Lab Assessment: Questions & Answers On Wireshark Or Ne

Lab Assessment Questions Answers1 Which Tool Wireshark Or Netwitne

1. Which tool, Wireshark or NetWitness, provides information about the wireless antenna strength during a captured transmission?

2. Which tool displays the MAC address and IP address information and allows them to be correlated for a given capture transmission?

3. What is the manufacturer-specific ID for the GemTek radio transmitter/receiver?

4. The receiver and/or transmitter address is hard-coded in hardware and cannot be changed: It can always be counted on to correctly identify the device transmitting. True or false?

5. What was the actual web hostname to which the traffic was resolved?

6. How can one determine that the website is in Italy?

7. What is the IP address for ?

8. What destination organization is the owner of record of ?

Paper For Above instruction

In the domain of network security and traffic analysis, tools like Wireshark and NetWitness play pivotal roles, each offering distinct capabilities to analysts. This paper explores specific functionalities of these tools within the context of analyzing wireless traffic, identifying device attributes, and geo-locating websites, as reflected in the assessment questions.

Firstly, one of the core investigative aspects in wireless traffic analysis involves understanding antenna strength. Wireshark, a widely utilized open-source packet analyzer, provides detailed insight into captured traffic, including signal strength indicators when supported by the network interface card and driver. Wireshark captures the Radio Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) or similar metrics, enabling analysts to evaluate the quality and range of wireless transmissions. In contrast, NetWitness, a commercial platform focused on security information and event management (SIEM), may aggregate such data but is primarily centered on traffic metadata and security events rather than detailed physical-layer metrics like antenna strength. Therefore, Wireshark is more directly suited for monitoring wireless antenna strength during captures.

Secondly, correlating MAC addresses with IP addresses is a fundamental task handled effectively by NetWitness. This tool allows for comprehensive analysis of captured network data, displaying MAC addresses alongside IP addresses and enabling easy correlation, identification of devices, and tracking of traffic flow. Wireshark also displays these addresses but is more manual in its approach, requiring analysts to interpret the data. NetWitness's ability to automate correlation and provide contextual analysis makes it superior for this purpose.

The manufacturer-specific ID of devices like the GemTek radio transmitter/receiver often appears within manufacturer-specific fields in protocol headers or device descriptors. Identifying this ID requires examining detailed protocol data, typically within Wireshark captures, where one can filter or inspect manufacturer-specific information in wireless packets or specific protocol layers. Such IDs help distinguish devices from different manufacturers and are crucial in device fingerprinting.

In terms of identifying hardware addresses, the notion that a device’s MAC or transmitter address is hard-coded and immutable is generally true. MAC addresses are assigned at the hardware level during manufacturing, and unless deliberately altered via software (MAC spoofing), these addresses remain constant. This attribute makes them reliable identifiers for hardware devices in network analysis. However, with technological advancements allowing MAC address spoofing, this assumption may vary in practical scenarios.

Determining the actual web hostname to which traffic resolves involves DNS query analysis. Wireshark captures DNS traffic and can display hostname resolution information, allowing analysts to identify the domain name associated with specific IP addresses. For example, by filtering DNS packets or examining the “Host” header in HTTP traffic, analysts can determine the hostname that corresponds to a particular IP address. This process relies on capturing DNS resolution during network traffic analysis.

Geo-location of websites, such as confirming that a website is based in Italy, typically involves analyzing DNS data, IP geolocation databases, or headers that may contain geographic indicators. Wireshark or NetWitness can be employed to extract DNS queries or HTTP headers that provide contextual clues. Using geolocation services integrated with IP addresses, analysts can approximate the physical location of the server hosting the website. Such techniques often involve third-party geolocation databases integrated into analysis tools, enabling determination of a site's geographical origin.

Lastly, identifying the IP address of a given hostname and establishing the owner of record involves resolving the hostname via DNS queries and consulting WHOIS databases. Wireshark can be used to observe DNS traffic for resolution details. The owner of record for an IP address can be identified through WHOIS lookups, which reveal registrant information, hosting providers, and organizational ownership. This process is integral in cybersecurity investigations, tracking malicious sources, or verifying organizational representation.

In conclusion, both Wireshark and NetWitness are powerful in network traffic analysis but serve slightly different roles. Wireshark excels in detailed, physical-layer insight and protocol analysis, critical for examining antenna strength, hostname resolution, or raw packet data. NetWitness offers enhanced correlation, device tracking, and context-aware analysis, particularly useful when correlating MAC and IP addresses or analyzing large datasets. Together, these tools provide comprehensive capabilities essential for security analysts and network administrators in understanding and securing wireless networks and internet traffic.

References

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