What you need for this book

To accomplish the tasks and repeat the examples provided in this book, you only need a computer on which you can install and use Wireshark and a wired LAN connection to your home or business network.

Although you could capture from a Wireless interface, the additional overhead of wireless management frames can be burdensome and distracting to analyze, so it's much better for your learning experience to start off on a wired network.

In terms of background knowledge, if you are involved in some aspect of the IT industry, you probably have at least some basic familiarity with the common concepts and terms used with packet-level analysis, such as switches, routers, packets, protocols, TCP/IP, and HTTP, but it is assumed that you possess only a basic familiarity with network and application protocols.