptop may not be required.

Course Materials

Students receive a PDF Course Student Guide. Access to lab exercises and Wi-Fi packet captures is provided through the CellStream Online School of Network Science.

Course Outline

Section 1: Course Introduction and Logistics

Section 2: A Wireless LAN Challenge

Section 3: Customizing Wireshark for WLAN/Wi-Fi Packet Analysis

Section 4: Capturing WLAN/Wi-Fi Network Traffic with Wireshark

Section 5: Analyzing Physical-Layer and RadioTap Headers and Frames with Wireshark

Section 6: Analyzing Beacon and WLAN Management Headers and Frames with Wireshark

Section 7: Analyzing Probes, Association/De-Association, and Authentication with Wireshark

Section 8: Leveraging Wireshark for WLAN/Wi-Fi Troubleshooting and Site Surveys

Section 9: Penetrating WLAN Networks

Course Availability:

View the course calendar and browse for our schedule. It will show scheduled courses and available dates for scheduling.

CSI-HO-020-G – Explore Packet Analysis with Wireshark – WLAN Edition – 2 Day