SoftNet-Guard — Setup & Run Guide

Velalar College of Engineering and Technology | Department of IT

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✅ Quick Setup (5 minutes)

Step 1 — Install Python dependencies

Open Command Prompt and run:

pip install flask scapy requests pandas scikit-learn

Step 2 — (Optional but recommended) Install Npcap

Npcap allows live packet capture on Windows. Download from: https://npcap.com/

• During install, check ✅ "Install Npcap in WinPcap API-compatible Mode"

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🚀 Running the Project

Option A — Demo Mode (works WITHOUT Npcap)

Best for showing your guide quickly. Uses real ARP scan + simulated traffic.

python main.py --simulate

Then open: http://127.0.0.1:5000

Option B — Real Scan Only (no dashboard)

python main.py --scan

Option C — Full System with Dashboard

python main.py

Then open: http://127.0.0.1:5000

Option D — Live Packet Capture (needs Npcap + Admin rights)

Right-click Command Prompt → "Run as Administrator", then:

python main.py --capture

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📁 Project Structure

softnet_guard/
│
├── main.py              ← Entry point (run this)
├── database.py          ← SQLite storage (Module 2 - Storage Layer)
├── device_scanner.py    ← ARP/Ping device discovery (Module 2 - Collection)
├── traffic_analyzer.py  ← Scapy packet capture (Module 2 - Processing)
├── app.py               ← Flask web dashboard (Module 4 preview)
├── requirements.txt     ← Python dependencies
│
└── templates/
    └── dashboard.html   ← Web UI

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🗂️ Module Coverage

Module	Component	File	Status
Module 1	Domain Knowledge & Requirements	(PPT Slides)	✅ Complete
Module 2	Data Collection — Device Scanner	device_scanner.py	✅ Complete
Module 2	Data Collection — Traffic Analyzer	traffic_analyzer.py	✅ Complete
Module 2	Data Storage — SQLite	database.py	✅ Complete
Module 4	Web Dashboard (preview)	app.py, dashboard.html	✅ Preview Ready

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🔍 What the Guide Will See

1. Real device discovery — the system scans your network and lists every device with IP, MAC, hostname, and vendor
2. Traffic data — packets counted per device with protocol breakdown
3. Security alerts — new device detection raises an alert automatically
4. Live dashboard — http://127.0.0.1:5000 shows all data in real-time

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⚠️ Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
ModuleNotFoundError: flask	Run pip install flask
Permission denied on capture	Run CMD as Administrator
No devices shown	Use --simulate flag or check your network connection
Scapy error on Windows	Install Npcap from https://npcap.com/