Network Packet Sniffer

A Python-based network packet sniffer built using Scapy and Tkinter.
This tool captures, analyzes, and displays real-time network traffic in a graphical interface.
It also allows saving captured packets into a structured CSV file for offline analysis.

---

Features

• Real-time network packet capturing using Scapy
• Support for major protocols:
  • TCP, UDP, ICMP, DNS, ARP, IPv6 and more..
• DNS query and response inspection
• User-friendly Tkinter-based GUI
• Start, stop, and clear captured packets
• Save captured data to CSV with automatically generated filenames
• Safe payload decoding and formatting
• Background threading ensures a smooth GUI without freezing

---

How It Works

1. Packet Capturing (sniffer.py)

• Uses Scapy to sniff packets from the network interface.
• Extracts:
  • Capture time
  • Source IP and destination IP
  • Protocol type
  • Source and destination ports
  • Packet length
  • Payload (first 50 characters)

2. Graphical Interface (gui.py)

• Built using Tkinter to provide a responsive interface.
• Displays captured packets in a structured table.
• Includes buttons for:
  • Start Sniffing → Begins capturing packets
  • Stop Sniffing → Stops the capture
  • Clear Table → Removes all displayed packets
  • Save to CSV → Saves captured packets

3. Helper Functions (utils.py)

• save_packets_to_csv() → Saves packets to a CSV file.
• generate_filename() → Generates unique filenames based on timestamps.
• format_payload() → Cleans and formats packet payloads.

---

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/seetharamdamarla/CodeAlpha_NetworkSniffer
cd CodeAlpha_NetworkSniffer

2. (Optional) Create a Virtual Environment

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate   # For Linux / Mac
venv\Scripts\activate      # For Windows

3. Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Run the Application

python main.py

---

Saving Captured Packets

• Use the "Save to CSV" button in the GUI.
• Filenames are automatically generated using the current date and time:

  packets_2025-09-06_22-20-30.csv
  

• Example CSV format:

Capture_Time,Source IP,Destination IP,Protocol,Source Port,Destination Port,Length,Payload
12:30:10,192.168.1.5,8.8.8.8,DNS,52123,53,78,Query: google.com
12:30:12,8.8.8.8,192.168.1.5,DNS,53,52123,89,Response: 142.250.74.14

---

Requirements

• Python 3.8 or above
• Scapy
• Tkinter (usually comes pre-installed with Python)

Install via:

pip install scapy

---

Disclaimer

This project is intended for educational purposes only.
Do not use this tool on networks you do not own or have explicit permission to analyze.
Unauthorized packet sniffing may violate privacy laws and local regulations.

---

Future Enhancements

• Color-coded protocol highlighting in the GUI
• Live packet filtering by protocol
• Export captured packets to JSON and PCAP
• Advanced search and sorting in the GUI
• Integration with security analysis tools for deep inspection

---

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.
You are free to use, modify, and distribute this software with proper attribution.