Avanti has its own built in NDIS5 network driver called msipcap. This is installed by default with Avanti. Msipcap is based on WinPCAP and uses the same call interface.
Software applications like Wireshark and SimH require a third party NDIS driver for network support. In the past, WinPCAP was the preferred choice. However, WinPCAP is no longer supported and the last release, 4.1.3, conflicts with the msipcap driver. The preferred NDIS driver for Wireshark and SimH is now Nmap.org’s Npcap. Npcap has the advantage of being an NDIS6 driver.
Avanti can be configured to use npcap as its network driver. See use_npcap_driver for additional information. The following table lists the characteristics and limitations of the available WinPCAP NDIS drivers.
NDIS Driver |
Characteristics |
Npcap |
Supported. NDIS6 driver. Migration Specialties recommends using Npcap if a third party NDIS driver is required for products like Wireshark. If Npcap is installed, Avanti will utilize it instead of the msipcap driver. |
Win10Pcap |
Incomplete implementation of WinPCAP for Windows 10. Only appears to work with Wireshark. Not compatible with Avanti. Migration Specialties recommends using Npcap. |
WinPCAP |
Depreciated. No longer officially supported. Migration Specialties recommends using Npcap. Avanti and software utilizing WinPCAP 4.1.2 will co-exist peacefully under Windows 7, 8, and Server 2012. WinPCAP 4.1.3 conflicts with Avanti’s NDIS network driver. Under Windows 10 and Server 2016 and higher, all versions of WinPCAP conflict with the Avanti NDIS driver. Npcap is recommended if a tool like Wireshark is being used on a Windows 10 or Windows Server system that also supports Avanti. |
Note:If installing a third party NDIS driver, reboot before starting Avanti to ensure it sees the new driver.
