Getting Started with Wireshark

A quick guide on how to use Wireshark to collect network packet data to help diagnose problems connecting to Myst Online URU Live.

1. Get the tools

Download Wireshark from www.wireshark.org, and install. This installation includes the WinPCap packet capture service. Pay attention to the instructions, particularly if you already have an older version of WinPCap installed on your PC, in which case you may need to reboot your PC to complete the removal of the old service.

2. Setup the capture

You should now have a desktop icon for Wireshark:

Double click this to run Wireshark. It'll probably take several seconds to initialise, so be patient. Once the main window appears click on the "Show the Capture Options" button, highlighted below

Now, using the image below as a guide, set the following options:

Interface: Drop down the list a select the interface you use to connect to the internet. You may only have one entry in the list here, in which case that's fine, but if you've also got a dial-up modem or wired and wireless LAN adapter in your PC, then you'll need to select the correct device here.
Limit each packet to: Tick the box, and set the value to 96 (the value doesn't matter that much, it just helps to save disk space if we don't actually need to see whole data in every packet).
Capture Filter: Don't click the button, just type the following text into the box, as shown in the image above:
      net 64.236.64.0 mask 255.255.255.0
      Note: Use this setting, not the one in the picture! That only worked up to the server move in Dec. 07!
Capture File(s): Click on the Browse button and when the file selection window appears, type in a suitable name (using the extension ".pcap" ensure that the file is associated with Wireshark, but that's not essential), then click on "Browse for other folders" and select a suitable folder for the log file.

Click on OK to accept the file details.
We're now ready to start the capture. Click on "Start" and a window similar to the one below will appear:

3. Start Myst Online

Run the Myst Online launcher, and go through the login procedure, and click past any intro/logo videos, and you should get into the initial "Updating" screen. Allow this to run until either a minimum of two minutes has elapsed (preferably much longer) or you get to the avatar screen.

4. Stop the capture

Use "ALT+TAB" to flip back to Windows/Wireshark and click the "Stop" button. You'll end up with a window filled with packet details similar to that below - Don't worry about what it all means just now:

5. Send off the data

Once you are done, close down Wireshark, locate the log file and send it off to be analysed. It's best if you can zip or rar the file first then e-mail to ian-uru@mcintoshuk.plus.com. And that's it!