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Quick-Start Guide

Quick-Start Guide

Prefer the PDF version? Download PacketPilot-QuickStart.pdf — same content, formatted for print.

This guide walks you through getting PacketPilot Config and PacketPilot Analyze running in a lab environment with a network switch or router. Estimated time: 30 minutes.

Before You Start

You will need:

  • A Windows PC (10 or 11, 64-bit)
  • A network device (switch or router) with SSH access — Cisco IOS recommended for first-time use
  • A USB-to-serial console cable (optional but recommended)
  • Docker Desktop installed on Linux or WSL2 (for Analyze)

Part 1: Install PacketPilot Config

  1. Download the ZIP archive:

    https://packetpilot.db-electronics.no/api/download/exe

  2. Extract the ZIP to a permanent location (e.g. C:\PacketPilot)

  3. Open the extracted folder and run PacketPilot Config.exe

  4. On first launch, create a master password — this protects your stored credentials

  5. The 30-day trial starts automatically

Why a ZIP instead of a direct EXE? Windows marks downloaded files with a security restriction that can prevent the app's DLLs from loading. Extracting the ZIP avoids this — the EXE inside runs cleanly without any "Unblock" step.

Part 2: Connect to a Device via SSH

Add the Device

  1. Open the Inventory tab
  2. Click Add Device
  3. Enter the device IP address (e.g. 192.168.1.1)
  4. Select the vendor: Cisco (or Auto-detect)
  5. Enter SSH username and password
  6. Click Save

Config tests the connection immediately. If successful, the device appears in the inventory.

Open an SSH Session

Double-click the device in the inventory. An SSH terminal opens in the Sessions tab.

Try some read-only commands:

show version
show interfaces status
show vlan brief

Part 3: Connect via Serial Console (Optional)

If you prefer console access (e.g. for initial device setup):

  1. Connect the USB-to-serial cable from your PC to the device console port
  2. Note the COM port number in Windows Device Manager
  3. In Config, open the Console tab
  4. Select the COM port and vendor profile (e.g. Cisco)
  5. Click Connect
  6. Press Enter — you should see the device prompt

Part 4: Run the Cisco Bootstrap Wizard

Note: The bootstrap wizard applies actual configuration to the device. Only use this on a test device or in a lab environment.

  1. Connect to the device via console (see Part 3)
  2. With the Cisco profile selected, click Bootstrap in the Console tab
  3. Follow the wizard steps:

| Step | Example Value | |------|--------------| | Hostname | SW-CORE-01 | | Management VLAN | 1 | | IP Address | 192.168.1.10 | | Subnet Mask | 255.255.255.0 | | Default Gateway | 192.168.1.1 | | Enable Secret | MySecretPass! |

  1. Review the generated commands in the preview panel
  2. Click Apply — commands are sent to the device over the serial connection
  3. When complete, SSH to the new management IP to verify

Part 5: Install PacketPilot Analyze

Linux / WSL2

mkdir -p ~/packetpilot-analyze
cd ~/packetpilot-analyze
unzip ~/Downloads/PacketPilot-Analyze-Suite.zip
cp .env.example .env
docker compose up -d

Verify Services

docker compose ps

All services should show Up. Open the web UI at http://localhost:3000.

Download the Ollama Model

docker compose logs -f ollama
# Wait for "pulling model... done" then Ctrl+C

Part 6: Run Your First Analysis

1. Create a Capture File

On your network device, capture a short segment of traffic:

show interfaces
show access-lists
show running-config

Save the output as a .txt file.

Or, if you have a .pcap file from Wireshark or a span port, use that directly.

2. Create a Case in Analyze

  1. Open http://localhost:3000
  2. Click New Case
  3. Name it (e.g. Test-Case-01)
  4. Click Create

3. Upload and Analyze

  1. Click Upload Artifact
  2. Select your capture file
  3. Click Analyze

Findings appear in the Findings tab. AI explanations appear in the AI Summary tab.

4. Export a PDF Report

Click Export PDF in the case toolbar to download a human-readable report.

Part 7: Export Config Findings to Analyze

In Config:

  1. Right-click a device → Export Findings
  2. Choose JSON format
  3. Save the file

In Analyze:

  1. Open or create a case
  2. Click Upload Artifact
  3. Select the JSON file
  4. Click Analyze

The findings from Config are imported directly into the Analyze case.

Next Steps

Getting Help

Stuck on something? Email support@db-electronics.no.