The link type associated with this adapter is not supported

Error message

The link type associated with this adapter is not supported by Sniffnet yet...

What it means

unsupported_link_type_translation() (src/translations/translations_3.rs:312) is the localized notice shown by the waiting page when `!link_type.is_supported()` (waiting_page.rs:40). Every pcap capture exposes a datalink type describing the link-layer header (Ethernet, raw IP, 802.11, USB, etc.); Sniffnet's parser only supports a subset. If the chosen adapter's link type is outside that set, parsing is skipped and this message is displayed.

Source

Thrown at src/translations/translations_3.rs:312

        Language::VI => "Loại liên kết",
        Language::ZH => "链接类型",
        Language::ZH_TW => "連線類型",
        Language::KO => "링크 유형",
        Language::TR => "Link türü",
        Language::PT => "Tipo de conexão",
        Language::UK => "Різновид зʼєднання",
        Language::ID => "Tipe koneksi",
        Language::EL => "Τύπος σύνδεσης",
        Language::HU => "Link típus",
        Language::SI => "සබැඳි වර්ගය",
        _ => "Link type",
    }
}

pub fn unsupported_link_type_translation(language: Language) -> &'static str {
    match language {
        Language::EN => {
            "The link type associated with this adapter is not supported by Sniffnet yet..."
        }
        Language::CS => {
            "Typ linky přidružený k tomuto adaptéru zatím není Sniffnetem podporován...."
        }
        // Language::FA => "نوع پیوند مرتبط با این مبدل هنوز توسط Sniffnet پشتیبانی نمی شود...",
        Language::ES => {
            "La conexión asociada a este adaptador aún no está soportada por Sniffnet..."
        }
        Language::IT => {
            "Il tipo di collegamento associato a questo adattatore di rete non è ancora supportato da Sniffnet..."
        }
        Language::FR => {
            "Le type de connexion associé à cet adaptateur n'est pas encore supporté par Sniffnet..."
        }
        Language::DE => {
            "Die Verbindungsart dieses Adapters wird noch nicht von Sniffnet unterstützt..."
        }
        Language::PL => {

View on GitHub (pinned to 48b0575dc0)

Solutions

Select a standard Ethernet/Wi-Fi (managed mode) adapter in Sniffnet's adapter picker instead of the monitor-mode/USB/Bluetooth interface.
Take Wi-Fi out of monitor mode (e.g. `airmon-ng stop wlan0mon`, or OS settings) so the adapter reports an Ethernet-like DLT.
If you need the exotic traffic, capture with tcpdump/Wireshark into a pcap, then analyze the pcap only if its DLT is supported; otherwise convert it first (e.g. editcap/tshark decapsulation).
For virtual adapters, prefer the parent/physical adapter or one that presents DLT_EN10MB.
Check for driver/OS updates that change the reported datalink of the interface.

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

# list datalink types of your adapters before selecting one in Sniffnet
$ tcpdump -L -i any          # shows supported datalink types per interface
$ dumpcap -D                 # note interfaces; avoid mon0/usb/bluetooth ones

Prevention

Keep Wi-Fi in managed mode; monitor-mode interfaces report 802.11 link types Sniffnet can't parse.
Avoid USB and Bluetooth capture interfaces when enumerating devices.
If you must analyze exotic traffic, pre-convert it to Ethernet DLT with tshark/editcap and open that pcap.
After driver/OS updates, re-check that your adapter still reports DLT_EN10MB (`tcpdump -L -i <if>`).

When it happens

Trigger: Capturing on interfaces whose datalink is not one of the supported Ethernet-like types: 802.11 monitor-mode adapters (radiotap/802.11 headers), USB bus monitors (LINKTYPE_USB), Bluetooth HCI adapters, some raw-IP tunnels presenting an exotic DLT, Loopback on certain platforms, or proprietary virtual adapters reporting unusual link types. Detected via cs.get_link_type() on the waiting page before traffic analysis begins.

Common situations: Putting Wi-Fi in monitor mode and selecting that capture interface; selecting 'Bluetooth pan' or 'USB' interfaces enumerated by libpcap/Npcap on Windows; capturing on a VPN or SD-WAN virtual NIC with a non-Ethernet DLT; platform differences — the same physical adapter exposing a different link type after driver updates.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of GyulyVGC/sniffnet@48b0575dc0 (2026-08-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e9d26a9cfdead7f9. Report an issue: GitHub.