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Service phase: Beta

This service is still in development. Give us your feedback or view this page on the current PRONOM service.

Format

pcap Packet Capture

Summary

Name
pcap Packet Capture
Identifiers
  • MIME: application/vnd.tcpdump.pcap
  • PUID: fmt/779
Description
The pcap file format was invented for use by tcpdump, a packet analyser used to examine and interpret network traffic.
File extensions
pcap, cap, dmp
Source
Digital Preservation Department / The National Archives

Internal signatures

pcap Big Endian

Note
0xa1b2c3d4 indicates that the capture reader has the same byte order as the capture writer. 0xd4c3b2a1 indicates that the reader has a different byte order from the writer.

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
0
Byte Sequence
A1B2C3D4
Endianness
None

pcap Little Endian

Note
0xa1b2c3d4 indicates that the capture reader has the same byte order as the capture writer. 0xd4c3b2a1 indicates that the reader has a different byte order from the writer.

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
0
Byte Sequence
D4C3B2A1
Endianness
None

Changelog

  • Updated in V84

    Release date
    21 January 2016

    pcap Packet Capture: Added MIME.

  • Added in V83

    Release date
    17 December 2015

    pcap Packet Capture: Signature developed through PRONOM Research.

    pcap Packet Capture: Full entry added.