What audio codecs are necessary for decoding audio in Wireshark without plugins?

The selection of G711A or G711U as the correct answer is based on the fact that these audio codecs, also known as telephone codecs, are natively supported by Wireshark for decoding audio streams. G711A (also referred to as A-law) and G711U (also known as μ-law) are two widely used codecs in telecommunication systems, allowing for the efficient transmission and conversion of analog voice signals into digital voice packets.

Wireshark has built-in capabilities to interpret and decode these codecs without requiring additional plugins or extensions. When packets are captured from a voice-over IP (VoIP) stream using either of these codecs, they can be analyzed directly in Wireshark, presenting clear audio that can be played back.

This compatibility is essential for network analysis and troubleshooting in VoIP applications, as it allows for the direct examination of audio quality and coding integrity.

Other codecs, like G729 and G722, while also common in VoIP communications, are not natively supported in Wireshark for decoding without additional plugins. Therefore, without the need for third-party support, G711A and G711U are the optimal choices for audio analysis in Wireshark.