Frequently Asked Questions#

This section provides answers to common questions and troubleshooting guidance for using Wireshark with Silicon Labs hardware.

Working with Capture Files#

Q: Can I analyze previously captured files?

Yes, Wireshark can open SDM-generated .pcapng files directly for offline analysis. These capture files support:

  • Full protocol dissection

  • Advanced filtering capabilities

  • All Wireshark analysis features

To open a file, select File → Open in Wireshark to choose any .pcapng file generated by SDM.

Decryption Key Configuration#

Q: How do I view encrypted traffic?

To decrypt and analyze encrypted network traffic, configure the appropriate keys in Wireshark:

Zigbee Networks#

  1. Navigate to Preferences → Protocols → Zigbee.

  2. Select Pre-configured Keys.

  3. Add Network (NWK) and Link Keys as needed.

Thread Networks#

  1. Navigate to Preferences → Protocols → ieee802154.

  2. Select Decryption Keys.

  3. Add the NWK Key with Key Hash: Thread Hash.

Wi-SUN Networks#

  1. Navigate to Preferences → Protocols → ieee802154.

  2. Select Decryption Keys.

  3. Add the NWK Key with Key Hash: No Hash.

Display Filters#

Q: How do I filter captured packets?

Wireshark provides powerful filtering capabilities:

Quick Method#

  1. Right-click on any field in a captured packet.

  2. Select "Apply as Filter" or "Prepare as Filter".

  3. Wireshark automatically creates the appropriate filter.

Manual Filtering#

Refer to the Wireshark Display Filters documentation for comprehensive filtering syntax.

Common Filter Examples#

# Show only Zigbee traffic
zbee_nwk

# Show specific device traffic
wpan.src64 == 00:12:4b:00:12:34:56:78

# Show only data frames
wpan.frame_type == 0x1

Adapter Discovery Issues#

Q: My expected adapters are not showing up. What should I do?

If adapters are not detected over Ethernet, configure the subnet settings:

Method 1: Using CLI#

sdm config set -t discovery.subnetConfiguration -v 10.4.178.22 10.4.178.* 10.4.178.0/255.255.255.0

Replace the IP addresses with your network configuration.

Method 2: Using SDM UI#

  1. Launch the SDM UI.

  2. Navigate to Settings.

  3. Go to Subnet Configuration.

  4. Add your network subnets.

Subnet Configuration Examples#

# Individual IP address
192.168.1.100

# Range of IP addresses
192.168.1.20-29

# IP range with wildcard
192.168.1.*

# Subnet with netmask
192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0

Capture Interface Issues#

Q: I can't see my adapters or capture interfaces

If your Silicon Labs adapters are not appearing as capture interfaces in Wireshark:

  1. Verify Setup Configuration Review the Getting Started guide to verify proper setup and ensure all installation steps were completed correctly.

  2. Refresh Capture Interfaces In Wireshark, refresh the interface list by going to Capture → Refresh Interfaces.

  3. Check SDM Connection Ensure the SDM server is running and properly connected to your adapters.

Additional Support#

If you continue to experience issues:

  1. Review the Getting Started guide to verify proper setup.

  2. Review the Capturing guides for step-by-step instructions.

  3. Contact Silicon Labs support and include specific error messages and system information.