nRF Sniffer for Bluetooth LE v4.1.x

Troubleshooting

If you have problems installing or using the nRF Sniffer for Bluetooth® LE, see the following sections for troubleshooting information.

The nRF Sniffer for Bluetooth LE is not listed in the Wireshark interface

Check that the hardware is set up correctly:
  1. Ensure that the Development Kit (DK) or dongle has been enumerated on Universal Serial Bus (USB) and that the drivers are loaded.
  2. Ensure that the firmware HEX file has been programmed.
  3. Reset the hardware by unplugging the hardware, waiting 5 seconds, and plugging it back in.
  4. Check that all Python dependencies have been installed. If multiple Python installations are present, Wireshark might be using a different version than the one present in the user environment.
  5. Check the sniffer log file log.txt for error messages.
    • On Windows: %APPDATA%/Nordic Nordic Semiconductor/Sniffer/logs
    • On Linux and macOS: /tmp/logs/
If these steps do not help, verify that you have installed the nRF Sniffer capture tool correctly and that the Python script located in the extcap folder can be run, as described in Installing the nRF Sniffer capture tool.

The nRF Sniffer for Bluetooth LE does not show up as a toolbar

Make sure that you enabled the nRF Sniffer interface toolbar.

To do so, click View > Interface Toolbars > nRF Sniffer for Bluetooth LE.

The nRF Sniffer for Bluetooth LE does not receive packets

When programming the nRF Sniffer firmware, make sure to use the latest SEGGER J-Link software. If you used an older version, update your J-Link and program the firmware again.

The nRF Sniffer for Bluetooth LE does not receive packets on Windows

On Windows, COM port numbers higher than 199 are not supported. If the COM port number is COM200 or higher, rename the COM port on Windows to a COM port number that is COM199 or lower. To do so, complete the following steps:
  1. Open the Device Manager and click Ports (COM & LPT).
  2. Right-click on your COM port and click Properties.
  3. In Properties, go to the Port Settings tab and click Advanced.
  4. Change the COM port number by clicking the COM port number drop-down and selecting a COM port that is less than 200. Select a COM port number that is not in the list of devices currently attached to your computer. These are listed in the Device Manager under Ports (COM & LPT).
  5. Click OK and accept the changes when asked "Do you want to continue".

The nRF Sniffer for Bluetooth LE occasionally works but appears unstable

Make sure that you are using the correct software versions as specified in the prerequisites and that you have installed the Python requirements.

When programming the nRF Sniffer firmware, make sure to use the latest SEGGER J-Link software. If you used an older version, update your J-Link and program the firmware again.

If the problem persists, force J-Link to use flow control in the serial connection:

  1. Open JLink.exe (Windows) or JLinkexe (macOS/Linux) in the installation folder of the required J-Link version.
  2. Enter sethwfc force.
  3. Exit the JLink software.

Packets are displayed incorrectly

Verify that the NORDIC_BLE protocol is enabled in Wireshark. To do so, click Analyze > Enabled Protocols and verify that the NORDIC_BLE protocol is selected.

Verify that a stable release of Wireshark is used. Development and user build versions are not supported. For example, v3.0.7 and v3.2.0 are stable versions of Wireshark, as indicated by the second number being an even number. Version 3.1.x is a development version of Wireshark, indicated by the second number being an odd number.

Parent topic: nRF Sniffer for Bluetooth LE