By selecting the "Decode Port As" option from the main menu in NetworkSmart, you can define non-standard ports to decode a particular protocol on (ex. Port 96:HTTP or Port 5000:MSSQL).
It is not uncommon for database or web applications to use their own custom defined port for communication in order to improve security or properly integrate into a larger environment. When importing and analyzing capture files, NetworkSmart uses the standard default ports for protocols such as HTTP, MYSQL, MSSQL, etc. A list of the standard default ports used by NetworkSmart when importing a file is shown in the Reserved Ports table on the "Decode Port As" window.
To allow NetworkSmart to analyze a specific protocol on a non-standard port, you must add that port and protocol to the User Defined Ports table as shown below. Once you have added your own custom "Decode Port As" rule, you will need to re-open any captures in order for NetworkSmart to properly analyze the data.
Step By Step Instructions
Follow these steps to define a custom port for a specific protocol:
- From the main NetworkSmart menu, select Tools | Decode Port As in order to display the Decode Port As window.
- Review the Reserved Ports table in the "Decode Port As" window in order to make sure the port you want to use is NOT already configured as a default port for another protocol in NetworkSmart.
- Enter the custom port number and select the protocol to analyze for this port.
- Click "Add" in order to create your custom "Decode Port As" rule and properly configure NetworkSmart. You should now see your custom port and protocol listed in the User Defined Ports table.
- Once have added your own custom "Decode Port As" rule, you will need to close and reopen your capture files in order for NetworkSmart to properly analyze and decode the data.
Remember: When creating a "Decode Port As" rule, NetworkSmart saves this customization information to your local configuration file and not to the actual capture file. Thus, only your local copy of NetworkSmart will import and analyze the defined protocol using the custom port. If other team members are wanting to view the proper decoding on their machines, they will need to configure the "Decode Port As" window as well.
