Your infinite radar-Wireless AP search tool

Wireless is always free and convenient. However, wireless Internet access is not available anywhere. If you want to know if your current location has wireless coverage, you need to find a wireless network signal. Want to know how to capture wireless signals in one place? Read this article.

In addition to the wireless network search tool that comes with Windows XP, we can also use more professional tools such as NetStumbler, ApSniff, and AiroPeek.

Because Windows XP supports Wi-Fi by default, the simplest way to capture a wireless network is to use the built-in functions of the system to search for available networks.

In fact, each vendor will develop a set of software for managing its wireless network card. This software is used in Windows 98/2000 and other operating systems that do not support Wi-Fi by default. It can be used in Windows XP.

Generally, the tools developed by the vendor provide complete functions, including the scalability of their devices. However, they are highly targeted. After all, they are developed by the vendor and cannot be used to manage wireless network cards of other vendors. Therefore, we need third-party tools.

NetStumbler, the most popular Wireless AP search tool

NetStumbler is the most popular Wireless AP search tool. It is free of charge and can be downloaded from http://down1.tech.sina.com.cn/do..4-12-14/12484.shtmlfor free. After NetStumbler is enabled, the Wireless AP detected nearby is automatically displayed, and the SSID, MAC address, frequency band, speed, and encryption information of the Wireless AP are displayed. It is worth mentioning that NetStumbler can display a Wireless AP with a hidden SSID. On the software interface, the green light of the AP is continuously flashing.

The tree structure on the left of NetStumbler lists the Wireless AP detected in each band. Due to NetStumbler's Comprehensive scanning, the nearby Wireless AP will be at a glance. Because it is a software developed by Americans, it can only detect 1 ~ 11 frequency bands between 11, and domestic wireless frequency bands are divided into 13, then 12 ~ Wireless AP in the 13-band cannot be found. With NetStumbler, you can detect the IP address, MAC address, SSID, and manufacturer of the Wireless AP. The Type column shows whether the AP has WEP encryption. You can connect to a Wireless AP without WEP encryption (usually public AP) and use it to access the Internet.

Filters in the left column of NetStumbler can also set various conditions to display Wireless AP, such as EncryptionOff (enable WEP encryption), EncryptionOn (enable WEP encryption), ESS (AP) (Wireless AP) and IBSS (Peer) (adhoc Peer computer ). In this way, you can see the situation of nearby wireless devices at a glance.

In addition, once you connect to a Wireless AP, you can also use NetStumbler to detect the signal strength at different locations. For example, when you put the Wireless AP in the study, if you want to know the coverage and strength of wireless signals in the living room, bedroom, kitchen, and other places, you can select the Wireless AP in NetStumbler to observe the stable signal performance for a period of time, with the passage of time, you can intuitively understand the signal strength. In this way, you can determine where the signal is better, and how to place a Wireless AP to enable full coverage of signals in areas requiring mobile Internet access.

AiroPeek with data packet theft and analysis capabilities

Strictly speaking, AiroPeek is not a pure Wireless AP search tool. It provides network packet theft and analysis functions for software such as Sniffer, that is, decoding the 802.11a/B/g protocol, displays management information packages, control information packages, and data information packages. AiroPeek supports Decoding of WEP encrypted data streams of different lengths. You can perform aerial decoding by renaming multiple keys, it contains a convenient command line to decode the captured encrypted package file. Therefore, even if the wireless signal encrypted with WEP is used, it cannot escape the "magic" of AiroPeek ".

After capturing data packets through AiroPeek, you can see the IP addresses of all nodes in the network and statistics on Packet sending. AiroPeek displays the network topology in the form of a network topology, which gives you an intuitive understanding of the network structure.

Various information is contained in the data package. In addition to the Source and Destination addresses, the Protocol allows us to view all 802.11-related data packets after sorting, if necessary, you can analyze the data packet content in depth. AiroPeek converts hexadecimal data into an anⅱ code that you can understand, and the content in the data packet can be easily viewed.

In addition to the above wireless scanning software, Windows platforms include bricks, DUMeter3, bricks, ethereal, and NetStatLive. The Linux platform also includes wavestumbler, airsnort, Kismet, gtkloud, and WifiScanner. Wireless scanning and related software are rich, and even WEPCrack cracking software is available. In addition to introducing how to scan wireless networks, this article also reminds wireless gamers to pay attention to security, after all, Wi-Fi is still insecure.