[olug] Wifi detect utility

[William Haisch]

> When did NetStumbler get ported over to *nix?  I've
> only ever heard of Kismet being used...

It didn't.  Netstumbler doesn't want to have anything to do with Linux 
/ Macs.  They send people to dstumbler and kismet.  MacStumbler is a 
new source project but they incorporated part of the name.  There is 
also iStumbler (detects 802.11 devices plus Bluetooth devices, can auto 
associate your Mac with access points it finds, way cool!).  KisMAC 
uses custom OS X Airport drivers to force the original Airport cards 
and other 3rd party orinoco / Prism cards into monitor mode.  I'm 
pretty sure it has no kismet code (or at least I read that somewhere . 
. . )

There is also using Yellow Dog Linux (or other Mac Linux) with hacked 
and patched orinoco drivers and self-compiled source of kismet.  I have 
had this "kinda working" but it is not the ideal solution.  Some 
networks would show up that "don't exist" and others that wouldn't show 
up (like my own AP!).  I only screwed around with it for a while.  I 
need to start that project up again . . .

Remember, thanks to Broadcom's total lack of open source, you can't use 
Airport Extreme cards with Linux!  Yay!  I've always wanted to replace 
the APX card in my laptop with a Linux-supported standard miniPCI 
wireless card to see if Linux would see it, thus making stumbling 
easier.  Maybe Apple just used the form factor and not the correct 
wiring so a standard miniPCI card would release all the smoke stored in 
the IC chips.

Links:
http://www.netstumbler.com/
http://www.macstumbler.com/
http://www.istumbler.net/
http://binaervarianz.de/projekte/programmieren/kismac/

--
-Wm.
William Haisch
bill at whaisch.com