-b Cause Tethereal to run in "multiple files" mode. In "multiple files" mode, Tethereal will write to several capture files. When the first capture file fills up, Tethereal will switch writing to the next file and so on. The created filenames are based on the filename given with the -w flag, the number of the file and on the creation date and time, e.g. savefile_00001_20050604120117.pcap, save- file_00001_20050604120523.pcap, ... With the files option itÂ’s also possible to form a "ring buffer". This will fill up new files until the number of files specified, at which point Tethereal will discard the data in the first file and start writing to that file and so on. If the files option is not set, new files filled up until one of the capture stop conditions match (or until the disk if full). The criterion is of the form key:value, where key is one of: duration:value switch to the next file after value seconds have elapsed, even if the current file is not completely filled up. filesize:value switch to the next file after it reaches a size of value kilobytes (where a kilobyte is 1024 bytes). files:value begin again with the first file after value number of files were written (form a ring buffer).