Open files in VS Code and Cursor / Binary, network and hardware

Convert a PCAP to CSV

Wireshark can do it for free: File, Export Packet Dissections, As CSV. So can tshark with -T fields. If you already work in VS Code, PCAP Viewer opens the capture for free, and its Pro tool Export packet list writes the packets the filter shows as CSV or JSON, one row each. It has 3 free tries, then Zovo Pro is USD 19 once.

Free, MIT license. Extension ID zovo.zovo-pcap-viewer, version 0.2.2. Needs VS Code 1.90.0 or newer.

Steps in VS Code

1. Install PCAP Viewer from the Marketplace, or press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on macOS) and run ext install zovo.zovo-pcap-viewer.
2. Click the .pcap or .pcapng file in the Explorer. It opens in PCAP Viewer with the packet list and protocol tree.
3. Type a filter to keep only the packets you want in the CSV.
4. Right-click a packet to filter on its source, destination, conversation or protocol, or to copy the row. That is free.

Where Zovo Pro saves time

Viewing, filters, follow stream, statistics, copying a row and exporting packets as a new pcap file are free.

One row per packet: number, UTC time, seconds since start, source, destination, ports, protocol, length, stream filter, host names from the capture and the Info text. CSV opens in Excel with formula-like text made safe; JSON works with jq and pandas. Folder summary, a second Pro tool, writes one CSV row per capture in a folder.

With Export packet list to CSV or JSON (Zovo Pro)

5. Open the Export menu in the toolbar, or run "PCAP Viewer: Export Packet List to CSV or JSON (Pro)".
6. Pick CSV or JSON and save.
7. For many captures, right-click the folder and run "PCAP Viewer: Summarize a Folder of Captures to CSV (Pro)".

Export packet list to CSV or JSON works 3 times on your computer before it asks for a license, and a try counts only when you get a result. Opening a file shows no popup and no countdown.

Zovo Pro costs USD 19 once. It is not a subscription, and it turns on the Pro tools in every Zovo extension, not only PCAP Viewer. After a card payment (Stripe) your license key shows on the next page. In VS Code, run "Zovo Pro: Enter Zovo Pro license key" from the Command Palette and paste it. The key is checked on your computer, with no network call. With GitHub Sponsors, pick the "$19 one time" tier, then run "Zovo Pro: I already paid: unlock with GitHub Sponsors" and sign in with the same GitHub account. With PayPal, send USD 19 with "Zovo Pro" in the note and the key comes by email within a day.

A team of 5: USD 59 once, by card or by PayPal. Every rule and every Pro tool is on the Zovo Pro page.

Steps in Cursor, Windsurf or VSCodium

1. Open the Extensions view with Ctrl+Shift+X (Cmd+Shift+X on macOS).
2. Search for zovo.zovo-pcap-viewer and click Install. Cursor, Windsurf and VSCodium install from Open VSX, where it is published as zovo/zovo-pcap-viewer.
3. If your editor has no gallery, download the .vsix from the Open VSX page and run "Extensions: Install from VSIX...".
4. Then use it the same way as in VS Code.

What PCAP Viewer handles

• pcap and pcapng.
• Only the packets the filter shows.
• CSV safe for Excel, or JSON.
• One summary row per capture for a folder.

What it does not do

• The columns are fixed. For any protocol field, use tshark -T fields -e.

Other options

• Wireshark. File, Export Packet Dissections, As CSV. Free, with every dissector.
• tshark. tshark -r in.pcap -T fields -E separator=, -e frame.time -e ip.src -e ip.dst. Free and scriptable.
• scapy or pyshark. Python libraries for custom exports.

Install counts and Open VSX status were checked on 11 November 2026. Descriptions in quotes are the extensions' own.

Questions

More about PCAP Viewer

Read the PCAP Viewer page for every feature and setting, or the source code on GitHub.

Related guides

• PCAP Viewer & PCAPNG Viewer on the VS Code Marketplace (also on Open VSX). Reads packet captures as a table with protocol details.
• Open a PCAP file in VS Code
• Use a hex editor in VS Code
• Open a binary file in VS Code
• View VCD waveforms in VS Code