netpulse

real-time network packet visualizer

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• Npcap (Windows packet capture driver)
• Administrator privileges

Installation

1. Install Npcap

Download and install Npcap from https://npcap.com/

Make sure to enable "WinPcap API-compatible mode" during installation.

2. Install Python Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

Run as Administrator:

python main.py

You can optionally provide a BPF capture filter when prompted, for example:

tcp port 443
udp port 53
host 8.8.8.8

Controls while running:

• P: pause/resume packet processing
• R: reset statistics counters and graph history
• C: clear live graph history only
• Q: quit cleanly
• Ctrl+C: force stop

Testing

Run the focused unit tests with:

python -m unittest discover -s tests

TODO

• Protocol identification (HTTP/Green, UDP/Blue, Encrypted/Red)
• Color-coded pulses based on traffic type
• Interface selection