How to follow multiple connections with multiple nrf Sniffers?

RE: How to follow multiple connections with multiple nrf Sniffers?

Amanda Hsieh — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 22:00:42 GMT

Did you select all the hardware interfaces in the capture screen and click Start Capturing packets to capture from multiple hardware interfaces simultaneously as the top figure in the Capturing from multiple hardware interfaces?

It would show as the bottom figure in the Capturing from multiple hardware interfaces. You also need columns to the interface identifier used by Wireshark to identify the capture interface (frame.interface_id) and the hardware identifier for the Development Kit (DK) or dongle running the nRF Sniffer firmware (nordic_ble.board_id).

Then, you can select the listening device from the hardware interface to follow the advertising device from the device list, and then choose the next listening device for another advertising device.

RE: How to follow multiple connections with multiple nrf Sniffers?

MTB — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 12:53:11 GMT

Hi Amanda,

I tried now sniffing with other DK's and with those sniffing of multiple connection worked when using one Wireshark instance per sniffer.

However, from the Nordic Documentation (Capturing from multiple hardware interfaces) I suspected that it is also possible to sniff multiple connection within on Wireshark instance. Is this not the case?

RE: How to follow multiple connections with multiple nrf Sniffers?

Amanda Hsieh — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 21:31:51 GMT

Are you to select only one hardware interface in each of the Wireshark instances?

RE: How to follow multiple connections with multiple nrf Sniffers?

MTB — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:25:42 GMT

Hi Amanda,

thanks for you answer.

I know the Article you mention from the documentation I was actually referencing.

However, the documentation only shows a picture where one interface (COM17-3.4) is listening to all advertising packages. This is working for me as well.

My goal is to follow different connection to certain interfaces after connection at the same time, so for example:

I have 1 central, 2 peripherals and 2 nRF sniffers. I would like to follow the connections of both peripherals when/after connecting to the one central.

Looking at the sniffer control pane, I would to the following:

Start the capupturing on both interfaces (this works and I see packets from both sniffers)
Choose the first peripheral in the device list of the first interface (this works as well)
Select the second Hardware interface in the hardware interface drop down
select the second peripheral in the device list

However, if I change the device on the second interface, it also changes the selected device on the first interface. In the end I can, either:

Sniff all advertising device with two sniffers at the same time
Sniff one connection to betwen the central and one peripheral with two sniffers at the same time

I can not sniff two different connections (one for each connection to the central) at the same time.

How can I achieve this?

RE: How to follow multiple connections with multiple nrf Sniffers?

Amanda Hsieh — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:00:21 GMT

Hi,

You can capture packets from several hardware interfaces/devices simultaneously. On Windows, this feature is available in Wireshark v3.0.7 and v3.2.0 and later. See Capturing from multiple hardware interfaces.

Regards,
Amanda H.