diff --git a/gns3server/controller/link.py b/gns3server/controller/link.py
index a7b295cd..dbfb1cfa 100644
--- a/gns3server/controller/link.py
+++ b/gns3server/controller/link.py
@@ -94,4 +94,4 @@ class Link:
                 "adapter_number": side["adapter_number"],
                 "port_number": side["port_number"]
             })
-        return {"vms": res, "link_id": self._id, "data_link_type": self._data_link_type}
+        return {"vms": res, "link_id": self._id}
diff --git a/gns3server/controller/udp_link.py b/gns3server/controller/udp_link.py
index 4b9a9876..1ff91ef3 100644
--- a/gns3server/controller/udp_link.py
+++ b/gns3server/controller/udp_link.py
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ from .link import Link
 
 class UDPLink(Link):
 
-    def __init__(self, project, data_link_type="DLT_EN10MB"):
-        super().__init__(project, data_link_type)
+    def __init__(self, project):
+        super().__init__(project)
         self._capture_vm = None
 
     @asyncio.coroutine
@@ -80,14 +80,14 @@ class UDPLink(Link):
         yield from vm2.delete("/adapters/{adapter_number}/ports/{port_number}/nio".format(adapter_number=adapter_number2, port_number=port_number2))
 
     @asyncio.coroutine
-    def start_capture(self):
+    def start_capture(self, data_link_type="DLT_EN10MB"):
         """
         Start capture on a link
         """
         self._capture_vm = self._choose_capture_side()
         data = {
             "capture_file_name": self.capture_file_name(),
-            "data_link_type": self._data_link_type
+            "data_link_type": data_link_type
         }
         yield from self._capture_vm["vm"].post("/adapters/{adapter_number}/ports/{port_number}/start_capture".format(adapter_number=self._capture_vm["adapter_number"], port_number=self._capture_vm["port_number"]), data=data)
 
diff --git a/gns3server/handlers/api/controller/link_handler.py b/gns3server/handlers/api/controller/link_handler.py
index f7234c31..329ba65b 100644
--- a/gns3server/handlers/api/controller/link_handler.py
+++ b/gns3server/handlers/api/controller/link_handler.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 from ....web.route import Route
-from ....schemas.link import LINK_OBJECT_SCHEMA
+from ....schemas.link import LINK_OBJECT_SCHEMA, LINK_CAPTURE_SCHEMA
 from ....controller.project import Project
 from ....controller import Controller
 
@@ -63,13 +63,14 @@ class LinkHandler:
             204: "Capture started",
             400: "Invalid request"
         },
-        description="Start capture on a link instance")
+        input=LINK_CAPTURE_SCHEMA,
+        description="Start capture on a link instance. By default we consider it as an ethernet link")
     def start_capture(request, response):
 
         controller = Controller.instance()
         project = controller.getProject(request.match_info["project_id"])
         link = project.getLink(request.match_info["link_id"])
-        yield from link.start_capture()
+        yield from link.start_capture(request.json.get("data_link_type", "DLT_EN10MB"))
         response.set_status(204)
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/gns3server/schemas/link.py b/gns3server/schemas/link.py
index 16fb7384..f344852a 100644
--- a/gns3server/schemas/link.py
+++ b/gns3server/schemas/link.py
@@ -28,10 +28,6 @@ LINK_OBJECT_SCHEMA = {
             "maxLength": 36,
             "pattern": "^[a-fA-F0-9]{8}-[a-fA-F0-9]{4}-[a-fA-F0-9]{4}-[a-fA-F0-9]{4}-[a-fA-F0-9]{12}$"
         },
-        "data_link_type": {
-            "description": "PCAP data link type (http://www.tcpdump.org/linktypes.html)",
-            "enum": ["DLT_ATM_RFC1483", "DLT_EN10MB", "DLT_FRELAY", "DLT_C_HDLC"]
-        },
         "vms": {
             "description": "List of the VMS",
             "type": "array",
@@ -62,3 +58,17 @@ LINK_OBJECT_SCHEMA = {
     "required": ["vms"],
     "additionalProperties": False
 }
+
+
+LINK_CAPTURE_SCHEMA = {
+    "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#",
+    "description": "Request validation to start a packet capture on a link",
+    "type": "object",
+    "properties": {
+        "data_link_type": {
+            "description": "PCAP data link type (http://www.tcpdump.org/linktypes.html)",
+            "enum": ["DLT_ATM_RFC1483", "DLT_EN10MB", "DLT_FRELAY", "DLT_C_HDLC"]
+        }
+    },
+    "additionalProperties": False
+}
diff --git a/tests/controller/test_link.py b/tests/controller/test_link.py
index 8e66423e..80ab7a05 100644
--- a/tests/controller/test_link.py
+++ b/tests/controller/test_link.py
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ def test_json(async_run, project, compute):
     async_run(link.addVM(vm2, 1, 3))
     assert link.__json__() == {
         "link_id": link.id,
-        "data_link_type": "DLT_EN10MB",
         "vms": [
             {
                 "vm_id": vm1.id,
@@ -72,6 +71,7 @@ def test_json(async_run, project, compute):
         ]
     }
 
+
 def test_capture_filename(project, compute, async_run):
     vm1 = VM(project, compute, name="Hello@")
     vm2 = VM(project, compute, name="w0.rld")