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The dump command is a packet capture tool that logs incoming TCP packets with their payloads, similar to tcpdump but specifically designed for paqet traffic.

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Syntax

paqet dump [flags]

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Description

The dump command captures and displays raw TCP packets arriving on the configured port. It shows packet details including source address, destination address, timestamp, payload length, and a hex dump of the payload data. This is invaluable for debugging connection issues, verifying packet delivery, and analyzing traffic patterns.
The dump command requires a server configuration file and will listen on the port specified in the server config.

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Flags

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--config-cconfig.yamlPath to the server configuration file

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Usage Examples

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Start packet capture

sudo paqet dump -c server-config.yaml

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Capture with custom config location

sudo paqet dump -c /etc/paqet/server.yaml

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Example Output

listening for packets on :1337, (Press Ctrl+C to exit)
[14:32:15.234] Packet: 203.0.113.50:45678 -> 198.51.100.10:1337 | Length: 4 bytes
--- PAYLOAD (HEX DUMP) ---
00000000  50 49 4e 47                                       |PING|
--------------------------
[14:32:18.891] Packet: 203.0.113.50:45679 -> 198.51.100.10:1337 | Length: 128 bytes
--- PAYLOAD (HEX DUMP) ---
00000000  a7 3f 8c 2e 91 5d 43 b8  7f 1a 6d 94 3e 52 c0 8f  |.?...]C...m.>R..|
00000010  2b 6e 18 d5 7c 4a 29 f3  a1 87 5b 3c 90 e6 4d 71  |+n..|J)...[<..Mq|
...
--------------------------
Root privileges required: The dump command requires sudo/root access to capture raw packets from the network interface.

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When to Use Dump

Use the dump command for:
  • Debugging connectivity: Verify that packets are arriving at the server
  • Testing client ping: Monitor the server while running paqet ping from a client
  • Analyzing traffic: Inspect packet payloads to debug protocol issues
  • Verifying encryption: Check that payloads are properly encrypted (should look random)
  • Network diagnostics: Identify packet loss or routing problems

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What You’ll See

Each captured packet displays:
  1. Timestamp: Time the packet was received (HH:MM:SS.mmm)
  2. Source Address: IP and port of the sender
  3. Destination Address: IP and port where packet was received
  4. Length: Size of the payload in bytes
  5. Hex Dump: Complete payload in hexadecimal and ASCII format
Encrypted paqet traffic will appear as random binary data in the hex dump. If you see readable text (other than test pings), encryption may not be working correctly.

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Stopping the Capture

Press Ctrl+C to stop capturing and exit gracefully: 
^C
Shutdown signal received, exiting.

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Comparison to tcpdump

Unlike tcpdump, paqet dump:
  • Works specifically with paqet’s raw socket layer
  • Respects your paqet configuration (interface, addresses)
  • Shows only the application payload, not full TCP headers
  • Formats output for easy debugging of paqet-specific issues
For full packet analysis including TCP/IP headers, use tcpdump or Wireshark. Use paqet dump when you want to quickly verify paqet-level packet delivery.

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