Mcpcap MCP Server

An MCP server for analyzing PCAP files.

Local serverstdioPython

What is the Mcpcap MCP server?

An MCP server for analyzing PCAP files. That is what the mcpcap mcp server brings to an AI assistant: the same capability, reachable through the Model Context Protocol rather than a separate app or dashboard.

The short version

A modular Python MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for analyzing PCAP files. mcpcap exposes protocol-specific analysis tools that accept a local file path or remote HTTP URL at call time, so the server stays stateless and works cleanly with MCP clients.

mcpcap uses a modular architecture to analyze different network protocols found in PCAP files. Each module provides specialized analysis tools that can be called independently with any PCAP file, making it perfect for integration with Claude Desktop and other MCP clients.

  • Stateless MCP Tools — Each analysis call supplies its own PCAP path or URL
  • Modular Architecture — DNS, DHCP, ICMP, TCP, SIP, and CapInfos modules with easy extensibility for new protocols
  • Advanced TCP Analysis — Connection lifecycle, traffic patterns, retransmissions, and flow inspection
  • Local & Remote PCAP Support — Analyze files from local storage or HTTP URLs
  • Scapy Integration — Leverages scapy's comprehensive packet parsing capabilities
  • Specialized Analysis Prompts — Security, networking, and forensic analysis guidance

What it needs from you

  • Python 3.10+ - scapy (packet parsing and analysis) - requests (remote file access) - fastmcp (MCP server framework)

Getting it running

@modelcontextprotocol/inspector on npm is all you need. Most clients run it directly, so configuration is a few lines and a restart.

How it compares

This sits in the AI and media services group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. It is maintained by ai.mcpcap; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Things to watch

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

How to install the Mcpcap MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcpcap": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/inspector"]
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

  • Python 3.10+ - scapy (packet parsing and analysis) - requests (remote file access) - fastmcp (MCP server framework)

Frequently asked questions

It connects Mcpcap to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Mcpcap directly.