WinPcap.... what is it ?,,,,,, Do I need it ? ? ?

[#1]

Whilst using the Control Panel > programs and features bit... to do an uninstall, I noticed a program called WinPcap...
I have no idea what it is, nor where it came from.... so any ideas....?
Here is what a quick google came up with.....

Quote

WinPcap is the industry-standard tool for link-layer network access in Windows environments: it allows applications to capture and transmit network packets bypassing the protocol stack, ...........etc etc etc etc......................,

I don`t do "network" stuff, apart from the normal surfing the internet, and emails.....
so do I need it.... and is it safe to unistall it, if I don`t.....?

[#2]

Wireshark!

[#3]

@Jelv.... you may just as well post  "cabbages"   for all the use that posting has to me......

[#4]

Have you ever installed Wireshark?

[#5]

No. Why should I..... what is it for..... is it necessary.... I haven`t installed google chrome... is that ok? I haven`t installed picasa either.... but I know what they do.... and I think they are unnecessary... so I haven`t installed them... Oh and another thing I haven`t installed is Skype... again... I know what it does,... but it isn`t necessary.. so I haven`t installed it... get my drift? 

[#6]

http://community.plus.net/library/faults/using-wireshark-for-data-capture/
I wondered if you'd installed this when you were having speed issues - it's used for checking that traffic has been put in to the correct queue.
Wireshark requires WinPCap and this is the most obvious reason why you might have it installed.

[#7]

Ha!... now I see what you are getting at......
No I haven`t installed wireshark..... the only thing I installed when I had speed issues, and also since my new hdd a couple of weeks ago... is Routerstats...

has it anything to do with that?
...

[#8]

No, it won't be RouterStats.

[#9]

So................. back to the original question then....
do I need it?  if not.... is it safe to uninstall it...?
 

[#10]

I can't think what else it might be so I'd suggest removing it and see if anything stops working!

[#11]

Thanks. 

[#12]

Here is a list of the programs that use "WinPcap"  http://www.winpcap.org/misc/links.htm#tools  -  do you recognize any of them ?

[#13]

Thanks Purleigh.....
none of them on that list apply to my setup.... and I have already uninstalled it...