How to open a .PCAPNG file online
Three steps, a few seconds.
Open your .PCAPNG file
Drop it on the box or click to choose it. It opens.
Filter the packets
Type dns, http, tls, an IP address or port 443 - or click a quick filter. Click any packet to see its layers and raw bytes.
Read the summary
The Insights tab lists name lookups, web requests and secure-connection server names; Statistics shows protocols, top conversations and a timeline.
What is a .PCAPNG file?
The universal format for recorded network traffic.
A PCAPNG file is a recording of raw network traffic, saved by a tool like Wireshark or dumpcap. Open it with Wireshark (free, Windows/macOS/Linux). It may contain sensitive data such as passwords or session tokens, so treat it as confidential.
Programs that open .PCAPNG files
| Full name | PCAP Next Generation Capture File |
|---|---|
| Developer | Wireshark / IETF OPSAWG (community standard) |
| First released | circa 2010 (Wireshark 1.8 made it the default save format in 2012) |
| Category | Data & Other |
| MIME type | application/x-pcapng |
| Signature | 0A 0D 0D 0A (Section Header Block type, then a Byte-Order Magic 1A 2B 3C 4D at offset 8) |
Related viewers
Other free tools to open and preview your files.
Frequently asked questions
Is my .PCAPNG file uploaded?
No. Your .PCAPNG file is decoded by JavaScript in the page. Captures often contain private traffic.
Can it decrypt HTTPS / TLS traffic?
No - encrypted traffic stays encrypted. You can still see the server name each connection asked for (SNI), the TLS version and how much data was exchanged.
Which filters can I use?
Protocol names (dns, http, tls, tcp, udp, arp, icmp, ipv6), an IP address, port 53, or any text from the Info column. Combine words to narrow down - all of them must match.
How big can the file be?
Up to about 150 MB in the online version. For bigger captures, split them with editcap -c 100000 or use Wireshark.
My .cap file doesn't open. Why?
Several tools use .cap for their own formats (Microsoft Network Monitor, NetScout Sniffer). The viewer reads libpcap and pcapng; it tells you if the file is something else.
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