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libpcap is a lot of fun to play with. Writing a simple protocol dissector, starting with IP, then TCP, then app-level protocols is a good project. I had to do
by mattgreenrocks 12y ago
libpcap is a lot of fun to play with.
Writing a simple protocol dissector, starting with IP, then TCP, then app-level protocols is a good project. I had to do something similar many moons ago. You'll get a sense of what's actually being put on the wire, and what your networking stack is doing for you behind the scenes.
- peterwwillis 12y agoWith the exception that you don't learn about the OS glue that's used behind the scenes by libpcap. Working with the sockets themselves will get you more intimate with the systems you're programming for versus just the protocols. (For embedded systems without libpcap this may be a requirement)
- mattgreenrocks 12y agoSometimes the trick to pet projects is scoping them just so. You can always start with pcap and then peel it off later.