NetSynth

What This Is

A Go CLI tool that captures live network traffic on an interface, clusters and classifies the packets by protocol/pattern, and synthesizes an ambient MP3 soundscape where each traffic type produces a distinct harmonic drone or tone. Run it, let it listen, hit Ctrl+C, and get an audio fingerprint of your network.

Core Value

Network traffic patterns are instantly recognizable as distinct sounds — a ping sounds different from HTTPS noise, which sounds different from a port scan.

Requirements

Validated

(None yet — ship to validate)

Active

Capture live packets from a specified network interface until interrupted (Ctrl+C)
Classify packets by known protocols (ICMP, TCP/HTTPS, DNS, SSH, etc.) using predefined rules
Auto-cluster unrecognized traffic patterns and assign them unique tones
Map each traffic class to a distinct harmonic/drone sound layer
Aggregate traffic into time windows to drive amplitude and tonal evolution
Synthesize ambient/drone audio from the layered sound mappings
Encode and save output as MP3 file
CLI interface with flags for interface selection and output file path

Out of Scope

Real-time audio playback — v1 is file output only
GUI or web interface — CLI only
Custom sound mapping configuration — predefined + auto-cluster only
Rhythmic/percussive output — ambient/drone style only

Context

Built in Go for single-binary distribution and performance
Needs packet capture (likely pcap/gopacket) — may require elevated privileges
Audio synthesis in Go is less common than Python; will need to evaluate libraries
MP3 encoding requires an encoder library or CGo bindings (e.g., LAME)
The "ambient/drone" style means layered sine/harmonic waves that evolve slowly based on traffic volume and mix, not discrete note triggers

Constraints

Language: Go — user preference, single binary output
Privileges: Packet capture requires root/CAP_NET_RAW on Linux
Audio format: MP3 output (not WAV or raw PCM)
Interaction model: Non-interactive capture (run → Ctrl+C → file saved)

Key Decisions

Decision	Rationale	Outcome
Go over Python/Rust	User preference, single binary, good perf	— Pending
Ambient/drone style	Layered tones better represent continuous traffic patterns	— Pending
Predefined + auto-cluster	Known protocols get recognizable sounds; unknown traffic still represented	— Pending
File output only	Simpler v1, avoids real-time audio complexity	— Pending

Evolution

This document evolves at phase transitions and milestone boundaries.

After each phase transition (via /gsd:transition):

Requirements invalidated? → Move to Out of Scope with reason
Requirements validated? → Move to Validated with phase reference
New requirements emerged? → Add to Active
Decisions to log? → Add to Key Decisions
"What This Is" still accurate? → Update if drifted

After each milestone (via /gsd:complete-milestone):

Full review of all sections
Core Value check — still the right priority?
Audit Out of Scope — reasons still valid?
Update Context with current state

Last updated: 2026-03-24 after initialization

3.3 KiB Raw Blame History