I am working on an automation for some systems in which I have to interact with an embedded web server device to pass changes to it on a regular basis as part of our security to keep changing configuration to keep people out through a continually changing dynamic configured system.

I was wondering if there was a way to capture packet traffic to allow for it to get to the destination LIKE a tap "on our local network only" and then be able to add the stream of captured packets with commands contained WITHIN to sort of play back in an automated system.

I know about networking, but am not a specialist down to the packet level to understand if it can even be done or not. Our network is a basic TCP/IP network btw.

I was just thinking the other day how easy it would be if I could start a tap to record packets, send the command across to the embedded systems, and then stop the tap and then be able to trigger that packet stream back over the network and when broadcasted have it do exactly what it did minutes ago or hours ago.

A LONG time ago I was able to do this over a serial network, but there is a big difference between serial communications and TCP/IP.

** Hoping this is ok to be asked since it is for a safe use to make my life easier, I also see where if the wrong people used such a technology for malicious intent it could be a huge problem.**

Maybe I should just designate a system that is secure and use macros, but it would be so much neater if I could pass recorded packets, broadcast packets from before over again to have the same change go across to the embedded hardware devices.Sorry, I don't even understand the question this time Dave!Hey sorry to be confusing...Maybe this is more to the point without my rambling...

Pretty much want to capture exact copies of packets on network to reinject the packets onto the network if possible.

Sort of like recording the traffic and playing it back (rebroadcasting) it over my network to see if it will automate via tcp/ip

Google Search shows nothing, so I figured I would ask here... I am not even sure if it can be done or not.

Example being you send a command to a peice of equipment that turns the lights on... in theory you should be able to capture the packet traffic to create an exact copy of it and allow for it to still reach the destination to turn the light on.

At a later point you can run the play feature and broadcast those same packets over again, and the light should light at the Ethernet/Relay Outlet control since the commands to make it function are nested in the packets.

Hopefully this is more to the point as for I cant think of a simpler example. Thanks!

Can this be done? And if so is there any programs already existing that function this way?

I was thinking that maybe there was a Wireshark type of program that recorded packets and could play it back... but I havent found anything.

Okay, I see. I don't think this would be possible with TCP (maybe with UDP). The transmission protocol depends on a response from the other end for error correction, packet sequencing and so on. Because it is a two-way communication, (albeit asynchronous) unless you could mimic the transaction at both ends, it would be impossible to "play back" the conversation. Of course Wireshark can listen and even show you a complete log - but what you're looking for is something at the application layer, not at one of the lower layers. Like a kind of proxy server with a memory.

Anyway, in short, you need to look at automation at the application level, not at the network level.Thanks Rob!

That probably explains why there is nothing to be found in google searches.

I can create automated routines at the application level and will just stick to that. Only drawback to it is that to function it requires a dedicated desktop where shortcut positions dont change etc so I was thinking that if I could mimic the packets all over again maybe I could avoid a dedicated desktop to the automation whereas the macro triggers and the mouse pointer moves to x,y positions and it runs a recorded process.

** Further thought is that maybe I can put this macro into a virtual machine I have and have it minimized. This way the normal system can still be used without fear of SCREWING up the envoronment for macros, and the virtual machine minimized can play it out in a static desktop without the fear of changing anything that will break the automation process by an x,y position change in its execution to enter information or double-click on shortcuts etc.

Thanks again! An automation system that depends on mouse pointer replay? Sounds problematic! But if that's what you're doing, have you tried AutoIT?Hey neat... its been around since 1999 and I havent heard of it before. I will give that a TRY. I have been using Jitbit Macro Recorder that I had to pay for located here, which has been pretty good, but sometimes it loses position with the mouse portion of the macro where instead of point and clicking a specific location to access the data it is off by a half inch and causes the rest of the chain of events to fail as a result of that malfunction. http://www.jitbit.com/macrorecorder.aspx

Nice feature of it is the ability to compile the macros to exe's for stand alone use on multiple systems. But it can act up at times so I will have to check into the AutoIT which claims to be more stable.

Thanks for pointing that free program out Rob!Pleasure.