Passive Network Monitoring with Python and Scapy

Understanding the traffic flowing through your network is critical for troubleshooting security issues and maintaining performance. This text-based course guides you through the foundational concepts of network packets and passive monitoring using Python and Scapy. You will transition from a beginner to confidently writing clean Python scripts that sniff, parse, and log real-time network traffic without disrupting active connections. What you will learn: Understand fundamental network protocols, packet structures, and passive monitoring concepts; Capture live network traffic safely using Python and Scapy; Extract key packet layers including IP addresses, ports, and payload data; Log network activity to structured files for analysis and security auditing; Identify open ports and active hosts passively without active scanning; Apply modern Python best practices, including type hints and structured logging formats. The course starts with essential networking terminology and Scapy basics, progressing step-by-step through writing, refactoring, and executing packet-logging scripts. This course is designed for beginners in network administration, cybersecurity, or Python programming, with no prior packet analysis experience required. Start reading today to build your own lightweight network monitoring tools from scratch.