Wireshark: Packet Analysis and Ethical Hacking: Core Skills (Udemy.com)
From basic to advanced network analysis using Wireshark! Ethical Hacking using Kali Linux: Passwords, Security, Protocol
Created by: David Bombal
Last updated May 2025
Our take
Based on the ratings of 9,014 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in May 2025. No course pays to be reviewed.
This is a Wireshark course from David Bombal, the CCIE turned YouTuber, and it is really two courses stitched together. The first half covers Wireshark basics, the OSI model, filters, capturing Telnet, FTP and HTTP passwords, replaying VoIP calls, and a long troubleshooting section with downloadable pcapng files. After that the syllabus shifts to Cisco switching and routing: VTP, spanning tree, BGP, DTP and port security, with GNS3 demonstrations. It suits networking students and CCNA candidates who want to see those protocols on the wire. It is less suited to security folks who just want Wireshark.
Reviewers like how clearly Bombal explains protocols, and one without access to physical network gear says it let him learn network concepts deeper. The 4.3 rating from about 9,000 reviews is solid, but most of the low-star reviews say the same thing: the title promises Wireshark and the back half is CCNA material with barely any packet analysis. One reviewer wanted more sample pcaps for the routing and switching sections. Another called the course messy because GNS3 and Ubuntu show up with no setup guide. Two say the Beginner label is wrong and that the later sections need basic networking knowledge to follow.
At 14.6 hours across 214 lectures, it was updated in May 2025, with Python and tshark scripting added along the way. Anyone who wants Wireshark as a troubleshooting and network learning tool will do well here. Those after exploits should look elsewhere: one reviewer found the protocol exploits were not obvious, and another got 60 percent through and called it a beginner-plus Wireshark course rather than a full one.
Pros
- Downloadable pcapng files, so the captures can be followed without any lab gear
- Password captures for Telnet, FTP, TFTP and HTTP, plus VoIP call replay, shown step by step
- Bombal explains the OSI model and L2/L3 protocols clearly; one reviewer says it dovetails with CCNA study
- Updated May 2025, with tshark, Termshark and Python scripting sections added
Cons
- Roughly the back half is Cisco switching and routing (VTP, STP, BGP) with little Wireshark in it
- Labelled Beginner, but later sections assume networking knowledge and use GNS3 with no setup guide
- Reviewers wanted more sample pcaps, especially for the routing and switching sections
Maybe it's a bit too much info for Wireshark, but dovetails nicely with the CCNA material.
Marked Beginner, but it really suits networking students or junior engineers who already know what a VLAN and a routing protocol are.
What you will learn
- Learn how to troubleshoot networks using Wireshark.
- Capture VoIP, OSPF, HTTP, Telnet and many other protocols using Wireshark.
- Learn how to use Wireshark for Ethical hacking.
- Improve your job prospects by adding Wireshark to your resume.
- Understand and interpret network protocols.
- Hack Network Protocols using Kali Linux
Course content
23 sections · 214 lectures · 15 hours of video 49 articles
- 1Introduction 2 free previews5 lectures · 25 min
- 2Wireshark Basics 1 free preview4 lectures · 33 min
- 3OSI Model15 lectures · 48 min
- 4Wireshark Filters5 lectures · 28 min
- 5Wireshark: Hacking Passwords 1 free preview5 lectures · 27 min
- 6Hacking VoIP8 lectures · 40 min
- 7Protocol Analysis: Can you troubleshoot the network?23 lectures · 1.8 hours
- 8Wireshark Tips and Tricks7 lectures · 35 min
- 9tshark and Termshark2 lectures · 12 min
- 10Python Wireshark scripting3 lectures · 21 min
- 11Python Wireshark Password Captures5 lectures · 30 min
- 12Kali Linux: Installation1 lecture · 9 min
- 13Kali Linux: Network Attack Demonstrations6 lectures · 29 min
- 14Kali Linux: DHCP attacks and Man-in-the-middle attack3 lectures · 15 min
- 15Wireshark Quiz Questions47 lectures · 4 min
- 16VTP Theory and demonstrations17 lectures · 1.3 hours
- 17Spanning Tree theory and demonstrations20 lectures · 1.7 hours
- 18Port SPAN (Mirroring) theory and demonstrations7 lectures · 31 min
- 19BGP theory and demonstrations13 lectures · 1.3 hours
- 20Dynamic Trunk Protocol - DTP5 lectures · 49 min
- 21CDP Overview2 lectures · 16 min
- 22GNS3 Campus 1: CDP and LLDP4 lectures · 25 min
- 23Port Security7 lectures · 34 min
Who it is for
The instructor says it suits
- Network Engineers
- Network Architects
- Ethical hackers
- Networking Students
What you need before you start
- Computer capable of running Wireshark.
- Internet connection so you can work online.
Quality Score
No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.
Overall Score : 84 / 100
Course Description
Learn Wireshark practically. Wireshark pcapng files provided so you can practice while you learn! There is so much to learn in this course:
- Capture Telnet, FTP, TFTP, HTTP passwords.
- Replay VoIP conversations.
- Capture routing protocol (OSPF) authentication passwords.
- Troubleshoot network issues.
- Free software.
- Free downloadable pcapng files.
- Answer quiz questions.
The course is very practical. You can practice while you learn!
Learn how to analyze and interpret network protocols and leverage Wireshark for what it was originally intended: Deep Packet Inspection and network analysis.
I also show you have to hack network protocols using Kali Linux! Hack network protocols like DTP, VTP, STP and DHCP using Ethical hacking tools included in Kali Linux.
Updates: Now includes Python scripting to automatically capture packets from the network using tshark. Lean how to automate your captures and learn how to hack the network using Python and Wireshark.
Protocols we capture and discuss in this course include:
- Telnet
- FTP
- TFTP
- HTTP
- VoIP
- OSPF
- EIGRP
- DNS
- ICMP
- DTP
- VTP
- STP
- DHCP
Instructor Details
- 4.2 Rating
9,014 Reviews
David Bombal
David Bombal (CCIE #11023 Emeritus) passed his Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert Routing and Switching exam in January 2003 and is one of a small percentage of Cisco Engineers that pass their CCIE labs on their first attempt.
David qualified as a Cisco Certified Systems Instructor (CCSI #22787) many years ago! He has been training Cisco courses for over 20 years and has delivered instructor led courses in various countries around the world covering a wide range of Cisco topics from CCNA to CCIE.
David is very active on social media and has over 2 million YouTube subscribers and has posted over 1,000 free videos.
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Reviews
By Bryan Buddy on 3/14/2026
David Bombal's courses are very thorough and well presented. Maybe it's a bit too much info for Wireshark, but dovetails nicely with the CCNA material. He also is probably the most knowledgeable of the various CCNA courses. It can be good or bad, depending on how much you want learn the big picture of networking vs just very specific topics. David always gives you the big picture.
By Carl Hayes on 2/27/2026
David Bombal is a phenomenal educational/informational awareness advocate and Teacher. Totally worth the investment of my time. The depth and level of precision is greatly appreciated. His ability to defragment information, then carefully repackage it, is remarkably effective for hands-on learning, in my opinion. Applicable. Accurate. Aspiring. Astounding. He has positively impacted my learning experience, and I'd go as far to say that he's encouraged me to continuously learn in this ever changing environment. Thank you, Mr. Bombal and to all those who taught him. Greatly appreciate it.
By Hynek Kyvala on 11/3/2024
This course is especially interesting for those preparing for CCNA certification. It provides clear explanations of protocols like VTP, STP, BGP, DTP, CDP, and LLDP. The GNS3 labs include a variety of practical exercises where students are challenged to identify issues using Wireshark. My only suggestion is to adjust the order of sections. I would recommend moving "Section 7: Protocol Analysis: Can you troubleshoot the network?" closer to the end, and placing "Section 15: Wireshark Quiz Questions as the final section".
By Markus Don Alfred Gehrmann on 1/24/2024
Ein sehr guter Kurs auch wenn ihr weniger direkt über WireShark an sich gesprochen und mehr über Feinheiten und Einzelnheiten über Netzwerkports gesprochen wurde. WireShark wurde herangezogen um an Beispielen zu zeigen was im Detail bei Verbindungen unterschiedlicher Ports passiert und zu sehen ist. Dabei wurde gut auf Sicherheitsbelange je Port eingegangen. Dieser Kurs ist eine hervorragende Ergänzung zu Kursen rund um das Netzwerk an sich. Danke für diesen Kurs.
By Stefan Mijic on 2/3/2023
Its a lot of knowledge but isn't good structured in the course. I though that would be only Wireshark and all about it but the Teacher used GNS3 plus Umbundu whiteout , as example to put section how to install and open Umbundu and do the steps what he does in Section 11. He using GNS3, and the course is classified as beginner. He sad many times that you need to have previous knowledge to understand that. Wrong classification of the Course. All would be good that he make a section whit introducing us with GNS3 and how to install, some basic guide 10min max. Not well structured at all. Its messy. Wouldn't recommend that Course to others. For beginners specially isn't.
By Recep Güner on 9/11/2022
First part of the course is very helpfull but after the part 16 course subject is about network. İn the last part there is nearly no wireshark. And if u don't a have a basic network knownledge U can't understande anything.
By Bernard Morin on 12/31/2020
Thank You for this course. Although I have been working enterprise Networks for 25+ years there are always new things to learn and I even had a few light-bulb moments. One thing that I think would help is more work on discovering connection problems between a client and a server where they may be fragmentation along the path, blocking ACLs, or a firewall. Also, nice picture of Mount St Michael. Bernie
By Zach D on 4/14/2020
This is an excellent course. It is the best Wireshark instruction I have seen, and I have already been able to apply some of the tips in real-world settings. I recommend following along with the example files. The network sections at the end of the course are helpful for clarifying some CCNA concepts that can be a bit difficult to understand for people who don't use them often or are new to this field. Thank you David.
By Jaco van der Walt on 4/8/2020
about 3 years ago i signed up for the advanced networking - from beginner to advanced. been stuggeling to constantly put time in it, and it reaches pretty advanced stuff. i have huge interestn in networking troubelshooting and general network maintenance, and would like to go into network / cyber security. i found your wireshark course and jumped on it. hopefully soon i wil get back into the networking course. i found it usefull starting at the basics again, ive been working in IT and networking for almost 20 years, really want to (and interested in) expanding my networking knowledge into a more focussed direction. So it was good to refresh my memory on the basics. looking forward to completing your course. Welcome in SA - i live in the western cape - doing your course during lockdown. thank you again !
By Enrico Heise on 2/10/2020
I already take a Course for the CCNA from David Bombal,...and they are very well explained and easy to understand. This (Wireshark) Course is it the very same level! Enjoying this a lot!!! But I recommend to have some knowledge about Networking etc...to know better of whats going on. With Networking experience this Course also shows examples here and there...so the circle closes at the end of what you had difficulties with in CCNA...why and how. Can only recommend!!












