IPkoder

IPkoder is a software toolkit that provides encoding, decoding, and analysis of Internet Protocol (IP) packets. Designed for networking education and testing, it offers both a programmable API and a command-line interface to construct IP headers, attach payloads, and parse binary frames reported by capture tools.

The toolkit supports IPv4 and IPv6, allows manipulation of common header fields (version, length, TTL, protocol, source and destination addresses), and enables generation of synthetic traffic for labs and simulations. It can validate packet structure against protocol specifications and export data in formats such as PCAP or structured JSON for further analysis. Optional modules cover extension headers and basic fragmentation scenarios.

IPkoder is built around a modular architecture: a core packet builder, a packet inspector for parsing and visualization, and adapters that enable input and output through live interfaces, files, or simulated streams. The project emphasizes portability and has lightweight dependencies to facilitate use on classroom machines and test benches.

In educational resources and network engineering tutorials, IPkoder is cited as a practical means to experiment with IP header layouts, verify parsers, and demonstrate traffic flows without requiring specialized hardware.

See also: Internet Protocol, IPv4, IPv6, PCAP, network simulation.